the little bit this could be the end of communism it includes. the lives crisis and . the start of an era that defines our lives today. 1979 the big bang that created a small talk starts december 23rd t.w. . a year ago this seemingly typical teenager began skipping school every friday to call attention to climate change and it quickly became clear that she was no rebel without a call today 16 year old gratitude became the youngest person to become time magazine's person of the year in just 12 months this student from stockholm has issued a wake up call about global warming and her generation is listening and what about her parents' generation are they listening to i'm bored gotham berlin this is the day.

you know you don't think really the election results are right telling the truth about its. violence climate's. good night and good up to 9 months of economists it. takes to test your comments we are in the beginnings of a mass extinction and please you can talk about this in money in. terms of economic growth how do you believe this will no one is too small too to have been passed and change the world so just do everything you can. also coming up on this eve of the u.k. general election many pollsters are banking on a conservative victory but the bookies say the smart money may be with someone else

for a week oh say pretty well all the money's been for consent to majority and then suddenly in the last 24 straight 48 hours the momentum has switched say jericho being the next prime minister is a 70 shot i think it's got a great chance myself. to our viewers on p.b.s. in the united states and all around the world whelp. but we begin the day with time magazine's 2019 person of the year she is a school girl from sweden who has done in one year what her parents' generation should have done decades ago mobilize the entire world's young people by making it clear that their future good or bad is being decided by the climate decisions made today of the editors that time said that this year's title for sounding the alarm about humanity's predatory relationship with the only home we have for

bringing into a fragmented world a voice that transcends backgrounds and borders and for showing us all what it might look like when a new generation leads if that new generation inherits a planet on which people will want and be able to leap existential questions in the face of 'd a swedish girl or to talk about this i'm joined tonight by dana r. fischer who studies all kinds of movements in the u.s. and around the world she is a sociology professor at the university of maryland and she joins us tonight from all bureau in washington d.c. for a fessor of fisher it's good to have you on the day i know you've studied gratitude barragan her influence let me ask you was. was was granted the obvious choice for person of the year in your opinion i think that it makes a lot of sense for credit to be selected as person a error because she has not just she's not just one person she represents the youth

around the world who have been standing up and taking action and letting their voices be heard in ways we really haven't heard young people speak in quite some time and she is definitely seen as the face of the movements the face of a new generation of me she speaks with a language that is mature and beyond her years you could say i want to take a listen to part of what she had to say today take a listen. i've given many speeches and learned that when you talk in public he's thought it was something personal or emotional to get everyone's attention. say things like our house on a fire i wanted to panic or how dare you. but today i will not do that. because then those faces are all that people focus on. me she's very insightful i mean we wish that some politicians could speak that will but i'm wondering how powerful or who were what does your data tell you about the

power of this emerging generation how much change can they bring about i believe that the people can bring about as much change as they can imagine but i don't think it's just through great as words although great as words are powerful just like you say their brand but i think it's also her actions and it's not just her actions i mean she originally inspired this movement by taking a very simple action she decided to skip school and sit down outside the parliament in sweden in stockholm with a sharpie dritan you know and a sign that was written by it you know with a sharpie that just said that she was striking for climate and that specific and simple action has spread around the world. but when you look at what she is calling for she is calling for changes that would be seismic transformative i mean we're talking about changes in our society that are on par with the shifts that the world

experienced during the 2nd world war do you do you see the the will there to make that kind of radical change in the time that we have left. i think that the young people are showing that they have the will and they have been taking personal steps in terms of the way that they're changing their behaviors and also the way that they have been mobilizing again and again but the problem is that it's not the young people who are leading the world right now it is you know adults and right now there is a real disconnect between the interests and the concerns of young people and perhaps the concerns of the people who are leading it do you think is there a generational conflicts in bodied in groups who bear good we have brazil's president calling her a brat the u.s. president donald trump has trolled her on twitter is this kind of a back old. moment that we're seeing. i think

