iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

In 1979, people predicted US sanctions on Iran would lead to the collapse of the dollar...

041

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

What can you even say at this point?

020

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

My undergrad students were really engaged in today's class on 9/11 and the Iraq War. They're too young to remember these events, but all the grownups they encounter assume everyone knows about them, and high school histories barely mention them. Anyway here's George Bush dodging a shoe:

Pres. George W. Bush dodges two shoes thrown by an Iraqi journalist

130

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Rabid anti-communist Alfred Kohlberg kept a list of "Communist affiliation incidents" to determine who the real commies were. Here are the "scores" for members of the NAACP. 🗃️

142

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Enjoyed watching this giant (4") spider get fatter every day for three weeks. Thanks for eating all the wasps!

140

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Reagan and Gorbachev evolving from arm wrestling to a handshake? Or Reagan and Gorbachev executing complex bro hug maneuver?

Political cartoon showing Reagan and Gorbachev arm wrestling, then maneuvering their hands into a handshake

010

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 31/08/2024

When you decide that maybe you’ll spend the first night of the camping trip at a holiday inn instead

020

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 22/01/2024

Similarly, they differentiate between "historian Ben" and "all-pro NFL TE Ben"

010

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 05/12/2023

Biden in 1990: I ran for senate in 1972 because of Kissinger's warmongering on Vietnam

021

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 17/11/2023

“Don’t drive like my brother!” said Mr. Biden

100

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 15/11/2023

Ukraine just secured war risk insurance for grain shipments. Here’s a c.1960 memo calling for “nuclear war” risk insurance: in case of WWIII gotta make sure commerce continues.

000

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 10/11/2023

“Democrats in Disarray” older than I realized.

000

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 17/10/2023

Fighting urge to title my sanctions book “Mr. Taft’s Sizable Right Hand”

000

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 13/10/2023

TIL there are 300-500k Chileans of Palestinian ancestry foreignpolicy.com/2023/10/13/i...

010

Benjamin Coates @benjamincoates.bsky.social · 13/10/2023

Megan Threlkeld’s fascinating reflections on how a renewed interest in US empire in the wake of the Iraq war combined with SHAFR’s transnational turn to shape her research. issforum.org/essays/PDF/E...

000