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Vasabjit Banerjee

@vasabjit.bsky.social

Comparative civil-military relations, defense manufacturing, political violence, electoral politics, and foreign policy. Regional foci on South Asia and Latin America, but also the "global south."

4,103 Followers  |  2,895 Following  |  5,675 Posts  |  Joined: 12.07.2023  |  1.6806

Latest posts by vasabjit.bsky.social on Bluesky

I was not only unbothered by my associate's moral depravity and pederasty. I brought my wife and children to hang out with him. It's not a moral vacuum: it's a moral black hole.

Even the utterly debauched princes in the Raj couldn't beat this lot: they feared tradition and British imperatives.

10.02.2026 17:57 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Many comparativists are ignoring state and local politics in America when applying insights. This is a strongly federal system. Despite recent nationalization, party elite and base preferences also vary by state.

I am not surprised because many of us do the same in comparative politics, too.

10.02.2026 03:16 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Let us all travel to the moon! Like, at some point it's the multitude of marks not the para-statal running hustler.

10.02.2026 01:36 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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High-Level Latin American Delegation Visits to Taiwan in 2025 | Global Taiwan Institute Latin America is a critical region for Taiwan’s diplomacy. Seven of its 12 remaining diplomatic alliesβ€”Paraguay, Guatemala, Belize, Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. ...

Taiwan is reviving its long standing ties to Latin America. Sec. of State Rubio's priority has been to roll back China's diplomatic influence in the region.

globaltaiwan.org/2026/01/cong...

10.02.2026 00:37 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Es lo mismo en la India. lol

10.02.2026 00:06 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

From going to Mars to going to the Moon. Next up: Pretoria.

09.02.2026 17:17 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

There's a time when many men think their father (figure) is a sage. Usually happens in middle age when they start facing similar personal and career issues. Then their father goes over the hill: fast becoming out of touch and possibly senile. Sometimes that decline is only apparent in hindsight.

08.02.2026 22:14 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Nothing soothes the body and mind in a crisp, cool way than a sunset over the English countryside near George Barnard Shaw's home in Hertfordshire.

08.02.2026 03:47 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

That's a key bit of information that I was not aware of. Thanks!

07.02.2026 23:06 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Reading old "On Guard" magazines for a research project, and just came across this article about a gent who served in WW2 and the Gulf War. Epic!

07.02.2026 23:04 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Were the bazaaris part of the first wave, too?

07.02.2026 22:58 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I deleted the original post because I was apprised of the date. Many thanks to @delexical.bsky.social and my apologies.

07.02.2026 22:42 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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White House frustrations with Venezuela’s Machado grow after elections comments β€œNone of this is β€˜Operation MarΓ­a Corina Machado.’ It’s β€˜Operation U.S. national security,’” said a White House adviser.

American plans for Venezuela are collapsing because nobody wants to negotiate with the real power brokers, the Venezuelan army. So, a regime transition is now delayed and mutual trust with the democratic leader Corina Machado is being frittered away.

www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

07.02.2026 00:04 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Populists in Latin America near always turn to authoritarianism as their hold on power is threatened. This can be through attempted coups, electoral losses, or economic downturns. When institutions stand firm, they can fail. But they could have also destroyed the institutions when they were popular.

06.02.2026 20:10 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The man is born for this kinda thing. I have zero sympathies for him, but whoever came up with this idea should be drawn and quartered.

06.02.2026 14:05 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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a man stands in front of a crowd with the words are you not entertained ALT: a man stands in front of a crowd with the words are you not entertained

Bill Clinton in a nationally televised political spectacle being attacked by a bunch of fierce opponents baying for his blood? Y'all have no idea who that man is.

06.02.2026 13:59 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Yeah, it kinda changed in Britain in the 1970s with Saeed Jaffrey, Victor Banerjee, and other actors in the Merchant and Ivory stable.

06.02.2026 04:21 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Someone once gravely noted to me how Gandhi has spindly legs. I retorted, those were Kingsley's legs.

Poor man had to change his name to get ahead in the British film and theatre scene.

06.02.2026 04:15 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

While British conservatives flog Shakespeare, Byron, and Shelley across the world to make perspiring children in Calcutta by heart Wordsworth stanzas about daffodils, American pretenders only think of the color of the orator's skin. As if Hemingway, Faulkner, Twain and Melville are not universal.

06.02.2026 04:09 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Where was Charles Murray's indignation when Elizabeth Taylor was cast as Cleopatra or Omar Sharif as Dr. Zhivago?

Art is ΓΌber alles!

06.02.2026 03:59 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Analysis: The US wants to push China out of Latin America. The Panama Canal is the latest test | CNN China has come out swinging after Panama’s high court ruled against a Hong Kong-backed company’s right to operate key ports at the Panama Canal, vowing the government will β€œpay a heavy political and e...

www.cnn.com/2026/02/05/c...

06.02.2026 03:51 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Pace Faulkner, to understand American politics today, you must first understand the politics of a state like Mississippi.

06.02.2026 00:48 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Knowing how perfidious Albion does foreign policy, they are probably handing over an island base because the rise in sea levels due to climate change will make it impossible to maintain and operate from the place anyway. All the while claiming generosity, fair play, and generating good will. lol

05.02.2026 20:34 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

We are about to find out this in real time in the Epstein case. Commentators will pick their favorite punching bag, but pay to play spying is way more common--and has been forever--than we think.

05.02.2026 19:42 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Credit card companies will lend less with a 10 percent ceiling on interest rates.

Also, does this cieling apply to the pay day lenders?

Removing ATM and overdraft fees (for less than a certain amount) are easy and less harmful ways to help the working poor, but we only do Mad Max stuff.

05.02.2026 17:49 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Chinese Yoke: Russia’s Return to Vassalship In the 13th century, Muscovy, the medieval antecedent to modern Russia, was a small outpost on the periphery of Kyivan Rus. It would not emerge as a

To what degree will Russian dependency on China continue after the Russo-Ukrainian War?

05.02.2026 17:00 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Throwing money at defense industries will not work. We need an overhaul of the entire system from manufacturing to acquisitions processes and supply chains that cover issues like skilled labor, machine tools manufacturing, access to steel and rare earths, and refocusing from capability to capacity.

05.02.2026 02:55 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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a man with a beard and sunglasses is sitting at a table in a classroom . ALT: a man with a beard and sunglasses is sitting at a table in a classroom .

Woody Allen has a daughter with his adopted daughter? He took Epstein's help to get her admitted to a college?

So, Epstein helped Allen's daughter and granddaughter.

05.02.2026 00:15 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

TIL there were Nazi Germany weapons used during the Vietnam War by North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, including various light and heavy machine guns and the towed artillery Pak 40. These were captured by the Soviets and handed to North Vietnam.

04.02.2026 22:04 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How Maduro’s Dictatorship Plans to Survive | Journal of Democracy Delcy RodrΓ­guez and her cronies aren’t going to surrender easily. They plan to adapt and undermine any attempt to restore Venezuela’s democracy. This is their strategy.

Delcy RodrΓ­guez and her cronies aren’t going to surrender easily. They plan to adapt and undermine any attempt to restore Venezuela’s democracy. This is their strategy.

04.02.2026 17:27 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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