Introduction
Why this debate and why now?
Polls show that a large majority of the millennials and Gen Z would vote for a socialist politician, as they consider socialism to be the most compassionate system. In this debate, our experts will explore whether the coronavirus pandemic proves that socialist policies are needed now more than ever.
On July 20, 2020, three experts debated socialism with live digital voting and audience participation.
Read the full recap article of the debate.
Full Debate
Is the pandemic a catalyst for radical change?
Framing the debate:
For our very first virtual debate, Doha Debates examined the topic of socialism. We were joined by three speakers, Fatima Bhutto, a Pakstani author and commentator; Tabata Amaral, a Brazilian congresswoman and activist; and Lord William Hague, the former leader of the Conservative Party in the UK. The pandemic is exposing massive cracks in social welfare systems and revealing inequalities that have existed for centuries, all of which have only been exacerbated in the last seven months. Many governments are experimenting with socialist policies like stimulus packages and universal basic income (UBI) to soften the blow of the pandemic, but problems like lack of access to health care or childcare won’t disappear when the coronavirus does. Ghida put the question to the speakers: Is now the time for radical change? Should more countries embrace socialism — permanently?
