1. Can government censorship ever be justified?
Withholding information for the purpose of deceiving and depriving the people of their rights to know is never justifiable. And for the government to do that for whatever purpose or reason they have, is just plain unfair and that violates humans' rights in several counts.
Primarily, the right to know information that may directly or indirectly affect yourself is a responsibility of the person and the government to keep oneself safe and secure and if the government deprived you of that right, it is just like the government is pushing you to harm because you lose the ability to prepare for whatever is going to happen. Take for example China, they filter information from outside the country and feed the people of the news they just want to let them know. Honestly, that's not being fair at all because these people are blinded dumb by the truth which eventually leads to to coming to a biased judgement. Even harsh and brutal information like murder, news on wars, and whatever turmoil is going on shouldn't be censored. These things happen in reality and the only way for people to understand the situation is if they get unbiased, unfiltered, and real details afterall living in reality is better than being in a make believe perfect place.
Every individual has the right to voice out their opinions on different matters of consequence but they also have to take responsibility for whatever they speak of and talk about, thus, they also have every right to have the government being transparent in everything.
2. Are genetically modified crops the solution to world hunger?
The battle against world hunger is a tough call and nations all over the world have been working on this day-in and day-out to find for a solution to this problem. Although genetically modified crops are controversial but this could be one of the many solutions that could help address this problem.
Several research has been done on genetically modified crops, some of these crops are specially formulated to outlast harsh weather conditions. These kinds of crops can be very beneficial to stand the rough heat, especially in Africa where hunger is a prominent problem. Through genetic engineering, these crops can also be designed to be infused with more nutrients that can give better nourishment to humans - with this malnutrition can also be addressed. Another thing that can be made possible is that the ability of these modified crops to grow all-year round, this would mean that these crops can be harvested and provide food for families all throughout the year. Some of the crops that have been studied keenly for genetic modification are corn, canola, and soybean. Plant breeding is part of this study which will enhance the amount of crops harvested.
Genetically modified crops may not be the best solution to solve hunger, but surely, with more harvest and more nutritious crops we are one step closer to solving this debilitating problem that has been present since time immemorial.
3. Should countries spend less money on defense?
Ensuring safety is a foremost priority in many countries and it has remained that way specially with the terrorism threat. Whether spending less or more on defense is a country's prerogative but money is nothing compared with safety and security of the people.
The 9/11 bombing in New York has shook the world and has created terror on the face of the Earth, hence, safety and security in the US has been tightened further since then. The country has invested on their armed forces, their weaponry, and hi-tech gadgets to help them track terrorists and other law offenders. Although diplomacy is practiced in some parts of the world, not many countries believe in this and we can't really deny the fact that incidents like the 9/11 bombing could happen again. The best each country can do is to ensure on their defense capability to protect their country from possible attacks to avoid going through a nightmarish disaster against the hands of some terrorists like what the US experienced in the hands of the Al Qaeda.
Although the world is suffering from an economic downturn, defense should not be taken for granted because if a country gets attacked or violated by terrorists, the country will surely suffer not just economic hurt but many other things like; emotional downturn, panic, disability, and chaos to name a few.
4. Is alcohol consumption among teenagers a cause for concern?
Alcoholism is a serious problem and through the years, it has incapacitated many people from living a normal life, thus, consumption of alcohol amongst teenagers calls for an immediate action to eradicate this problem the soonest.
Teenagers are mostly driven to take alcohol because of lack of guidance, peer pressure, and curiosity that leads to addiction. Trying to fit in and failing, family issues, emotional instability and using it as a coping mechanism to block the pains in life are some common factors why such a horrendous thing happens among teens. Alcohol alters the brain and makes one person think irrationally, overtime, if drinking alcohol is developed into a habit this could lead to alcoholism which can ruin a person's life if not given immediate attention to. The younger generation is the hope of world and therefore we must take care of them and ensure they are leading the right track to a more product life. Spending time with them, giving pieces of advice, and simply being there for them would make them feel that they are valued and that there are other ways to deal with their problems other than by taking alcohol.
Not a single teenager is safe from this temptation, hence, inculcating knowledge and awareness about the ill-effects of alcohol consumption will make them realize the damage it could bring to their lives and eventually they'd avoid doing it. This is not a job of one person alone, but rather, each one must work hand-in-hand to fight this problem.
5. Do the pros of hosting the Olympics outweigh the cons?
The Olympics is one of the most popular sporting events worldwide that brings about millions of people together to cheer for their athletes and their specific nations. It brings camaraderie, healthy competition, it allows for countries to get closer and get exposed to other cultures and traditions, and it provides opportunities for people to meet and befriend people from allover the world but for a huge price to pay. Literally!
It's no doubt that the host country of this event has to shell out a massive amount of money for building infrastructure to be used in the different sporting events but the amount of publicity the country gets is enormous. Since this is a worldwide event, people from different nooks of the Earth gets to see what the country is like, and for tourism, this could mean bringing more tourists and travelers in the country - this means, healthy for the country's economy. This event can also generate new jobs for the people as they will need more staff for different events. As to what might happen to the infrastructure after the Olympics, the country can use it for tourist attractions, rebuild it into hotels and other amusement for local and foreign travelers and the like.
Frankly speaking, there are both pros and cons of hosting the Olympics, but with the reasons I mentioned above I'd like to reiterate that the pros outweighs the cons but only to a slight extent.