that this is a battle for the future of the world and i think that the young people have decided to start with peaceful all protest and take actions that are peaceful and in some cases using civil disobedience that's very peaceful and based on the ways that adults are responding we might see a lot more confrontational action coming from the young people so i think it's not just going to be about a back boomer kind of a message but rather a message where the young people are refusing to sit down and wait until they become adults and see what the world has for them at that point you know it's interesting the baby boomers were the generation of rebuilding they had little so using their parents' generation and its leaders they wanted to change the world and now with a half a century later. is saying the same thing and looking at the baby boomers and

saying how dare you. how do you read that i mean are we looking at a huge failure in one generation or are we looking at a fill your in the movement that began in the 1960 s. . well i would say that the boomers did change the world they maybe just didn't change in the ways that were necessary to address the climate crisis i think that this is not about a failure of people who came of age in the 1960 s. because a lot of what they were concerned about were different issues and were not as globally framed at least and certainly the climate crisis wasn't being discussed at that point i think that the problem is that the system that developed and emerged and that the boomers used to become successful has had unfortunately dire consequences to the planet and to the climate and at this point there are radical changes that are needed that the young people are pointing towards to to correct

the problem and i think that it's wonderful to see young people taking a stand i think gretta has inspired people around the world in in ways that wouldn't have been possible without social media and i think that it's nice to see young people selling gauged in politics against. these young people will soon be voters to have a big impact on democracy with those who do you know are fisher joining us tonight from washington professor of future we appreciate your insights and your time tonight thank you. thank you for having me. a footnote from history tonight gratitude bag today became time magazine's youngest ever person of the year knocking out the person who had held that distinction for almost a century the aviation pioneer charles lindbergh at the age of 25 lindbergh became time's 1st person of the year back in 1907 that was the year that he became the 1st

person to fly across the atlantic ocean and there is an irony there the mode of transportation which made him famous is the mode of transport gretta has avoided in her travels and we understand how ever in his later years lindbergh became somewhat of an environmentalist the pioneering pilot once said if i had to choose i would rather have birds than airplanes. but we move now from a young woman who has quickly become a global icon of hope to a nobel peace laureate who some say has quickly become a symbol of misplaced expectations mian mars civilian leader aung sang suu kyi today defended her country before the un's top court at the hague saying there is no proof that her country's military led a campaign of genocide against muslims yet that contradicts a u.n. investigation and testimony that was delivered on tuesday describing barbaric acts

against the range of population including children and babies on song suchi did not rule out that disproportionate force may have been used by many of mars armed forces but she denied that any crimes committed qualify as genocide more than 700000 bridges fled me in march a neighboring bangladesh to escape what has been described as a campaign involving ethnic cleansing with mass rapes and killings let's hear part of what i'm saying is who she had to say today. these ben mind this complex situation and the challenge to sovereignty and security in our country when you're assessing the intent of those who attempted to do that there have been surely under the circumstances genocidal intent cannot be the only hypothesis and there was an songs g. there speaking earlier today well for more on this i'm joined tonight by peter problem as a journalist peter has visited me in more under cover

a number of times he is the author of 2 books about aung san suu kyi and burma entitled the lady in the peacock and the lady and the generals he joins us tonight from london peter it's good to have you on the program what do you think's. going to let me ask you did the put us into aung sun suu cheez mind here why do you think she chose to go to the hague and to testify she didn't have to if she in danger of being directly linked to the military crackdown against the were injured by appearing in this trial. i think from the western perspective from our perspective it looks an incredibly risky thing to do i mean she's sitting in the hague in the same sort of situation in which people who undoubtedly was criminal such as not the action and slobodan milosevic found themselves not long ago and who

