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Sam Baron

@samuelgbaron.bsky.social
266 followers 195 following 3 posts

Asia policy wonk and wearer of many 🎩. past: 🇺🇳 @BizHRAsia_UNDP & @TheAsiaGroup. Personal account. RT ≠ Endorsement. (www.samuelgbaron.com)

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Reposted by Sam Baron
Benjamin A. Engel @benjaminaengel.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Sue Mi Terry's FARA case for assisting the South Korean spy agency has been dropped by the Justice Department. Terry admits no wrongdoing, but acknowledged she did in fact receive thousands of dollars worth of gifts from the Korean government. 1/ www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
reuters.com
US to drop South Korea intelligence case against ex-CIA analyst
The US Justice Department has agreed to forgo prosecution of a former CIA analyst and White House National Security ​Council official who was accused of working as an unregistered agent for South Kore...
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Mark S. Cogan @markscogan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
On my Youtube channel: What fuels conflict in #Myanmar? @samuelgbaron.bsky.social unpacks how the February 2021 coup triggered a devastating economic crisis—from the collapse of the middle class, drugs, illicit trade, scam centers, and a massive brain drain. youtu.be/y50WwAfrOcY
youtu.be
The Economic Consequences of Myanmar's Civil War #Myanmar
YouTube video by Asia Political Review
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Nikkei Asia (Official) @asia.nikkei.com · 10/09/2026
India's two-year-old plan to fence its border with Myanmar has resurfaced with the northeastern state of Manipur declaring recently it will complete its section of the fence in two years. trib.al/S4VYGaw
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Mischief @mischiefyeen.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Forgot to post this on my 30th birthday.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 31/07/2026
A senior health official with the State Department presenting at an international AIDS conference in Brazil used a map of Africa to illustrate U.S. government funding for HIV programs on the continent. There was only one problem. The map incorrectly identified several African countries.
nyti.ms
U.S. Government Mislabels Map of African Countries at AIDS Conference
Nigeria, a coastal country in western Africa, was landlocked in the Sahara, among other errors. The department said it had been “hastily altered.”
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Sean Marshall @seanyyz.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Why I’m a fan of the Oxford comma.
TORONTO STAR
BOOK REVIEW
Sylvia Plath, a New York vigilante and Shah of Iran featured in latest historical fiction
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
i feel like if i was tasked with not starting a war and bringing back US manufacturing jobs, i could have done a better job than this
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Ankit Panda @nktpnd.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Wow. If I'm not mistaken, this marks the longest-range use of ballistic missiles in warfare to date. www.wsj.com/livecoverage...
wsj.com
Iran Targeted Diego Garcia Base With Ballistic Missiles
Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, according to multiple U.S. officials. Neither of the missiles h...
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Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
This is not good.
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Katelyn Burns @katelynburns.com · 06/03/2026
In every Republican presidency of my lifetime there's been a recession and a new war in the Middle East.
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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Lol how can you tell this administration is lying to you? Because oil hasn't been shipped in actual barrels in over a century www.cnn.com/2026/01/06/b...
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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 03/01/2026
“The world now appears to be at the mercy of a 79-year-old egomaniac…there is no doctrine, no philosophy, no sense to what America will do next. “Foreign policy relies on predictability and stability, and Trump is allergic to both—and with no-one around him either able or willing to rein him in.”
inews.co.uk
Trump promised Maga the US wouldn't police the world - now it's running Venezuela
The world now watches on with astonishment, fear and horror - what's next?
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Hunter Marston @hmarston.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
"The great rebalancing of area studies is underway. The question is not whether this shift will continue — it will — but whether Western institutions can adapt quickly enough to remain relevant in an increasingly multipolar academic landscape." eastasiaforum.org/2025/10/11/t...
eastasiaforum.org
The great rebalancing of area studies
Western cuts and China’s expansion are shifting area studies eastward, reshaping global knowledge production.
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Alex Arrelia @alexarrelia.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
It is unfathomable to me that we’re all just supposed to be okay with higher energy costs and more air and light pollution, in exchange for a machine that steals personal data and copyrighted material and produces slop and wage theft, and big tech can do this to our society unilaterally.
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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 01/10/2025
Japanese baseball fans have been quick to adopt the Dodgers as their favorite club, but Ohtani is also bringing new local fans to the park in baseball-mad LA and having a positive effect on Japan's soft power. 👉 ebx.sh/XihDhf
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 30/08/2025
In Indonesia, rising unemployment and inflation have driven days of demonstrations, which spread across the country after a deadly clash with police. nyti.ms/4mKFpOo
Police fire tear gas to disperse demonstrators during a protest in Indonesia. Photo by Juni Kriswanto/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 20/06/2025
The Pentagon has set a “global standard” for Japan and other U.S. allies to spend 5% of GDP on defense, in the first official confirmation that Washington is asking Tokyo to pump up its defense budget even further.
japantimes.co.jp
Pentagon says Japan must meet ‘global standard’ and spend 5% of GDP on defense
Both allies had been mum on whether the U.S. would press Japan specifically to hit the 5% target amid political sensitivities over the issue.
