Dr. Zac Cowsert

Donald Trump is an extremely stupid man with very few real policy preferences who has simply done what mainstream conservatives have wanted 80-90% of the time since he has entered politics. They have wanted to bomb Iran. He bombed Iran. Pretty straightforward.

Hey #historians! I'm developing a Comparative Empires class. In your opinion, what historical empires are worth including--absolute MUSTs, personal interests, unique, etc.? #blueskystorians #worldhistory #empires

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most of the nearly 400 books pulled from US Naval Academy library in DEI purge are back on shelves in latest shift.

Our cover this week.

Elon Musk this you?

Instead of stealing Greenland from Denmark, let’s steal some of their policies.

In Denmark:

- Health care and college are free.  

- The starting wage is $22/hr.

- Paid parental leave is 1 year.

- Paid vacation is 6 weeks.  

- All workers get pensions.

A photo of a poem titled, "To a student who used AI to write a paper." Now I let it fall back in the grasses. I hear you. I know this life is hard now. I know your days are precious on this earth. But what are you trying to be free of? The living? The miraculous task of it? Love is for the ones who love the work.

for a student who used AI to write a paper #poem

Columbia Concedes to Trump’s Demands After Federal Funds Are Stripped The administration has moved to cut $400 million in federal funding to the university without changes to its policies and rules.

Columbia University has failed to defend academic freedom & freedom of speech & allowed a great institution to be bullied & extorted into submission by an administration hellbent on contorting higher education to their will.

The AAUP condemns this capitulation. We can & must fight back.

to be clear, this is what mass deportation looks like: going after parents, grandparents, neighbors, workers, people building (or who have built) American lives who have done more to enrich their communities than any person serving in this monstrous administration

Brutal.

Editorial: A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelensky It’s time to say it plainly. America’s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up. In the past several weeks, the U.S. leadership has demonstrate...

NEW: A searing editorial in the The Kyiv Independent.

“It’s time to say it plainly. America’s leadership has switched sides in the war. The American people have not, and they should speak up.

“A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelensky.”

@kyivindependent.com

Find the University of Oklahoma Press on Bluesky!

Follow:

Katie Baker, Director of Sales and Marketing: @doomkittiekhan.bsky.social

Derek Krissoff, editor-at-large: @derekkrissoff.bsky.social

Joe Schiller, acquisitions editor: @jschiller.bsky.social

And the mothership: @oupress.bsky.social

On my U.S. government exam, I ask them if they were an American citizen in 1787, would they have been a Federalist or Anti-Federalist.

...Secretly pleased with the number of Anti-Federalist responses. Students want a bill of rights, fret over the "necessary and proper clause" & the power of elites

Profiles in Courage, these bootlicking Republicans.

I could go on, but suffice to say, Smith's book is excellent and left me with lots of food for thought. I wound up picking up his entire Vicksburg series and spending a weekend on the battlefield and campaign sites. Worth a read, worth a visit, worth further thoughts! (Pic is #Raymond Battlefield)

And while Grant's army doesn't live entirely off the land--and only for a few weeks--no doubt Sherman took note of the viability of the strategy, one he would enjoy next year in his famed March to the Sea.

The destruction of Jackson hints at the growing total/hard war nature do the conflict. 10/

Third theme: we see glimpses in the Inland Campaign of later 1864 operations. Grant fights and wins 5 battles in 17 days before the siege. On a grander scale, he'll execute this kind of semi-continuous fighting with the enemy in the 64 Overland Campaign. No fight a battle, recover for weeks here 9/

Subordinates questioned the wisdom of this, notably Sherman and McClernand. But Grant was SURE, and subordinates followed orders. His decision to take Jackson before Vicksburg highlights his flexibility & confidence. Moreover, his army corps were always in supporting distance. Bold but competent! 8/

Crossing into MS gave him no room to retreat. It cut his supply lines for a time. Throughout the campaign, he relied on a mix of convoy supply trains and living off the land. Neither was enough to feed his army alone. Men went hungry. Threat of starvation was REAL. Grant had to move quickly. 7/

A bolder commander might've challenged US river crossings before the bulk of the army arrived. Seriously attacked Grants supply lines. Committed to an open battle earlier on better ground. One wonders what Lee (or really anyone else) might've done.

Second big theme is Grant's confidence! 6/

To be fair, he gets conflicting orders from superiors. And subordinates question his decision-making. Pemberton finally fights, but reluctantly and tardily. The result is Champion Hill, the only battle where most of the CS Army is present. But they're strung out & narrowly avoid total capture. 5/

Pemberton doesn't challenge Grant crossing the Mississippi. He doesn't give enough forces to those tasked w/ holding defensive lines. In short, he does nothing to prevent Grant from getting into Mississippi. He lets the fox into the henhouse. He waffles on whether to fight or fortify Vicksburg. 4/

What strikes me most is Confederate incompetence and lost opportunities. CS General Pemberton is indecisive and weak. Out of the five battles fought (Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, and Big Black River), in only 1 did the Rebels fight to win! All else were holding actions. 3/

A little context: the book covers early May 1863 when US Grant crossed the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg and fought a series of five battles to successfully surround and besiege the city.

It's a risky move. Grant is partially cutting his supplies lines and is isolated. He can't retreat. 2/

Had the joy of reviewing Timothy Smith's Inland Campaign for Vicksburg. Short version: it's a brilliant volume that reshaped my understanding of the campaign. Link to book: kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700636556/

A few thoughts about #Vicksburg after reading: 1/

#CivilWar #history #skystorians

Congratulations! You gave a talk years ago at WVU, and I thought your work was fantastic! Excited to see this!

Can I point out the obvious? Democrats are enraged that DOJ has halted a prosecution of a Democratic mayor. I can’t remember the last time Republicans denounced a Republican accused of corruption; they support graft for its own sake, regardless of party. And don’t get me started on sex crimes.

Too many people on here seem to believe there are exactly two kinds of Americans: ardent politically-obsessed Bluesky users, and frothing MAGA cultists.

There are a LOT of people in this country who *just don’t pay a lot of attention one way or another*.

And we absolutely can reach them.

Final. 3-1 USA

a tweet reply thread. first tweet from donald trump says; “he who saves his country does not violate any law.” this was quote tweeted by known neo-nazi jack posobiec, who said, “america must be saved. what must be done will be done.” elon musk then replied to him, saying “yes”

I know folks hate seeing content from the other site, but the escalation implied in this tweet exchange is so severe that it needs to be acknowledged. Take the advice of so many other great folks dedicated to antifascist work with a wealth of experience of historical knowledge; you need to prepare.