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Coronavirus
How will the coronavirus affect globalization?
Coronavirus will force us to re-imagine the international order
The Coronavirus pandemic will shift the East-West power balance
The virus is realigning power dynamics around the world.
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How will the coronavirus affect globalization?
Coronavirus will erode international institutions
The Covid-19 pandemic will weaken the United Nations
The UN is under threat as the virus destabilises societies.
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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a man made biological weapon
China created COVID-19 to attack foreign nations
The virus was deliberately created in a secret laboratory close to Wuhan. Scientists intended to use the illness to wipe out the US in the battle for global hegemony.
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How will the coronavirus affect globalization?
Coronavirus will force us to re-imagine the international order
The Coronavirus pandemic will strengthen 'the nation'
As societies become more inward-facing, the nation will become more important to international relations.
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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a man made biological weapon
The US and Israel created coronavirus to attack foreign nations
These governments developed the virus together to leverage their positions against both China and the Middle East.
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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a man made biological weapon
Coronavirus is part of the UK's ongoing biological warfare campaign
The UK developed the virus in the same secret laboratory in which they developed the radioactive drugs that infected the Skripals, and killed Litvinenko.
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How will the coronavirus affect globalization?
Coronavirus will erode international institutions
Opposing interests between countries during Covid-19 will weaken the European Union
EU leaders have already come to major disagreement over notional 'corona bonds', which would share post-crisis debt amongst member states. At the heart of this disagreement is the question of sovereignty versus a shared identity.
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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the realisation of an age old prophecy
Novelist Dean Koontz predicted the COVID-19 in 1981
In his foreboding thriller 'The Eyes of Darkness', Koontz imagines a man-made virus called Wuhan created in its namesake city, sweeping the globe. The novel calls it the 'perfect weapon'.
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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 is economically motivated
COVID-19 is a Chinese government scam to reduce state pension outgoings
The Chinese government has already allowed certain SMEs to back out of established pension obligations and insurance fees to ease the virus' financial burden. Was it pre-empted?
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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 is linked to alcohol consumption
Corona started COVID-19
The virus was named after the famous brewery, following accidental contamination of its beer.
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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 can be cured by taking drugs
Cocaine cures COVID-19
Taking the illegal drug, known for its potentially lethal strength, is the only known way to get rid of the virus.
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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the realisation of an age old prophecy
The Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga predicted the virus in the 1970s
Russian state-backed media has alleged that Baba Vanga predicted a devastating global health epidemic akin to COVID-19.
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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the realisation of an age old prophecy
COVID-19 is the realisation of Nostradamus' 'Great Plague'
Recent interpretations of Nostradamus' predictions see COVID-19 as the long-awaited 'Great Plague' set to ravage a 'Sea City'.
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Is coronavirus aggravating Islamophobia in India?
Coronavirus has had no impact on Islamophobia
There are bigger concerns about its spread
Islamophobia is not a major talking point in the Indian fight against coronavirus.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!'
Lifting the lockdown will give rise to a police state, which must be avoided
This group understands that there are multiple workable options to ending lockdown. And critically, that each will have a unique transformative effect on society. They argue that relaxing lockdown comes at a price: individual freedom. Methods that have worked in other countries rely on the government handling and tracking citizens' data. Many see this, and suggested initiatives such as Matt Hancock's "test, track, trace" app as the population complicit in the building of a surveillance state. Proponents include International Editor of the News Statesman Jeremy Cliffe.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!'
Public health supersedes any other consideration during the pandemic
The fundamental role of the state is to protect its citizens. It is an aberration that anyone might argue economic growth should take precedence. As Chief Medical Officer Chris Witty has said, the only viable way out of this crisis is the discovery of a vaccine or a drug that will reduce transmission rates and impact. Any relaxation is dangerous, with the only known outcome being avoidable deaths.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!'
