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Showing posts with label Global Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Global Politics. Show all posts

An open letter to President Trump

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America once saved Australia. I am asking you to please rescue Australia once more.

Dear President Trump,

I write to you as an Australian citizen deeply concerned about the dangerous direction of our government under our leftist Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.

Labor’s decision to formally recognise Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly is not only a betrayal of our ally, Israel, but a reckless capitulation that emboldens terrorists like Hamas.

In the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes wrote:

Trump is playing with Albanese’s fragile mind, and he knows it: not on the list one day, booked in for an October Oval Office dressing down – er, visit – the next. What can they talk about? In the form of an open letter to the President, Michael de Percy has a few suggestions, while warning him about our Janus of a PM.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, An open letter to President Trump.

Trump’s tariff wins? It’s FAFO, stupid

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If you fear what Trump might do, that’s the whole point. The tariffs have little to do with economics.

From Seoul: While there are fringe anti-Trump tariff protests here in Asia’s most successful liberal democracy, mainstream opinion supports the alliance with the US. The first time I was here, a Korean army general thanked me for my service and for the 340 Australians whose ultimate sacrifice enabled Korea to rebuild following Japanese occupation and later communist aggression. The Republic of Korea is nothing short of an economic, social, and cultural miracle, and the strength of the US has been key to that success.

So, when President Trump went on his tariff tirade and economists all pooh-poohed his economic unorthodoxy, they missed the point.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Trump’s tariff wins? It’s FAFO, stupid.

New York has become the epicentre of useful idiots

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An anti-Trump poster in Myeongdong, Seoul, asking Koreans to write to Mr Trump about the tariffs.

Almost a quarter century since our TVs were dominated by nightmare images of terrorist-controlled passenger jets crashing into the Twin Towers, it seems the war against the West has been won in New York. The icing on the cake will be the potential election of Ugandan-born socialist and New York mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, who is currently dominating the polls.

Anti-Western elements have the key to the city, and the West handed it to them. As a result, New York has become the epicentre for useful idiots.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

The streets of Sydney are bad, but New York has transitioned into the epicentre of ‘useful idiots’. As Michael de Percy writes, ‘Almost a quarter century since our TVs were dominated by nightmare images of terrorist-controlled passenger jets crashing into the Twin Towers, it seems the war against the West has been won in New York. The icing on the cake will be the potential election of Ugandan-born socialist and New York Mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani.’

My latest in The Spectator Australia, New York has become the epicentre of useful idiots.

It’s time for a Reform Australia Party

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While Reform UK has shown the way, the Liberal Party has gone astray.

Populism has been defined as an approach to politics that pits a champion of the commonfolk against elites. Right-wing populism has often been regarded as anti-expert, anti-intellectual, and anti-globalisation. A major challenge for populist leaders has been a lack of vision. In the short term, populist leaders can be against things, but this it makes it harder to be for something in the long run.

While Reform UK has shown the way, the Liberal Party has gone astray. It’s time for a Reform Australia Party.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

Michael de Percy asks when and if Australia can muster the forces of conservative politics and create its own ‘Reform’ movement. Elon Musk spent the day demanding a ‘third party’ for American politics after renewing his scuffle with US President Donald Trump. Musk isn’t happy about the savage cuts to renewable energy and EVs, but Michael makes a larger point about the need for a genuine opposition party – not for rich businessmen or politicians – but for the people.

In the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes wrote:

Michael de Percy makes the case for a Nigel Farage spin-off party in Australia. In terms of Reform UK and its agenda, that is a consummation devoutly to be wished, whether in a – pardon the pun – reformed Liberal party or not. But Farage, for all his media stunting and blokey braggadocio, has the brains and political nous to be a prime minister: there is nobody on the Australian centre-right, whether in the Liberals or populist minor parties, who has the intelligence, common touch, charisma, appealing beliefs and hunger to win that Farage has. Until an Australian Farage eventually emerges (if he does at all), de Percy will have to keep dreaming, alas.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, It’s time for a Reform Australia Party.

Trump's US Army parade, strikes on Iran, and Labor's weak response

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Back on Spectator TV Australia with Alexandra Marshall, 27 June 2025.

