How Western classics are now weaponised against the West
I felt like the farcical weapons specialist Q, in Stephen Chow Sing-chi's famous James Bond spoof From Beijing with Love, after a reader wrote to me recently. In the scene, Q and Chow's 007 haven't met in a long time.
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007: What have you been doing?
Q: Conducting cutting-edge research at a psychiatric institution.
007: What kind of research?
Q: Can't say. I was being experimented on.
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When friendly reader Peter Lee told me his son Trevor, who is pursuing a PhD in classics in the United States, presented a paper at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Society for Classical Studies in which my columns were heavily referenced, I was flattered – until I read his paper. I wasn't so much studied as being rounded on!
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How Western classics are now weaponised against the West
I felt like the farcical weapons specialist Q, in Stephen Chow Sing-chi's famous James Bond spoof From Beijing with Love, after a reader wrote to me recently. In the scene, Q and Chow's 007 haven't met in a long time. Advertisement 007: What have you been doing? Q: Conducting cutting-edge research at a psychiatric institution. 007: What kind of research? Q: Can't say. I was being experimented on. Advertisement When friendly reader Peter Lee told me his son Trevor, who is pursuing a PhD in classics in the United States, presented a paper at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Society for Classical Studies in which my columns were heavily referenced, I was flattered – until I read his paper. I wasn't so much studied as being rounded on!
