Watching schoolchildren on excursion to Motovun, I see tomorrow’s slayers. The younger, the more terrible. In their minds, the slaying will be their birthright.

Addendum I (November 2, 2019)

One of the popular slogans in schoolchildren’s rallies around the globe as of late says a lot about the imminent future: “You will die of old age, and I will die of climate change.” It will take no more than a few years for the slogan to turn around, though: “I will die of climate change, but you will die of my own hand rather than old age.” When the time comes, the ferocious revenge will sweep the entire planet in a jiffy. But this is not a prophecy, to be sure. It is just clear thinking about the nascent sentiments of today’s schoolchildren, who are in frenetic search of those guilty of their dire prospects. For revenge worthy of its name, those already dead will be of no interest to them. Come to think of it, they may actually help babyboomers like me to their graves when the shit hits the fan. Three cheers for schoolchildren!

Addendum II (December 3, 2019)

According to today’s news, Greta Thunberg said that adults should stop making young people angry over global warming. “People are underestimating the force of angry kids,” she added. Well, I am surely not among those who underestimate their force, and this haiku is my witness. As years go by, the anger will only grow. Unbeknownst to today’s kids, though, global warming is unstoppable. Humans are incapable of understanding it, let alone doing anything meaningful about it. And unbeknownst to tomorrow’s adults, the anger of the young people is also beyond their ken. In addition to all the perils climate change and environmental degradation will bring soon enough, tomorrow’s horrors will be augmented by the belief of today’s kids that things could have been different had they been listened to. Pace Greta, but you are only adding oil to the fire. And it is a question of decades at most before shit hits the fan. Schoolchildren’s birthright will be upon us together with floods, wildfires, droughts, and all the wars these natural disasters will bring in their wake.

Addendum III (December 12, 2019)

There is a new twist to this story, and from an unexpected angle. Namely, the Donald just tweeted a few words addressed to Greta Thunberg directly. “So ridiculous,” he started. “Greta must work on her anger management problem, and then go to a good old-fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, chill!” Greta responded immediately by quoting the forty-fifth American president in her Twitter bio. “A teenager working on her anger management problem,” the bio now states. “Currently chilling and watching a good old-fashioned movie with a friend.” Even though the Donald is now slammed from all sides on account of his “bullying,” for which he is famous, he must be credited with a good nose when it comes to anger of today’s youngsters. Anger management will not work, though. The very idea will only make it more palpable, if not also deadly. Whence Greta’s rewriting of her bio, which will be deeply appreciated by her many followers around the globe. Chill youngsters, chill!