Narrative A

Syria has become a major threat to the very existence of Israel as Iran and Hezbollah have expanded their presence in the country. In response, Israel has had no choice but to adopt a "war between wars," targeting Iranian and Iran-backed military presence and weapons that have been positioned in Syria to attack Israel.

Narrative B

Israel is continuing to violate international law and treaties as well as the sovereignty of its neighbors through routine aggression. The UN Security Council must act to halt Israeli defiance of internationally agreed norms to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.

Nerd narrative

There's a 49% chance that there will be an Israel-Hezbollah war by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Establishment-critical narrative

Suu Kyi is one of many who have been unjustly detained due to the military's desire to repress opposition since the Myanmar coup. Although Myanmar's judiciary is said to be independent, corruption is a deep-rooted problem, and the justice system has deep ties to the military.

Pro-establishment narrative

This is a strong response against corruption and misappropriation of funds. Suu Kyi's failure to comply with procedure caused Myanmar millions in losses as she weaponized her position of State Counsellor to her benefit, building a house and renting lands to open the headquarters of a foundation for which she's the chairperson.

Anti-Russia narrative

Putin's tyrannical rant, and his cosying up to China, is no surprise given the Kremlin's disastrous miscalculation to invade Ukraine. Russia is as isolated as ever and Putin is desperately turning to other dictators for support – not only in China, but also in Iran and North Korea.

Pro-Russia narrative

America and the West are simply using Ukraine as a pawn to maintain their hegemony on the world stage. If they cared about human rights, why did they not speak out when Ukrainians carried out atrocities against Russian-speaking natives in the Donbas?

Nerd narrative

There is a 4% chance that Russia will invade any country other than Ukraine in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community

Narrative A

As countries across the world suffer from inflation and high gas prices, oil companies, such as Saudi Aramco, are making an outrageous windfall. Russia's war in Ukraine was a blessing in disguise for Saudi Arabia, which has failed to diversify its economy and continues to rely on profits from the oil and gas sector worldwide for its income.

Narrative B

Though some said that the world would no longer rely on oil and gas, the last six months have proven otherwise. The world isn't ready for a complete transition to renewable energy yet. Oil-producing nations must continue to address the world's crucial thirst for energy and be fairly compensated for their efforts.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that fossil fuels will make up less than 50% of global primary energy consumption by July 2044, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Pro-establishment narrative

With the decision of the Kenyan Supreme Court, the country has indeed lived up to its reputation as a relative bastion of democracy and the rule of law in East Africa. But respect must also be paid to Odinga since a candidate's political and democratic maturity is particularly evident in defeat. Thus, he can certainly be considered a model of political dignity even beyond Kenya.

Establishment-critical narrative

In all this drama one thing must not be forgotten as in many places around the world, "democracy" in Kenya has degenerated into a mere symbolic act of voting. This election is no exception - it's merely a facade in which power-hungry alleged representatives of the people play a rigged game, and it's paramount to recognize this reality.

Left narrative

Facebook has a lot of work to do before the October election. Disinformation played a role in the last election, and the tech giant needs to prioritize strengthening safeguards so Jair Bolsonaro can't mislead Brazilians into thinking the system is rigged against him.

Right narrative

Left-wingers remain upset that Bolsonaro has been able to use social media to garner support. That's why they're still using the so-called "misinformation" card to demand that Facebook restrain free speech. The social media giant has already admitted to using left-leaning fact-checking in its crusade against misinformation.

Nerd narrative

There's a 28% chance that Jair Bolsonaro will be president of Brazil on January 2, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Pro-China narrative

While the US claims it's simply trying to boost its own domestic chip production, what it's actually doing is pushing China out of the industry altogether. In an already-struggling semiconductor production industry, the US is further disrupting a global economy that relies heavily on these technologies.

Anti-China narrative

With China rapidly encroaching militarily on US allies in the Pacific, these new restrictions are positive news. The tight relationship between national security and semiconductor production has been recognized for decades; if China were to surpass the US in the long-term, it could quickly become dominant in every area of warfare. The US is right to withhold such resources from its top geopolitical adversary, which would undoubtedly use them for nefarious purposes.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that China will spend at least $36M on importing diodes and semiconductors in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Narrative A

Those who defrauded the government, and the American taxpayer, should be investigated thoroughly and punished severely. Biden extended the statute of limitations for a reason the government needs the time and resources to investigate thousands of criminals and recover billions of dollars stolen from hard-working Americans.

Narrative B

During the early days of the pandemic, there was a tremendous impetus on both sides of the aisle to "get money on the street" to avoid a COVID economic meltdown. While fraud should be investigated, it needs to be put in the context that a greater focus on curbing the virus would have helped to avoid much of this economic turmoil in the first place.

Pro-Trump narrative

The DOJ and Biden admin. have weaponized law enforcement resources against their political opponents. The DOJ's desire to not release the affidavit once again makes it clear it's not working in public interest but rather to tarnish the reputation of Trump and his supporters as the midterm elections near.

Democratic narrative

The last thing Trump's defenders should want is for the affidavit to go public because it likely contains evidence that will bury him. Releasing a redacted version, however, might be wise to calm the former president's supporters and prove the DOJ isn't acting politically.

Nerd narrative

There is a 25% chance that Trump will be jailed or incarcerated before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Left narrative

Despite objections from Gascón's loud opponents, his agenda and approach to keeping citizens safe while ensuring all are treated equally by the justice system remain popular. With this attempted power grab over with, the DA can go back to reforming LA's criminal justice system.

Right narrative

Gascón's woke policies have turned Los Angeles into a danger zone, which is why more than half a million voters want the chance to oust him. Los Angeles residents shouldn't be put at risk due to an incompetent politician, they should be given the chance to elect someone who will fight to protect them.

Cynical narrative

Neither side should be claiming victory. Boudin's ouster in San Francisco proves some want officials to be tougher on crime, but the failure to recall Gascón shows there's an appetite for criminal justice reform. It's a fine line to walk, and politicians on both sides should tread lightly when determining which way to lean.