Acharya how ideas spread

How representative of Britain is Boris Johnson’s new cabinet?

July 28, 2019 independent Leave a Comment

Before conducting one of the most brutal culls in a generation, allies of Boris Johnson briefed he would unveil a “cabinet for modern Britain”. “Boris will build a cabinet showcasing all the talents within the party that truly reflect modern Britain,” a source close to the new Tory leader said in the final hours of Theresa May’s premiership. In terms of individuals from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (Bame) backgrounds, it certainly is one of the most diverse administration’s in British history. While the last UK census said 14 per cent defined as non-white, of Mr Johnson’s new cabinet, 17 per cent are from Bame backgrounds. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. Subscribe now When the traditional Downing Street cabinet group photograph is published, it will undoubtedly be a stark contrast to previous British … [Read more...] about How representative of Britain is Boris Johnson’s new cabinet?

Deadly epidemic of Ebola and the deadlier spread of fake news

June 15, 2019 independent Leave a Comment

This is a tale of two epidemics. Only one of them is real. The real one is Ebola. Ebola is a virus that kills people. This is a fact. But we fear facts as much as we fear disease. We prefer reassuring falsehoods to facts. And it’s so easy, you can deny practically anything. All you have to do is add the little word “not”. We’ve had Holocaust denial and climate change denial. Now we have Ebola denial. The virus, named after the Ebola river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo near where it first appeared in 1976, has an approximately 80 per cent mortality rate. ie not good odds: you have a one-in-five chance of surviving if you get it. The disease is not just hard to eradicate, it has a habit of triggering a second parallel virus, of the virtual kind, but just as insidious and potentially lethal, a rumour cloud around Ebola, made up of myth, moonshine, conspiracy theories, and paranoia. So the Red Cross finds itself fighting on two fronts, … [Read more...] about Deadly epidemic of Ebola and the deadlier spread of fake news

How populists spread vaccine fear

May 6, 2019 politico Leave a Comment

LONDON — Europe’s political crisis has become a public health crisis. Nearly half of Europeans believe vaccines are dangerous to human health, according to a recent Eurobarometer poll. It’s a shocking statistic, and it’s evidence of a worrying trend: Mistrust of vaccines is on the rise, particularly in countries with vocal populist or anti-establishment parties. This phenomenon threatens to undo decades of crucial work by public health actors in fighting preventable infectious diseases. The danger is most striking when it comes to measles: There were 82,596 cases of measles in Europe last year, compared with 23,927 cases in 2017 and 5,273 in 2016, according to the World Health Organization. For politicians, the issue raises a host of questions: Should the state make vaccines mandatory to increase coverage? Can it justify the right to intervene in individuals’ private lives to avoid a public health emergency? And, perhaps most importantly, how do … [Read more...] about How populists spread vaccine fear