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politics
Will Donald Trump or Joe Biden be better for the US economy?
Donald Trump will be better for the US economy
Donald Trump has a strong track record of negotiating foreign trade deals
Trump has negotiated a number of lucrative foreign trade deals with China, Mexico, Canada and Japan.
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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 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!'
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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What are the implications of Kanye West running for President?
Kanye West will split the Democrat vote
Kanye West appeals to young, black Democrats
Polling suggests Kanye is more popular with Democrats than Republicans.
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What are the implications of Kanye West running for President?
Kanye West will split the Republican vote
Kanye West appeals to Republican voters
Having expressed his support for President Trump in the past, Republicans see Kanye as one of them.
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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 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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Will AI take our jobs?
No: there will always be jobs for humans
Capitalism won't allow for the end of work because of AI
Capitalism will not allow for the end of work as AI becomes more common in the workplace. For example, new jobs will emerge to manage and control AI. Jobs will not disappear, they will evolve to reflect developing technology.
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What are the implications of Kanye West running for President?
There are no implications to Kanye West running for president
Kanye West is simply promoting his new album, 'God's Country'
Kanye Wests's presidential bid is a PR stunt designed to promote Kanye West's new album, "God's Country". Predictably his presidential bid attracted a lot of media attention, which will be used to sell more record copies.
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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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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 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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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 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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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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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK
The Warren Commission
The U.S. government concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated John F. Kennedy.
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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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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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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?
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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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK
Oswald's connection to the murder weapon and location
Lee Harvey Oswald owned the gun used to kill JFK and worked in the building he assassinated him from.
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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
The CIA killed JFK
The umbrella man's timely appearance when JFK was shot in the Zapruder film
A suspicious person appeared during the time when JFK was shot. He was seen in the Zapruder film with a black umbrella. Because he was the only person with an umbrella on a sunny day, near the road when JFK was shot, he could very well have been involved with the assassination plan.
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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 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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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK
Oswald's interest in communism
Oswald's political beliefs led him to defect to the Soviet Union.
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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
The CIA killed JFK
Missing information from the Warren Commission
The U.S. government excluded information from the Warren Commission report.
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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
The CIA killed JFK
The CIA disagreed with JFK
The CIA disagreed with Kennedy's politics prior to his assassination.
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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
Lyndon B. Johnson killed JFK
Unsatisfied as vice president
Lyndon B. Johnson wasn't happy in his position as vice president.
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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
The Soviet Union killed JFK
Lee Harvey Oswald was working for the Soviet Union
Lee Harvey Oswald could have been operating as a KGB agent for Russia.
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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
The mafia killed JFK
Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby murdered Lee Harvey Oswald, proving that he was working as part of a larger organization.
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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
The mafia killed JFK
Robert Kennedy's moves against organized crime
JFK's brother, Robert Kennedy, had a major influence over organized crime.
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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
The mafia killed JFK
Sam Giancana
Famous Chicago mobster Sam Giancana had a long and complex history with the Kennedy family.
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Who killed John F. Kennedy?
Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK
Oswald's history of violence
Lee Harvey Oswald had a long history of past acts of violence.
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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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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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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?
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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Is the BJP dangerous?
No, the Bharativa Janata Party (BJP) is not dangerous
Far from being dangerous, the BJP has achieved a lot
The BJP had ambitious policies, which positively affected many areas of the Indian population's lives.
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Is the BJP dangerous?
No, the Bharativa Janata Party (BJP) is not dangerous
There is no credible opposition to the BJP
The Congress party, who were previously in government, are no longer a viable alternative for leadership in India.
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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 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 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
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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What are the implications of Kanye West running for President?
There are no implications to Kanye West running for president
Kanye West cannot win the US election
Kanye has made his decision to put in a 2020 election bid too late to make a difference to the election outcome.
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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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Have emojis changed the world?
No, the impact of emojis is exaggerated.
Emojis are a response to real world events
Emojis are created as a response to real world trends and events
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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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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 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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What are the conspiracy theories around COVID-19?
COVID-19 is economically motivated
Pharmaceutical companies created COVID-19
Disease is a lucrative business for pharmaceutical companies. During the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, upwards of a $100 billion was spent on combative drugs. COVID-19 is a financial opportunity.
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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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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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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 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'
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 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'
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?
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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What are the implications of Kanye West running for President?
Kanye West will split the Democrat vote
Kanye West is strategising to put Trump back in office
The point of Kanye's masterplan is to keep his long time ally President Trump, in office.
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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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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!'
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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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is good
Globalization improves productivity
Globalization improves domestic productivity by expanding knowledge. Allowing foreign imports increases competition, which forces innovation in order for companies to stay in demand.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is good
Globalization has lowered prices
The free movement of goods and people has brought overheads down and allowed companies to sell products more cheaply.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is good
Globalization creates jobs
Economic liberalization has made it easier for companies to relocate, allowing them to rapidly scale up and create new jobs.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is bad
Globalization leads to reduced public revenues
The free movement of labour allows companies to easily relocate to tax havens.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is good
Globalization promotes peace
The deeper the economic ties between nations, the greater the incentive to avoid conflict.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is good
Globalization has improved access to technology
In a hyper-connected world, new technologies spread faster between markets.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is bad
Globalization destroys the environment
Globalization introduces an economic model that is incompatible with environmental protection.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is bad
Globalization leaves us vulnerable to infectious diseases
In a hyper-connected world, infectious diseases can spread more rapidly, increasing the likelihood of an international pandemic.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is bad
Globalization creates a race to the bottom
Globalization increases international competition which creates a race to the bottom.
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Does the marketplace of ideas work?
No, the marketplace of ideas does not work
The marketplace of ideas protects and sustains an intellectual oligopoly
An unregulated market of ideas disproportionately benefits a select few. In this way it supports social hierarchy and prevents those at the bottom from changing their circumstances.
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Does the marketplace of ideas work?
No, the marketplace of ideas does not work
The marketplace of ideas has a naive view of social progress
If it worked, society would not repeat its mistakes. That alone is proof that the idea has no legs to stand on.
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Does the marketplace of ideas work?
Yes, the marketplace of ideas works
The marketplace of ideas works, but is compromised
Online bias is sabotaging the free exchange of ideas. There is no such thing as impartiality on the internet.
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Does the marketplace of ideas work?
The marketplace of ideas does not exist
Bias exists in every public forum
No environment exists free from bias. Therefore the very assumption it is based upon is flawed.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization?
Globalization is bad
Globalization fuels inequality
Globalization makes the rich richer and the poor poorer.
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This page was last edited on Thursday, 9 Apr 2020 at 14:46 UTC
