Isaac S. Loftus
@isaacsloftus.bsky.social
Disaffected playwright, history nerd and enthusiastic dad. I make stuff about the past...mostly. Co-host 2 Complicated 4 History
I’M BACK BABY
a drawing of a man with a sword and the words txz tumblr below him
ALT: a drawing of a man with a sword and the words txz tumblr below him
media.tenor.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:56 AM
I’M BACK BABY
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
Trump deported Iranian Christians with open asylum claims for religious persecution four weeks ago.
He expelled other Iranian Christians, including children, to Panama in February.
He expelled other Iranian Christians, including children, to Panama in February.
Trump threatens US military action in Nigeria over treatment of Christians reut.rs/4qBrVXy
Trump threatens US military action in Nigeria over treatment of Christians
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he has asked the Defense Department to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria if the Nigerian government "continues to allow the killing of Christians."
reut.rs
November 1, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Trump deported Iranian Christians with open asylum claims for religious persecution four weeks ago.
He expelled other Iranian Christians, including children, to Panama in February.
He expelled other Iranian Christians, including children, to Panama in February.
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
I’m so excited and grateful to my friend the brilliant historian Leslie Harris for coming to Providence for this conversation about the sharp politics of family history. 11.11 and there’s a zoom link coming…
Save the Date! 11/11 at 4PM: Join the Department of History for a conversation with @kawulf.bsky.social and Leslie M. Harris (Northwestern University) on Wulf’s latest publication, Lineage: Genealogy and the Politics of Connection in Early America. Free and open to the public! Learn more:
The Politics of Family History: Karin Wulf in Conversation With Leslie Harris (Northwestern University)
Join the Department of History for a conversation with Karin Wulf and Leslie M. Harris (Northwestern University) on Wulf’s latest publication, Li...
events.brown.edu
October 28, 2025 at 11:29 PM
I’m so excited and grateful to my friend the brilliant historian Leslie Harris for coming to Providence for this conversation about the sharp politics of family history. 11.11 and there’s a zoom link coming…
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
Zohran Mamdani caught lying that he understood Plato’s allegory of the cave, yet when asked to explain it, he seemed to instead explain Baudrillard’s theory of Simulacra and Simulation where reality has been replaced by symbols and signs, which seems similar to Plato’s theory but is not the same
October 29, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Zohran Mamdani caught lying that he understood Plato’s allegory of the cave, yet when asked to explain it, he seemed to instead explain Baudrillard’s theory of Simulacra and Simulation where reality has been replaced by symbols and signs, which seems similar to Plato’s theory but is not the same
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
It’s officially pub day for Opium Slavery: Civil War Veterans and America‘s First Opioid Crisis! Available at a bookshop near you. Thanks to everyone who made it possible to bring this research to life! 🗃️ @uncpress.bsky.social uncpress.org/978146968953...
October 28, 2025 at 11:27 AM
It’s officially pub day for Opium Slavery: Civil War Veterans and America‘s First Opioid Crisis! Available at a bookshop near you. Thanks to everyone who made it possible to bring this research to life! 🗃️ @uncpress.bsky.social uncpress.org/978146968953...
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
Do you have a history podcast idea? We want to hear it for the #AHA2026 Sinclair Workshop on Historical Podcasting. Submit an application before November 15th!
Applications are open for the #AHA26 Sinclair Workshop on Historical Podcasting. This session, limited to 10 attendees following an application, will focus on the development process for producing historical podcast. Apply at the link by November 15. 🗃️
139th Annual Meeting (January 8-11, 2026): Sinclair Workshop on Historical Podcasting: Developmental Conversations
aha.confex.com
October 24, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Do you have a history podcast idea? We want to hear it for the #AHA2026 Sinclair Workshop on Historical Podcasting. Submit an application before November 15th!
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
One of the things that Chairman Tahdooahnippah and I both wanted to talk about was how to do ethical scholarship with Tribes. So if you’re interested in those thoughts or feel that your students could hear them, check out the current episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert below.
October 14, 2025 at 2:13 PM
One of the things that Chairman Tahdooahnippah and I both wanted to talk about was how to do ethical scholarship with Tribes. So if you’re interested in those thoughts or feel that your students could hear them, check out the current episode of Reckoning with Jason Herbert below.