 Discussing President Trump's 250th Anniversary Parade for the US Army, the US strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, and the weak response from PM Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

President Trump strikes, saves the world

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Decisive, necessary. Will there be terrorists with nuclear weapons? Not on The Don's watch. 

Today’s US military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, authorised by President Donald Trump, is a global reckoning. This decisive action targeted key sites including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The President gave the Iranian regime plenty of time to respond, but it was clear that religious bullies respect force and nothing else. Well, they got force.

The strikes, conducted by B-2 stealth bombers, were a technological response to a technological evil. A nuclear-armed Iran would be a catalyst for catastrophic proliferation, empowering terrorist proxies like the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah with unprecedented destructive potential. Iran’s refusal to allow UN inspectors unfettered access to its nuclear program, coupled with its ongoing attacks on Israel, left the United States with no choice but to act.

Writing in the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes had this to say:

There’s only one story this morning that matters: Donald Trump and his Bunker Busting Bombers. In an impressive piece of instant analysis, Michael de Percy sums up what happened and what all this says about the wishy-washy stance of our Prime and Foreign Ministers. On the latter point, Michael’s elaborated in a follow-up article: we suggest reading them together, because they provide a good picture of what this says about how our government’s embarrassing all of us in by bestriding the barbed-wire fence.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, President Trump strikes, saves the world.

Trump’s military parade exposes weak Albo and Wong

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US Army 250th anniversary parade, Washington DC.

On June 14, Washington DC roared to life with the thunder of tanks, the wokka of choppers, and the march of some 7,000 soldiers celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the US Army. Hooah!

This spectacle of military might and national pride, unusual in the self-loathing West, was a bold declaration of America’s strength that coincided with President Trump’s 79th birthday.

Predictably, the usual chorus of left-wing critics in the US and abroad erupted in outrage, clutching their pearls while crying ‘dictator’ over what was, at its core, a celebration of the nation’s resilience and its defenders.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

Michael de Percy has savaged those who critised Donald Trump’s celebration of the US Army’s 250th Anniversary. Those whole piece is excellent, but particularly this line: ‘The same critics who cheer diversity and inclusion balk at displays of martial pride, as if celebrating a nation’s military history somehow negates its pluralism. They forget that the freedom to protest and wave Mexican and Palestinian flags was secured by the very institution they now vilify.’

In the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes had this to say:

Resident flaneur, Michael de Percy, says President Trump’s military parade on the weekend (and Trump’s birthday) highlights America’s strength and our defence weakness. Something must change. The Trump administration says spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence should be our goal: at his meeting with Trump today, Anthony Albanese should at least accept a goal of that magnitude is a realistic ask of Australia. But the Prime Minister also must brace himself to do what’s necessary to do the right thing and pursue it – and that’s not to raise taxes. Jettison unaffordable election promises. Cut wasteful programmes – not matter how popular – and cancel ideological vanity projects. Dump economy-crippling Net Zero. Incentivise productivity growth and defence industry investment. Even consider reintroducing national service in some form – after all, the old National Service Act is still on the books. National defence must have top priority, and government must lead by example. Our tip: Albanese won’t do anything but talk.

My latest opinion piece in The Spectator Australia, Trump’s military parade exposes weak Albo and Wong.

Greta Thunberg’s irresponsible ‘Selfie Yacht’

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Thunberg and other irresponsible activists on their 'Selfie Yacht' [NBC News]

Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist turned self-appointed geopolitical saviour, has once again commandeered the global stage with her latest stunt. Thunberg claimed to have been ‘kidnapped’ by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on her so-called ‘humanitarian’ voyage aboard the Madleen, a vessel aimed at breaching Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

This stunt, cloaked in the veneer of altruistic aid delivery, ended in her interception by the IDF on June 9 aboard her ‘selfie yacht’. While Thunberg’s flair for theatrics has long been her hallmark, this latest episode is not just reckless, it is a costly distraction that burdens Israeli taxpayers and diverts attention from the Israeli hostages still held in Hamas’ grip.

