Controversial Debates, Facebook Groups and COVID-19?
Hello Friends!
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This week – a fascinating live debate on a controversial topic, a way that Facebooks’ feed is making way for Groups, and a good resource on being prepared for the Coronavirus.
1. Fascinating Debate I Watched
Intelligence Squared (IQ2) Debates. Topic: Is Anti-Zionism the New Anti-Semitism?
For those of you who aren’t yet familiar with the Intelligence Squared debates, this series is one of the most non-partisan and balanced forums available for debating important global issues that I have encountered.
IQ2 invites world-class speakers who are experts in their fields to argue for and against a disputed topic and the debates are televised and listened to by millions of listeners worldwide.
This past week the debated topic was the very controversial “Is Anti-Zionism the New Anti-Semitism?”
Full disclosure, I knew little about this topic before watching this debate and seeing these arguments definitely helped understand both sides much better. This experience is why I am not only writing about this debate but also highly recommend watching the entire 1.5-hour replay. Having attended several IQ2 debates in Manhattan in person (Swipe Left: Dating Apps Have Killed Romance and Parenting is Overrated) and watched the replays of many others, I can easily say that this debate is one of the best and most fiercely argued.
Some of the arguments made from the side “For the Motion” include the history of violence against Jews and why, if a single state existed with both Palestinians and Israelis, the Jewish citizens would lose their right to self-determination. While the side “Against the Motion” argued how the current setup with Israelis is “on the verge of annexing Palestine” and not a solution to the Jewish fears of a free and fair life. Both sides also go back on forth over the ideological differences between Zionism and anti-Zionism and the actual reality for the many people who inhabit the land where they are implemented.
2. A Tech Trend that I Noticed
Saw the following post this past week which got me thinking:
I recently realized that most of my Facebook notifications are from the Groups I belong to or the Events I was invited to or clicked as “interested.” Turns out, I spend way more time posting and interacting with content in groups compared to the time I spend on the Facebook News Feed.
This observation makes complete sense when you think about Facebooks’ business model.
Facebook used to be the place where people posted photos and statuses to let others know what they were doing with their life. All of the personal traffic is now on Instagram and messaging has moved to the Messenger App and WhatsApp.
At a time when people are increasingly looking for communities of like-minded people, the idea that Facebook is “pushing” groups algorithmically and throwing millions of marketing dollars at it, adds up.
Conclusion: Zucks done it again.
3. Great Resource for COVID-19 Preparedness
Everyone’s terrified of the coronavirus and you’re not sure what/who to believe?
Check out the guys at The Prepared, an emergency and disasters information blog that has a collection of guides and reviews to prepare you for emergencies (a bit survivalist but hey—Darwin would approve). I heard about them on the Hustles’ (fairly) new podcast and really liked what they are doing.
They blog daily with updates from the previous 24 hours and do a great job separating facts from opinion pieces. Here’s a link to their blogs if you’d like to take a look.
4. Shower Thoughts of the Week
Here are this week’s shower thoughts (via Reddit):
House cats are living proof that all you need to live comfortably is to kiss up to the right people.
From the clock's perspective it spins counterclockwise
Both the answers to the question, 'Are we alone in the universe?' is equally scary.
That’s all for this week!
Cheers,
Rohail
More of one thing, less of the other? Comment here or reach out on Twitter (@rwk93) - Instagram (ro.khan)