Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

ask ian

Ian Bremmer takes a look at the week's top stories in geopolitics.

Presented by

sponsor_image

Omicron variant unlikely to lead to lockdowns by governments

Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week with a look at the omicron variant, the Honduras presidential election, and the pros and cons of getting stuck in a UK pub for three days in a snowstorm.

As the omicron variant emerges, is a return to lockdown next?

The answer is, only in a few play places, because people are exhausted from lockdowns. They're angry with their governments from doing it. Governments are going to be very reluctant to have the economic hit as a consequence, especially when they know they can't pay out the relief money that they've been paying over the last couple of years, and they're not yet sure about just how much of a danger omicron is. I think all sorts of travel restrictions, but unless and until you see that the spread starts leading to significant lethality, hospitalizations, and once again, the potential for ICUs to be overwhelmed, I do not expect many significant lockdowns that are countrywide at this point. Not least in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the populations are very young and as a consequence, you can have a lot of spread and they're not paying attention to it, frankly.

Keep reading...Show less

More from ask ian

GZERO Series

The Iran war's global fallout (so far)

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer
The Regime in the Wild, for Sir David Attenborough

Puppet Regime

Puppet Regime
Drone warfare shifts the Ukraine-Russia battlefield

Quick Take

Quick Take
Trump flip flops on Iran threats

ask ian

ask ian
Why Trump can't find the exit ramp in Iran

Ian Explains

Ian Explains
What spies can teach us about persuasion

GZERO Reports

GZERO Reports
Is UK PM Keir Starmer finished?

GZERO Europe

GZERO Europe
Hormuz standoff: Who blinks first?

The Debrief

The Debrief