Despot now, doughnut later
Amsterdam has already announced it plans to introduce Oxford University's so-called "doughnut model" to rehabilitate its economy. Critically, this viewpoint sees lockdown as necessary, but longterm economic damage as optional. It suggests current growth models are outdated, and that contemporary ideas, which consider social factors and environmental health, are the way to avoid a post-pandemic depression. This model is largely championed by third sector players, including Oxfam, who see it as a route to longterm sustainable development.
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Is coronavirus aggravating Islamophobia in India?
Yes, coronavirus is aggravating Islamophobia
A Muslim sect is being blamed for the virus
The Tablighi Jamaat Islamic missionary group is being scapegoated for the pandemic.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!'
Lifting lockdown forces workers to risk their lives during the pandemic
With the economy in a state of flux, many workers will have to return to work if lockdown is relaxed. This situation is dangerous when there is no known cure, and businesses do not have to make guarantees on worker safety. Ultimately, people will be forced to risk death to stay financially afloat due to a situation beyond their control. Proponents include the UK Labour Party and trade unions.
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Is coronavirus aggravating Islamophobia in India?
Yes, coronavirus is aggravating Islamophobia
Government policies set the scene for it to grow
The Modi government has introduced a number of Islamophobic policies, which have normalised behaviours we are now witnessing.
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Is coronavirus aggravating Islamophobia in India?
No, coronavirus is easing religious tensions
The nation stands as one
Shows of solidarity are growing as the country comes together to beat the virus.
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How will coronavirus affect religion?
It will strengthen religious beliefs
Faith is all people can believe in
The world is falling apart, and having faith might be the only thing to get people through.
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COVID-19: Are government resources better spent on public health or stimulating the economy?
This is a false dichotomy
Hardline economism is obscuring the reality of coronavirus
Increasingly, political analyses use statistics and economic forecasts to make decisions. But these can be extremely misleading.
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What are the most useful skills to learn while social distancing?
Writing skills
Write a short story
The pandemic feels lifted from a science fiction. When reality is stranger than fantasy, the opportunities for imaginative storytelling are endless.
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COVID-19: Are government resources better spent on public health or stimulating the economy?
Government resources are better spent on public health
The strength of the economy depends on an able workforce
If additional funding is not put into protecting citizens from the coronavirus, the economy is doomed.
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What are the most useful skills to learn while social distancing?
Writing skills
Create a Parlia map
Want to write, but want to stick to the facts? Have knowledge you'd like to share with the world? Make your mark on the world's first encyclopedia of opinion.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!'
The government cannot be trusted
With conflicting information spouted from country to country and leader to leader, it is impossible to trust anyone claiming authority on the subject.
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COVID-19: Are government resources better spent on public health or stimulating the economy?
Government resources are better spent on public health
The role of the state is to protect its citizens
Human life is sacred, the economy is not. The government should look after the health and safety of citizens first. If everyone is too sick to work, the economy's health won't matter.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!'
Most people have already had the virus
According to Oxford epidemiologists Sunetra Gupta, 68% of the UK population have already been infected with the virus and are therefore immune. In this case, the lockdown is doing unnecessary harm to our economy and our lives.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!'
Death rate predictions are rooted in lies
Guttenberg Institute Professor Sucharit Bhakdi leads this charge, pointing to the vast cleavages between predicted and realised corona death rates. Underlying this position is the point that lockdown is based on phoney data and bad science.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!'
The pandemic will kill, lockdown or no lockdown
The coronavirus model to come out of Carnegie Mellon predicts that regardless of lockdown, the virus will create panic and kill huge numbers. Professor Wesley Pegden's model shows that unless large numbers of people are exposed at one time, lifting measures will cause the same harm as keeping them in place. In which case, why not end lockdown now?
