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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 · 38m

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

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 3h

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 · 15h

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 · 18h

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 · 1d

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 · 1d

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 · 1d

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 · 23h

"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 · 23h

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

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 1d

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 · 1d

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 · 1d

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 · 1d

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 · 1d

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

Reposted by Vasabjit Banerjee

defenceWeb @defenceweb.co.za · 2d

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 · 4d

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

Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 4d

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 · 4d

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 · 5d

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 · 5d

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 · 7d

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 · 7d

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 · 8d

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 12d

Anytime

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 12d

The numbers don't make sense as symbolic. A couple, yes.

Russian tech like this is battle tested, especially now. Western (legacy) tech is also battle tested. Chinese kit is not.

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 12d

These are too few to invade Taiwan with, but enough to rapidly reverse engineer for mass production to invade Taiwan.

"37 light amphibious assault vehicles, 11 amphibious anti-tank self-propelled guns, and 11 airborne armored personnel carriers, as well as command and observation vehicles."

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 12d

(ABC News) - Russia is selling military equipment and technology to China that could help Beijing prepare for an airborne invasion of Taiwan, according to an analysis of leaked Russian documents by a London think tank.

abcnews.go.com/Internationa...

Russia is helping China to prepare for potential invasion of Taiwan, think tank says

Analysis from the Royal United Services Institute in London says Russia is selling military equipment and technology to China that could help Beijing prepare for an airborne takeover of Taiwan

abcnews.go.com

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 12d

Extremely proud to present a new publication by @danaabuhaltam.bsky.social, a doctoral candidate at the University of Tennessee. This is a major contribution to the resurgent interest in minor power during great power competition.

doi.org/10.1093/fpa/...

How to Politely Say No: Jordan's Indirect Bandwagoning Behavior toward US–China Competition

Abstract. This paper examines how small states like Jordan, heavily reliant on US economic and security support, navigate the US–China rivalry. It introduc

doi.org

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Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 13d

One political crisis in the U.S. is incumbents "hustling up". From officials in school districts to governors of states, many are constantly using their current position to move up or make money afterwards. So, the incentives for the current job becomes detached from constituents' interests.

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 13d

Not really. Latest research shows that the pace of tech development in drones means new tech is rapidly countered. Drone are also most effective at the border. Consequently, drones have created a no man's land that neither side can cross, i.e., a stalemate like WW1.

Vasabjit Banerjee @vasabjit.bsky.social · 13d

Maybe. I don't know: this is a major deal to announce.