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Hunter Marston @hmarston.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
This indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of the reconciliation between the US & Vietnam over the last three decades since normalization. The deep level of trust rests on open & honest dialogue and the hard work of countless diplomats on both sides. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/w...
nytimes.com
U.S. Tells Its Diplomats in Vietnam to Avoid War Anniversary Events
The reversal adds another Trump administration blow to decades of reconciliation efforts.
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Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 21/04/2025
In the new geometry of trade, the United States is self-marginalizing, and China has become the top trading partner to most countries in the region, Robert A. Manning writes.
foreignpolicy.com
Trump Is Losing Asia
An incoherent policy is speeding Beijing’s rise.
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Tobias Harris @tobiasharris.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
I suppose there are worse things for (my) business.
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The Sparrow Project @thesparrowproject.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
DEVELOPING: There is chatter coming out of the White House that as early as next week Donald Trump may issue as many as 5 Executive Orders targeting US-based nonprofits and civil society organizations.
Trump signing executive order
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onion person @junlper.beer · 14/04/2025
important context about the concentration camps in el salvador:
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FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
🚨 EU and U.S. officials made little progress in resolving trade disputes, Bloomberg reports. U.S. officials signaled most tariffs will stay. After a two-hour meeting, EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic left unclear on U.S. goals.
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 14/04/2025
Breaking news: The European Commission is issuing burner phones and basic laptops to some US-bound staff to avoid the risk of espionage — a measure traditionally reserved for trips to China www.ft.com/content/20d0...
Old mobile phones and keyboards. Overlaid text reads: FT Exclusive: EU issues US-bound staff with burner phones to avoid espionage
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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 08/04/2025
Sen Crapo: What is the scope of the negotiations with Japan? Greer: Agriculture, structural impediments. Feels like the 1980s again!
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Nikki McCann Ramírez @nikkimcr.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
what a visual
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Gerry Flynn @geraldrflynn.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
'Half of the group’s annual budget of $810,000 came from American aid. The collective, called CamboJA, only has enough money to operate until June. They have stopped providing drinking water at the office to save $30 a month.' Dark days for what little remains of the free press in Cambodia.
nytimes.com
In a Strongman State, a Trump Order Extinguishes Flickers of Freedom
Cambodia’s authoritarian dynasty had silenced almost all of the country’s independent media. The remaining few are facing extinction because of an executive directive from President Trump.
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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 07/04/2025
Japan and NATO plan to take their partnership to the next level by stepping up information-sharing and defense-industrial cooperation, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told The Japan Times in an exclusive interview.
japantimes.co.jp
‘Let’s make it practical’: NATO chief eyes greater defense-industrial ties with Japan
Japan and NATO plan to take their partnership to the next level by stepping up information-sharing and defense-industrial cooperation, Secretary-General Mark Rutte said.
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Tobias Harris @tobiasharris.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Tired: Decoupling from China Wired: Decoupling from the United States
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Sarah Kendzior @sarahkendzior.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
"I don't remember when I started mourning the future more than the past." -- THE LAST AMERICAN ROAD TRIP
long excerpt from my book THE LAST AMERICAN ROAD TRIP about this being a hard time to be a parent and how you have to try anyway
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Tobias Harris @tobiasharris.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
America First: neither trade nor aid for the world's poorest countries.
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pixelatedboat aka “mr bluesky” @pixelatedboat.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Quit freaking out. Remember that in 10,000 B.C., when America had ZERO international trade, a family could afford a house like this on a single income.
A suburban caveman house
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Erin Cook @erincook.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
Depraved
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Aaron Connelly @connellyal.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
It’s worth making the point again that it was a mistake for the Biden Administration to tie themselves so closely to this guy, whose track record even before the martial law declaration should have given them deep cause for concern.
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Patrick Stokes @patrickstokes.com · 04/04/2025
So the reason Norfolk Island copped a dramatically higher tariff than the rest of Australia is two shipments of Timbaland boots from the Bahamas and some aquarium supplies from the UK that had their point of origin mislabeled or misrecorded. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
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Hunter Marston @hmarston.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
The new @iseas-singapore.bsky.social State of Southeast Asia Survey is out. As always SE Asia analysts will be poring over the data to understand the region's most pressing concerns, views of US-China rivalry, the #Myanmar conflict & much more. Some observations 🧵: www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/u...
