Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ben Coates

@bencoates1.bsky.social

4.5K followers 600 following 2.1K posts

Author - 'THE INVENTION OF AMSTERDAM' out now! (https://amzn.to/2QJx3bh). Writer, aid worker, speechwriter, recovering Tory. Columnist @ADnl; articles NYT, Telgraph, New Statesman, Groene Amsterdammer etc. Buy my new book, it’s good!

amzn.to

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · Apr 17

A nice review in the TLS:

“The Invention of Amsterdam…. captures Coates’s infectious enthusiasm for his adopted home… The author… is an effortlessly charming guide… and has an excellent eye for the fetching fact”
www.the-tls.co.uk/world/travel...

6 4 29

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 45m

I am probably sometimes guilty of giving too much attention to lunatic rightwingers but still -

It looks like a far right protest with maybe 300 people is attracting nearly as much coverage as a pro-Palestine march with 200,000 did

At some point you think: don’t flatter them with your attention

2 10

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 2h

Anti immigration protest in Amsterdam

A truly devastating zoom out by the camera here.
We are the Netherlands! - all fifty of us!

Sebastiaan Barel @sebastiaanbarel.bsky.social · 3h

“Wij zijn Nederland, wij zijn Nederland!” #Museumplein #Amsterdam

4 9 42

Reposted by Ben Coates

Maartje Luif @zezunja.bsky.social · 3h

Ik vind het afschuwelijk dat het eufemisme ‘anti-immigratie’ door de journalistiek zo omarmd is. Het is gewoon een in- en in-racistische demonstratie. Het gaat nooit om werknemers bij ASML, of om mijn Belgische echtgenoot, of om die Pool die zwart hun schuurtje schildert. En dat weten we allemaal.

NOS @nieuws.nos.nl · 3h

Honderden bij anti-immigratieprotest A'dam, ook tegendemonstranten op de been

De politie is massaal aanwezig, ook bij CS. Er zijn al meerdere aanhoudingen verricht.

nos.nl

10 120 330

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 2h

Story in English:

www.channel4.com/news/exclusi...

Exclusive: ‘The Penguin Lessons’ author accused of historic sexual abuse

A Channel 4 News investigation can reveal shocking allegations against Mike Thompson, who authored the memoir The Penguin Lessons under the pen name ‘Tom Michell’, adapted into the 2024 feature film s...

www.channel4.com

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 2h

the new Salt Path scandal:
British author of ‘The Penguin Lessons’ (quite a nice little book) is accused of serious sexual assault on several children

NRC @nrc.nl · 2h

Een Engelse leraar en auteur van The Penguin Lessons wordt door leerlingen beschuldigd van ernstig seksueel misbruik. De slachtoffers eisen dat de op het boek gebaseerde speelfilm, die eind oktober in Nederland in première gaat, uit de bioscoop verdwijnt.
buff.ly/3lWD5yQ

Auteur en hoofdpersoon uit feelgoodfilm ‘The Penguin Lessons’ beschuldigd van seksueel wangedrag

Speelfilm: Een Engelse leraar en auteur van The Penguin Lessons wordt door leerlingen beschuldigd van ernstig seksueel misbruik. De slachtoffers eisen dat de op het boek gebaseerde speelfilm, die…

buff.ly

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 4h

ik heb een stemwijzerkiezer nodig

RTL Nieuws @rtl.nl · 4h

StemWijzer, Kieskompas, Stemchecker: welke stemhulp vul je in? #nieuws

StemWijzer, Kieskompas, Stemchecker: welke stemhulp vul je in?

Waar in 1989 de StemWijzer de eerste stemhulp was, zijn er tegenwoordig veel meer stemhulpen. Met de verkiezingen in aantocht kan je jezelf op een politieke landschap laten plaatsen door het Kieskompas, maar er zijn ook hulpen voor specifieke themas zoals zorg of wonen. Waarin verschillen de hulpen van elkaar, en hoe weet je welke je moet kiezen

www.rtl.nl

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 6h

I’m not sure that matters much, unless you’re in a two party system. In NL no-one gets 30% but the far right is currently in government. If 30% vote far right and another slice supports centre right parties willing to form coalitions, that’s enough.

1 2

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 6h

I haven’t read his book, probably will at some point. He’s an engaging speaker pitching likeable ideas, but personally I find the economics underneath it quite unconvincing

thecritic.co.uk/gary-stevens...

