Paul Cohen
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paulecohen.bsky.social
Paul Cohen
@paulecohen.bsky.social
6.2K followers 800 following 8K posts
Historian of France, the Atlantic world, language, food. Squirrelly cyclist, slowfooted defenseman, working dad. Worried about the 21st century.

https://utoronto.academia.edu/PaulCohen
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paulecohen.bsky.social
Aliens founded Rome obv
an Elon Musk tweet that reads: "I sometimes wonder if perhaps Rome was started by exiles from Troy. It's not completely out of the question. At some point in antiquity, a few ships of very competent soldiers (with almost no women) landed on the coast of Italy. where did they come from?"
November 11, 2025 at 2:04 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
seeking maximum alpha
the cover of Emily Wilson's new translation of Homer's epic poem, The Iliad
November 11, 2025 at 1:34 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
Hang on, when did reading become so performative?
an eighteenth century painting painted by the French painter François Boucher, it is a portrait of the French king Louis XV's mistress Madame Du Barry, dressed in a magnificent green dress, reclining on a sofa, with a book open in her hand, she is staring off into space
November 10, 2025 at 6:59 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
a photograph of Subcommandante Marcos, wearing a balaclava covering his face, smoking a pipe, dressed in military fatigues and holding his fist up
November 10, 2025 at 12:06 AM
paulecohen.bsky.social
just putting this out there
photograph of the cover of John F. Kennedy's book Profiles in Courage: Decisive Moments in the Lives of Celebrated Americans
November 10, 2025 at 12:01 AM
paulecohen.bsky.social
<Ayn Rand has entered the chat>
screenshot of a BuzzFeed article published July 31, 2013 by Benny Johnson whose title reads: "23 Libertarian Problems: Yes, I do sleep on a copy of Atlas Shrugged"
November 7, 2025 at 5:56 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
a photograph of Marjorie Taylor Greene, in Congress, wearing a red blazer, a white t-shirt with the words "Say her name Laken Riley", and smiling broadly
November 7, 2025 at 3:34 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
"Don't give up!"
the face of Brett Kavanaugh, contorted in rage -- the photograph was taken during Kavanaugh's Senate confirmation hearings when he had been nominated for the position of Justice of the Supreme Court, and was facing (very credible) accusations that he had, years before, been a party to the sexual assault of a young woman
November 7, 2025 at 2:39 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
"I wonder where Barron is, the grass is getting awful ragged, time to mow the White House lawn"
o
o
o
a photograph taken earlier today in the Oval Office in the White House, while someone during a press event fainted. We see to the right of the presidential desk a man, lying down, in distress, attended to by three aids/cabinet officials, one on his knees elevating the legs of the man in distress, all looking concerned, concentrated, attentive. Behind the desk, we see Trump, standing, in his trademark blue suit white collared shirt and blood red tie, staring vacantly into space in front of him, unconcerned by the scene unfolding to his left and just behind him
November 6, 2025 at 8:17 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
compassionate conservatism
a photograph taken earlier today in the Oval Office in the White House, while someone during a press event fainted. We see to the right of the presidential desk a man, lying down, in distress, attended to by three aids/cabinet officials, one on his knees elevating the legs of the man in distress, all looking concerned, concentrated, attentive. Behind the desk, we see Trump, standing, in his trademark blue suit white collared shirt and blood red tie, staring vacantly into space in front of him, unconcerned by the scene unfolding to his left and just behind him
November 6, 2025 at 6:58 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
Dems in disarray
screenshot of Fox News broadcast, the chyron reads "By winning, Democrats are actually losing"
November 6, 2025 at 2:41 AM
paulecohen.bsky.social
my view is that it can only be this man
infamous photograph of pseudo-chef Salt Bae, who somehow made it onto the pitch at the close of the 2022 World Cup and is holding the World Cup trophy
November 5, 2025 at 7:42 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
tbh it's not the unbuttoned shirts I have a problem with
a photo of Timothée Chalamet, on some red carpet, in a dark suit with spangles, no shirt, black leather dress shoes
November 5, 2025 at 5:22 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
BHL, qui encore une fois manie le fiel, la mauvaise foi, l'ignorance et la suffisance dont lui seul a le secret
screenshot of a tweet by wealthy French man who has postured for many decades as a philosopher and public intellectual, Bernard-Henri Lévy, who declares: "All New Yorkers at heart are in mourning today. Nothing justifies antisemitism. No social program, no concern for minorities -- nothing. Mr. Mamdani's antisemitism is not an opinion; it is a crime."
November 5, 2025 at 5:02 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
don't forget Garrison NJ (and this 1997 gem!)
release poster for the 1997 film Cop Land, starring Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Sylvester Stallone
November 5, 2025 at 3:16 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
Andrew Cuomo: Democrat In Name Only
screenshot of electoral results in NYC's mayoral election, showing that in neighborhoods where Trump won in 2024, Cuomo won by 42 points; in neighborhoos where Harris won in 2024, Mamdani won by 23 points
November 5, 2025 at 1:59 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
"Hell Zohran? Bill Ackman here. Just wanted to congratulate you on your victory and offer whatever help I could as you prepare your transition"