Writing in the Unfiltered Newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:

Is there anything more pitiable than the ‘selfie flotilla’ featuring Greta Thunberg carrying a snack-sized humanitarian aid cargo to Hamas-controlled Palestine? There are only two likely outcomes for this story – an actual hostage situation or a faux hostage narrative. The latter played out on social media with Ms Thunberg releasing a rather dubious ‘if you see this’ video which was quickly contradicted by Israel Defences Forces. Instead of ‘being taken hostage’, Thunberg & co have been fed and are on their way to Israel where they will be sat down in front of the October 7 footage and forced to watch the true horror of what took place during the terror attack.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Greta Thunberg's irresponsible 'Selfie Yacht'.

Jacinda Ardern’s triumph of style over substance

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Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister, 2017-2023. [Image: CC PDM 1.0]

Jacinda Ardern’s tenure as New Zealand’s Prime Minister (2017–23) was lauded globally as a masterclass in empathetic leadership, her image burnished by deft handling of crises like the Christchurch mosque shootings and the early stages of Covid.

The world swooned over her ‘kindness’ and ‘authenticity’, with fawning media elevating her to near-mythic status.

Yet beneath the polished rhetoric and carefully curated narrative lies a stark reality. Ardern’s leadership, when scrutinised, reveals a troubling lack of measurable outcomes. Her policies, draped in inclusive language and moral posturing, often failed to deliver the substance needed to justify the hype.

By 2020, punters were asking whether Jacinda Ardern was just ‘a show pony’.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall wrote:

And finally, Michael de Percy takes a look back on the legacy of Jacinda Ardern’s ‘inclusive’ and ‘kind’ agenda and whether or not it actually achieved anything meaningful.

In the Morning Double Shot, Terry Barnes had this to say:

Jacinda Ardern’s memoir came out this week. To save you the temptation to part with your hard-earned to read it, Michael de Percy sums Ardern’s leadership up: for all her ‘I feel your pain’ schtick, as New Zealand’s prime minister she didn’t actually achieve very much. Except that is, in the Covid years, when Ardern shut down New Zealand, and turned it into an Antipodean hermit kingdom with a zeal exceeded only by Victoria’s Daniel Andrews. She’s not missed.

My latest article in The Spectator Australia, Jacinda Ardern’s triumph of style over substance.

Key Studies on Jacinda Ardern's Leadership

Research question: What quantitative and qualitative metrics can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of Jacinda Ardern's key policy initiatives during her prime ministership?

Below are the key studies on Jacinda Ardern's leadership I reviewed from the academic literature:

Baker, M. G., Kvalsvig, A., & Verrall, A. J. (2020). New Zealand’s COVID‐19 elimination strategy. Medical Journal of Australia, 213(5), 198. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.50735

Beattie, A., & Priestley, R. (2021). Fighting COVID-19 with the team of 5 million: Aotearoa New Zealand government communication during the 2020 lockdown. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 4(1), 100209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2021.100209

Henrickson, M. (2020). Kiwis and COVID-19: The Aotearoa New Zealand Response to the Global Pandemic. The International Journal of Community and Social Development, 2(2), 121–133. https://doi.org/10.1177/2516602620932558

Howden-Chapman, P., Keall, M., Whitwell, K., & Chapman, R. (2020). Evaluating natural experiments to measure the co-benefits of urban policy interventions to reduce carbon emissions in New Zealand. Science of The Total Environment, 700, 134408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134408

Rangiwhetu, L., Pierse, N., Chisholm, E., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2020). Public Housing and Well-Being: Evaluation Frameworks to Influence Policy. Health Education & Behavior, 47(6), 825–835. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198120917095

Skilling, P. (2024). The sixth labour government on poverty and inequality: Policy action and political language. Political Science, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00323187.2024.2441360

Tyner, K., & Jalalzai, F. (2022). Women prime ministers and COVID‐19: Within‐case examinations of New Zealand and Iceland. Politics & Policy, 50(6), 1076–1095. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12511

Podcast interview with Leighton Smith

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My interview on the Leighton Smith Podcast, New Zealand
 

Leighton Smith Podcast #276 - March 19th 2025 - Michael De Percy

March 19, 2025 • 100 mins

Dr Michael De Percy is a Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Canberra. He graduated from both the Australian National University and the Royal Military College, Duntroon.  

He was also appointed to the Australian Research Council’s College of Experts in 2022. 

