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 […]
Nov 26 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It’s been fascinating to watch political parties attempting to manoeuvre for advantage during a pandemic unlike anything we’ve experienced in a century. In a heightened political season, given what’s going on south of the border, Canada’s political parties have remained relatively restrained when it comes to crass politics. Today, the emphasis is placed on the […]
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 […]