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
New essay in the Atlantic today: How Native Nations Shaped the Revolution by Ned Blackhawk (with many lessons on how we ended up where we are as a nation, and a gift link) www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
How Native Nations Shaped the Revolution
The Founders were inspired—and threatened—by the independence and self-governance of nations like the Iroquois Confederacy.
www.theatlantic.com
October 9, 2025 at 2:33 PM
New essay in the Atlantic today: How Native Nations Shaped the Revolution by Ned Blackhawk (with many lessons on how we ended up where we are as a nation, and a gift link) www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
A Texas megachurch pastor and GOP leader has been arrested for crimes against children. Not Robert Morris, a different one. Not Josiah Anthony, a different one. Not Luke Cunningham, a different one. Not Tony Evans, a different one. Not Scott Crenshaw, a different one. Not Steve Lawson, a different o
October 5, 2025 at 3:35 PM
A Texas megachurch pastor and GOP leader has been arrested for crimes against children. Not Robert Morris, a different one. Not Josiah Anthony, a different one. Not Luke Cunningham, a different one. Not Tony Evans, a different one. Not Scott Crenshaw, a different one. Not Steve Lawson, a different o
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
The reason we have rules of engagement isn’t to keep warfighters from killing our enemies.
It’s to keep them from killing a farmer with a shovel bc they thought it was a rifle and didn’t bother to wait to check.
Or a family in a car bc the driver looked nervous.
Or a boat full of fishermen.
It’s to keep them from killing a farmer with a shovel bc they thought it was a rifle and didn’t bother to wait to check.
Or a family in a car bc the driver looked nervous.
Or a boat full of fishermen.
Hegseth: "We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement."
September 30, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The reason we have rules of engagement isn’t to keep warfighters from killing our enemies.
It’s to keep them from killing a farmer with a shovel bc they thought it was a rifle and didn’t bother to wait to check.
Or a family in a car bc the driver looked nervous.
Or a boat full of fishermen.
It’s to keep them from killing a farmer with a shovel bc they thought it was a rifle and didn’t bother to wait to check.
Or a family in a car bc the driver looked nervous.
Or a boat full of fishermen.
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
Only an administration intent on committing war crimes in the present and future would stoop to calling Wounded Knee a "battle" rather than what it truly was: a massacre of over 250 Lakotas, mainly women, children, and the elderly. 1/
September 26, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Only an administration intent on committing war crimes in the present and future would stoop to calling Wounded Knee a "battle" rather than what it truly was: a massacre of over 250 Lakotas, mainly women, children, and the elderly. 1/
Michael Jackson — specially Bad
September 20, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Michael Jackson — specially Bad
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer scratched bullets with a Helldivers combo and a furry sex meme
Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer scratched bullets with a Helldivers combo and a furry sex meme
The suspected shooter left a hodgepodge of extremely online taunts.
buff.ly
September 12, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer scratched bullets with a Helldivers combo and a furry sex meme
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
Citing concerns about DEI, the Department of Education has halted funding for programs that support students with combined hearing and vision loss in eight states.
“How low can you go?” one advocate asked. “How can you do this to children?”
By @jodiscohen.bsky.social @jsmithrichards.bsky.social
“How low can you go?” one advocate asked. “How can you do this to children?”
By @jodiscohen.bsky.social @jsmithrichards.bsky.social
Programs for Students With Hearing and Vision Loss Harmed by Trump’s Anti-Diversity Push
Citing concerns about DEI, the U.S. Department of Education has halted funding for programs that support students with combined hearing and vision loss in eight states. “How low can you go?” one advoc...
www.propublica.org
September 12, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Citing concerns about DEI, the Department of Education has halted funding for programs that support students with combined hearing and vision loss in eight states.
“How low can you go?” one advocate asked. “How can you do this to children?”
By @jodiscohen.bsky.social @jsmithrichards.bsky.social
“How low can you go?” one advocate asked. “How can you do this to children?”
By @jodiscohen.bsky.social @jsmithrichards.bsky.social
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
“But are there not many Fascists in your country?"
"There are many who do not know they are Fascists, but will find it out when the time comes.”
- Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
"There are many who do not know they are Fascists, but will find it out when the time comes.”
- Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
March 22, 2025 at 1:48 PM
“But are there not many Fascists in your country?"
"There are many who do not know they are Fascists, but will find it out when the time comes.”
- Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
"There are many who do not know they are Fascists, but will find it out when the time comes.”
- Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
It really is so striking how much The Discourse operates untethered from…what we actually know. The killer is still at large! We have no idea who did it! Seems pretty important to get that sorted.
September 11, 2025 at 3:53 AM
It really is so striking how much The Discourse operates untethered from…what we actually know. The killer is still at large! We have no idea who did it! Seems pretty important to get that sorted.
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
My coworker and I watched plainclothes people grab two community members and put them into unmarked cars this morning. One was yelling for help. And all we could do was film. They're disappearing people.
"That is a ridiculous thing to say ... this is not disappearing people. This is a planned, targeted, enforcement operation" -- Tom Homan gets mad after Mika Brzezinski describes ICE as "disappearing" people
September 9, 2025 at 11:46 PM
My coworker and I watched plainclothes people grab two community members and put them into unmarked cars this morning. One was yelling for help. And all we could do was film. They're disappearing people.
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
Today, Knight Foundation is committing $10M to the Public Media Bridge Fund — part of a nearly $37M effort to support public media. We’re calling on others to join us in ensuring public media remains a pillar of civic life.
Read more in @nytimes.com:
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...
Read more in @nytimes.com:
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...
The Race to Rescue PBS and NPR Stations
www.nytimes.com
August 19, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Today, Knight Foundation is committing $10M to the Public Media Bridge Fund — part of a nearly $37M effort to support public media. We’re calling on others to join us in ensuring public media remains a pillar of civic life.
Read more in @nytimes.com:
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...
Read more in @nytimes.com:
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
This sounds going viral here’s the original Sinéad O’Connor performance
August 13, 2025 at 12:38 PM
This sounds going viral here’s the original Sinéad O’Connor performance
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
“And that Douglass would have hated Black Lives Matter.”
The man sent his own two sons off to war to fight against slavery and for equal rights.
The man sent his own two sons off to war to fight against slavery and for equal rights.
PragerU is like creationism, but for all subjects.
They start with an article of faith, then twist everything else to fit.
Check it out for yourself: The Douglass video tries to convince kids that the Founders were the ones who *stopped* slavery. And that Douglass would have hated BLM.
They start with an article of faith, then twist everything else to fit.
Check it out for yourself: The Douglass video tries to convince kids that the Founders were the ones who *stopped* slavery. And that Douglass would have hated BLM.
August 8, 2025 at 2:16 PM
“And that Douglass would have hated Black Lives Matter.”
The man sent his own two sons off to war to fight against slavery and for equal rights.
The man sent his own two sons off to war to fight against slavery and for equal rights.
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
The United States would not exist if George Washington hadn’t ordered his troops to be vaccinated.
We have spiraled back 250 years.
We have spiraled back 250 years.
August 7, 2025 at 11:20 PM
The United States would not exist if George Washington hadn’t ordered his troops to be vaccinated.
We have spiraled back 250 years.
We have spiraled back 250 years.
Reposted by Isaac S. Loftus
1. This week, the FBI released its comprehensive crime report for 2024, which revealed that both VIOLENT CRIME and PROPERTY CRIME reached their LOWEST LEVELS SINCE THE 1960s
This a massive story. But you might not have heard about it, even if you follow the news closely.
Here's why.
This a massive story. But you might not have heard about it, even if you follow the news closely.
Here's why.
Why you might not know that 2024 was America's safest year since the 1960s
An overwhelming majority of Americans, 64 percent, believe that crime increased across the country in 2024, according to a Gallup survey conducted late last year.
popular.info
August 7, 2025 at 1:35 PM
1. This week, the FBI released its comprehensive crime report for 2024, which revealed that both VIOLENT CRIME and PROPERTY CRIME reached their LOWEST LEVELS SINCE THE 1960s
This a massive story. But you might not have heard about it, even if you follow the news closely.
Here's why.
This a massive story. But you might not have heard about it, even if you follow the news closely.
Here's why.