Meet Van Wishard

WorldTrends Research is simply the name I give to my work of “trend analysis,” looking at the underlying changes reshaping your life, the life of your nation, as well as the global landscape.

My name is Van Wishard.  My wife, Anne, and I have a son and daughter, and three fantastic grandchildren.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers.  No one’s got the answers.  But I’m searching, just as much as you probably are.  In fact, I’ve been searching since 1954 when I first asked myself the question, “Is America in decline?”  (It’s the wrong question.  The real question is, “What’s happening to America and the world to turn our lives so upside-down?”)

I’ve considered and researched questions about changes in America and the world literally for decades—when I worked in post-World War Germany as part of the first international civilian task force asked to establish contact with the German people; when I was in the Korean War; when I lived in Africa working for an NGO engaged in conflict resolution and nation building; when I was the manager for schedule development for “Up With People,” the international educational program; and later when I worked in the U.S. Department of Commerce researching and writing on U.S. competitiveness, international trade, and economic policy for the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary of Commerce; and finally, since I established WorldTrends Research as a vehicle for pursuing these questions. 

In the course of this searching, I’ve met a lot of interesting people, had various insights, and come to some tentative conclusions.  Often I’ve been asked to share some of these insights with a variety of audiences.  C-SPAN has televised speeches I’ve given numerous times.  NBC TV carried my appearance on the “One on One” interview program .  I’ve briefed Congressional groups, AT&T’s Strategic Planning Group, Chas. Schwab’s senior management, the fifty senior generals in the Marine Corps, the Naval War College, and any number of corporations and trade associations.  The Washington Post described my assessment of the 1970s as “the most incisive commentary on the 1970s yet seen.” 

All this doesn’t make me any “expert.”  But it has given me some perspectives and insights that might be helpful for those seeking to gain a more complete understanding of what’s happening to America and the world, and why. 

So, I’m glad you’re here, and hope you find some of the commentary on my website helpful.  Don’t hesitate to send any comments or ask any questions.  And if you want to dig deeper into some of these subjects, my book, Between Two Ages: The 21st Century and the Crisis of Meaning is available on Amazon.com, Xlibris.com or through your local bookstore (although the book store route takes time).