Stevenson is wrong about the real world | The Critic Magazine

Offering a critique, or at least an economic critique, of lefty darling Gary Stevenson is difficult…

thecritic.co.uk

1 1

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 6h

On and off, yes. But the clean sweep is new

1 2

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 7h

Christ this is grim, seeing it laid out this way.

The far right is now the most popular party in the UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland…

Unprecedented

heepst @heepst.bsky.social · 17h

Largest political parties in Europe according to polls

⚫ Far-right
🔵 Center-right
🟡 Center-liberal
🔴 Left

Antti Metsänkylä @antmetsa.bsky.social · 1d

Ei hyvältä näytä.

yle.fi/a/74-20186913

4 8 24

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 8h

Amsterdam is a nice shop, always busy. ABC, just around the corner, is also very good.

1 1

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 9h

A nice little paean to Waterstones in Brussels here.
It’s probably not cool to like chain stores but Waterstones are IMO reliably excellent. Good to see the ones on the continent thriving!

The Brussels Times @brusselstimes.com · 10h

How an English bookshop survived Brexit, e-books and Covid to keep Brussels reading

www.brusselstimes.com

1 1 24

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 19h

Even when the conversation is 100% focused on one of the issues she cares most about, she doesn’t have a clue about the details, and gives an answer you’d get from a ten year old.

These are not serious people.

Pieter Rocks! @pieterrocks.nl · 1d

Als stupiditeit werd uitgedrukt in een put van domheid, dan is die van deze politicus onpeilbaar diep.
Stukje interview door @decorrespondent.nl

4 10 73

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 19h

Also, don’t put tampons in the toilets or you’ll block them, everyone knows that

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 19h

Funny how we all just forgot the “I’m going to invade Canada and Greenland” stuff by the way

2 4 27

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 19h

Not the onion, but they are trying to be funny

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 19h

Tweeting this while flicking between BBC World News, CNN and Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera: heavy on Palestinian suffering but quite balanced. Will ceasefire hold?

BBC: looped footage of Jared Kushner speech at Israeli rally. Thanks to my father in law!

CNN: Should Trump get a Nobel? Our survey says yes

1 2 10

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 19h

Again, a deal to bring the hostages home is not a Middle East peace deal! Trump’s “experts” couldn’t achieve the latter if they tried.
Kushner and Witkoff probably think the Golan Heights is a housing project in the Bronx and Gaza is a retired football star

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 2d

A totally obvious point which seems to escape some people:
Brokering a ceasefire in Gaza is a very good thing but absolutely not the same as securing peace in the Middle East.
For the latter you’d deserve a Nobel; for the former less so.

1 5 25

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 1d

what

6 1 13

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 1d

Two things which can both be true:

- Political violence is reprehensible, and terror threats against Wilders are appalling

- It quite suits Wilders to skip the rest of the campaign after threats, avoid scrutiny, focus on social media, and be seen as a brave persecuted outsider

nos.nl/l/2585994

PVV-leider Wilders schort campagne op vanwege dreiging Belgische terreurcel

Wilders schrijft dat de NCTV aan hem heeft bevestigd dat hij door de gearresteerde verdachten van de verijdelde aanslag op de Belgische premier De Wever ook is genoemd als doelwit.

nos.nl

2 8 39

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 1d

I checked the odds earlier out of curiosity. 50/1 on Stephen King!

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 1d

have a lovely weekend

1 18

Reposted by Ben Coates

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 3d

We’re becoming immune to it, but it’s worth emphasizing:

In a country generally known for its good governance and good sense, *more than a third* of all seats in parliament are set to be won by the anti-immigrant populist far right

(PVV+BBB+JA21+FvD = 52 seats, out of 150)

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 3d

Latest Dutch ‘poll of polls’, 20 days before election:

- Wilders still comfortably first
- centre right (CDA) and left (GLPvdA) strong second
- VVD’s pandering to the far right still woefully unpopular
- lunatic-adjacent JA21 doing v well

And only 11% of PVV voters say stable govt is important!

4 6 27

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 2d

the Dutch be like

2 16

Ben Coates @bencoates1.bsky.social · 2d

“Limiting the number of international students coming to the Netherlands for a degree course could cost the Dutch economy up to €4.8 billion, five major universities have warned”

but hey, at least your waitress might speak Dutch!

Dutch News @dutchnewsnl.bsky.social · 2d

“Cutting foreign student numbers will hit Dutch economy hard” www.dutchnews.nl?p=258389

“Cutting foreign student numbers will hit Dutch economy hard”

www.dutchnews.nl

2 9 22