What Really Happened with the Cia and the Paris Review?

Postedabout 2 months agoActiveabout 2 months ago

frenzcan

94 points

12 comments

theparisreview.orgOtherstory

calmneutral

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The Paris ReviewCiaLiterary History

Key topics

The Paris Review

Cia

Literary History

The story explores the historical connection between the CIA and The Paris Review, a prominent literary magazine, sparking interest and discussion about the implications of their relationship.

Snapshot generated from the HN discussion

Discussion Activity

Moderate engagement

First comment

Peak period

Day 9

Avg / period

5.5

Comment distribution11 data points

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Based on 11 loaded comments

Key moments

01Story posted
Nov 11, 2025 at 10:54 AM EST
about 2 months ago
Step 01
02First comment
Nov 19, 2025 at 10:30 PM EST
8d after posting
Step 02
03Peak activity
10 comments in Day 9
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03
04Latest activity
Nov 20, 2025 at 11:14 AM EST
about 2 months ago
Step 04

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Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns

Discussion (12 comments)

Showing 11 comments of 12

timschmidt

about 2 months ago

2 replies

Worth pointing out that next to the US, France is another empire with economically tied former colonies throughout Africa, Asia, and South America. They have a large installed base of nuclear power, nuclear ships, and nuclear weapons fed from uranium mines in those former colonies. And operate an aircraft carrier to project power internationally: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_aircraft_carrier_Charle...

Despite the ways France tends to be portrayed in the US media, it plays an outsized role in European and international politics as a result. Makes sense the CIA would want to be involved.

keiferski

about 2 months ago

1 reply

The Paris Review hasn’t been in Paris since 1973. And it’s in English, not French, so I doubt that there is much connection to France itself anymore via the magazine.

timschmidt

about 2 months ago

2 replies

Ah, my mistake. Shows how uncultured I am! lol. Thanks for the correction.

Rover222

about 2 months ago

I still enjoyed reading your facts on the French empire

keiferski

about 2 months ago

No worries, I read the magazine for years before realizing it had no contemporary connection to Paris :)

spieden

about 2 months ago

1 reply

I brought up the aircraft carrier in a conversation with a Frenchman while our daughters played in his apartment off the Champs-Élysées some months ago. He said: "Yes, it was very expensive and we don't take it anywhere." ; )

lloeki

about 2 months ago

IIRC the operational plan involved having two of those as projection is much more limited (and notably cannot be continuous due to docked maintenance periods) with only one.

textfiles

about 2 months ago

1 reply

What unusually crafted prose for Hackernews.

RYJOX

about 2 months ago

I thought the same thing, still made me click aha!

neogodless

about 2 months ago

Previous: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45922420

5 days ago, 110 comments

bell-cot

about 2 months ago

This is popping up from the Second Chance Pool, but it was submitted again in between, and hit the front page that time - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45922420 (186 points 116 comments)

(To see the timeline - https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=theparisreview.org )

On one hand, maybe the Second Chance Pool shouldn't do that.

On the other hand, 64 points would seem to say that nothing's wrong.

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ID: 45888759Type: storyLast synced: 11/21/2025, 6:27:04 PM

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