Apr 13 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — With a federal budget announcement in the offing, can an election be far behind? Coming out of the pandemic, so much about our politics will be tested. Did it prove to be up to the COVID challenge? Will there be a clear direction for economic recovery? Will there be a plan for debt recovery or […]
Mar 30 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It took Apple 42 years to reach $1 trillion in value and 20 weeks to get from that point to $2 trillion. In that same amount of time, Tesla became the most valuable car company globally – worth more than Volkswagen, Daimler, Honda, and Toyota combined. The global economic output has increased fivefold since 1950. […]
Mar 8 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It’s amazing how nations can put wars away neatly in the curio cabinet. That’s not always true, of course, especially if the victory won is convincing enough that it provides a sense of resolve and memory in a culture. The effects of World War Two, and the firm manner in which peace was secured, infused […]
Mar 1 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Political leaders around the world, including those in this country, will be watching with interest as President Joe Biden delivers a speech on America’s future dealings with Saudi Arabia. It’s no secret that last week’s unveiling of a U.S. intelligence report, concluded that Saudi crown prince and heir to the throne, Mohammed bin Salman, directly […]
Feb 24 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — You can see the sun starting to break through regarding our year-long slog with the coronavirus. Citizens everywhere scan the news, delighted that case numbers and deaths remain in decline. Provinces are relaxing restrictions. Businesses are making plans for how to build back their customer bases. And governments are already speaking about getting back to […]
Feb 16 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — One of the great advantages of working in various aspects of public life is knowing, and learning from, those political strategists termed “conservative.” At the food bank that I help to direct in our city, a healthy segment of the volunteer base, donors, and board fall into this category, and they have brought great depth […]
Feb 3 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Not all that long ago, we learned that successful capitalism was about the effective balance between supply and demand. The pandemic experience of these past 12 months has added one more classification to that formula that we have frequently overlooked: distribution. In a globalized world, where free trade agreements connected nations across a vast spectrum, […]
Jan 20 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — My favourite movie of all time is Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I watch it on every birthday. It’s sappy. It’s simplistic. But it remains my favourite movie – ever! And the Lincoln Memorial is my favourite spot in that moving city. I spend my longest and most meaningful moments there. Above my desk is […]
Jan 19 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Tomorrow is that day. Hundreds of millions around the world will be glued to the action taking place in front of the American Capitol, their teeth on edge and their worry meter steadily climbing. It’s Inauguration Day in the United States, and there has been nothing like it in all its history. Armed guards everywhere. […]
Jan 14 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — How do we explain what’s going on south of the border? We know the basics: Left vs. Right, white vs. black, rich vs. poor, Wall St. vs. Main St., social vs. traditional media. I have spent some time in the U.S. over the years, especially in Washington, and it only takes one minute of conversation […]
Jan 11 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Political ambition and the craving for a legacy are much of what drives politics in general and leadership politics specifically. Politics has the unique advantage of being able to play with the passions of large groups of citizens, and it can have lingering effects. For most politicians, however, one’s influence is often more shaped by […]
Jan 7 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It was an impossible task to watch what was happening in the American capitol building yesterday and not be moved. Those of us who lived through the Vietnam era recall similar images in Washington, Chicago, and other locations, but this wasn’t that. Forceful demonstrations are common in these last few years, but yesterday’s event was […]
Jan 4 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Brazil is facing major issues with COVID-19, but it’s hard to tell from an AP photo of a beach in Rio de Janeiro posted last week. As with everywhere else, Brazilians are growing weary of the lockdowns, masks, gloomy news, and the inability to get out and diversify their lives a bit. Summer just started […]
Dec 30 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — We finish 2020 gasping for some kind of relief. Caught between the worst pandemic in a century and the effective administration of various vaccines, we are at a loss to know how the next twelve months will play out. Such an insecure global outlook hardly makes for a secure context for economies everywhere. Yet, a […]
Dec 16 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — In an increasingly insecure world, it seems a bit far-fetched to long for one of the holiday season’s most famous adages: “… and on earth, peace to those of good will.” Somehow, the thought of peace seems more fleeting this year. Humanity’s best intentions were crippled by a virus the size of 1/400th the width […]