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Great Reset

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"The Great Reset" redirects here. For the 2010 book, see The Great Reset (book).

The Great Reset is a proposal by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to rebuild the economy sustainably following the COVID-19 pandemic. It was unveiled in May 2020 by the United Kingdom's Prince Charles and WEF director Klaus Schwab.[1][2] It seeks to improve capitalism by making investments more geared toward mutual progress and focusing more on environmental initiatives. It has been criticized for using the pandemic to implement a risky experiment and a petition to stop it gained 80,000 signatures in less than 72 hours. A conspiracy theory has spread in response, claiming it will be used to bring in socialist and environmental changes and a supposed New World Order.[2][3]

The proposal

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to shape an economic recovery and the future direction of global relations, economies, and priorities.[4] When Britain's Prince Charles introduced the plan, he outlined that it will only happen if people want it.[1]

According to Prince Charles, the economic recovery must put the world on a path to sustainability, with systems being redesigned to help. Carbon pricing was mentioned as a way to help achieve sustainability. He also outlined that innovations, science, and technology need to be reinvigorated so we can achieve significant breakthroughs that help us make sustainable ideas more profitable.[1] According to the WEF, we should also adapt to the current reality by directing the market to fairer results, ensure investments are aimed at mutual progress including accelerating ecologically friendly investments, and to start a fourth industrial revolution, creating digital economic and public infrastructure.[1][5]

Prince Charles emphasized that the private sector would be the main drivers of the plan.[1] According to Klaus Schwab, they would not change the economic system, but rather improve it to what he considers to be "responsible capitalism".[6] A book written by Schwab and economist Thierry Malleret was published detailing the plan.[7] It will be the main theme of the WEF's 2021 summit.[8]

Response

Political leaders such as Trudeau and US president-elect Joe Biden have endorsed the idea of "building back better", as has UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Trudeau has made rhetoric similar to that of The Great Reset.[9]

Following the dissemination of Trudeau's speech, a petition was launched by the Canadian Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre to "stop The Great Reset"; the petition amassed 80,000 signatures in less than 72 hours.[10] His rhetoric was criticized by multiple commentators and editorial boards.[11][12][13] The Toronto Star editorial board criticized the petition claiming it was "giving oxygen" to the baseless conspiracy theory. Aengus Bridgman, a McGill PhD candidate, said that the timing of Poilievre's petition was unlikely to be a coincidence.[14][10][15] Poilievre responded saying he was simply quoting Trudeau and the WEF. Ahmed Al-Rawi, a professor at Simon Fraser University, claimed that this reaction was a misinterpretation of Poilievre's attacks on the government.[16] Around the same time, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole criticized the idea of a reset, claiming that Trudeau was using the pandemic to implement a massive and risky experiment.[14][10][17]

Conspiracy theory

The conspiracy theory alleges that "global financial elites" and world leaders have planned a pandemic, deliberately letting loose the coronavirus to cause the conditions that will allow a restructuring of the world's governments. It alleges the main goals of the Great Reset are to take global economic control and instate a Marxist totalitarian regime and the New World Order.[2][7][17] Such a regime, it is claimed, would abolish personal ownership and property rights, send the military into cities, impose mandatory vaccination, and create isolation camps for people who resist.[14][18] Various examples which proponents claim are evidence of a conspiracy include a 2016 WEF piece describing what life might be like in 2030, Joe Biden's campaign slogan "Build Back Better", and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's September 2020 speech. According to The Daily Dot, this is merely discourse illustrating how to create a more just and sustainable world.[19][17] In some variations of the theory, US President Donald Trump is the only world leader keeping the scheme from happening, based on a video from August 2020 which has been viewed over three million times.[2][3]

