Juan Cole
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Juan Cole
@jricole.bsky.social

Historian, essayist: Middle East, South Asia, Islam, Social History, Foreign Policy, Environment, Culture, Progressive Politics;
Signal: Juan Cole

John Ricardo Irfan "Juan" Cole is an American academic and commentator on the modern Middle East and South Asia. He is Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. Since 2002, he has written a weblog, Informed Comment (juancole.com). .. more

Political science 68%
Sociology 17%
Pinned
Juan Cole, new book - Gaza Yet Stands - order through your local bookstore or www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DL...
Gaza Yet Stands
Gaza Yet Stands [Cole, Juan] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Gaza Yet Stands
www.amazon.com

"Images of the Fish People", Norval Morrisseau (Anishanabe, d 2007) Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario http://dlvr.it/TQH164

Could Trump’s Diversion of Venezuelan Oil to US Save the Iranian Regime?
Could Trump’s Diversion of Venezuelan Oil to US Save the Iranian Regime?
China imported 389,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan oil in 2025, about 4% of its total
dlvr.it

Reposted by Juan Cole

Chicago was also the city where the scholasticide resolution passed at OAH back in April, you know. This place rocks!

‘Neither Gaza nor Lebanon!’ Iranian Unrest is about more than the Economy
‘Neither Gaza nor Lebanon!’ Iranian Unrest is about more than the Economy
The “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon” chant asks: What does it mean for a government to prioritize foreign conflicts over domestic welfare?
dlvr.it

Thousands march in Minneapolis to protest ICE after Shooting
Thousands march in Minneapolis to protest ICE after Shooting
he protest was part of over a 1,000 planned demonstrations against ICE across the nation this weekend
dlvr.it

Reposted by Juan Cole

Congratulations to all of you at #AHA26 for reintroducing--AND PASSING--member resolutions to 1) condemn scholasticide and 2) stand for academic freedom! This has been a wonderful conference of reconnecting with friends, meeting new allies, and pushing important conversations in our discipline!

Reposted by Juan Cole

“The Iranian government must stop treating its citizens as enemies to be feared and controlled. Tear gas, arrests, bullets, and crackdowns aren't responses to legitimate grievances. People’s right to a dignified life must be recognized and meaningfully addressed.”
@sarahleah1.bsky.social, DAWN

thx!

Reposted by Juan Cole

Despite Internet blackout, reportedly with aid of Starlink, lots of videos coming out tonight showing large scale protests continuing in Iran. This is one of them

x.com/bbcpersian/s...

Reposted by Juan Cole

Reposted by Juan Cole

Reposted by Juan Cole

In Minneapolis this afternoon—

Hundreds are streaming across the snow and ice into Powderhorn Park for a rally and march demanding ICE leave Minnesota.

It is bitterly cold. There are hardcore Midwesterners out here making their way in with trekking poles.
I was just denied access to the ICE processing center at the Whipple Building.

Members of Congress have a legal right and constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight where people are being detained.

The public deserves to know what is taking place in ICE facilities.
JUST NOW: Huge mass of agents in a standoff, weapons drawn as Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig, and Kelly Morrison attempt to conduct congressional oversight at the Whipple Building, which has been HQ for thousands of ICE agents.

@zeteo.com
A woman recording an ICE agent tells him "Shame on you."

The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"

"Learned what?" she asks

Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
“Uruguay did what most nations still call impossible: it built a power grid that runs almost entirely on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. The physicist who led that transformation says the same playbook could work anywhere—if governments have the courage to change the rules.”
Uruguay’s Renewable Charge: A Small Nation, A Big Lesson For The World
Uruguay built a power grid that runs 99% on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. Here’s how its bold energy overhaul became a global model.
www.forbes.com

Protests in Iran and the Dark Memory of Internet Blackouts
Protests in Iran and the Dark Memory of Internet Blackouts
Political slogans grew sharper, and in some places the protests shifted from economic dissent to open calls for regime change.
dlvr.it