Sound interesting? I can only say that if he’d been my lecturer at ANU, I might well have chosen a different career path. Listen below.


Trump’s ‘art of the deal’ trumps ‘the science’

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Trump's art of the deal trumps the science.

Being on the receiving end of a deal with the most powerful person in the world must be quite disarming. Trump was already the ultimate deal-maker. Now as the leader of the free world, his power to make deals is unsurpassed in history. When Trump offers a deal, he starts with an extreme position that drives the experts mad. This is not crazy; it is the art of the deal.

Writing in the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:
Michael de Percy says we should trust the ‘art of the deal’ over ‘the science’ when it comes to politics. After all, Michael argues, Trump has done more in two months than the experts have in years – which means there must be some wisdom to his actions.
Writing in the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes had this to say:
As a political scientist, Michael de Percy is a great admirer of how Donald Trump is doing things, Trump upending all he sees as America’s enemies, both foreign and domestic. De Percy argues that Trump’s love of transactional deal-making, er, trumps evidence-based policy advocated by self-appointed experts. ‘Trump’s art of the deal is the most democratic thing we have seen since “the experts” told us to trust “the science”’, he writes. Some will agree; some will disagree. Certainly, Trump 47’s approach to policy-making and governing is unique. There’s been nothing like him before, and there’ll be nothing like him again.
My latest in The Spectator Australia, Trump’s ‘art of the deal’ trumps ‘the science’.

Woke West stands with Ukraine, Trump deals with reality

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Trump's diplomacy is based on realpolitik, not idealpolitik.

The rules-based world order has been destroyed by the Wokerati. The United Nations, an institution designed to address the shortcomings of the League of Nations, is exhausted and no longer fit for purpose. Nato is an under-funded paper tiger. The United States, still the richest and most powerful nation in the history of humanity, is quickly recovering from its near-death experience under the Democrats and their self-hating and divisive ideology. Meanwhile, the rest of the West dithers.

Trump’s attempt to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war is based on realpolitik, taking into account the actual circumstances rather than adopting a particular moral stance. Against this backdrop, the rest of the West, which is largely broke and unable to defend itself, has based its response on idealpolitik, a belief that ideals can be achieved through politics. In practice, Trump’s approach is based on reason, while the rest of the West’s response to global affairs is naively based on emotion.

It’s not hard to tell how this will work out.

Writing in the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes had this to say:

As Trump freezes all military aid to Ukraine in retaliation against Zelensky’s perceived recalcitrance, making the likelihood of a ‘final push’ Russian spring offensive still greater, Rebecca Weisser has a timely piece looking at the good, the bad and the ugly of Trump’s domestic and foreign policy. As for that foreign policy, she says (but I summarise) there’s no theory, just chaos. Michael de Percy takes a contrary view, and argues that Western leaders, including Anthony Albanese, take an idealistic and anti-Trump view of Zelensky and Ukraine, while Trump plays a realist and calculated political chess game. Ramesh Thakur outlines the alleged rap sheet against Zelensky and Ukraine, while echoing de Percy’s policy argument and endorsing Trump’s actions, as he sees them.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Woke West stands with Ukraine, Trump deals with reality.

Will Trump inspire Dutton to undo the Uniparty?

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Donald Trump is draining the swamp! [Epoch Times CC BY-NC 2.0]

There is so much hot air blowing around at the moment. Almost every leftie on social media is having a meltdown. Never mind that their partisan nonsense caused the swamp to need draining in the first place. Many conservative voters are not convinced that Mr Dutton will turn the Liberals around in the way Donald Trump reformed the Republicans. But will the Don’s decisive action be enough to inspire Mr Dutton to undo the Uniparty?

Writing in the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes said:

Michael de Percy, who sees an opportunity to disrupt the ‘Uniparty’ Tweedledee and Tweedledum political settlement of the ALP and the Coalition. Trump certainly has energised the conservative base, but how sold are many not rusted-on Australian voters on the Trump agenda, or are there bits of it embraced enthusiastically and others in the lead balloon category? Peter Dutton’s cautious cherry-picking of what’s on offer from the Trumpian menu, notably on patriotism, the flag, and rightly rejecting multi-genderism and its fallout for women, speaks practical political judgment, as in a parliamentary system evolution tends to be more successful than revolution. Encourage Dutton for starting to go in the right direction, not disparage him for not going far enough.

