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

Jacinda Ardern’s triumph of style over substance

No comments

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

No comments

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’

No comments

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

No comments

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?

No comments

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!

No comments

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

No comments

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

No comments

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?

No comments

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

No comments
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’

No comments
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

No comments
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.

Trump vs Albo the Unready, but what will Dutton do?

No comments

Mr Dutton's support for censorship won't sit well with Mr Trump who campaigned for free speech

Donald Trump’s landslide election win is likely to give the Republicans a majority on every measure of electoral success with the House of Representatives only six members off a majority at the time of writing. Expecting the Democrats to win, the Albanese government failed to prepare for the Trump tsunami. The big question, however, is what will Mr Dutton do?

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Trump vs Albo the Unready, but what will Dutton do?

Trump’s win means we’ve narrowly avoided war

No comments

President Donald Trump will be the 49th President of the US after a landslide victory.

There is little doubt that the US is the mightiest military power in human history. At a time when Australia’s ability to defend itself is at its lowest in one hundred years, we need the US, as our major ally, to retain its superpower status as a deterrent against foreign aggression.

With Trump’s return to the White House, we can rest easy that our enemies will think twice before acting. He will restore morale to the West and give other Western governments an opportunity to restore their faith in Western ideals.

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

And finally, Michael de Percy who – credit where credit is due, was writing his election reaction moments after the result – says that from a national security perspective, Australia has narrowly avoided war with the Trump victory. Certainly, the world’s most powerful leaders are already making nods toward Trump. It’s clear that they take him more seriously than MSM.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Trump’s win means we’ve narrowly avoided war.

Australia must do some of the heavy lifting against terrorism

No comments
Navy ship patrolling the Red Sea, but no Royal Australian Navy ships are there.

It’s time Australia did some of the heavy lifting against international terrorism. Australian domestic politics is dysfunctional. Not since the late 1940s have we been in a situation where the left of Australian politics has been such a threat to our own security.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Australia must do some of the heavy lifting against terrorism.

The shame of anti-Israel proponents

No comments

Useful idiots are inadvertently encouraging Iran-backed terrorist groups to attack Israel

Israel’s ingenious pager attack against Hezbollah last week (followed by a second attack targeting walkie-talkies the next day) was not only a clever supply chain infiltration, but one of the most sophisticated, intelligence-driven, surgically targeted strikes executed in modern military history. Shamefully, many anti-Israel proponents condemned Israel rather than condemning the terrorists.

Writing in the Unfiltered newsletter, Alexandra Marshall had this to say:
Co-authors Michael de Percy and Sascha Dov Bachmann have drawn attention to the great shame of Westerners who fail to condemn foreign terror regimes or criticise those nations that find themselves fighting and existential fight against them. In a country obsessed with causing offence, hurt feelings, and hate speech – it seems there is a lot of tolerance for terror within the elite veneer of our society.
My latest in The Spectator Australia with Sascha Dov Bachmann, The shame of anti-Israel proponents.

Violent peaceful protesters, and other hypocrisies

No comments
The irony of protesting against defensive weapons while supporting the terrorists' cause.

Australians have long watched overseas riots on the telly. ‘Those crazy foreigners, lucky it doesn’t happen here,’ we’d say. Well, those riots are no longer just on the telly, they are happening on Australian soil. Rather than condemning this violent behaviour, the Australian Greens are effectively cheering them on.

Alexander Marshall had this to say in the Unfiltered newsletter:

Michael de Percy and Sascha Dov Bachmann have written jointly regarding the migration of violent, anti-government protests from something they used to watch on TV as kids to a weekly reality on the streets of Australia. No, this is not a good trend that we have imported.

My latest in The Spectator Australia with Sascha Dov Bachmann, Violent peaceful protesters, and other hypocrisies.

My latest commentary on Spectator Australia TV

No comments
On Spectator TV's The Week in 60 Minutes Australia on ADH TV, 14 August 2024

My latest commentary on Spectator Australia TV with Alexandra Marshall discussing the Digital ID, NSW Libs stuff up, Musk/Trump, and Douglas Murray.

Next time, the French Wokerati should fight their own wars

No comments
Paul Giamatti to the tune of "I'm Blue", Big Fat Liar, 2002.

Satire is such a wonderful vehicle for addressing contemporary political issues. Like the Olympics, where sometimes it's about sport.

The mainstream media is shoving the Paris Olympics down our throats. But like many other Australians, I want nothing to do with it.

The French have done everything possible to Woke it up this year. A current meme that suggests Norway took all the gold and silver at the Paris Olympics in 845 A.D. has my vote.

France is a free country, but so is Australia, and I hope none of our young working class men harm themselves in defence of France ever again.

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

‘The French’ is a phrase long uttered by those of English descent with a certain tone. Even Australians do it out of habit. I’m sure you’ve heard it. There are different varieties including, ‘How French…’ where being ‘tiresome in a French way’ has become an expression. Britain and France have been sibling nations throughout history, so it is logical that they annoy each other, but when it came to the Paris Olympics, the French managed to annoy most of the world. No doubt a second course of aggravation waits for us at the closing ceremony – unless they are busy re-writing chunks of it to avoid another scandal. Mind you, they’re French, so the closing ceremony might just be some dudes dressed as women wearing gold medals to symbolise the conquest of inclusivity. Anyway, my point is that Michael de Percy has written a great article telling the French that next time they get themselves into political hot water, they can sort it out themselves. Australia isn’t shipping their young men over to fight.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Next time, the French Wokerati should fight their own wars.

Don’t kowtow to useful idiots, and say no to a republic

No comments
Foro Romano. Constitutional monarchy is the most modern form of government

So, our young people are increasingly in favour of a republic? Help them pack for the Democratic Republic of Korea, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or any other number of republics where the people there wish they lived here. 

It’s time we stopped this nonsense before we undo years of advancement that enabled people in the West to live longer, happier, healthier lives. 

It’s time we stopped kowtowing to useful idiots.

Alexandra Marshall had this to say in the Unfiltered newsletter:

Speaking of idiocy, Michael de Percy has made a really good point about the ‘useful idiots’ of the West – the kids who have grown up believing that communism is the Holy Grail of politics – the Utopia that they desperately want to install in Australia. It’s weird, because at the same time they go on and on and on about the plight of illegal migrants from the third world. Except, when they talk about the ‘third world’ they forget to mention it’s the ‘communist/socialist/Marxist’ world and that these people’s republics are pretty much all tyrannical sand pits for humanity’s worst individuals.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Don’t kowtow to useful idiots, and say no to a republic.

Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)
© 2025 Dr Michael de Percy
made with by templateszoo