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Bopha Phorn

@bophaphorn.bsky.social

PhD student at Australian National University's Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs; Nieman Fellow 2023 @harvard; Fulbright/Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow 2018 @ASU; written for @AlJazeea,@ABC,@Nikkei Asia, and others.

266 Followers  |  1,315 Following  |  1 Posts  |  Joined: 24.01.2025  |  1.9546

Latest posts by bophaphorn.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Can participatory budgeting build government legitimacy and increase tax revenues in weak states? Evidence from Sierra Leone shows that digital participatory budgeting can increase government legitimacy in weak states but only increases tax compliance for supporters of the incumbent government.

Governments in low-income countries often struggle to raise enough taxes to fund development.

In this @voxdev.bsky.social article @nmeriggi.bsky.social & co-authors explore if getting citizens involved in budget decisions can help in Sierra Leone.

07.07.2025 08:31 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

We really need to stop talking about this as some kind of looming threat rather than a process well underway. It’s not β€œclose.” You have arrived at your destination. The order has been delivered.

19.06.2025 03:00 β€” πŸ‘ 8236    πŸ” 1873    πŸ’¬ 305    πŸ“Œ 73
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"They’re taking Shirly": An Army sergeant thought his family as safe. Then ICE deported his wife. For tens of thousands of US service members with undocumented family members, there’s no guaranteed protection from immigration raids.

"They’re taking Shirly": An Army sergeant thought his family was safe. Then ICE deported his wife. [Published with our friends @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social]

17.06.2025 12:22 β€” πŸ‘ 2283    πŸ” 984    πŸ’¬ 93    πŸ“Œ 57
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Why a professor of fascism left the US: β€˜The lesson of 1933 is – you get out’ Marci Shore made news around the world when her family moved to Canada. She discusses Trump, teaching history and how terror atomises society

LOL! The real lesson of 1939 is that, if you get out, don't get out to a neighboring country.

16.06.2025 13:37 β€” πŸ‘ 53    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
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We are Nobel laureates, scientists, writers and artists. The threat of fascism is back | Open letter As in 1925, when Mussolini was in power, we must openly defy the brutal imposition of the fascist ideology

Although not happy with the use of the "F-word", and a skeptic of "open letters" and "petitions," I decided to sign this particular open letter, as I do think it has an important message.

16.06.2025 09:43 β€” πŸ‘ 71    πŸ” 24    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 3
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Subscribe to Public Notice Sign up for independent, incisive coverage of US politics and media, right in your inbox five times a week. Click to read Public Notice, by Aaron Rupar, a Substack publication with hundreds of thousan...

If you appreciate me bringing you all the newsiest clips from the Sunday shows, please support my work by signing up for my newsletter. I think you'll enjoy Public Notice and supporting independent political media is more important than ever. Thanks.

15.06.2025 14:58 β€” πŸ‘ 572    πŸ” 113    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 2
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This looks like an 80s comedy where John Belushi & some stoners steal a tank for shits & giggles

14.06.2025 23:36 β€” πŸ‘ 4306    πŸ” 639    πŸ’¬ 16    πŸ“Œ 114
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The squeaky tanks driving past quiet, empty stands is amazing

15.06.2025 02:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2262    πŸ” 425    πŸ’¬ 187    πŸ“Œ 71

Turns out my talk at @renner-institut.at on the situation in the U.S., and the lessons for Europe, is also online. πŸ‘‡

13.06.2025 09:10 β€” πŸ‘ 40    πŸ” 15    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Rethinking the Far Right Date: Tue, 10.06.2025 18:00

You can now watch my lecture "Rethinking the Far Right" on the @iwm.at YouTube channel. Hope it explains and empowers.

13.06.2025 08:15 β€” πŸ‘ 49    πŸ” 12    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Today they have crossed a deep red line.

We, the people, must hold the president and his appointees accountable for this outrageous abuse against American liberty.

12.06.2025 20:05 β€” πŸ‘ 56082    πŸ” 17852    πŸ’¬ 2207    πŸ“Œ 1183
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U.S.-born American citizen under ICE hold in Florida after driving from Georgia Juan Carlos Gomez-Lopez is being held even though a county judge found his birth certificate β€œauthentic” and said there wasn’t reason to consider him an β€œillegal alien.”

How is it possible U.S. citizens are being held as illegal aliens in America even after they produce their birth certificate? This is intolerable. www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/...

18.04.2025 00:13 β€” πŸ‘ 10067    πŸ” 3771    πŸ’¬ 806    πŸ“Œ 247
Sign: IS THIS THE REAL LIFE? 

Books include: Erasing History, Autocracy, Inc, Fascism: A Warning, How Democracies Die

Sign: IS THIS THE REAL LIFE? Books include: Erasing History, Autocracy, Inc, Fascism: A Warning, How Democracies Die

Sign: IS THIS JUST FANTASY? 

