after the rain

The Shadow of the Military in Modern South Asia Military rule is now a defining political factor in South Asia. Here’s how analysts can understand and account for it.

I argue that debates over democratic backsliding and competitive authoritarianism in South Asia, while still important, need to be complemented by a renewed focus on how militaries exercise power and influence in Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and even Nepal:
carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

for a distraction from [waves wildly at everything happening in the world]:

Chicago Council on Global Affairs Appoints Two Vice Presidents of Research for Geostrategy and Global Security April 9, 2026

An extremely exciting infusion of new foreign policy talent into the Chicago area:
globalaffairs.org/chicago-coun...

Reuters just confirming US strike, but also all over India/Sri Lanka twitter and I would guess soon newspapers w

Appears that a US submarine may have sunk an Iranian destroyer off Sri Lanka. That wasn’t on my bingo card.

An extremely timely project!!!!

Yet again:

Trump pursues Iranian decapitation without a plan for what comes next The U.S. has a fraught track record of toppling autocratic regimes and securing peaceful democracies — even when it has vision for the day after.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Yet again:

I roll this perpetually-relevant meme out every once in awhile:

Reminiscent of Stalin telling a group of visiting Indian communists to advocate the unification of India, Pakistan, and Ceylon (digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/rec...):

Chairman Mao dispensed some wildly unhelpful advice over the years; this nugget was to Nasser after the 1967 war (from Lorenz Luthi's "Cold Wars"):

China set to widen footprint in Bangladesh as India's ties decline China has stepped up its investment and diplomatic outreach in Dhaka, most recently signing a defence deal to build a drone factory near Bangladesh's border with India.

China set to widen footprint in Bangladesh as India's ties decline en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/b...

an administration staffed to the top with degenerate liars

Pentagon’s New Defense Strategy Strikes Conciliatory Tone on China The blueprint says the U.S. will focus attention on the Western Hemisphere while reducing its military role in Europe, South Korea and the Middle East.

The Pentagon struck a conciliatory tone toward Beijing in its new defense strategy, stating that its overarching goal is to establish “strategic stability” in the Indo-Pacific region www.wsj.com/politics/nat... via @WSJ

Happy to announce the 1st ever @isanet.bsky.social conference in South Asia in August 2026. Hosted in Colombo, Sri Lanka, we welcome proposals from scholars based in and/or studying South Asian politics & international relations, but also broader global themes ofc www.isanet.org/Conferences/...

Hyde Park is hip and cool:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

winter Chicago

Professors are turning to this old-school method to stop AI use on exams A small but growing number of educators are experimenting with oral exams to circumvent the temptations presented by powerful AI platforms.

I use class presentations and an oral exam alongside papers now in my undergrad seminar (and blue book final all by side papers in my UG lecture):
“Professors are turning to this old-school method to stop AI use on exams” wapo.st/4pU5mNf

Sushila Karki government beset by court decisions kathmandupost.com/politics/202... via @kathmandupost

India Was Optimistic About Its Relationship with the US. Trump Changed Things Since taking office, Trump has increased tariffs, restricted H-1B visas, and made a deal with China. What does that mean for India’s future?

- As others have argued, time for India to hedge, seek relationships w/Russia, Europe, China distinct from American policy
- Link here: globalaffairs.org/commentary/a...

My thoughts on US-India relations in the Trump era for Chicago Council on Global Affairs:
- US deeply unreliable & mercurial
- Unclear if even a weakened Trump would lead to a rapid shift back toward pro-India policies
- India needs to engage more broadly in US, especially beyond the coasts (1/2)

Should the Feds Bail Out Chicago? “Municipal debt is the history of America”

Illinois & Chicago stuck in "high tax, massive debt, comparatively unremarkable public services" equilibrium that will take either crisis or real political creativity to change:
www.statecraft.pub/p/should-the...

Myanmar's Shwe Kokko: Inside a city 'built on scams' A haven for the super rich, or a city built on scams? The BBC was invited to find out.

"Casinos, high-rises and fraud: The BBC visits a bizarre city built on scams"
bbc.com/news/article...

‘A Recipe for Idiocracy’ What happens when even college students can’t do math anymore?

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

huge sale on Cornell University Press books:

Welcoming the EOS R6 Mark III YouTube video by CanonUSA

I could spend my life just watching camera release videos:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMXV...

Americans Reverse Course on US-China Competition While Republicans remain focused on limiting China's rise, a majority of Americans now favor a policy of cooperation and engagement with Beijing.

Really important survey from @ChicagoCouncil:
“the bipartisan embrace of US-China competition no longer holds among the public, with partisan differences in perceived threats from China and disagreements on current US-China trade policy”
globalaffairs.org/research/pub...