Russian-British comedian mocks wokeness in Oxford Union speech: 'Trained young minds to forget'

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Gen Z climate activist: Throwing paint, stopping traffic is privileged protest and unhelpful

Young eco-activists having defaced paintings and poured onto freeways for environmental justice are not tangibly improving the climate, conservationist says.

Satirist and podcast host Konstantin Kisin slammed woke culture and argued that it has caused young people to "forget" that the way to "improve the world" and fight climate change is to work, build and create. 

During a debate at the Oxford Union Society, Kisin argued that woke culture has gone "too far" and noted at the beginning of his argument that he was attempting to speak to those "who are woke" and "open to rationale argument." He started by saying that the younger generation cares more about climate change than any other generation.

Kisin argued the future of the climate would be decided by "poor people in Asia and Latin America," because "they're poor."

"There is only one thing we can do in this country to stop climate change and that is to make scientific and technological breakthroughs that will create the clean energy that is not only clean but also cheap," Kisin said. "The only thing wokeness has to offer in exchange is to brainwash bright young minds like you to believe that you are victims, to believe that you have no agency, to believe that what you must do to improve the world is to complain, is to protest, is to throw soup on paintings." 

Russian-British comedian Konstantin Kisin speaks during debate at the Oxford Union Society. (Screenshot/YouTube0/OxfordUnion)

CLIMATE ACTIVISTS FAIL TO GLUE THEMSELVES TO ‘THE SCREAM’ PAINTING IN NORWAY: ‘I SCREAM FOR PEOPLE DYING’

Kisin referenced anti-oil protesters who hurled tomato soup at a Vincent van Gogh painting in London's National Gallery. 

He argued that those on his side of the debate were "not on this side of the house because we do not wish to improve the world."

"We know that the way to improve the world is to work, is to create, is to build and the problem with woke culture is that it has trained to many young minds like yours to forget about that," he concluded. 

Several climate activists across the world have sought to protest climate change by defacing famous works of art. A pair of German climate activists smashed mashed potatoes across Claude Monet’s "Les Meules" at Potsdam’s Barberini Museum in October. 

A Federal Police officer tries to remove a 'Last Generation' activist from a street at the BER Airport in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.  ((Paul Zinken/dpa via AP))

RADICAL CLIMATE ACTIVISTS TARGET PRICELESS ART BUT EXPERTS WARN VANDALS ONLY HURTING THEIR CAUSE

Kisin posted on Twitter that he "didn't hold back."

His speech received plenty of praise on Twitter, including from former Mumford & Sons banjoist Winston Marshall. 

"Yes," Marshall wrote in a tweet that included Kisin's speech.  

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The rooftops of the university of Oxford as seen from a distance. REUTERS/Peter MacDiarmid (REUTERS/Peter MacDiarmid)

Kisin shared it again on Sunday and said that more than 5 million people have watched the speech across different platforms. 

"Is it possible that the silent majority get it?" he said.