Following the spread of the now-viral September 2020 speech by Trudeau, in which he speaks about the Agenda 2030 goals, a conspiracy theory was spread via far-right internet personalities and groups, some also supporting the QAnon conspiracy theory, and conservative political commentators including Maxime Bernier, Ezra Levant, Tucker Carlson, Paul Joseph Watson, and Glenn Beck.[2][14][19] It has also been disseminated by Russian propaganda outlets. According to Oliver Kamm, in an article for the CapX website: "The propaganda apparatus of the Putin regime has for many months published wild allegations from obscure bloggers that the Great Reset is code for oligarchs to amass wealth and control populations."[20] The conspiracy theory first spread following the initiative's announcement.[2] In October, a chain email spread, claiming to be from a member of a non-existent committee within the Liberal Party of Canada, and was picked up by QAnon-associated groups.[18] The conspiracy theory spread further in November, after footage of Trudeau's speech went viral online.[3]

The conspiracy theory is without evidence and groundless.[3][20] There is no evidence to suggest that the WEF has the authority to tell countries what to do, that politicians planned the virus, that they are they using it to destroy capitalism, or that they have formed a secret cabal.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Inman, Phillip (June 3, 2020). "Pandemic is chance to reset global economy, says Prince Charles". The Guardian. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Alba, Davey (November 17, 2020). "The baseless 'Great Reset' conspiracy theory rises again". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e Goodman, Jack; Carmichael, Flora (November 22, 2020). "The coronavirus pandemic 'great reset' theory and a false vaccine claim debunked". BBC News. Retrieved November 22, 2020. We start with the revival of the baseless conspiracy theory, known as the 'Great Reset'. ...Similarly, a French documentary which also refers to a secret global plot has gone viral on YouTube... it promotes a slew of previously debunked claims
  4. ^ "The Great Reset". World Economic Forum. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  5. ^ Mahabarta, Yudhistra (November 18, 2020). "Looking For A Logical Exposure Of 'The Great Reset', The Covid-19 Conspiracy Theory Now Campaigned By The World Economic Forum". Voice of Indonesia. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  6. ^ De Rosa, Nicholas (November 18, 2020). "Le « Great Reset » n'est pas un complot pour contrôler le monde". Radio-Canada (in French). Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Sixsmith, Ben (November 17, 2020). "What is the Great Reset?". The Spectator. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  8. ^ "2021 Davos summit shifted to Lucerne in May". France 24. October 7, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  9. ^ Wherry, Aaron (November 27, 2020). "The 'Great Reset' reads like a globalist plot with some plot holes". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c Proulx, Boris (November 21, 2020). "Une «théorie du complot» s'invite dans les rangs conservateurs". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  11. ^ Selley, Chris (November 24, 2020). "A 'great reset' requires a determined leader. Thankfully, Trudeau isn't it". National Post. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  12. ^ Wells, Paul (November 23, 2020). "The Great Reset is mostly just Liberals blowing off steam. Mostly". Maclean's. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  13. ^ "The Rebel to Rabble Review: Calls to 'stop the great reset'; O'Toole's Scheer dilemma". iPolitics. iPolitics. November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  14. ^ a b c d Alex, Boutillier (November 20, 2020). "A Conservative MP warns that Justin Trudeau wants a 'Great Reset.' Conspiracy theorists are worried, too". Toronto Star. Torstar.
  15. ^ "Editorial | Pierre Poilievre is flirting with the far right by pushing 'Great Reset' conspiracy". Toronto Star. Torstar. November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  16. ^ Gilmore, Rachel (November 26, 2020). "'Playing with fire': How politicians can perpetuate baseless conspiracy theories". Global News. Corus Entertainment. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  17. ^ a b c Goforth, Claire (November 16, 2020). "Trudeau speech reignites conspiracy theory fervor over 'Great Reset'". The Daily Dot. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Evon, Dan (October 29, 2020). "Was Canada's Draconian COVID 'Global Reset Plan' Leaked to the Public?". Snopes. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Trudeau UN speech sparks 'Great Reset' conspiracy". AFP Fact Check. November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Kamm, Oliver (November 20, 2020). "The Great Reset is the latest conspiracy fantasy – it will not be the last". CapX. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
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