The murderous communist tyrant, Joseph Stalin, knew a thing or two about the power of education and how it can be used to manipulate.

He famously described education as a weapon, the effects of which depend on who holds this weapon, and at whom it is aimed. Like I said, he’d know. Stalin wrote the book on brainwashing under the banner of re-education, filling Soviet gulags with millions of people whose crimes primarily consisted of thinking the wrong thoughts.

It wasn’t just education, he was the master at weaponising children too. Against their own families, most of the time. On that point, history is very clear.

Why the history lesson? Well, in the simplest terms I’ve noticed a trend that’s made me really uncomfortable, that made me think of how at times through history, small humans have been weaponised for political leverage and political gain. We’re seeing it again.

Children. The weaponisation of kids for political leverage. And it’s not even subtle anymore. It’s overt. Celebrated. Dangerous and morally bankrupt.

Let’s pick some low hanging fruit, shall we? This Friday, schoolchildren all around the globe will take the day off school (it’s quaintly being called a strike, but it’s wrong to tell lies). In 82 countries, Australia included, kids will be protesting over climate change. It comes after a similar effort in November, when thousands skipped school to take to the streets.

Before I continue to unpack this, let’s settle some things. I believe we should have the cleanest, most affordable energy possible. I don’t believe we should be wrecking the economy and hammering pensioners with unrealistic renewable targets that are blowing out the cost of power.

I believe we have a moral responsibility to consider nuclear power, which is the cleanest of all but nuclear ain’t woke so the lefties don’t like talking about it. There, happy? Right, back to this “protest”.

Think about it. Kids are the perfect weapon when it comes to emotive issues, because there’s never any sensible centre or intelligent debate when it comes to feelings, and who better to use than children.

Even more so for those on the extreme ends of the climate debate. Don’t believe me? Read up on US schoolkids being used to confront Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein over the diabolical work of fantasy that is the Green New Deal. Oh, it was perfect for the headlines, which breathlessly described the kiddos (who’d been prepped with key messages and talking points) “clashing” with the senator. In the Cold War days we’d call that brainwashing.

So on Friday, kids will be on the street “demanding action” on an issue that the world’s most educated voices can’t reach agreement on. It’s not a game and the stakes are high. Why else would professional activists be so hell-bent on harnessing such a potent weapon?

This is just one example, so let’s step aside from the climate issue and look more broadly, and I’ll tell you what bothers me most about all of this.

Loading the Kalashnikov with a bunch of small kids and firing off is incorrectly teaching them about what it means to stand up for something you believe in. It’s incorrectly teaching them that protesting is super fun, comes with a day off school, fawning, supportive media and absolutely no personal cost whatever.

So on Friday, kids will be on the street ‘demanding action’ on an issue that the world’s most educated voices can’t reach agreement on.

It is disconnecting them from the concept of actions having consequence, and the 24-carat rolled gold truth that nothing worth having comes without personal cost. Can it be called a protest if there’s no personal cost for being involved? No.

Want to teach children about the cost of protesting? Teach them about what happened to a bloke called Galileo when he said… Hey, amici! Guess what, I think the Earth revolves around the Sun!

Teach them about a man named Vincent Lingiari. Teach them about a woman called Rosa Parks. I wonder how many kids at Friday’s pupil-free day will know these names, their stories, what they stood for, and what it cost them.

A friend of mine, a mother of five children ranging in age from kindergarten to first year university, put it brilliantly. Children should be able make choices commensurate with the things they can take responsibility for.

Think about that. There’s a reason we don’t let kids and young tenders drive or drink booze or a whole bunch of other things they can’t be expected to carry the weight of responsibility for.

I understand the emotion behind what’s going on but in the face of facts (still hotly contested) emotions don’t count. In the end Friday will come and go, Maccas will have a spike in sales, but let me leave you with this thought. A protest without cost is nothing but a day off. If we fail to teach kids that standing up for their beliefs comes at a price, then we have failed them greatly indeed.

Gemma Tognini is managing director of GT Media