Pro-establishment narrative

Despite allegations of electoral fraud, Fijians have much to celebrate as they are looking at the first peaceful transfer of power in their history. Political parties working together for change reflects the will of the people, and this new government will be a momentous occasion for Fijians. It's time to close the book on the tumult and disrespect for the rule of law that has colored politics on this island for too long, put differences aside, and move the nation forward.

Establishment-critical narrative

The reintroduction of democracy should be lauded, but it also opens the door to new causes of strife in the nation. Rabuka and his coalition partners have ethno-nationalist tendencies that could tear open ethnic fault lines in the country. There are reasons to be optimistic, but a transition to democracy is no easy task. It remains to be seen if the former coup leader has the respect for democracy that he claims.

Establishment-critical narrative

This resolution risks botching efforts to promote peace in Myanmar both due to its format and content, as it lacks balance and risks antagonizing the junta. There's no quick fix to the Myanmar conflict, and pressuring for an overnight solution can only prolong the crisis, as the Libya issue has shown.

Pro-establishment narrative

This historic resolution makes it clear to Myanmar's military junta that the international community will not tolerate human rights abuses against the people of Myanmar and the destruction of the country's democratic institutions. It also endorses ASEAN's central role in solving this crisis and supports its 2021 five-point consensus to restore peace and stability to the country.

Narrative C

This resolution indeed lacks any substantive action to stop the military junta from committing atrocities against Myanmar's people because China and Russia have taken the UNSC hostage, favoring their junta allies and trade partners. UN member states must take action and impose a global arms embargo and targeted sanctions against the terrorist military regime.

Establishment-critical narrative

To stay in power, corruption-plagued Netanyahu has bowed to the demands of the most extreme elements of Israeli politics. His concessions to ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist parties are a massive blow to Israeli democracy, the rule of law, and thus to the future of Israel. Moreover, by rejecting the two-state solution, the new government is poised to risk fresh Arab-Israeli violence. It's time for Washington to end its ambiguity about Israel and stand up for democracy, as it otherwise does all over the world.

Pro-establishment narrative

Even before the new Israeli government is sworn in, media activists have warned that it poses a threat to Israeli democracy. However, these critics ignore the fact that Israel remains the only democracy in the Middle East and that it was the Israelis who wished Netanyahu back in power. Washington should think twice before joining the doomsayers' camp and alienating its closest ally in the region. Instead of jumping to conclusions and demonizing the coalition government, the actual political work should be evaluated as it happens.

Narrative C

Even if everyone seems to agree that Netanyahu would do anything to stay in power and out of prison, the coalition is ultimately an expression of the voters' will. One thing is certain Given the negative tendencies in Israeli politics, "Bibi" is the last hope for the survival of liberal Israeli democracy. Now he will have to prove whether he is up to the historic task of keeping Israel from turning into an apartheid state.

Pro-establishment narrative

According to the government's account, Bankman-Fried's corruption was baked into FTX's processes from the very start of its operation. Whether he was dishonest, deluded, or both, the US government is rightfully conducting the most thorough investigation and prosecution of this fraudulent crypto billionaire.

Establishment-critical narrative

Both Bankman-Fried and Ryan Salame donated tens of millions to establishment Republican and Democratic politicians and campaign committees. There's a reason for the silence on this issue from both sides of the aisle in Washington; the collapse of FTX exposed the dirty US campaign finance underworld, and the hushed tone from the political elite tells it all.

Pro-establishment narrative

Continued US financial and military support to Ukraine is essential for it to keep staving off Russian aggression and to ultimately secure Ukraine’s sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity.

Pro-Russia narrative

Despite repeated Russian warnings, the US is continuing to escalate the conflict with its delivery of funds and advanced weaponry. This is increasingly raising the prospects of a wider escalation with unpredictable consequences.

Cynical narrative

Multi-billion dollar weapons packages will make little difference in the outcome of the war. The US has been meddling in Ukraine since the end of the Cold War, and what we're witnessing is a geopolitical ponzi scheme to benefit those aligned with the military-industrial complex. War is a lucrative racket.

Nerd narrative

There is a 1% chance that NATO will declare a No-Fly Zone anywhere in Ukraine before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Democratic narrative

It seems Trump wasn’t lying when he said he was under audit during the 2016 election. But while some thought he was hiding nefarious tax evasion – which he still may be guilty of, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars – he was actually afraid of his less-than-masterful business skills being revealed. The IRS is also at fault here, and it's time the agency rebuilds itself to finally go after the rich and powerful.

Pro-Trump narrative

This report isn't about holding the IRS or the wealthy accountable, it's about Democrats taking one more baseless jab at nailing Trump before they're out of power in less than two weeks. This is also an attempt to codify the release of any and all public officials' taxes in the future, creating a weapon against political opponents, and dissolving the separation of powers between Congress and the White House.

Establishment-critical narrative

High-profile transnational organized drug cartels flourish in the Golden Triangle — the border region between Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos — under the control of competing warlords, drug traders, and militias. Tse Chi Lop's arrest is unlikely to affect the drug trafficking business in Southeast Asia until governments effectively implement political solutions to the region's decades-long civil war. It's a tall order, but if they don't, another Tse Chi Lop will soon rise and likely be harder to catch the next time.

Pro-establishment narrative

There's no evidence there are drug kingpins or any significant triad involvement in the drug trade in Southeast Asia. If Tse Chi Lop were Asia’s El Chapo, the high-profile criminal would not have allowed himself to get caught in the public glare. Drug production in the Golden Triangle would have also suffered blows after his arrest. Since none of that happened, reports about drug kingpins and the massive flow of drugs in Southeast Asia are questionable.

Anti-China narrative

Though the Western media initially praised China's response to the pandemic, the numbers it reported were simply lies. Now, China has almost completely lifted restrictions, and cases of the virus have exploded. The Chinese Communist Party is betting they will be more successful at obfuscating the number of lives lost than they were in keeping people locked down with draconian measures.

Pro-China narrative

China is doing the best it can regarding COVID as the PRC tries to balance economic realities, public health, and societal pressures. China has been the world's premier partner in dealing with the pandemic, and it will continue to respond to new COVID-related challenges. There is no need for the international community to worry about this recent COVID surge in China — Beijing will safeguard both health and the economy.

Pro-establishment narrative

COVID, the leading cause of reduced life expectancy in the US, has brought devastation upon the nation and the entire world. Americans have sacrificed for over two years as they battle the global pandemic, and it's disheartening to see its effects. However, with advances in science and resilience, the country can reverse this trend.

Establishment-critical narrative

Politicians may choose to focus on COVID deaths, but the real concern is the increase in deaths of despair like suicide and drug overdoses. In fact, botched COVID policies — and the widespread deterioration in mental health that ensued — are even largely to blame for exacerbating the issue. The nation's leaders can no longer afford to ignore the drugs, alcohol and suicide epidemic raging within the pandemic.

Republican narrative

Not long after Democratic leadership complained about police trying to stop racial riots in the summer of 2020, Democrats once again paved the way for more violence by leaving the Capitol Police ill-prepared for predictable riots at the Capitol. Pelosi's claim that she wasn't in charge that day is false, as the Sergeant at Arms clearly deferred to her and her staff when deciding not to secure the complex.

Democratic narrative

The GOP report is nothing more than a distraction as those truly responsible for the violence of Jan. 6 are held to account by the House committee, law enforcement, and other government agencies. Many communications and security leaders in the government were complicit or willfully ignorant of what was going on, but they, just like Trump, will face repercussions.