corona pandemic Archives - Foreign policy

Is Trump Really Able to Destroy Twitter and Facebook?

Published on May 28, 2020

Everyone around the world is talking about the conflict between the USA and the biggest tech companies of today

Donald Trump very openly suggests that he has the power to shut down tech giants like Twitter and Facebook. The cause of Trumps reaction was a provocation by Jack Dorsey.

Ironically, Twitter in a way owns its popularity to Trump, who uses it as tool for making public announcements. Further, he uses Twitter to address both the public and his opponents.

This company has not sanctioned anything the president of America wrote yet. Even his controversial tweets about women or China were not sanctioned.

However, a turn in the course of events happened. This company decided to react to Trump’s recent tweet about “unfair voting” and “illegitimate election”. Trump left the warning massage under his recent post.

This tweet by the president of the US was enough to start the “feud”. While millions of people are admiring Twitter for reacting to Trump’s posts, it might be possible that the president indeed has the power to shut it down. In fact, he may even have the power to shut down any company he wants. Soon, Trump will sign the contract which applies to the social media. To put the long story short, according to some sources “everything is fine as long as it is convenient to president Trump”.

Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that these companies are worth millions of dollars and that their fame exists thanks to their followers. In the time of the corona pandemic, the number of followers grew due to the fact that people were quarantined. This is the reason why the experts agree that this move was brave, but not necessarily needed. The problem is, according to the experts, that Trump did not strictly claim anything, but instead he only doubted the new potential way of voting.

Twitter has become the subject of political communication. Furthermore, this Trump’s tweet is controversial, but it represents only an opinion. The question which arises is: Would Twitter react in the same way if somebody else tweeted the same thing? Would this company react in this way if some citizen expressed the same doubt? In the upcoming course of events, we will see if Trump really has the power to shut down such a powerful social media platform as Twitter.

In the past times, it was spoken about such a thing, but the social media survived after all. However, it seems that the president of the US thinks that it is time to introduce some kind of regulative. What these regulative measures mean exactly – is probably familiar only to the president himself.

Why are Respirators so Indispensable?

Published on March 28, 2020

Coronavirus/Health

Countries across the globe are trying to secure as many respirators as they can for their corona infected patients. Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York has recently stated that the city needs more than 15.000 respirators, as they expect that New York will become an epicenter of the corona pandemic.

While most of the infected population experiences only mild symptoms, around 6% of patients will be in critical condition and will require respirators. What exactly are respirators and how do they work?

Mechanical respirators are machines that provide breathing support to patients with severe respiratory issues which target the lungs. First of all, the patient is administered sedatives which help the muscles relax, and then intubation is performed – a tube is placed into the trachea through the mouth. Afterwards, the tube is attached to the respiratory apparatus and the medical staff can control how fast air and oxygen reach the lungs.

What is the point at which a respirator is deemed necessary to the patient? Dr. John Wilson, a pulmonologist, explains that, before intubating, the doctors always try less invasive methods like oxygen masks.

However, David Story, a Professor from the Melbourne University believes that in this case the medical staff should avoid less invasive methods – the patients could continue to cough and therefore infect the hospital staff.

If breathing increases from 15 to 28 breaths per minute, that is a clear sign a respirator will be necessary.

Professor Sarah Ranganathan believes that if heavy breathing is observed in a patient he must be automatically attached to a respirator. Oxygen masks and bags can be used as a short-term solution, but the patient must be attached to a respirator in a matter of 30 minutes.

Why are People Panic Buying Toilet Paper?

Published on March 21, 2020

Life

Panic buying has gone through the roof with the arrival of the new corona pandemic. First it was face masks and disinfectants, and now people worldwide are stockpiling toilet paper. Some countries have started to limit the quantity of items you can purchase, while some supermarkets are completely out of toilet paper.

But why? Toilet paper isn’t protecting you from the virus, nor is it a necessity like bread or milk, but people still buy it in huge bulks. There could be many reasons.

Conflicting news causes panic and uneasiness

Steve Taylor, writer and author, says that the reason many are panicking is because the virus is new and unknown, and hearing conflicting news can be a stepping stone for extreme measures. People are told that there is a great danger, and the only way to stop it is washing their hands. It makes them feel helpless so they react with caution.

Unclear instructions from authorities

Since so many countries are taking action, closing their borders and imposing strict movement laws, people from countries which are not yet reinforcing new rules are preparing for the same conditions in their own hometowns, claims Baruch Fischhoff, Professor at the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University.

Panic buying is caused by panicky people

Social Media is full to the brink with pictures of empty racks and overflowing shopping carts. People look at these pictures and start to panic, which makes them go to the store to stock up as well.

“People are social beings, and we observe each other to note what is safe and what is dangerous. So, when you see a person panic buying at the store, it can cause a contagious fear effect”, says Steve Taylor.

Looking through those pictures makes people think that they must hurry up with their shopping while there’s still toilet paper in stock, which creates a never-ending cycle.

Wanting to prepare for the inevitable is natural

Whilst some governments and health institutes are instructing, or imposing that people stay indoors and avoid contact with other people, wanting to prepare for isolation is reasonable.

The new virus triggers some kind of a survival instinct in people. What are we to do when there are no more supplies left, including toilet paper? What are we supposed to replace it with? That money is going to be spent on toilet paper anyway – this is the thought process of many people.

Feeling in control of the situation

People who are stockpiling are only thinking about themselves and their families, and have no concern for health workers and the diseased, or other people in general. People mass buying face masks have caused their shortage, which means that a lot of health care workers are left exposed. In addition to the influx of patients to the already overcrowded hospitals, the loss of doctors and nurses can be catastrophic.

The reason for this kind of behavior is fear. Fischhoff claims that the preparations like buying toilet paper help people regain a sense of control in a situation which seems hopeless. It is simply a coping mechanism for many people in these hard times.