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Vasabjit Banerjee

@vasabjit.bsky.social

3.7K followers 2.8K following 4.8K posts

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.

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 2h

I agree with your take: compellence will be more effective, affordable, and less risky for Maduro than outright invasion. But that means tolerating (and rewarding) his policies toward Guyana.

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 2h

We did the numbers. Venezuela will prevail hands down if Guyana is alone. Not even close.

faoajournal.substack.com/p/resolving-...

Resolving the Essequibo Crisis: Security Cooperation against Venezuelan Threats

Mr. Vasabjit Banerjee, Ph.D, and Mr. Prashant Hosur, Ph.D

faoajournal.substack.com

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 2h

The last bit, I don't know about. The threat against Guyana is very real. Why the Trump admin doesn't mention it is unclear to me. But the reason RSS countries are joining the American effort has to do with that.

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 5h

This was totally deserved: she leads a peaceful movement and refuses to leave Venezuela. It at least gives her physical security from a brutal regime repressing millions of Venezuelans and now undermining regional peace by threatening the annexation of Guyana's Essequibo. Felicidades!

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 6h

BREAKING: For her work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela, María Corina Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

María Corina Machado of Venezuela wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Opposition activist María Corina Machado of Venezuela has won the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel committee praised her as a key figure in unifying Venezuela's political opposition.

bit.ly

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 1d

defence-blog.com/leak-exposes...

Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee

CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program @erep.csis.org · 1d

🎧 NEW: @vasabjit.bsky.social + Tina Dolbaia join Russian Roulette to discuss the Russia-India relationship, how it's been impacted by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and what to watch for going forward.

Tune into the latest episode with @maxbergmann.bsky.social & @msnegovaya.bsky.social ⬇️

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 1d

My podcast interaction with @erep.csis.org on Russia-India relations just dropped.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfrn...

The Russia-India Relationship with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee

YouTube video by Center for Strategic & International Studies

www.youtube.com

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 1d

My podcast interaction with @erep.csis.org on Russia-India relations just dropped.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfrn...

The Russia-India Relationship with Tina Dolbaia and Vasabjit Banerjee

YouTube video by Center for Strategic & International Studies

www.youtube.com

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 2d

Not entirely unexpected given China supplies the vast majority of Bangladesh's equipment. Still a loss for NATO and South Korea as well as India.

www.defensenews.com/global/asia-...

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 2d

Folks ask if I'm a South Asianist? I am one. It's part of my portfolio. But I have other interests, regionally it's Latin America. I did work on southern Africa, Taiwan, and Japan, too. Thematically, it was elections and insurgencies. Now, arms manufacturing and civ-mil relations. I do what I want.

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 2d

The number of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian politico-business deals that get made on the backs of booze, cash, and sex in the Gulf States beggars belief. Some leaders allegedly maintain residences in Qatar and Dubai.

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 3d

An underrated part of Gulf tourism is for sex. Incredible amount of high-end sex work out of Dubai - and a lot of human trafficking at the lower end as well.

Dan Silverman @dmsilverman.bsky.social · 3d

I don't mean this to be mean, but: to do what? Shop?

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Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee

Mohammed Soliman @soliman.bsky.social · 3d

I keep returning to America's scale problem, and I've decided it's more effective to frame it using defense terms to illustrate its concrete meaning.

www.fpri.org/article/2025...

America's Scale Problem - Foreign Policy Research Institute

There is a peculiar irony in watching the world's most technologically advanced military struggle with something as basic as making enough bullets. Yet this

www.fpri.org

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 2d

"No one should lose their farm" is not an economically rational statement. It is a normative one. Just replace farm with business or job, and you'll get my point.

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 2d

The only gulf state I regularly visit for holidaying and you should too is Florida.

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 3d

Honestly I find the idea of going to the Gulf states on holiday so instinctively repulsive that I forget how many people do. There are so much nicer and cheaper and less morally appalling places in the world!

Indy @indy.bsky.social · 3d

Unless you move in those circles, or study the tourist patterns, it's quite surprising how many people go there for holidays - and how much the demographics match some particular slices of the Thatcher coalition.

Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee

defenceWeb @defenceweb.co.za · 3d

The Department of Defence and Military Veterans’ head office in Pretoria is in critical condition, with water flooding the floors, sewage spiling from the sinks, and aircons and escalators that are out of order.
defenceweb.co.za/sa-defence/s...

Sewage spilling from the sinks: Department of Defence’s HQ swamped - defenceWeb

The Department of Defence and Military Veterans’ head office in Pretoria is in critical condition, with water flooding the floors, sewage spiling from the

defenceweb.co.za

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 3d

The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, and the duly elected president denied power by Maduro, is allegedly sheltering in the U.S. embassy in Caracas.

es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/venezuela-ad...

Venezuela advierte a EEUU sobre un plan para colocar explosivos en su embajada en Caracas

Venezuela advirtió el lunes a Estados Unidos sobre un plan de "extremistas" para colocar "explosivos" en su embajada en Caracas, en medio del despliegue militar de Washington en el Caribe, que el gobi...

es-us.noticias.yahoo.com

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 3d

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/u...

Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee

defenceWeb @defenceweb.co.za · 4d

The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sachet (CG18) concluded its historic maiden visit to South Africa on 6 October, marking a new milestone in maritime cooperation between India and South Africa. defenceweb.co.za/sea/sea-sea/...

Indian Coast Guard ship makes historic first visit to South Africa - defenceWeb

The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sachet (CG18) concluded its historic maiden visit to South Africa on 6 October, marking a new milestone in maritime

defenceweb.co.za

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 6d

This will be my new home office background for virtual meetings. Epic!

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 6d

Made a quilt. Calling it my scrappy American, because that’s what I am, darn it.

Blasting Woody Guthrie because this land was made for you AND me.

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 6d

I literally wear a sports coat everytime I fly? Not only does it make you look better and get a leg up on upgrades, but also so many POCKETS.

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 7d

a man with red hair and a beard is standing in the woods

ALT: a man with red hair and a beard is standing in the woods

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee

Armed Forces & Society Journal @afssage.bsky.social · 7d

From our #mostread articles: Civil–Military Relations: Through a Perilous Lens - Vasabjit Banerjee (@vasabjit.bsky.social), Sean P. Webeck, 2024 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 9d

May Ma Durga bless you with health and happiness. My family's Durga Puja at our Annapurna Temple continues from 1812: We are blessed!

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Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee

defenceWeb @defenceweb.co.za · 9d

Kenya is the fourth African country to be called on by Indian Navy elements since August. Four vessels – Indian Navy Ships Shardul, Sujata, Tir and Coast Guard platform Sarathi – from the Indian Navy First Training Squadron (1TS) made a four-day visit.
www.defenceweb.co.za/sea/sea-sea/...

Mombasa hosts Indian Navy training squadron - defenceWeb

Kenya is the fourth African country to be called on by Indian Navy elements since the beginning of August.

www.defenceweb.co.za

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 9d

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 14d

Anytime