"Who is this?"

"This is Bill Ackman, Pershing Square Capital Management"

"I have four words for you: turn the volume up"
screenshot of a tweet from Bill Ackman addressed to Zohran Mamdani, which reads: "congrats on the win. Now you have a big responsibility. If I can help NYC, just let me know what I can do."
November 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
in a three way race, running up against a former governor, cabinet official, and dynast with instant name recognition and bankrolled by $40m in campaign donations, our man Zohran still won a majority of the popular vote
screenshot of the New York Times popular vote in the New York City mayoral election: Mamdani: 1,036,051 (50.4%); Cuomo: 854,995 (41.6%); Sliwa: 146,137 (7.1%) -- with 91% votes counted
November 5, 2025 at 12:32 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
Mamdani's victory top story on both Libération and Le Monde's web sites rn
Screenshot of Libération showing headline "Zohran Mamdani élu maire de New York et de l'espoir anti-Trump" screenshot of French daily Le Monde's web site, showing headline, "Zohran Mamdani, le candidat démocrate, élu maire de New York"
November 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM
paulecohen.bsky.social
"And there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth in 620 Eighth Avenue"
screenshot of the New York Times headline: "Mamdani Seals Victory in Improbable Run"
November 5, 2025 at 3:10 AM
paulecohen.bsky.social
latest from CNN in NYC
screenshot of CNN vote count in NYC mayoral race -- Mamdani 51.5%; Cuomo 39.7%; Sliwa 8%; 36% vote counted
November 5, 2025 at 2:03 AM
paulecohen.bsky.social
"I could smell the onions and mustard"
a photograph of Julia Child, in her kitchen-tv studio, pots, pans, and cooking implements hanging on the wall behind her, a set of raw whole chickens on the counter before her, she is dressed in an apron, smiling broadly, holding up a fearsome French-style chef's knife
November 4, 2025 at 7:29 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
Zohran Mamdani featured on the front page of the French daily Libération yesterday
front page of the newspaper Libération (dated 3 November 2025). There is a photograph of Mamdani, with is trademark warm, broad, infectiously happy smile. He is, as always, dressed in a dark suit and tie and white shirt. He is on a city street (I would guess Manhattan), in the midst of campaigning. The headline reads: "Élection à New York. Zohran Mamdani, Antidote Anti-Trump" -- which traslates: "Election in New York: Zohran Mamdani, the Anti-Trump Antidote"
November 4, 2025 at 1:47 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
understatement can be eloquent and despair-inducing in equal measure

www.politico.eu/article/us-a...
screenshot of the linked article, which reads: "'Once you go around threatening countries, you undermine the design and functioning of multilateralism as it emerged since the Second World War,' he added."
November 3, 2025 at 1:39 PM
paulecohen.bsky.social
NEW YORK YOU'VE BEEN WARNED
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[please don't give the scary socialist too big a margin of victory please]
screenshot of a Wall Street Journal op ed piece by former Ronald Reagan speechwriter and GOP [never trumper?] pundit Peggy Noonan. The title reads: "New York, you've been warned", subtitle: "At the very least, don't give Democratic Socialist an overwhelmding win he can call a mandate"
October 31, 2025 at 11:59 AM