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Tom Pepinsky@tompepinsky.bsky.social |
2035 followers 464 following 409 posts
I teach comparative politics, political economy, and Southeast Asian studies at Cornell. I'm also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and editor of the Journal of East Asian Studies. Banned from Russia. tompepinsky.com
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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OK: Biden’s not stepping down. Like it or not, good idea or bad idea, not happening. From here on out, you can either complain about it like a loser, or help him defeat fascism. Time to decide.
3 replies 11 reposts 46 likes
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Avishay Ben-Sasson-Gordis
@avishaybsg.bsky.social
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The Constitution actually has a really tried and tested mechanism for dealing with presidents dropping dead on the job. Or even before they've really started it. You know what it's having a hard time with? Would-be autocrats no one seems to be willing to rein in
7 replies 46 reposts 216 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Every day that the Supreme Court’s shocking betrayal of the Constitution and the American people is not a screaming headline is a choice
0 replies 19 reposts 71 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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NY Times: <ralph wiggum “I’m helping!” dot gif>
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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When in the course of human events something fucking something
2 replies 4 reposts 9 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Dan is correct. It is the patriotic duty of every American to support the party that defends freedom, liberty, and the rule of law
0 replies 6 reposts 37 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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I’m entirely serious. The Supreme Court has given the president absolute immunity for any official act, a shocking assault on the foundations of America’s constitutional order. The NYT is breathlessly, relentlessly covering Biden’s mental state instead. Why?
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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If they did not allow it, he could just order them to be killed
1 replies 3 reposts 8 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Could be too. Is it vanity, or interests? I’m a materialist so my instincts say the latter but I don’t actually know
0 replies 0 reposts 1 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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This has a logic. The New York Times knows that Trump is the favorite to be the president, that he demands favorable news coverage, that he is personally obsessed with the Times, and that he will have total immunity to whatever he wants to the editors on January 22. Backwards-induct
5 replies 12 reposts 37 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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This has a logic. The New York Times knows that Trump is the favorite to be the president, that he demands favorable news coverage, that he is personally obsessed with the Times, and that he will have total immunity to whatever he wants to the editors on January 22. Backwards-induct
0 replies 1 reposts 3 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Not sure what to do? Here’s a rule of thumb that I have followed for 20 years: in any U.S. election, vote for the pro-choice candidate. If they’re equal on that, choose other issues. But being a single issue voter on abortion rights will never steer you wrong, and will help you save democracy too
1 replies 9 reposts 45 likes
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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò
@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
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it's a deep betrayal when you cannot trust the people whose job it is to interpret the rules. America has been let down today, and we will not forget
12 replies 40 reposts 403 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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There is nothing far right about it. All religions have authority structures: Sunnis and Protestants are parallel on this dimension.
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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It’s true even for non activists. It’s *mostly* boring. And then there is the uncertainty of where the line is, and what people believe. One tolerates it because one must
1 replies 0 reposts 5 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Thanks: I appreciate it, and I know what you were saying too
0 replies 0 reposts 2 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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As the author of something that once made people lose their minds, I am telling you that I was talking about exactly this. I was correct then and I am correct now and I am terribly sorry about that
7 replies 22 reposts 74 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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It’s pretty high! What does a constitution even mean if you don’t abide by it?
0 replies 0 reposts 10 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Trump controls the High Court. America has a Sunni model of clerical authority and so it’s all about alliances—he controls most factions. All that’s left is the militias
2 replies 7 reposts 41 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Americanists and lawyers ask, what does the Constitution say? Comparativists ask, who controls the High Court, the militia, and the clerics?
7 replies 117 reposts 475 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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6-3 for total immunity is devastating. This isn’t a ruling for 45, this is permission for 47.
4 replies 16 reposts 108 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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My most conservative country cousin watched the debate. By this I mean, Southside Virginia, middle age and class, woman in a country courthouse town (hint hint) She concluded, “I don’t know why they let them debate. Just answer the question.”
0 replies 0 reposts 6 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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You all must know that it won’t play like this. So now it is time to get serious. Biden is old and it’s a problem; how does one win such an election?