spent the rest of their lives in jail she's come voluntarily and it's been a bit of a a sensation that she did so i think we have to look at it from her point of view she has a general election next year. her party has been in power for the last 5 years and they really have not done any of the things which she wanted them to do she wanted them to create peace along the border that hasn't happened she wanted the economy to improve dramatically which certainly wasn't up and basically the country sort of wallowing in money much as it was when she took power. by coming to the hague by being so obviously courageous in facing her country's accuses rappin has self in the flag and it's already done her a lot of good politically back home there have been a number of rallies round the country supporting so the old enthusiasm among

ordinary burmese people for her seems to have been renewed while you make her sound like a seasoned and experienced western politician you know if she's up for reelection so distract the voters you know don't make them think about the problems at home by showing them how great we are or how great the leader is on the global stage and she is she thinking that way. i don't think we have to regard this as a cynicism particularly and i think she's sincerely is is sees itself as a protecting her nation's on when it should threats from international organizations and in this she's that reflects a great amount of popular opinion in india i think the peculiar aspect of it certainly from our point of view but also in asia there is that she. is coming to the defense of an army which is undoubtedly guilty of many war crimes not only in rakhine state but in in many other places around the border over the last decade

and which she herself has condemned in the past and she herself has been the victims of the un and in many many years in under house arrest because of the army so it's a very paradoxical position to find herself in but i think the political calculus is really the best explanation she's hoping to gain further support to make a decisive victory in next year's election and she's probably also hoping that by defending the army's actions so outrageously in our view in this forum she will also improve relations with the army which in fact have not been good. she has been in power since 2016 but the obvious still holds a majority of real power and according to journalists within within the country the army and she are on very bad terms and me she's trying to change that yeah sorry if

that means if i could just ask you i want your take on what we saw in san suu kyi she met with the chinese foreign minister before she left me and more for the hague what is that relationship playing do you think. well from very early in rule from back in 2016 she has been. keen to india herself to the chinese china as is right on own terms border this been an ambivalent relationship between burman china going life back to 148 when the country attained independence and and. maoist government in china fomented a maoist rebellion which threatens to to destroy the burmese government so having good relations with china makes a lot of sense for burma and it's always been difficult but the of tragically really this destructive policy towards the range at which she has largely

endorsed is something which is music to the is a president thing and look at the way they're treating their weakness in xinjiang in china unfortunately this plays into into what is becoming increasingly the dominant discourse in asia likewise and that narendra modi did in india plus your exit are tough and chauvinist equality against his works. you know problem joining us tonight from one peter we appreciate your time your insights helping us better understand unsung suchi thank you no problem thank you. british voters go to the polls tomorrow thursday for an election which could decide the fate of bread in the unlikely case you haven't heard breaks of course is the country's exit from the european union which has not been implemented yet the conservatives are pushing

a simple message promising again to do what they have so far failed to do to deliver as they say breaks it but today we want to look at the opposition labor party which is led by jeremy corbyn now their campaign has focused on the growing divisions in society and they're promising to give the british public a chance to rethink bricks. it's time for real change that's the message the labor party wants to get across to voters. jeremy corbyn is pledging to nationalize utilities and pour money into public services and in years of austerity under the conservatives we've had 9 years in which 150 people have become billionaires in britain we've had 9 years during which 4000000 children are living in poverty don't you think it's time to get rid of the government that brought that about a 3rd. poll ratings show labor trailing the conservatives corbin has

struggled to put down allegations that he's allowed anti semitism to thrive in the party earlier this year 8 lawmakers resigned in protest over and she said it isn't . the london district of battersea it's considered a bellwether area as it usually votes for the party that ends up winning this time many seem disillusioned just a coaching doll i'm not really concentrating anymore at all if i'm honest i probably more traditional leans towards labor and i was certainly would like to vote for labor however i'm not convinced that. breaks it fatigue could be the biggest issue for a long time lay that had no clear policy on bracks it now corbin says he'd renegotiate the back seat deal with europe and then hold a 2nd referendum. actually over really probably more keen to actually just finish this break the process now i don't want to drag it on any longer i preferred a conservative government that's in now and i want bricks. but service say the