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His Skeletoncy, the Ghoul of Hell @timhodgson.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
It is 2002. I am 18 years old. We are in a once-in-a-generation economic crisis. It is 2008. I am 24 years old. We are in a once-in-a-generation economic crisis. It is 2020. I am 36 years old. We are in a once-in-a-generation economic crisis. It is 2025. I am 41 years old. We are in a—
image of watchmen's doctor manhattan, a superhero who is entirely blue and nude, sitting on a rock, small in frame, on what is depicted to be a very pink version of the surface of the planet mars. he looks pensive.
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Sam Baron @samuelgbaron.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
Something huge missed about Trump's #tariff announcement: by including #Taiwan as a list of countries to be tariffed, this is the most explicit U.S. government recognition of Taiwan as a country in decades.
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Erin Cook @erincook.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Vietnam has been explicitly anticipating this for months. But still! Yeesh! Lobbying underway www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
reuters.com
Vietnam to send deputy PM on US trip as tariffs loom, Bloomberg News reports
Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phoc and executives from companies including Vietnam Airlines JSC and Vietjet Aviation JSC will visit the United States this weekend as U.S. tariffs loom, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.
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Menzie Chinn @mchinn.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
GDPNow (adjusted) in Q1: both negative, GDP at-1.4%, consumption at -0.6% recession probability w/in 1 yr up to 44% #econsky econbrowser.com/archives/202...
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Tobias Harris @tobiasharris.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
New by me @foreignpolicy.com: I argue that despite the seeming normalcy of the US-Japan defense ministerial over the weekend, Tokyo shouldn't be under any illusions about the potential risks to the alliance. foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/01/j...
foreignpolicy.com
Japan Can’t Trust That Things Are Normal With Washington
An erratic president means even long-term allies are on thin ice.
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Hunter Marston @hmarston.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
“Two people familiar with Taiwan’s official discussions said the government in Taipei has struggled to make inroads with the new U.S. administration, amid growing doubts about Washington’s support.”
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Simon Lester @simonlester.com · 27/03/2025
All of those affected can file WTO complaints. Canada/Mexico can also file USMCA complaints; Korea can bring a complaint under KORUS. Will they think it's worth the effort to push for upholding the rule of law through formal complaints? Will they want to force the US to make its "security" defense?
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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 13/03/2025
Concerns are growing in Japan that U.S. President Donald Trump might target the Japanese auto sector next after Tokyo failed to secure an exemption from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum.
japantimes.co.jp
Concerns grow over possible U.S. tariffs on Japan's auto sector
U.S. President Donald Trump has pointed out that the U.S. is importing a 'very big' amount of Japanese cars while other countries are not really buying American cars.
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William Gallo @williamgallo.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Trump on the US-Japan alliance:
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David Fedman @dfeds.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
TIL more than a few parents in late 1944/1945 Tokyo conferred on baby girls born during air raids the name Keiko (警子), the first character of which was a nod to the term for "air raid alerts"
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Jesse Johnson @jljzen.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Oops. (Takeshi Iwaya has been Japanese foreign minister since Oct. 1, 2024)
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William Yang @williamyang120.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
My latest: #China and the Cook Islands on Friday signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, but the lack of transparency around the details has alarmed New Zealand, the South Pacific state’s closest democratic ally. www.voanews.com/a/china-cook...
voanews.com
China, Cook Islands sign strategic partnership pact
Lack of transparency alarms New Zealand
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Rush Doshi @rushdoshi.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Asahi Shimbun, leading Japanese newspaper, has a sharp take on the “Gulf of America” drama and the decision to ban AP: “What is going on in the White House is foolish beyond belief” H/t @tobiasharris.bsky.social
Excerpt from Asahi Shimbun: The “Shiji,” an ancient Chinese historical text, contains the following episode.
Zhao Gao, a high-ranking official of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.), gifted the emperor with a deer, insisting it was a horse. Laughing, the amused emperor asked his entourage what they thought.
Some, afraid of Zhao Gao’s power, remained silent. Others played up to him. But there was one man who told the truth as he saw it: “It’s a deer.” He was later put to death by Zhao Gao.
In Japan, there is a theory that this is how the Japanese word “baka” (fool), written with the kanji characters for “horse” and “deer,” originated.
I can only marvel at the perfect parallel between the Qin incident in ancient China and what took place earlier this week in Washington, D.C.
An Associated Press reporter was barred from attending an event in the Oval Office on Feb. 12.
On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, in disregard of more than four centuries of it being known otherwise.
The White House demanded that the AP comply with this change in its influential Stylebook, but the news agency refused. Hence the shutting out of its reporter from the Oval Office.
Referring to the incident, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “If we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable.”
This is utterly beyond belief. The leader of a nation arbitrarily changes the name of something and punishes those who refuse to go along with it. And this has happened in the 21st century United States, of all places.
“The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news,” the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association said in a statement.
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