We’ve been talking about the failure of imagination in coming to terms with this moment in time geopolitically since the start of the year, so are we imagining enough now? Let’s hope so, because things are certainly getting intense, and fear is ricocheting around the world. Definitely not an easy time for any of us.

As we’ve witnessed in recent weeks, it appears the US is now sprinting towards authoritarianism, while abandoning its allies and joining with its enemies. From the Zelensky debacle in the Whitehouse, aligning with Russia and North Korea in a key UN vote against the war in Ukraine, causing emergency meetings across Europe, with President Marcon discussing nuclear deterrence, and another French politician referring to Elon Musk as a “jester high on ketamine,” and Donald Trump as Nero. No question everything is hotting up.

Within the US, we heard Trump’s State of the Union this week and all the shenanigans surrounding it, along with many other concerning developments within the country, as well as international impacts. This includes international tariffs and all that entails, along with China proclaiming it is ready for “any type of war” with the US, while committing to a 7.2% increase in defence spending. It’s a big discussion, covering a wide array of topics, and we’ll do our best to focus on what matters most.

To help us this week, we are delighted to welcome Michael Chua, a cybersecurity and digital technology consultant who has served banks, big tech and governments in 19 countries across four continents over the last 20 years. But even more interesting is Michael is an award-winning writer, producer, director and actor, appearing in more than 400 productions. He’s also the author of the novel "Maid in Singapore". We are looking forward to hearing what you have to say Michael!

The Livestream kicks off at 3pm Singapore time, Friday 7th February 2025. Come and join us, this is going to be a great conversation!

The Know Show is a Livestream held every fortnight on Friday, where Andrea T Edwards, Tim Wade and Joe Augustin, and at least one special guest, review the news that’s getting everyone’s attention, as well as perhaps what requires our attention. We’ll talk about what it means to us, the world and we hope to inspire great conversations on the news that matters in the world today.

The Know Show is based on Andrea T Edwards Weekend Reads, which are published every Saturday on andreatedwards.com, and covers the planetary crisis, topical moments in the world, global politics and war, business and technology, social issues, and passion/humour/history. Join us.

#TheKnowShow #UncommonCourage

To get in touch with me, all of my contact details are here https://linktr.ee/andreatedwards

My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

My book 18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile, is here https://mybook.to/18stepstoanallstar