Argument
An expert’s point of view on a current event.
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Foreign laborers working on a construction site for one of Qatar's 2022 World Cup stadiums Migrant Workers Can’t Afford a Lockdown
As Qatar races to complete construction projects ahead of the 2022 World Cup, a small army of workers from South Asia are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (right) vies for the ball with Berat Albayrak—now his finance minister and son-in-law—during an exhibition match in Istanbul on July, 26, 2014. The Coronavirus Will Destroy Turkey’s Economy
Ankara’s finances were weak before the pandemic—but the combination of external debt, a public health crisis, and a president who chooses to protect his reputation rather than his people could spell disaster.
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Pope Francis prays in front of a crucifix that in 1552 was carried in a procession around Rome to stop the Great Plague, at the San Marcello al Corso church in Rome on March 15. Thou Shalt Practice Social Distancing
The world’s major faiths face a test, and some religious leaders are failing by endangering human lives in the name of adhering to tradition—and ushering in a new age of secularism in the process.
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A World War II-era postcard. America Needs a National Service Draft Now to Fight the Coronavirus
Nations have always mobilized young people when facing existential crises like war. The case for national service has never been clearer.
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Fighters of a military battalion loyal to Libyan Gen. Khalifa Haftar The Coronavirus Could Heal Libya
The pandemic might prompt the kind of cooperation needed to end the country’s civil war, after years of fighting and foreign intervention failed.
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A man reads a coronavirus news alert The World Is Addicted to Pandemic Porn
The insatiable appetite for disaster information is psychologically understandable—and politically dangerous.
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Protesters chant slogans as they walk past a pro-Kataib Hezbollah billboard during an anti-government demonstration. The PMU Is Getting More Aggressive in Iraq
Since the assassination of Qassem Suleimani, Shiite militias like the PMU have taken on a new role in Iraq.
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Benny Gantz attends a press conference in Tel Aviv on Nov. 20, 2019. Benny Gantz Did the Right Thing by Putting His Country First
The Blue and White leader’s colleagues and former allies have denounced him for caving to Benjamin Netanyahu—but his conciliatory gesture is a sign of statesmanship, not weakness.
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A woman wearing a face mask walks in an empty market during the outbreak of the coronavirus, in Mexico City, on April 3. The Coronavirus Will Cause New Crises in Latin America
The region’s economic and political systems were already under strain. In 2020, the virus may push them to a breaking point.
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Russian ultra-nationalists wave Russian Empire's black-yellow-white flags as they take part in the so-called "Russian March" in central Moscow on November 4, 2012. The U.S. Government Is Finally Getting Tough on White Nationalist Terrorism
By listing a Russian white supremacist group as a terrorist organization, the Trump administration is sending a long overdue signal to Moscow and the global far-right.
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Volunteers apply stickers to boxes of emergency supplies to be distributed to people in need during the coronavirus pandemic in Bengaluru, India, on April 6. To Defeat the Coronavirus, Stop Corruption
Humanitarian crises including Hurricane Katrina and the Ebola outbreak show that graft can dilute the best donor intentions. More vigilance is necessary.
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Workers produce face masks at a factory in Handan in China's northern Hebei province on Feb. 28. In early March, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative lifted tariffs for face masks and other medical equipment imported from China. Could the Pandemic Ease U.S.-China Tensions?
Against a backdrop of tariffs, 5G, and weakening diplomacy, COVID-19 might be a rare chance for the two countries to come together—if they can listen to their better angels.
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A medical staffer works on a computer at a hospital in Bergamo, Italy Note to Nations: Stop Hacking Hospitals
Why now is the time for global cyber-norms to protect health infrastructure.
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The U.S. daily briefing on the novel coronavirus America’s National Security Software Needs an Upgrade
The outdated U.S. security apparatus was completely unprepared for the coronavirus pandemic.
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"The Plague" by C. Audran after P. Mignard. The Coronavirus Is Accelerating History Past the Breaking Point
Every era gets the infectious diseases—and the resulting political upheaval—it has coming.
