Brett Fafata - South China Morning Post https://www.scmp.com/rss/502211/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png Brett Fafata - South China Morning Post https://www.scmp.com Brett Fafata Brett Fafata US President Joe Biden has unveiled a comprehensive economic stimulus plan costing nearly US$2 trillion (HK$15.50 trillion). Most of the money will go into direct cash payouts and funding programmes for citizens. This is a good strategy in the current circumstances. While effective, this plan also epitomises the potentially disastrous side effects when massive government spending and democracy collide. This kind of absurd spending would horrify economic conservatives. They advocate reducing... https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/article/3119774/opinion-politicians-should-be-aware-reckless-overspending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/article/3119774/opinion-politicians-should-be-aware-reckless-overspending?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jan 2021 06:00:17 +0000 Opinion: Politicians should be aware of reckless overspending Brett Fafata Brett Fafata The news of the coronavirus vaccine and its initial rollout has made headlines around the world. Now, the question on everyone’s mind is: who is going to get the vaccine, and how is it going to be given out? There are also debates on whether the vaccine should be mandatory. I believe it should not be, and that individuals should have the right to choose whether they want to take it or not, rather than being forced. The main reason for this is bodily autonomy. It is the idea that people should... https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3114304/opinion-getting-covid-19-vaccine-should-not-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3114304/opinion-getting-covid-19-vaccine-should-not-be?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Dec 2020 06:00:16 +0000 Opinion: Getting the Covid-19 vaccine should not be mandatory Brett Fafata Brett Fafata Throughout my life, I always felt skeptical of big institutions, specifically authority figures . I used to hate it when someone  tried to tell me what I should do or how I should act, especially when I did not agree with what they were telling me.  However, the way I think of these institutions, like public schools, has changed after seeing only a glimpse of what life might be like without them.  For example, the police in America have come under heavy criticism lately.  A growing number of... https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3110647/opinion-abolishing-police-us-isnt-way-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3110647/opinion-abolishing-police-us-isnt-way-go?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Nov 2020 06:49:32 +0000 Opinion: Abolishing the police in the US isn't the way to go Brett Fafata Brett Fafata In an increasingly globalised world, issues relating to identity have proven very important in politics. Questions like “What does it mean to be Black in America?” illustrate why the topic of identity is especially relevant. During my time in Hong Kong, I met a lot of people with surprising combinations of ethnic, religious, and national identities, from White Africans to Chinese Mormons. Many seemed to have one particular identity that was most important to them. One friend who identifies as a... https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3101894/opinion-have-strong-sense-identity-be-human?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3101894/opinion-have-strong-sense-identity-be-human?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2020 12:00:20 +0000 Opinion: To have a strong sense of identity is to be human Brett Fafata Brett Fafata During political debates, people are bound to have disagreements. But sometimes, the two sides cannot agree on even the most basic principles, so there is no shared base to build upon.  There are many such political disagreements in the United States, and I am worried that they will have a destabilising effect on my country. One principle that sparked an uproar recently is property rights. Property rights, simply put, is the idea that people have a right to own property and it is wrong to steal... https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3101164/opinion-political-disagreements-us-are-causing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3101164/opinion-political-disagreements-us-are-causing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Sep 2020 07:57:28 +0000 Opinion: Political disagreements in the US are causing Americans to see each other as enemies Brett Fafata Brett Fafata One thing is quite clear now: the world is never going to be the same again. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed flaws in our political system and tested our ability to respond to a crisis. The WHO’s handling of the health emergency has raised serious questions about its political neutrality and whether such organisations can be trusted in such difficult times. In addition, the WHO has been criticised for favouring China during the pandemic. At the start of the outbreak, Chinese authorities... https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3081177/opinion-whos-handling-covid-19-pandemic-begs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3081177/opinion-whos-handling-covid-19-pandemic-begs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2020 07:55:28 +0000 Opinion: The WHO's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic begs the question, should we fund them?