labor party and corbin in particular have an image problem he see this week he seems indecisive he seems on patchi off sick he seems soft on terrorism and crime and he seems someone who simply can't make up their mind on bricks in the senate the labor party's poll ratings have improved as the campaign is progressed and jeremy colvin is competing with the prime minister his popularity ratings on good idea whether labor compile off an upset will depend on those undecided fotis. well for more now we're joined by an authority on the u.k. politics the veteran journalist quentin peel news now with chad of helps in london for it is good to have you back on the show on this election eeg tell me why is this election the most important in a generation as being claimed why does it matter so much. i think

because the cracks it because however this comes out i think the u.k. will crash out of the european union probably on gender that if that support is johnson gets his majority and if he doesn't get the majority will probably go back to have a 2nd referendum and that's a huge constitutional question for britain having said that it's the most infuriating election at the same time. to put a rigid they all in on the same message is the 2 leading figures johnson and could a bit of both actually really dislike disability differences group it is this like movement johnson yeah it's like you know pick your poison is here the conservatives it seems are pushing even further to the right with this price of policy labor seems to be going further to the left the loss of the political center

in the loss of political social cohesion you know that's a reality and it will not be stopped by this election am i correct. yes you up the surprising thing about the election is that when both parties have chosen to get more extreme nobody else is really succeeding in filling the center ground the liberal democrats were expected to do really quite well and then fainted i suspect the fundamental field here is the 1st past the post system in britain race militates in favor of the 2 big parties so the said to get screwy so just when people actually i think would be quite attracted by a centrist party it's playing to the way it looks like the whole thing's going to be split between labor and conservative and when you're talking about the voters and their fatigue there's a lot of talk about brags that fatigue yet the lack of interest in bragg's it is

what many say led to the bridge referendum victory in 2016 so does anyone know why the british voters seems to be so you know disconnected and just yeah so bored with the system. bracks it is very complicated guessing at the european union after 35 years as a member of an increasingly integrated market and system of government is actually really complicated and people don't want to know the complication they want to not just black and white question. we adults from those who voted together and they did it for a very emotional rather dashed the listing reasons they just say get it down and they don't want to know that it's going to be very complicated this process is going to drag on not just for months and all it's going to drag out 3 years but

both are still sort of months to take his aunt and then to go see it from the outside. have to ask you also quitting for people around the world looking at this election i mean it's happening in december and december is a dark time here in northern europe especially for the u.k. and most elections are not held in december how much of a factor do you think that's going to be tomorrow i mean people aren't in the mood to go out and vote or are they. standing at the best stuff in london tonight and that was really freezing. i think that might be a lower turnout because of that but because people nonetheless feel strongly about it. traditionally and that's not good for the labor party their voters tend to be the ones who will come out it's a high that the voters who feel most passionately will turn out that maybe the president said people i think sitting here tonight it's looking much

more likely that johnson will get his working majority maybe not a huge one but maybe 20 or 30 seats rather than it will be $170.00 again but we have the most volatile electorate day that i can ever remember and so it could be anything from 100 percent to about just a few really going to 65 johnson yeah you're right i mean the voters are polarized and it's harder than ever to predict what they would do when we appreciate as always your insights tonight stands on your will find out tomorrow what the voters have decided thank you we thank you. well the day is almost done the conversation continues online or find us on twitter either at the w. news or you can follow me at t.v. don't forget to use the hash tag the day and remember whatever happens between now and then tomorrow is another day stay tuned judy w.

news will have complete coverage of the british election tomorrow to see the.

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this is. the woman who was once an icon of human rights is now defending her against charges of genocide. takes the stand of the international court of justice in the hague the nobel peace prize laureate says. her country's army genocide against muslims prosecutors are seeking to prove. also coming up she's calling it europe's man on the moon the new president of the european commission is presenting her.