2 replies 0 reposts 8 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Biden: looks old, does bad Trump: lemme one up you by being extremely insane If it plays like that, status quo
0 replies 3 reposts 46 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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There are some real gems at IHS! Band and language especially, which meets Pepinskys’ basic needs
0 replies 0 reposts 1 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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I still feel fortunate that she can take German instead: she was really excited about calligraphy, but she's also excited by logic puzzles
2 replies 0 reposts 1 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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A terrible shame. Lil' P was all scheduled to take Mandarin, and it was cancelled. As always, the money is in the budget, it has just been allocated for other purposes
1 replies 0 reposts 1 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Congratulations! I would like to see a teachable introduction to the delta method. "With this one trick, you can..."
0 replies 0 reposts 1 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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New GPT will spout impenetrable nonsense while its advisers overpromise and exaggerate? I can see it
0 replies 0 reposts 6 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Like, what if not all the kids are all right. What if the middle classes and upper classes in the urban Java want order. What does this mean for the reformasi movement after all these years?
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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New issue of the Mekong Review came to my mailbox today. Opens with this piece, which hits super hard and is a serious intervention mekongreview.com/political-no...
1 replies 2 reposts 1 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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I think I finally understand Alexi Lalas in 2024
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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@vincentab.bsky.social out there quintupling my productivity
1 replies 0 reposts 1 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Many observers of Indonesian politics lament the weakness of partisanship in Indonesia's consensus-based presidential system. But voters vote as if partisanship really matters. Check it out 👇
tompepinsky.com/2024/06/21/t...
2 replies 1 reposts 2 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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I know this isn't the main point, but reading the French phrase "wokistes séparatistes" made my brain immediately think of Lennox Lewis describing himself as the "pugilist specialist." That's all I got.
1 replies 0 reposts 2 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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In partial defense, I cannot think of a single state whose conservative voting base needs more of a daily reminder of what the ten commandments are. I seem to remember some specific injunctions against coveting, stealing, bearing false witness, and idolatry
1 replies 0 reposts 4 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Turns out that Chomsky may or may not have died, which is entirely consistent with the Minimalist Program and inconsistent with whatever you just said
0 replies 0 reposts 4 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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How is it that no human alive has ever uttered the sentence that I just wrote, but you still know how to understand it? That is one of those damned interesting Chomsky questions that fueled three generations of college sophomores to stay up late and bullshit one another
1 replies 0 reposts 4 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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RIP Chomsky. I choose to remember him as a linguist who asked outstanding questions and had lousy answers for them, but who nevertheless transformed a discipline and inspired decades of critics to make linguistics into a modern science
2 replies 0 reposts 9 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Japanese hotel room comes equipped with a tidy little drip coffee packet and I swear, we Americans must overthrow the regime of hotel coffee pods
0 replies 0 reposts 7 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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yes: it's glorious. Halim to the Bandung city station in 45 minutes.
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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I also want a high speed train named WHOOSH, whose announcer must end every announcement by enthusiastically saying “Salam, whoosh-whoosh-whoosh, yeah!”
0 replies 0 reposts 4 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Indonesia now has its own high-speed rail, and dammit I want one too 🇮🇩
4 replies 2 reposts 20 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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The recipe is: marinade chicken, boil chicken, fry chicken, smash chicken. Then top with the spiciest sambal you can tolerate
0 replies 0 reposts 4 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Someday the world will discover Javanese smashed fried chicken (ayam penyet = “smashed chicken”) and we will be closer to world peace and harmony.
2 replies 1 reposts 14 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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Tremendous news, Dan. This is a great honor for a great scholar
0 replies 0 reposts 2 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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The ridiculous mascot of a sports team, from the first capital of a large former colony, mocking one of the most hallowed institutions of a fading empire -- this is extremely funny and should be treated as such
2 replies 1 reposts 9 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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This is truly awful. We must not look away from what is happening.
1 replies 0 reposts 7 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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You p-hacking sack of shit. Two stars?
0 replies 0 reposts 1 likes
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Tom Pepinsky
@tompepinsky.bsky.social
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"if you describe your correlations as causal you're totaled, man."
1 replies 0 reposts 3 likes