Dustin Hinkley
@dustinhinkley.bsky.social
Personal opinions on current affairs. Understanding and building U.S.-Japan relations. New Englander. Democrat. Gay. He/him.
Apparently we don’t even know who is paying the military anymore. Okay.
New: The Pentagon confirms to CNN it will funnel $130M from an anonymous Trump “friend” toward military pay.
Asked about the donor’s identity and any foreign or domestic entanglements, the WH referred questions to DoD. DoD then referred questions back to the WH
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...
Asked about the donor’s identity and any foreign or domestic entanglements, the WH referred questions to DoD. DoD then referred questions back to the WH
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...
Pentagon to use $130 million donation from anonymous Trump ‘friend’ to pay military members | CNN Politics
The Trump administration plans to funnel a $130 million donation from an anonymous ally of President Donald Trump toward paying military service members during the government shutdown, the Defense Dep...
www.cnn.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Apparently we don’t even know who is paying the military anymore. Okay.
Interesting differences in framing...
Washington Post: Japan elects first female leader, a hawk who promotes ‘Japan First’
Wall Street Journal: Japan Gets Its First Female Leader, a Conservative Who Favors a Stronger Military
New York Times: Japan Has a New Leader, and She’s a Heavy Metal Drummer
Washington Post: Japan elects first female leader, a hawk who promotes ‘Japan First’
Wall Street Journal: Japan Gets Its First Female Leader, a Conservative Who Favors a Stronger Military
New York Times: Japan Has a New Leader, and She’s a Heavy Metal Drummer
October 21, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Interesting differences in framing...
Washington Post: Japan elects first female leader, a hawk who promotes ‘Japan First’
Wall Street Journal: Japan Gets Its First Female Leader, a Conservative Who Favors a Stronger Military
New York Times: Japan Has a New Leader, and She’s a Heavy Metal Drummer
Washington Post: Japan elects first female leader, a hawk who promotes ‘Japan First’
Wall Street Journal: Japan Gets Its First Female Leader, a Conservative Who Favors a Stronger Military
New York Times: Japan Has a New Leader, and She’s a Heavy Metal Drummer
Reposted by Dustin Hinkley
The U.S. military has carried out a steady and significant buildup of forces in the Caribbean, as the Trump administration increases pressure on Venezuela. It is the largest deployment of U.S. forces in the region in decades. nyti.ms/4nuPMpj
October 17, 2025 at 8:50 PM
The U.S. military has carried out a steady and significant buildup of forces in the Caribbean, as the Trump administration increases pressure on Venezuela. It is the largest deployment of U.S. forces in the region in decades. nyti.ms/4nuPMpj
Reposted by Dustin Hinkley
And the craziest part is this was needless. Congress would've passed a military pay bill with near unanimous support! Congressional Ds have been begging Rs to bring a bill to pay the military to the floor! But Johnson refuses to gavel in because he doesn't want an Epstein vote.
October 15, 2025 at 7:05 PM
And the craziest part is this was needless. Congress would've passed a military pay bill with near unanimous support! Congressional Ds have been begging Rs to bring a bill to pay the military to the floor! But Johnson refuses to gavel in because he doesn't want an Epstein vote.
Public diplomacy coup for Canada in San Francisco. Adaptability and allegiance.
October 13, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Public diplomacy coup for Canada in San Francisco. Adaptability and allegiance.
Reposted by Dustin Hinkley
if you're wondering what happened in Japan, here's an excellent explainer from a while back on the key role that Komeito played in the coalition - foreignpolicy.com/2022/11/03/j...
October 13, 2025 at 2:03 AM
if you're wondering what happened in Japan, here's an excellent explainer from a while back on the key role that Komeito played in the coalition - foreignpolicy.com/2022/11/03/j...
Reposted by Dustin Hinkley
Japan, ostensibly one of the least religious countries in the world, had its political order upended by the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai. That is THE story about Friday's epochal shift in Japanese politics (thread follows):
October 10, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Japan, ostensibly one of the least religious countries in the world, had its political order upended by the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai. That is THE story about Friday's epochal shift in Japanese politics (thread follows):
I think that Komeito's departure is another step in Japan's march toward multi-party politics. I doubt that any other party would structurally fit with the LDP in a long-term coalition like Komeito did. I wonder if this will promote a new system of coalition formation in Japanese politics.
