Mark S. Cogan

Hegseth rails against ‘Godless left’ in political speech to Christian convention | CNN Politics Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth railed against the “Godless left” and praised “Western Christian” values and traditions in a headliner speech Thursday night at a Christian communicators conference in T...

There's no hate like "Christian" love. Ouch. #PeteHegseth is a monster.
edition.cnn.com/2026/02/19/p...

Thailand’s Election Commission Is Next of Kin to Chaos The election body that presided over Sunday’s shambolic election has a long track record of systemic dysfunction and support for military rule.

The competency of #Thailand's Electoral Commission is again on the minds of Thai voters who are crying foul. For
@thediplomat.com, I argue that trustworthy institutions don't behave like this and that a national recount is the only way to restore legitimacy.
thediplomat.com/2026/02/thai...

Review: Bad Bunny brought Puerto Rico's history and culture to a revolutionary Super Bowl show Bad Bunny delivered a historic performance at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show that brought Puerto Rican culture and history to the fore.

Bad Bunny delivered a historic performance at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show that brought Puerto Rican culture and history to the fore.

Some more comments (with Stephen Nagy) in a Maria Siow story in the @scmpnews.bsky.social on the #Japan election aftermath. A busy weekend with two elections resulting in big right-of-center electoral mandates: #LDP and #Bhumjaithai in #Thailand.

www.scmp.com/week-asia/po...

EXPLAINER – Thailand heads to elections under shadow of conflict and uncertainty More than 50 million eligible voters will choose 500 lawmakers in Feb. 8 election widely seen as a test of Thailand’s political direction - Anadolu Ajansı

Pleased to be included with my esteemed peers, Pavin Chachavalpongpun and Wanwichit Boonprong in this February #Thailand election explainer by Berk Kutay Gökmen for the @anadoluajansicom.bsky.social (Turkey).

www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-paci...

Pheu Thai is Banking on Corruption to Remedy Thailand’s Informal Economy After the collapse of the party’s “digital wallet” stimulus plan, voters should not be fooled by its recently announced 1 million-baht election sweepstakes.

For @thediplomat.com, I unpack the #PheuThai Party's latest populist #election scheme, a "millionaire" sweepstakes as old as marketing itself. Ordinary people in #Thailand could strike it rich, but only if they vote a certain way. #corruption

thediplomat.com/2026/02/pheu...

Abolish ICE.

There’s no reforming it.

There’s no compromise.

There’s only one way to rein in ICE’s terror campaign. Abolish it.

This is the week for media interviews. Two elections coming up: #Japan and #Thailand.

This mid-afternoon Alex Pretti vigil at the Portland VA was not heavily promoted. But the crowd probably stretches a quarter mile or more. Americans are galvanized and grieving.

I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work.

I don’t let bullies win.

Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me. Minnesota strong.

#AbolishICE

Man is shot and killed during Minneapolis immigration crackdown, National Guard activated A federal immigration officer has shot and killed a man in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the frigidly cold streets in a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier.

#ICE now have now murdered two Americans.
@homelandgov.bsky.social is officially a state-sponsored terrorist group. #Minneapolis

apnews.com/article/immi...

If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.

Ahead of Snap Elections, Japan Needs Radical Honesty Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi heads into upcoming snap elections in a position of strength. However, good politics don’t always make for good economic policy, and Japan’s massive debt allows precious ...

For the #GeopoliticalMonitor, I write that Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi's call for elections will likely benefit her and the #LDP, but she can't escape #Japan's bad economics by placating voters with reckless new spending and a hardline #immigration policy.
www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/ahead-of-sna...

The Political Neglect of Thailand’s Deep South Cannot Continue A series of petrol station bombings on January 11 is a reminder of the conflict that continues to fester in the country’s southern provinces.

For @thediplomat.com, I write about the 2026 elections in #Thailand, and wonder when some of the contending parties will address the long-neglected neglected 'Deep South' provinces. (Signs say no).

thediplomat.com/2026/01/the-...

This wins the internet today.