Gaza: Six Reasons why Netanyahu is prolonging Conflict in the Middle East
Gaza: Six Reasons why Netanyahu is prolonging Conflict in the Middle East
Netanyahu continues to gamble on the possibility that international and regional opinion may eventually become receptive to ethnic cleansing
dlvr.it

Electric car Registrations in Germany rise by 43% in 2025, despite end of Subsidies
Electric car Registrations in Germany rise by 43% in 2025, despite end of Subsidies
Average CO2 emissions of new cars fell by almost 12 percent, to an average of 105.8 grammes per kilometre
dlvr.it
We put out a call for #ICEOutForGood vigils 24 hours ago. There are now more than 1000 events taking place across the country this weekend. Find yours: www.mobilize.us?tag_ids=2913...

Reposted by Juan Cole

Wind is an international savior of lives from pollution, source of energy security, cost reducer, and land-use reducer.

Azerbaijan Launches Largest Wind Power Plant in Caucasus (240 MW)

astanatimes.com/2026/01/azer...
Azerbaijan Launches Largest Wind Power Plant in Caucasus - The Astana Times
Azerbaijan Launches Largest Wind Power Plant in Caucasus
astanatimes.com
He didn't shoot her in the head at point blank range because he felt like he was in danger. He shot her in the head at point blank range because he was furious that she wasn't afraid of him. He shot her in the head at point blank range because he felt emasculated.
The House passed a three-year extension of critical ACA subsidies that will help millions of Americans afford their health insurance.

But instead of fighting over these subsidies every few years, we should enact Medicare for All. Here's what you should know.
The Real Deal with Medicare for All | Robert Reich
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich breaks down the true cost of Medicare for All.Watch More: It's Time for Medicare
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Juan Cole

Big deal First Amendment decision from Fourth Circuit, which effectively holds that al-Timimi was imprisoned/confined for 20 years based on constitutionally protected speech. www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/144...

Reposted by Juan Cole

With Iran's latest protest movement, "a new patriotic discourse has emerged that frames the struggle in civilizational terms rather than purely political ones," writes Sheema Kalbasi.

That discourse is driving the protests in Iran today.
Iran’s Current Uprising and the Collapse of Ideological Legitimacy
This recent movement could represent the most coherent challenge to the rule of the Islamic regime to date. Whether this implies imminent collapse depends on how much of the Islamic Republic’s suppres...
dawnmena.org

Reposted by Juan Cole

The Onion’s Exclusive Interview With Stephen Miller https://theonion.com/the-onions-exclusive-interview-with-stephen-miller/
"Ocean Warming Breaks Record for Ninth Straight Year" is a great article by Johnny Sturgeon for @insideclimatenews.org on a recent report where @michaelemann.bsky.social and coauthors confirm continued ocean warming due to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

insideclimatenews.org/news/0901202...
Ocean Warming Breaks Record for Ninth Straight Year - Inside Climate News
Every second of last year, the Earth’s oceans absorbed the equivalent in energy to 12 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs.  Global ocean heat content (OHC) increased for the ninth consecutive year in 2025, a...
insideclimatenews.org

Reposted by Juan Cole

⚡️NEW from Drop Site: Israel Kills Five Children in Surge of Attacks on Gaza “Safe Zone”

Since the October “ceasefire,” an average of five Palestinians have been killed every day.

Report by Abd Sabbah (X: @AbdSabbah91) and Sharif Kouddous (X: @sharifkouddous)

www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-gaz...
Israel Kills Five Children in Surge of Attacks on Gaza “Safe Zone”
Since the October “ceasefire,” an average of five Palestinians have been killed every day.
www.dropsitenews.com
DHS Releases Watchlist Of Mothers Driving Cars https://theonion.com/dhs-releases-watchlist-of-mothers-driving-cars/

Reposted by Juan Cole

Keir Starmer has a higher unfavourability rating in the UK than Hamas, a YouGov poll has found.

Hamas has an unfavourability rating of 63%, while Starmer's unfavourability rating was 74%.

Starmer did fare better in favourability, with 18% having a favourable view of him, compared to 5% for Hamas