Writing in the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:

Christian and Jewish groups, in particular, are very worried about clashes with the LGBTQ+ movement. Why, when Dutton is desperately trying to rebuild the blue ribbon brand, is his party committed to anti-liberty laws? As Michael de Percy writes, many are hoping that Donald Trump will inspire Peter Dutton to undo the idea of a ‘uniparty’. ‘If the Opposition acts in any way like Labor, especially on no-brainers like social media bans or anything that impacts freedom of speech or religion or that tries to reinvent nature, they confirm the Uniparty theory.’

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Will Trump inspire Dutton to undo the Uniparty?

The WHO is finished: step away, Mr Dutton!

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Peter Dutton with Michael de Percy in Goulburn, 22 January 2025.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a horse that’s been flogged to death. Then it’s been turned over and flogged again. Twice. Now it is time for Mr Dutton to put down the whip and step away.

The WHO’s situation is a result of the United Nations system being exhausted. Like the League of Nations before it, the UN has lost its way. Whereas the League was unable to stand up to Mussolini and Hitler, dictators and other anti-democratic leaders have managed to white-ant the UN from the inside.

Writing in the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:

As the US changes its international alliances, so too must Australia consider what it spends money on. The World Health Organisation was never considered a good deal for Australia and now it looks like an outright liability. With the loss of US funding, how long before the WHO comes digging around in our Treasury? Michael de Percy argues that it’s time for Dutton to step away from the WHO.

Days later, my article was still trending, and Terry Barnes had this to say in the Morning Doiuble SHot newsletter:

His piece has been running for a few days now, but it deserves widespread reading. Michael de Percy is delighted that Donald Trump is taking the United States out of the World Health Organisation, and wants Peter Dutton to do the same with Australia. Let’s face it, the WHO was in cahoots with China in refusing to sheet home Covid-19 to its place of origin – Wuhan – and was Xi Jinping’s willing beard when it came to dodging any international attempt to inquire into the origins of the virus. There’s little point trying to reform it, so defund WHO and walk away from it, as de Percy suggests.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, The WHO is finished: step away, Mr Dutton!

Trump unshackles Australia Day

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Donald Trump's actions have inspired Australians to reclaim Australia Day
 

Great things happened this week. Donald Trump multitasked his way into office as the liberator of Western culture, and The World According to Rowan Dean went back on air. It’s as if all my Christmases have come at once and corporate Australia can once again utter the words ‘Merry Christmas’ without choking on their hypocrisy.

Best of all, Trump’s first salvos fired at Woke ideology have unshackled Australia Day. The Wokerati won’t be able to hold back the tide now.

Writing in the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes had this to say:

Happy Australia Day holiday everyone. Today is the day to celebrate Australia, and Australianness, and Michael de Percy clearly thinks Donald Trump should be made an honorary Australian for reminding us that patriotism and defending one’s country’s values are once again a matter for pride, not the shame imposed on ordinary Australians by the wokerati like this year’s incongruous Australia Day AC, Megan Davis.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Trump unshackles Australia Day.

JD Vance is the best succession plan for Australia

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JD Vance's Hillbilly Elegy is not a far stretch from rural and regional Australia.

I read JD Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy years before he was popular. In fact, I bought his book while I was in Shanghai in 2018. It turns out it was the most unlikely of places to buy the book – a country where his forthcoming role as Vice President of the United States is unlikely to garner support for his background. But for me, Hillbilly Elegy was an American version of my own upbringing (sans the drugs), and when Vance was announced as the next Vice-President of the United States, I immediately saw Trump’s reasoning.

Writing in the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes had this to say:
Meanwhile, Michael de Percy looks down the track, to 2028 and beyond. He is impressed by the new Vice-President, JD Vance, arguing that ‘he represents the American equivalent of the Anzac spirit’. Vance, according to de Percy, has political and philosophical values very much akin to the Australian character and mindset, and we can be grateful he is the dauphin to Donald Trump’s sun king.
My latest in The Spectator Australia, JD Vance is the best succession plan for Australia.

What’s happening in Korea?