I can't even begin to describe how dumb as shit this is. #Greenland

Minor #earthquake in the Osaka area. #Japan

Kennedy Center criticizes musician who canceled performance after Trump name added to building The president of the Kennedy Center is criticizing musician Chuck Redd for canceling a Christmas Eve performance.

Cancellations are a perfectly acceptable means of protest. It's a disgrace to add that man's name to the Kennedy Center.

apnews.com/article/kenn...

Delighted to see my article on the #Myanmar military junta's foreign relations since the 2021 military coup is now available for download with Asian Politics & Policy. Massive thanks to @markscogan.bsky.social for the invitation to join this special issue: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

<em>Asian Politics & Policy</em> | PSO Journal | Wiley Online Library Click on the title to browse this issue

You can find the whole special issue here with contributions from @markscogan.bsky.social, Moe Thuzar & Jürgen Haacke: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/19430787...

Webinar Report-V: Climate Crisis in Tibet – Population Politics of Tibet: What Does It Mean to Social and Environmental Conditions? - Institute for Security and Development Policy This webinar report covers the extent of relocation of Tibetans and the erosion of nomadic lifestyles affecting climate conditions in Tibet.

🎥 Webinar Report-V: Climate Crisis in Tibet – Population Politics of Tibet: What Does It Mean to Social and Environmental Conditions?
Our Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs hosted its 5th webinar on "Climate Crisis in Tibet" on Sept. 4, 2025
Read the report: www.isdp.eu/publication/...

I'm going to give @bsky.app another shot. I didn't like the lack of interaction on here before, but X/Twitter is such a dark place. It is toxic.

North Korea eyes Southeast Asia for new friends – DW – 10/17/2025 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has recently met with the leaders of Vietnam and Laos and agreed to boost ties. Will other Southeast Asian countries follow?

.@tommywalker.bsky.social has a new story out for #DW on #NorthKorea's recent talks with #Vietnam and #Laos. I was joined by Edward Howell at @ox.ac.uk and Shreyas Reddy of @nknewsorg.bsky.social, who had far more interesting things to say than I did.

www.dw.com/en/north-kor...

What to Know About Thailand’s New Leader Anutin Charnvirakul The two-time deputy PM was finally elected to the top job by lawmakers after months of political instability for the Southeast Asian nation.

I had a good conversation with Chad de Guzman at #TIME just prior to #Anutin's selection today as PM of #Thailand. Always pleased to be quoted alongside colleagues Napon Jatusripitak & Titipol Phakdeewanich.
Four months will fly by, but will also feel like forever.
time.com/7314811/anut...

Japan Must (Again) Resist Xenophobia amid ‘Japan First’ Rhetoric The gross miscommunication after a reasonably successful 9th TICAD is a major mistake, but it can also serve as a lesson in how far Japan must go to adapt to a rapidly changing society.

A new commentary from me on #xenophobia in #Japan for Geopoliticalmonitor Intelligence Corp. What erupted after a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) miscommunication turned into another wave of national anxiety about foreigners.

www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/japan-must-a...

Look at the trend lines - especially for young people.

What do we need to do to fix this?

Marco Rubio’s Difficult Balancing Act in Asia The U.S. Secretary of State wants to bolster defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, while distrust of Trump’s commitments to the region, particularly on economic issues, runs deep.

#TIME's Miranda Jeyaretnam has a new story about #MarcoRubio's challenges in #Asia. (His first being the President himself! 😅) Happy to have been quoted alongside Sharon Seah from @iseas-singapore.bsky.social and Ian Chong of National University of Singapore.

time.com/7301508/marc...

Just an observation: #BlueSky is a pretty dull place. I'm fine with the followers, but what's the point if there is not much interaction. Feels like a wasteland.

Trump praises ‘good English’ of Liberian president, prompting criticism across Africa | CNN US President Donald Trump praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his strong grasp of the English language on Wednesday. But the African leader was educated in Liberia, where English is the offic...

This is the most ignorant, ill-prepared President I've ever seen. How did they not brief him on #Liberia's basic history? Does he not care?

edition.cnn.com/2025/07/09/a...