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The nanny state position, or 'Let the state look after us'
The role of the state must adapt in times of crisis
UK Premier Boris Johnson is fully representative of this position. Having spent his career deriding state interference in personal affairs, the pandemic finally pushed him to introduce the lockdown. The driving idea here is that wherever you stand on the role of the state, during this extraordinary period of global uncertainty, it must assume control of its people to guide us safely forward. Proponents include UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The nanny state position, or 'Let the state look after us'
We should relax the lines between the public and the private
South Korea has managed to control the virus by disseminating a phone app alerting citizens when they have passed someone infectious. Handing personal information and disclosing one's movements to the government may be the most effective solution. Proponents include Chair of the WHO Dale Fisher and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The nanny state position, or 'Let the state look after us'
Give the healthy their independence back
The success of Wuhan's reopening is widely seen as down to their large-scale screening programme. Given the scant and unreliable reports of reinfection, many argue those not at risk should be given 'health passports'. These would allow the gradual reopening of society to those deemed safe by the government. This group believe that it is not right to deny freedom where the individual poses no harm to themselves or others. Proponents include the pharmaceutical lobby, with UK biometrics firm Onfido and Swiss drugmaker Roche already submitting patents for their design.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The nanny state position, or 'Let the state look after us'
The state should end lockdown in phases
Advice from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Business says there is only one way to minimise deaths in the reopening of the country: in phases based on individual vulnerability. The government must decide which groups are immune to the disease and phase normality back.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
Test, trace, isolate, protect
Contact tracing apps can potentially help individuals monitor their risk of exposure and transmission
Many large technology companies are developing apps that can track COVID-19 infections. They can warn individuals when they have been exposed to the disease and they can even mention places to avoid. Such a technological solution could potentially help defeat the virus.
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Is herd immunity the best way to beat coronavirus?
Herd immunity is a risky bet
Herd immunity is risky because the virus could mutate
Just like any other virus, the coronavirus could mutate and become deadlier than it already is.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The authoritarian position, or 'Do not lift lockdown!'
We must trust Neil Ferguson's model
The implications of Neil Ferguson's model are clear: lockdown or death on a catastrophic scale. It was Ferguson's forecasting of up to 500,000 UK deaths which resulted in lockdown. If this is the most accurate model we have, it is imperative that we trust it to guide us.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
Test, trace, isolate, protect
More public health jobs would be created in the UK
The contact tracing strategy would be entirely reliant on public health workers and contact tracers. People can be easily and quickly trained to fill these positions. They would not only offer valuable advice to the public but also reduce the number of hospitalizations and help the economy rebound.
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How will coronavirus affect religion?
It will weaken religious beliefs
Religious leaders are pushing bogus remedies
False cures promoted by religious leaders will lead to a lack of trust in religion.
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How will coronavirus affect religion?
It will weaken religious beliefs
Millions of deaths will destroy faith in God
The impact of the virus will devastate religious belief.
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How will coronavirus affect religion?
It will create a vacuum for power struggles within religious orders
A papal struggle within the Catholic Church
Rumours that Pope Benedict is conspiring against Pope Francis are everywhere.
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How will coronavirus affect religion?
It will weaken religious beliefs
Religion will be blamed for its slow response to the virus
Despite government health warnings, many religions encouraged dangerous activity amongst followers.
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Is coronavirus aggravating Islamophobia in India?
Yes, coronavirus is aggravating Islamophobia
The virus has exacerbated tensions following the Delhi riots
Existing religious have now been given an excuse to grow.
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What has coronavirus revealed about human psychology?
Damaging mental health
Sleepless nights
The panic is negatively impacting people's sleeping patterns.
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What has coronavirus revealed about human psychology?
Damaging mental health
The age of anxiety
Isolation is exacerbating underlying feelings of helplessness.
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Why are there so many coronavirus cases in the US?
Poor public health response
Failings within the CDC
The CDC was responsible for providing coronavirus testing kits to citizens, and acted too late.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!'
The greater good must come first
Coronavirus overwhelmingly affects those with severe underlying conditions, whose health was already in jeopardy. Making hardline policy decisions to simply extend the low quality lives of sickly individuals comes at the price of economic destruction. It is wrong to prioritise an infirm minority, when the repercussions could devastate quality of life for generations. Proponents include German MEP Jens Gieseke and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
The libertarian position, or 'End lockdown now!'