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Korea's National Assembly, 28 September 2022 [Source: Author]

On December 3, President Yoon declared martial law, with pundits hinting at a return to Korea’s bad old days of military control before it adopted democracy in 1987. The June Uprising forced the military regime to hold elections and introduce democratic reforms. This led to the creation of the Sixth Republic which still exists today.

The simple fact is that Korea’s democracy is not under threat, but working as it should.

Terry Barnes had this to say in the Morning Double Shot newsletter:
Michael de Percy seeks to explain the strange goings-on in South Korea, with the President calling martial law, the parliament voting it down, the President backing down, and the parliament failing to impeach him as it said it would. All we can add is that the president and a few others made some very poor Korea moves. 

My latest in The Spectator Australia, What’s happening in Korea?

Merry Christmas and the final episode of Spectator Australia TV for 2024

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A Merry Christmas with Donald Trump about to become leader of the Free World (aain)

In the final episode of Spectator Australia TV for 2024, I discuss the downfall of the French and Korean presidents, the restoration and reopening of Notre Dame, and a Merry Christmas with Donald Trump about to become leader of the free world (again) on ADH TV with Alexandra Marshall.

In the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:

It’s interesting… In my last Spectator TV for the year, which will come out in a few hours, I asked each of our guests what the big political win of 2024 was and the answer was unanimous – Trump. The leader of the free world is not purely a military figure keeping an eye on global peace, they are a spiritual leader for the West. America sets the mood and the rest of our governments can either do an awkward dad dance or get with the groove. Albanese and Starmer will probably throw a tantrum and pull the plug out like that scene in Strictly Ballroom where Barry Fife goes for the cord.

My commentary in the final episode for 2024 is available below:

Madrid’s bullfighting triumphs over ‘eating ze bugs’

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Jose Tomas bullfighting in Barcelona


From Madrid: Madrid is better than Paris. That’s my advertising slogan for this great city. Instead of Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen should make a movie called Daylight in Madrid. Rather than showcasing Paris with the writer Hemingway, the bullfighter Belmonte, the artists Dali and Picasso, and the greatest filmmaker ever, Luis Buñuel, Woody Allen should showcase them all in Madrid where the world is real, and law and order keeps the dodgy people on their toes.

Writing in the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:

Our Foreign Correspondent of sorts, Michael de Percy, is in Madrid. This anti-Woke destination has a rich culture of bullfighting rather than bug-eating. ‘Creating fake meat in laboratories or eating locusts is somehow deemed to be morally superior. But not in Madrid where the creation and consumption of food is an art form of the highest order.’ I am starting to suspect that Michael is on a food tour of Europe...

Writing in the Morning Double Shot newsletter, Terry Barnes had this to say:

Michael de Percy sees much that is manly and romantic in a Madrid bullfight, while most Anglo-Saxons see it as a barbaric and sadistic practice, where bulls are tormented and killed for entertainment. While he and I can never agree on bullfighting as a ‘sport’, his point about true Spanish culture as not being for the woke is a valid one. We’d just make the additional point, though, that Spain’s best days are centuries behind her, because long ago the Spain of los conquistadores became soft and decadent by the 18th century. And the current Spanish socialist government is more akin to that decline than the rugged manly virtues that de Percy admires and extols.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Madrid’s bullfighting triumphs over ‘eating ze bugs’.

Portugal’s national identity is forged through individual bravery, not identity politics

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Bacalhau (salted cod) is Portugal's national dish and part of its seafaring identity

From Lisbon: Portugal, a seafaring nation, pioneered the Age of Discovery and the exploration of the New World. Synonymous with this period is the individual bravery of the early navigators who battled tough conditions to explore beyond the Pillars of Hercules and to cross the Atlantic. Until recently, Portugal forged a national identity through individual ruggedness in the cod fishing industry in the North Atlantic, and not through the identity politics that is part and parcel of the European Union (EU).

Writing in the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:

Speccie favourite Michael de Percy is on holiday in Portugal and has dropped a travel log for us about the state of identity politics in this part of the world with a proud and rich history. ‘Portugal is now another casualty of the EU and all the identity politics and economic hardships that entails…’

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Portugal’s national identity is forged through individual bravery, not identity politics.

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