Books include; It Can’t Happen Here, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, The Handmaid’s Tale

Sign: IS THIS JUST FANTASY? Books include; It Can’t Happen Here, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, The Handmaid’s Tale

Barnes & Noble in Georgetown with a stark β€œBohemian Rhapsody”-referencing book display this weekend.

13.04.2025 22:47 β€” πŸ‘ 10231    πŸ” 1697    πŸ’¬ 229    πŸ“Œ 128
Careless People by Sarah Wynn Williams book cover

Careless People by Sarah Wynn Williams book cover

This is already a fascinating read. Pick up a copy.

13.04.2025 21:44 β€” πŸ‘ 627    πŸ” 72    πŸ’¬ 34    πŸ“Œ 10

Thank you Gerry!

12.03.2025 04:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Exclusive: Trump plans to revoke legal status of Ukrainians who fled to US, sources say U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is planning to revoke temporary legal status for some 240,000 Ukrainians who fled the conflict with Russia, a senior Trump official and three sources familiar with the matter said, potentially putting them on a fast-track to deportation.

Trump planning to revoke temporary legal status for some 240,000 Ukrainians who fled Russia's atrocity-ridden invasion.
Reuters: www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

06.03.2025 11:58 β€” πŸ‘ 38    πŸ” 33    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 7
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China vows it will β€˜fight to the end’ with US in trade war – or any other war Wolf warrior-style comments mark China’s strongest rhetoric on US president Donald Trump since he entered the White House China’s ministry of foreign affairs has promised that China will β€œfight to the end” with the US in a β€œtariff war, trade war or any…

China vows it will β€˜fight to the end’ with US in trade war – or any other war

06.03.2025 06:59 β€” πŸ‘ 240    πŸ” 59    πŸ’¬ 23    πŸ“Œ 11
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Canada goose fights off bald eagle in rare, symbolism-laden battle on ice Photographer captures 20-minute clash between birds emblematic of Canada and US amid high political tensions For the second time in weeks, a Canadian icon has emerged as the unlikely victor in an existential battle on the ice. Mervyn Sequeira, an…

Canada goose fights off bald eagle in rare, symbolism-laden battle on ice

05.03.2025 19:09 β€” πŸ‘ 1750    πŸ” 541    πŸ’¬ 58    πŸ“Œ 164
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Let this sink in.

05.03.2025 01:11 β€” πŸ‘ 64826    πŸ” 17414    πŸ’¬ 927    πŸ“Œ 634

Are you a scientist β€” or do you know someone β€” with federal funding who is making serious plans to leave the US so you can continue your research?

I'd love to talk with you for a story I'm working on.

I can guarantee you anonymity. Contact me securely on Signal: 3162958947

05.03.2025 23:52 β€” πŸ‘ 825    πŸ” 364    πŸ’¬ 23    πŸ“Œ 6
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Right‐wing extremism analyzed Abstract. The so-called β€˜third wave’ of right-wing extremism has taken both society and social science by storm. In contrast to the many studies that look for possible explanations for the success o....

Almost 30 years to the day, I published my first "major" academic article. It was an English language summary of my Dutch language M.A. thesis.

A short thread on how it came about. 🧡

05.03.2025 16:02 β€” πŸ‘ 140    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 3
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America is Trapped in a Burning Tesla Surprise! The madman stuff wasn’t an act

I borrowed this metaphor, but I don't know from where paulkrugman.substack.com/p/america-is...

05.03.2025 13:34 β€” πŸ‘ 1151    πŸ” 257    πŸ’¬ 54    πŸ“Œ 27
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Steve Levitsky gives the canonical answer about whether defending democracy is the right answer electorally for Democrats - that can't be the question. *Society* has to defend democracy and the Constitution, or they could cease to exist. nymag.com/intelligence...

04.03.2025 16:37 β€” πŸ‘ 497    πŸ” 143    πŸ’¬ 20    πŸ“Œ 11

Steve Levitsky on how unprecedented the concentration of power in Musk is - "at least in democracies, I’ve never seen a concentration of political, economic, and media power as vast as this," only comparison is "old-fashioned dictatorships"

04.03.2025 16:35 β€” πŸ‘ 179    πŸ” 64    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 2

These business leaders are the economic equivalent of the fools who promised everything would be fine when Trump tried to overturn an election he lost

03.03.2025 16:43 β€” πŸ‘ 109    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 1

WTF. Weather prediction is essential to aviation, agriculture, emergency/disaster management, and so many other vital activities. Insanely reckless.

04.03.2025 01:40 β€” πŸ‘ 159    πŸ” 47    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 1

And it is *possible* for the opposition to win in competitive authoritarian systems, particularly unconsolidated and semi-consolidated ones.

02.03.2025 16:23 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Ominously plausible warnings from @filipecampante.bsky.social of what our descent into competitive authoritarianism could look like

03.03.2025 01:43 β€” πŸ‘ 793    πŸ” 259    πŸ’¬ 33    πŸ“Œ 35

@bophaphorn is following 20 prominent accounts