The UK lockdown model is false
Professor Neil Ferguson's model has a shocking record of misinformation and flawed analysis. During the UK foot and mouth crisis, he also contributed defective models. For these reasons, we should disregard his predictions and end the lockdown.
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How do we think about the UK lockdown debate?
Test, trace, isolate, protect
We should stop the virus from spreading
The only way to stop the virus from spreading is to isolate everyone who has it or has been exposed to it. Currently, there are no vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. Unfortunately, many more people will be affected if effective measures are not implemented to quarantine infected individuals.
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How will the coronavirus affect globalization?
Coronavirus will force us to re-imagine the international order
Coronavirus will lead to more robust international institutions
This pandemic will prove how important well-funded international bodies are in times of crisis.
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Why are there so many coronavirus cases in the US?
Slow American political response
Putting the economy first
Prioritising economic growth at all costs has led to poor policy decisions.
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Why are there so many coronavirus cases in the US?
Slow American political response
President Trump chose not to act
The President claimed the threat posed by COVID-19 was exaggerated to avoid taking decisive action.
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Why are there so many coronavirus cases in the US?
Poor public health response
The FDA acted indecisively
The US Food and Drug Administration failed to act in the interest of the population.
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How will the coronavirus affect globalization?
Coronavirus will force us to re-imagine the international order
The Covid-19 pandemic will diminish 'the nation'
The crisis shows that states must depend on each other.
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Why are there so many coronavirus cases in the US?
Weak existing infrastructure
An exclusive healthcare system
The US healthcare system naturally excludes most Americans. Negotiating this situation during a pandemic confused policymakers.
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Has the Trump administration responded well to COVID-19?
No, the Trump administration has failed in its response to COVID-19
President Trump downplayed the risk of the pandemic, misleading U.S. citizens and causing them to turn away from precautionary measures
President Trump has left the United States with very little guidance when it comes to COVID-19. He assures the population that the virus will disappear on its own and questions whether a vaccine is entirely necessary. This misinformation confuses the public, seeing as medical professionals’ advice is inconsistent with his own. They claim the virus is far more lethal than President Trump believes.
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Has the Trump administration responded well to COVID-19?
Yes, the Trump Administration has responded well to the Coronavirus
President Trump recognized the economic impact of COVID-19 on U.S. citizens and offered a stimulus package to support workers and businesses
COVID-19 has put U.S. citizens out of work who depend on regular paychecks to get by. President Trump also anticipated the damage the pandemic would do on businesses, keeping out-of-work customers from using their services. The president issued a $1200 stimulus check in April and business have already seen significant improvement despite the pandemic.
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Has the Trump administration responded well to COVID-19?
No, the Trump administration has failed in its response to COVID-19
Trump closed the pandemic response unit and created a COVID-19 task force in its place which caters to his goals rather than to the health of the nation
Both the Obama and Trump administrations saw the need for reorganization of the expansive National Security Council. However, President Trump’s condensing of the directorates led to negligence and prioritization of issues other than COVID-19. With a smaller task force, President Trump finds it easier to take control over public communication about the virus, even if dismissive of medical advice.
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Has the Trump administration responded well to COVID-19?
No, the Trump administration has failed in its response to COVID-19
President Trump delayed critical response to COVID-19 and only did the bare minimum, which led the United States into a health crisis that could have been curtailed
Although President Trump received enough information to imply an incoming pandemic, he chose only to block flights from China, overconfident that the virus would fizzle out. As a result, time was lost, the US population is at heightened risk, and the United States is behind other nations which started testing and planning for a vaccine far earlier.
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Has the Trump administration responded well to COVID-19?
The flawed US health and social system is to blame for bad preparation for COVID-19
There are large numbers of people with no health insurance in the US
In the United States, healthcare is a privilege of the wealthy. It is not a right. This has exacerbated the devastating effects of the Coronavirus, especially as millions of Americans lose their jobs.
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This page was last edited on Monday, 26 Oct 2020 at 13:07 UTC
