Health - Explore a list of related arguments

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.

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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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 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 is a form of state control

COVID-19 is caused by 5G

Many believe that the recent widespread integration of 5G cell towers throughout the world is directly correlated with the COVID-19 pandemic. They cite the 5G signal itself as an active agent in the rapid spread of the virus as a means for the government to control people.

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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 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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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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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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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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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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Are zoos ethical in the modern age?

Yes, zoos are bad

Zoos give animals poor health

Living in captivity is terrible for an animal's health.

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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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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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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 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 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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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!'

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'

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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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

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 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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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 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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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

The age of anxiety

Isolation is exacerbating underlying feelings of helplessness.

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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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Should we have gun control?

Only the state should be allowed firearms

Gun control is a public health issue

Guns cause premature deaths. They should be treated as a public health problem.

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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?

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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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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Is working from home better than working from an office?

Yes, working from home is better than traditional offices

Working from home improves mental health

Working from home can be beneficial to a persons' mental health due to the elimination of typical stressors of an office environment.

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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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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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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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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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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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