October 10, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I think that Komeito's departure is another step in Japan's march toward multi-party politics. I doubt that any other party would structurally fit with the LDP in a long-term coalition like Komeito did. I wonder if this will promote a new system of coalition formation in Japanese politics.
Within the past decade the LDP-Komeito coalition has steadily declined in its control of the Diet.
2016: Supermajority
2021: Majority
2024: Minority
2025: Dissolved
2016: Supermajority
2021: Majority
2024: Minority
2025: Dissolved
October 10, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Within the past decade the LDP-Komeito coalition has steadily declined in its control of the Diet.
2016: Supermajority
2021: Majority
2024: Minority
2025: Dissolved
2016: Supermajority
2021: Majority
2024: Minority
2025: Dissolved
Red Sox beat the Yankees
All is well
All is well
October 1, 2025 at 2:27 AM
Red Sox beat the Yankees
All is well
All is well
Reposted by Dustin Hinkley
NEW: Sen. Tammy Duckworth is calling for Pete Hegseth to resign.
"If this PR stunt proved anything, it's that the best thing Pete Hegseth can do to strengthen our military is resign in disgrace immediately."
"If this PR stunt proved anything, it's that the best thing Pete Hegseth can do to strengthen our military is resign in disgrace immediately."
September 30, 2025 at 8:45 PM
NEW: Sen. Tammy Duckworth is calling for Pete Hegseth to resign.
"If this PR stunt proved anything, it's that the best thing Pete Hegseth can do to strengthen our military is resign in disgrace immediately."
"If this PR stunt proved anything, it's that the best thing Pete Hegseth can do to strengthen our military is resign in disgrace immediately."
Another issue of the US-Japan Alliance Digest has been published! It is a privilege to research, write, and publish this update on key foreign policy, defense cooperation, and economic security issues that drive US policy in the Indo-Pacific.
Link: spfusa.org/publications...
Link: spfusa.org/publications...
September 30, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Another issue of the US-Japan Alliance Digest has been published! It is a privilege to research, write, and publish this update on key foreign policy, defense cooperation, and economic security issues that drive US policy in the Indo-Pacific.
Link: spfusa.org/publications...
Link: spfusa.org/publications...
Reposted by Dustin Hinkley
Thank you @cnn.com for having me on to assess the Quantico disgrace
Defense analyst on Hegseth generals’ meeting: ‘A dangerous way to politicize the American military’ | CNN
Former Defense Department official Kori Schake says US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump “did not well serve the American military today.”
www.cnn.com
September 30, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Thank you @cnn.com for having me on to assess the Quantico disgrace
Red Sox in the playoffs
September 28, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Red Sox in the playoffs
Reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, I thought of this article I wrote for the Japan Society of Boston. It is still true that amid terror and desolation, there is a hope and obligation to create peace and revitalization.
www.japansocietyboston.org/post/the-pat...
www.japansocietyboston.org/post/the-pat...
The Path Forward: Young American in the Face of Hiroshima's Legacy
A letter from our intern, Dustin Hinkley, for the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiIn May of 2019, I arrived in Hiroshima with a singular purpose in mind: to learn more...
www.japansocietyboston.org
August 7, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, I thought of this article I wrote for the Japan Society of Boston. It is still true that amid terror and desolation, there is a hope and obligation to create peace and revitalization.
www.japansocietyboston.org/post/the-pat...
www.japansocietyboston.org/post/the-pat...
Thinking about how Marco Rubio fired a bunch of diplomats working on Southeast Asia earlier this month
July 24, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Thinking about how Marco Rubio fired a bunch of diplomats working on Southeast Asia earlier this month
It's Asia week for the EU heads, with bost the EU-Japan and EU-China summits happening this week. Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are visiting Osaka, Tokyo, and Beijing to meet with Shigeru Ishiba and Xi Jinping.
It is worth keeping an eye on.
It is worth keeping an eye on.
