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."
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Vasabjit Banerjee
@vasabjit.bsky.social
· Jan 26
Don't make your U.S. foreign policy contingent on the average American's ability to tolerate material deprivation. That's been a losing proposition since the 1960s, despite all the rhetoric to the contrary.
Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee
Super excited that a new edited volume, Bend But Do Not Break, is coming out, edited by Jaron Wharton, @klkuzminski.bsky.social @jkdemp.bsky.social @mzmargulies.bsky.social Keith Carter, and @carriealee.bsky.social
And it’s apparently doing well on the amazons
And it’s apparently doing well on the amazons
November 25, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Super excited that a new edited volume, Bend But Do Not Break, is coming out, edited by Jaron Wharton, @klkuzminski.bsky.social @jkdemp.bsky.social @mzmargulies.bsky.social Keith Carter, and @carriealee.bsky.social
And it’s apparently doing well on the amazons
And it’s apparently doing well on the amazons
American trolls are based in India and now I found an Indian troll based in Indonesia connected via Switzerland.
a man with long hair and a beard is drinking from a glass
ALT: a man with long hair and a beard is drinking from a glass
media.tenor.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:14 AM
American trolls are based in India and now I found an Indian troll based in Indonesia connected via Switzerland.
Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee
Good as always. Tennessee's entrance makes it, but stay until the end for the ad read, it's worth it.
SEC Shorts - Lane Kiffin does it again
YouTube video by SEC Shorts
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Good as always. Tennessee's entrance makes it, but stay until the end for the ad read, it's worth it.
SM is heading towards a national-centric user space with exceptions. E.g., U.S. with an agreement with EU. This also means developing countries like India and Nigeria may be excluded from these spaces or inhabit a different sphere. It's either that or removing anonymity, which raises other issues.
November 24, 2025 at 1:49 AM
SM is heading towards a national-centric user space with exceptions. E.g., U.S. with an agreement with EU. This also means developing countries like India and Nigeria may be excluded from these spaces or inhabit a different sphere. It's either that or removing anonymity, which raises other issues.
Post a movie where you are from
November 24, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Post a movie where you are from
Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee
Speculating Heggie recently landed in PR. Shortly after SAM336 touched down, 2xC-17s also landed.
November 24, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Speculating Heggie recently landed in PR. Shortly after SAM336 touched down, 2xC-17s also landed.
November 23, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Love him or hate him, this threat would be more credible if he ever really supported the administration.
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Rand Paul predicts GOP will 'fracture' over Venezuelan strikes
Sen. Rand Paul warned that the White House’s continued strikes on Venezuela may lead to a drop in support for President Donald Trump.
www.politico.com
November 23, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Love him or hate him, this threat would be more credible if he ever really supported the administration.
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Russia's winset extends from loss of land and finlandization of Ukraine to full protectorate status ala Belarus.
EU's winset is from frozen conflict and South Korea to West Germany in NATO.
U.S. winset is from finlandization to the Austrian agreement of no NATO membership and full sovereignty.
EU's winset is from frozen conflict and South Korea to West Germany in NATO.
U.S. winset is from finlandization to the Austrian agreement of no NATO membership and full sovereignty.
November 23, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Russia's winset extends from loss of land and finlandization of Ukraine to full protectorate status ala Belarus.
EU's winset is from frozen conflict and South Korea to West Germany in NATO.
U.S. winset is from finlandization to the Austrian agreement of no NATO membership and full sovereignty.
EU's winset is from frozen conflict and South Korea to West Germany in NATO.
U.S. winset is from finlandization to the Austrian agreement of no NATO membership and full sovereignty.
I have been shocked by India's rapid rise in the telephone scam, Twitter bots, and phishing scams. But AFAIK this is the end result of massive overcapacity in call centers and low end back office suppliers, a legacy of the 2000s-2010s, along with educated youth unemployment and lax law enforcement.
All kinds of Russian influence explanations of Nigerian and Indian bots and trolls on X are being forwarded. But the real reasons are college educated, unemployed youth with access to the internet and small sums of money to bot farm type places or even individuals from Russian sources.
November 23, 2025 at 2:31 PM
I have been shocked by India's rapid rise in the telephone scam, Twitter bots, and phishing scams. But AFAIK this is the end result of massive overcapacity in call centers and low end back office suppliers, a legacy of the 2000s-2010s, along with educated youth unemployment and lax law enforcement.
All kinds of Russian influence explanations of Nigerian and Indian bots and trolls on X are being forwarded. But the real reasons are college educated, unemployed youth with access to the internet and small sums of money to bot farm type places or even individuals from Russian sources.
November 23, 2025 at 2:27 PM
All kinds of Russian influence explanations of Nigerian and Indian bots and trolls on X are being forwarded. But the real reasons are college educated, unemployed youth with access to the internet and small sums of money to bot farm type places or even individuals from Russian sources.
Whose plan is it anyway?
a man in a suit and tie is giving a speech in front of a crowd ..
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is giving a speech in front of a crowd ..
media.tenor.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Whose plan is it anyway?
Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee
White House considered dropping leaflets over Caracas, touting a $50M reward for info leading to Maduro's arrest and conviction. They eyed a mission for tomorrow -- Maduro's 63rd birthday.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
White House considers leaflet drop to pressure Maduro on his birthday
The White House has proposed a leaflet drop over Caracas, reminding citizens about the $50 million U.S. bounty on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:21 AM
White House considered dropping leaflets over Caracas, touting a $50M reward for info leading to Maduro's arrest and conviction. They eyed a mission for tomorrow -- Maduro's 63rd birthday.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
The only reason I'm in academia is someone ghosted their post-doc position the weekend before the semester started. I interviewed to teach their one course as an adjunct. 3 hours later, they offered me the post-doc; with proper pay and benefits. Pulled an all (day and) nighter to write the syllabus.
November 23, 2025 at 12:44 AM
The only reason I'm in academia is someone ghosted their post-doc position the weekend before the semester started. I interviewed to teach their one course as an adjunct. 3 hours later, they offered me the post-doc; with proper pay and benefits. Pulled an all (day and) nighter to write the syllabus.
Ops against Venezuela are about to start. The initial ones may be covert.
www.reuters.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Ops against Venezuela are about to start. The initial ones may be covert.
2nd and 3rd level players trying to get one through on foreign policy whatever cockamami ideology their think tank of choice is pushing.
How many places can one man be in simultaneously? Poor guy had to occupy two major positions: the first time it happened since the 1970s.
How many places can one man be in simultaneously? Poor guy had to occupy two major positions: the first time it happened since the 1970s.
November 22, 2025 at 11:31 PM
2nd and 3rd level players trying to get one through on foreign policy whatever cockamami ideology their think tank of choice is pushing.
How many places can one man be in simultaneously? Poor guy had to occupy two major positions: the first time it happened since the 1970s.
How many places can one man be in simultaneously? Poor guy had to occupy two major positions: the first time it happened since the 1970s.
Only in India do you get a Nepo-Historian, that too British.
a man with a mustache is saying that he is not even mad
ALT: a man with a mustache is saying that he is not even mad
media.tenor.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Only in India do you get a Nepo-Historian, that too British.
November 22, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Lots of news articles about Venezuela's defense equipment, but very few on the horrible organization of the military itself due to coup-proofing, corruption, and declining state capacity.
www.reuters.com/investigates...
www.reuters.com/investigates...
www.reuters.com
November 22, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Lots of news articles about Venezuela's defense equipment, but very few on the horrible organization of the military itself due to coup-proofing, corruption, and declining state capacity.
www.reuters.com/investigates...
www.reuters.com/investigates...
Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee
USAF KC-135R Stratotanker leaves Puerto Rico.
November 21, 2025 at 3:41 PM
USAF KC-135R Stratotanker leaves Puerto Rico.
I remember a mention of a Zimbabwean negotiator going up to a Rhodesian official during negotiations to chat. Turns out, the Rhodesian gent's mother would give the local Black African kids candies and such. It was kindness. It was a shared identity. Sometimes it's about two guys from New York City.
November 21, 2025 at 11:49 PM
I remember a mention of a Zimbabwean negotiator going up to a Rhodesian official during negotiations to chat. Turns out, the Rhodesian gent's mother would give the local Black African kids candies and such. It was kindness. It was a shared identity. Sometimes it's about two guys from New York City.
Mamdani needs funds, access, etc., etc., to actually achieve his goals. So, he has to meet everyone and make compromises. Faculty/activist ideology doesn't permit it, but that's good politics.
Do I think he will succeed? He will partially. Thus, disappointing both sides. But that's another story.
Do I think he will succeed? He will partially. Thus, disappointing both sides. But that's another story.
November 21, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Mamdani needs funds, access, etc., etc., to actually achieve his goals. So, he has to meet everyone and make compromises. Faculty/activist ideology doesn't permit it, but that's good politics.
Do I think he will succeed? He will partially. Thus, disappointing both sides. But that's another story.
Do I think he will succeed? He will partially. Thus, disappointing both sides. But that's another story.
Indians and Pakistanis are ethnically the same people. Thus, they should trade with each other and live in peace and harmony. lol
a man in a suit and tie is laughing and smiling .
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is laughing and smiling .
media.tenor.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Indians and Pakistanis are ethnically the same people. Thus, they should trade with each other and live in peace and harmony. lol
If there's stagflation, can we at least have a disco revival?
a man and woman are dancing on a dance floor with a disco sign in the background
ALT: a man and woman are dancing on a dance floor with a disco sign in the background
media.tenor.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:53 PM
If there's stagflation, can we at least have a disco revival?
Folks don't get this about chess, but 2 things about playing it are understanding strategic interactions, not players' intent, and 2nd , 3rd, ...n-th order effects.
If it doesn't get a credible guarantee for deterrence, Ukraine will get nukes. They have the human and material resources. The technology is like 80 years old. Delivery capability from cruise missiles to fighter jets ain't that hard to come by either. Then, Ukraine will not be a supplicant to NATO.
November 20, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Folks don't get this about chess, but 2 things about playing it are understanding strategic interactions, not players' intent, and 2nd , 3rd, ...n-th order effects.