Jul 21 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It’s the war few wish to talk about or summon from their memory. One American general last week called it a “heartbreaking failure.” The war in Afghanistan was Canada’s longest and perhaps the most misunderstood. For a time, it seized Parliament in Ottawa, brought the grief of losing loved ones directly to Canadian households, and […]
Jul 7 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Back in 2016, just as Donald Trump was putting together his plans to “Make America Great Again,” north of the border, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made his bold declaration: “Canada has no core identity.” Many found it imaginative, evocative, even dangerous, but it was, in effect, telling the world that the Canada everyone thought they […]
Jun 17 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — So, it’s over. Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin wrapped up their sessions in Geneva, Switzerland, and the deeper assessment of the American President’s foreign trip has begun. He had quite a timetable: G7, Boris Johnson, Queen Elizabeth, the EU, NATO and, finally, the critical one-on-one with Putin. There are general developments that we can take […]
Jun 9 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — We remain a city in shock and dismay. For London, Ontario, to be centre of global attention for the purposeful killing of a Muslim family is the cause of anguish. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, mayor and former Conservative MP Ed Holder, and other dignitaries were here yesterday to share in a community vigil. For a […]
May 19 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It was becoming clear late last year that something as vast as our current pandemic had the power to reorder Canadian society in significant ways. Though Covid-19 was global in scope, our worlds grew increasingly smaller and confined the longer the pandemic endured. Big things were still going on in China, Russia, Ukraine, Myanmar, Britain […]
Apr 27 2021 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — Ten years ago, I was a member of the federal Foreign Affairs Committee, at a time when the country was still struggling to find its legs following the Great Recession. Parliament was forever seized with domestic concerns and regional politics, the only exception being the conflict in Afghanistan and Canada’s tenure in that part of […]
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. […]