July 22, 2025 at 2:21 PM
It's Asia week for the EU heads, with bost the EU-Japan and EU-China summits happening this week. Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are visiting Osaka, Tokyo, and Beijing to meet with Shigeru Ishiba and Xi Jinping.
It is worth keeping an eye on.
It is worth keeping an eye on.
Thank you to Jim McGovern for your decades of rules lawyering
Politico & Punchbowl report House Republican leadership is shutting down the Rules Committee - which is essential for moving party-line bills on the floor - for the week rather than vote on Democratic amendments on the Epstein files.
Dems have effectively halted Republican legislation in the House:
Dems have effectively halted Republican legislation in the House:
July 22, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Thank you to Jim McGovern for your decades of rules lawyering
The urban-rural divide (notwithstanding places like Sapporo or Yamanashi) between CDP (blue) areas and DPP (yellow) areas reminds me of the old divide at the center of the DPJ during its heyday.
🗳️ Le principal parti d'opposition au PLD :
🔵PCD (centre-gauche) : Hokkaido (un bastion traditionnel) et le nord du pays
🟠Sanseito (extrême-droite) : des zones surtout urbaines de la moitié sud du Japon
1/2
🔵PCD (centre-gauche) : Hokkaido (un bastion traditionnel) et le nord du pays
🟠Sanseito (extrême-droite) : des zones surtout urbaines de la moitié sud du Japon
1/2
July 21, 2025 at 2:36 PM
The urban-rural divide (notwithstanding places like Sapporo or Yamanashi) between CDP (blue) areas and DPP (yellow) areas reminds me of the old divide at the center of the DPJ during its heyday.
Reposted by Dustin Hinkley
It's been an extraordinary long day, but I wanted to try to pull together the most important developments in an extremely significant Japanese election. Take a look here: open.substack.com/pub/observin...
System in crisis
Combing through the results of a historic upper house election
open.substack.com
July 21, 2025 at 3:57 AM
It's been an extraordinary long day, but I wanted to try to pull together the most important developments in an extremely significant Japanese election. Take a look here: open.substack.com/pub/observin...
A slim minority is still a minority. I wonder if he will be able to stay even after the LDP has lost its majorities in both houses of the Diet in the past twelve months.
With the LDP being squeezed on all sides, do they have a way out with or without Ishiba?
With the LDP being squeezed on all sides, do they have a way out with or without Ishiba?
Japan election: With the ruling coalition having lost its majority in the more powerful lower house in a election last autumn, the outcome puts PM Shigeru Ishiba in a tough spot as he tries to continue tariff negotiations with the U.S.
https://trib.al/w9CwEgH
https://trib.al/w9CwEgH
Japan upper house election: How events unfolded
PM Ishiba vows to stay on; Opposition parties rule out coalition
trib.al
July 21, 2025 at 1:32 AM
A slim minority is still a minority. I wonder if he will be able to stay even after the LDP has lost its majorities in both houses of the Diet in the past twelve months.
With the LDP being squeezed on all sides, do they have a way out with or without Ishiba?
With the LDP being squeezed on all sides, do they have a way out with or without Ishiba?
The ruling coalition reduced to a minority in both houses of the Diet and a three way tie for second in the PR block vote. The public has spoken and they seem uncertain.
July 21, 2025 at 1:29 AM
The ruling coalition reduced to a minority in both houses of the Diet and a three way tie for second in the PR block vote. The public has spoken and they seem uncertain.
I just watched the Kpop Demon Hunter. It was well made and fun.
July 21, 2025 at 12:55 AM
I just watched the Kpop Demon Hunter. It was well made and fun.
Did the Secretary-General of NATO really call the U.S. President "daddy"?
June 25, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Did the Secretary-General of NATO really call the U.S. President "daddy"?
The NYC Democratic primary voters apparently do not think that Zohran Mamdani is a left wing radical.
This is good for other left wing radicals like him.
This is good for other left wing radicals like him.
June 25, 2025 at 2:23 AM
The NYC Democratic primary voters apparently do not think that Zohran Mamdani is a left wing radical.
This is good for other left wing radicals like him.
This is good for other left wing radicals like him.