Climate Strike - Dan Hodges Misses The Point

Once upon a time, the Mail on Sunday’s not even slightly celebrated blues artiste Whinging Dan Hodges was a firm supporter of the Labour Party. Not any more: Desperate Dan has been steadily crossing the floor ever since he decided to back London’s formerly very occasional Mayor Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. Like so many Bozza boosters, he has been conspicuously silent on the waste, lies, and other failures.

Now, Hodges carps incessantly about the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, and in a move of which his employer would no doubt approve, has decided to pass adverse comment on the so-called Climate Strike yesterday, which he has clearly decided is A Very Bad Thing Indeed. And not worthy of his bothering to do some research.

“If a group of kids took the day of school to express support for Brexit, or oppose unmanaged migration, or express support for capital punishment, how many people would say ‘Good for them. Great to see young people being politically engaged’”. The point just flew way over his head. Hodges is so out of touch that he considers climate change a political issue. It isn’t. You can’t legislate it away.

Danny Phillips was unimpressed. “In fairness though, they didn't. So good for them”. Indeed. They did it to remind people like Hodges who is going to be the most royally screwed as a result of climate change. Hodges then missed the point again. “So it's not actually about teaching kids to be politically engaged. It's about teaching them to be politically engaged from the same philosophical stand-point as you”.

No Dan, it’s not about a philosophical standpoint. It’s about climate change. Nick Timothy was on had to remind him. “Climate change is not a philosophical or political theory so, you know, way to miss a point sir”. By now, Desperate Dan knew the game was up, and so was reduced to deflection. “With respect, it's you that's missing the point”.

Timothy tried again. “I don't think so. Does it not occur to you, even slightly, to wonder why these kids are protesting? Easier to dismiss and disparage than to engage?” It’s true that Hodges has not shown any sign of understanding the issues, and his response merely confirmed this. “‘Does it not occur to you, even slightly, to wonder why these kids are protesting?’. Nope. Which like I say, is why it's actually you that's missing the point”.

As one Tweeter pointed out to him, “You keep repeating that he’s missed the point without being very clear what your point is”. His point appears to be that he’s missed the point.

Still, after all that, Hodges was still up for putting the ball in his own net. “One thing the ‘climate strike’ - and responses to tweets about the ‘climate strike’ - has demonstrated to me of is that it's not just our under 18's who need lessons in political engagement”. Dead right. And one of those needing those lessons in Dan Hodges.

With pundits like him, no wonder young people - and many others - are no longer prepared to pay good money to be patronised by has-been pundits. You’re desperate, Dan.

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