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 Prince Charles and WEF director Klaus Schwab.[1][2] A conspiracy theory has spread in response, claiming it will be used to bring in a socialist New World Order.

The proposal

According to the WEF, the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to shape an economic recovery and the future direction of global relations, economies, and priorities.[3] When Prince Charles introduced the plan, he outlined that it will only happen if people want it.[1]

According to him, 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][4]

Prince Charles emphasized that the private sector would be the main drivers of the plan.[1] A book written by Schwab and economist Thierry Malleret was released detailing the plan.[5] It will be the main theme of the WEF’s 2021 summit.[6]

Conspiracy theory

Following its introduction, 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, Spencer Fernando, and Glenn Beck.[2][7][8] They allege that world leaders have planned a pandemic, creating the coronavirus to cause the conditions that will allow a restructuring of the world’s governments. It alleges the main goals of the reset are to take global economic control and instate a marxist totalitarian regime and the New World Order.[2][5][9]

Various things proponents claim are evidence of a conspiracy include a since-deleted 2016 tweet describing what life might be like in 2030, Joe Biden’s campaign slogan “Bring Back Better”, and a September 2020 speech by Canadian Prime Mister Justin Trudeau supporting the idea of a reset and accomplishing the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 goals. According to The Daily Dot, this is just discourse of how to create a more just and sustainable world.[7][9] In some variations of it, US President Donald Trump is the only one keeping the scheme from happening. The conspiracy theory initially spread in the summer of 2020 but resurfaced that November after footage of Trudeau’s speech went viral online.[2][9] Following the conspiracy theory’s resurfacing, Canadian Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre started a petition to stop The Great Reset which had 76,000 signatures in less than a week.[8]

References

External links

• World Economic Forum (2020). “Podcasts” (collection including “The Great Reset”).
• World Economic Forum (2020). “The Great Reset” (official initiative website).
• “The Great Reset: How to Build a Better World Post-COVID-19” (Collection of articles, columns, talk videos, interviews). TIME (Nov). 2020.

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