Nov 17 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Many world leaders can be forgiven for breathing a collective sigh of relief at the seeming end of the Trump era. Much of the nationalism and racism that consumed numerous developed nations, while not caused by the Trump presidency, was nevertheless fuelled by the ideological rhetoric emanating everyday from the White House. So, yes, there […]
Nov 9 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — “Donald Trump wins, no matter what happens next,” wrote Jessica Wildfire the day after the American election. It was an observation supported by Lauren Martinchek the next day: “November 3rd was a rejection of the Democratic Party.” Politico countered with the headline: “Joe Biden will be a larger-than-life president.” So, which is it? We have […]
Nov 2 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It is the day America and the world have been preparing for, where either the Trump legacy will continue or be assigned to the history books. Regardless of which side prevails, it would be a serious mistake to believe that anything will be settled. The nation is now too divided to accept the result in […]
Oct 26 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — One week today could see the smugfest of all smugfests. If the polls are correct, America could be on the verge of a Democratic landslide. Whatever Donald Trump has going in his favour, his bombast, and above all his lack of attention to a Covid-19 pandemic that continues to ascend ever higher at the worst […]
Oct 23 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — We are no longer a nation of joiners. The majority of Canadians have tended to drift away from those institutions that once provided them with meaning and connectedness. We now live in a digital age, where individuals and families are more inclined to connect online for relationships, shopping and entertainment. Decades ago, American historian Arthur […]
Oct 19 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Two weeks until election day and everyone is still holding their breath. 2016 taught everyone to distrust the national polls as it became clear that Americans were in a surly mood, providing Donald Trump the ultimate victory. But this year, especially at the state level, Joe Biden and the Democrats appear to be riding some […]
Oct 12 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — We just might be on the verge of something many thought they might never see again – a more stabilized world. The Trump meltdown in Washington has consumed every useable space of media coverage, but what America is experiencing is something that is making ripples throughout much of the world. That violent brand of populism […]
Oct 8 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — “We’ve rounded the corner on the coronavirus,” said Donald Trump. Two days later, he rounded that corner straight into Walter Reed Military Hospital, himself the victim of the virus he had downplayed since February. There have been many difficult things to watch over the last number of months, but the most difficult has been the […]
Oct 4 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — You sometimes have to wonder how the Americans do it. Somehow, they are enduring through one of the most chaotic political eras in modern times. But it must be exhausting. What once might have been fascinating political theatre has been rendered negligible by a recessive economy and an oppressive pandemic. Beleaguered on all sides, it […]
Sep 28 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — We’ve learned so much about humanity thanks to the COVID 19 pandemic. We have seen moments of great sacrifice and others of humiliating indifference in the face of our greatest health challenge in a century. From the outset, we were warned by health experts that, regardless of infection rates going down over time, a second […]
Sep 22 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Most throne speeches are primarily political affairs, designed to either obscure some kind of scandal or poor performance or to usher in some emerging initiative by putting immediate wind in its sails. Occasionally it deals with both, as is the case with this week’s attempt to change the channel. Rumors abound, with some maintaining that […]
Sep 15 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — “For the first time in history, all peoples on earth have a common present. In the age of globalization, every country has become almost the immediate neighbour of every other country, and every person feels the shock of events which take place at the other end of the globe.” So wrote Hannah Arendt in her […]
Sep 1 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — The CBC’s Catherine Cullen’s insight back in June regarding the Conservative leadership drama turned out to be prophetic. Writing of the various levels of complexity that could ultimately lead to an Erin O’Toole victory, Cullen observed: “While some Conservatives have suggested that any public discussion of social issues such as gay marriage or abortion prevents […]
Aug 11 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Communities across Canada are holding their collective breath awaiting the expiration of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The reason is simple: what comes next is unclear. For significant periods during the pandemic CERB was both a life-saver and an emotional boost in a time of deep concern. It successfully rounded off the harsh edges […]
Aug 6 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — The appointment of Bob Rae to become this country’s ambassador to the United Nations made sense to most. As a Canadian statesmen and politician, Rae just happens to be a person of large interests and experience around the world – a quality that suits the post of someone meant not only to represent Canada to […]