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Tom Phuong Le

@tomphuongle.bsky.social
2.3K followers 47 following 313 posts

Associate Professor of Politics at Pomona College. Author of Japan's Aging Peace: Pacifism and Militarism in the Twenty-First Century (Columbia University Press). cup.columbia.edu/book/japans-aging-…

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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
A year is about 1.25% of our entire life, if we’re lucky. It’s a strange way to use up that much life to go after humanities funding.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
criticalasianstudies.org/commentary/2... Have a new article out on Takaichi's election with Sebastian Maslow and Annalise Chang. check it out.
criticalasianstudies.org
Commentary | Annalise Chang, Tom Le, and Sebastian Maslow, A Historic Win, Familiar Politics: The Paradox of Takaichi’s LDP Leadership — Critical Asian Studies
On October 4, Sanae Takaichi secured a historic victory against four competitors to become the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s first female president since its founding in 1955. Two weeks later, sh...
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 09/08/2025
open.spotify.com/episode/3JiT... Check out the last episode of season one of Prof Talk! We talk about graduation. A perfect way to reflect right before we start the new year!
open.spotify.com
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
I'm pretty famous for mastering Jordan's signature shimmy.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 21/07/2025
2ch originated in Japan. People forget some of the OG internet trolls, conspiracy theorists, and haters started in Japanese forums. Took awhile to win some seats.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Maybe politics are the friends we made along the way.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
LDP losing seats but still have by far the plurality. That’s paralysis, not a mandate for these upstart parties or the main opposition.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Will I be updating my leadership slide again?
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Looks like the Japan Decides guys have a bit more writing to do in the next edition.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
I think I’ll select seat 14B. Never give up the opportunity to make two new friends on a 2.5 hour train ride.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Holy crap
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
Finally some good news.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
Not a superpower if you don’t have the autonomy to say no. The US just has a ton of political and economic liabilities and is credit surfing to maintain appearances.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 21/06/2025
www.asahi.com/ajw/articles... See.
asahi.com
Japan scraps U.S. meeting after Washington demands more defense spending--FT | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis
WASHINGTON--Japan has canceled a regular high-level meeting with its key ally the United States after the Trump administration demanded it spend more on defense, the Financial Times reported on Friday...
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
Thank you.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
Deterrence folks. How would you explain the current Iran-Israel conflict given that Israel has nuclear weapons?
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Whoa. Jina Kim for this post is awesome.
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Reposted by Tom Phuong Le
みすず書房 @misuzushobo.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
【新刊】トム・フォン・リ『日本 老いと成熟の平和』梅原季哉訳 少子高齢化と諸規範が形づくる日本独自の「非軍事主義の生態システム」を、広島に学んだ米国際政治学者が、各種統計データに加え、元防衛相から被爆者に至る70人超へのインタビューから解き明かし、戦後日本の平和の実相に迫る。6/16配本 www.msz.co.jp/book/detail/... 訳者あとがき(抜粋) magazine.msz.co.jp/new/09783/
書籍『日本 老いと成熟の平和』の写真。帯には以下の文章が書かれている。

平和は続くのか?少子高齢化と諸規範が形づくる日本独自の「非軍事主義の生態システム」とは?広島に学んだ注目の米研究者が、各種統計データに加え、元防衛相から被爆者に至る70人超のインタビューをもとに解き明かす。

千五・被爆80年を越えて
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
No country is given more grace to make mistakes or do wrong than the US in world affairs. Some mistake that soft power as evidence of the strength to not do better.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
I was 96% expecting Ohtani to pitch a perfect game today. Just seemed like it was on the cards.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Kind of cool that AOC will have a Golden Share in Nippon Steel in 3 years. I didn’t have that on my bingo card.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Why would nippon steel want this? Unless it means US gov taking on some of the risk?
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Let’s make a Pope one!
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Nothing a little AI can’t solve. Kidding!
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
I love teaching. But also am really happy with a 1 course or 0 course load. Someone explain this contradiction.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
open.spotify.com/episode/7hKu... Newest episode of Prof Talk is live. Professor of Art Mark Allen replaces me on this one, so you know it'll be good!
open.spotify.com
The Art of Science and the Science of Art (with special guest, Professor of Art Mark Allen)
Prof Talk · Episode
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Not a competition when we’re winning so damn much. I for one am getting really tired of this winning. As he promised.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Filling out the US feels good. Consistent 4-8 year terms. Start and end on same date. That’s rare in Asia. Shame if that ends.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Yah. not Putin. Misspoke.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Yah. So I didnt include it. But its funny
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Alexander Rutskoy
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Hah. I was also thinking about doing that in the Yeltsin to Putin transition. They did have a president between the two!
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
I secretly don’t mind the authoritarians because it’s easier to put them in the slide. Japan and Korea are no fun to update!
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Kim also has the longest ongoing tenure in East Asia! He’s the elder statesman!
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Updating my leaders slide since we got new leaders. Some things to notice, Kim Jong Un has been in power for 13+ years now, just 4 years fewer than his father. He's only 41 years old. Abe gets credit for 8 years in power in his second term, but that's a typical 2-term presidency. Volatility in ROK.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
And that’s how you launder $80
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Bird was not better than Magic. Stop it.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
I see all these STEM and art camps for summer. Where are the social science/political science camps? How about we get kids to love being civically engaged and informed of current events?
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Dm
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
Hard copy in hand. It’s for real now!
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
Hey All! Episode 5 of our podcast Prof Talk is up! I attend a chemistry conference and now I have beef with political science. Check it out! creators.spotify.com/pod/show/pro...
creators.spotify.com
Are Academic Conferences Worth it Anymore? Yes...? Yes. by Prof Talk
On this episode of Prof Talk, we reflect on the value of attending conferences. Tom concludes after attending the annual American Chemical Society conference in San Diego that political science needs ...
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
I know some of you are enjoying this Musk-Trump fight. That’s it. That’s the observation.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
www.msz.co.jp/book/detail/... The Japanese translation of my book, Japan's Aging Peace: Pacifism and Militarism in the Twenty-First Century (日本 老いと成熟の平和) comes out June 16. Check it out!
msz.co.jp
日本 老いと成熟の平和 | みすず書房
トム・フォン・リ著、梅原季哉訳。平和は続くのか? 少子高齢化と諸規範が形づくる日本独自の「非軍事主義の生態システム」を、広島に学んだ注目の米研究者が読み解く。
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
“No tax on tips and overtime”? That’s not right. It’s “no, tax on tips and overtime!”
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Joni Ernst been working out.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Elon is walking away with boatloads of data. Why is this being framed as a loss for him?
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Are the Padres still paying Tanner Scott?
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
International relations will always be unstable because there’s no theater in rational decision making. It is within our nature to cause traffic to watch a car accident, no matter how many times we've seen it and how little positive impact it has on our lives.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
I dare you to look at a kangaroo and not laugh, I dare you.......Well they're usually funnier.
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Tom Phuong Le @tomphuongle.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Moody’s just stripped the US of its AAA rating. Time to go right across the street to get it back.
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