Our depraved rich and ostensible leaders need an Epstein.
Oftentimes, people who have gone from zero money to fabulous wealth have been blessed to be at the right place at the right time in history. Bill Gates and Paul Allen acquired the software for booting up those old personal computers just as IBM was beginning to crank them out for the masses. Michael Dell streamlined and sped up computer production just as the world was getting into the personal computer. The Rockefellers got into oil as the car was taking the place of the horse and buggy. Steve Jobs cornered the market on MP3 players when his iPods could hold a thousand songs versus the competition's 30. It's not always this way. There are many stories here in Israel of inventions created, but either being before their time or not having the right people to make them household names and products.
Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced pedophile and friend of many of the beautiful people, was apparently in the right place at the right time. One can look up how he went from being a high school math teacher to limited partner at Bear Stearns, working with the CIA and other intelligence agencies, and then being the friend/advisor/and provider of pleasures for the rich and shameless. As more of the "Epstein Files" are released, we see a veritable Who's Who of politicians, titans of industry, Hollywood and music bigshots, and members of royal families being directly associated with Epstein. Emails, phone conversations, pictures, videos—there are many people who wish that Elon Musk was already offering flights to Mars.
Much of the material recently released relates to individuals and activities between the time of Epstein's conviction for soliciting a minor and his death in jail. Why did the movers and shakers hang out with this guy when they knew that he was moral kryptonite? Richard Nixon famously vanished from the public eye in San Clemente for years after his resignation from the presidency. Not so Epstein. Just as some criminals get bonus points from gangs for the crimes they have committed, I have not heard too many stories of individuals who shunned the former financier/spy/pedophile because of his conviction or known bad behavior. Why?
When looking at the list of those whose names are associated with Epstein, he doesn't find the names of priests, rabbis, or imams. I am not suggesting that there is any faith that has not had its share of scandals, including those related to child abuse. All I am suggesting is that such men of faith either were of no interest to Epstein, or they had nothing to look for at his island, on his plane, or at one of his many homes. When one eschews a formal religion, he often feels a sense of freedom. He doesn't have to follow difficult dietary laws, tithe away his money, or go to some house of worship when he really would like to be making money. He thinks that he is free. But every time I hear some inventor claiming that he is thinking "out of the box," I have the feeling that he is actually in a new, bigger box but doesn't yet realize it. Everyone has a religion, whether he knows it or not. Many associate with known faiths, whose rules, history, and expectations are found in ancient texts and historical interpretations. But those who don't go to church or synagogue also have a religion. It might be science. Or maybe it's money. Or maybe it's their physical desires. Whatever a person puts as primary in his or her life and associates with it an importance disconnected from reality might be described as a religion.
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Those who associated with Jeffrey Epstein generally had two qualities: they were wealthy and in some important position. I did not yet hear of some guy sleeping on the street flying in the "Lolita Express," or a librarian going wild at Epstein's Santa Fe home. Epstein knew how to choose "friends," and those with money and no particular moral walls could get from Epstein things that they either did not know how to procure themselves or found easier to receive from their friend. Some, like Elon Musk, declined the direct offer to visit Epstein's island. The ones whose records are now coming out chose to go there and engage with the known pedophile. While most of us pinch pennies until they are unconscious, the fabulously wealthy ask themselves, "Why not?" They have the money, prestige, connections, and, with Epstein, the access to fulfill their wildest dreams and fantasies. Mark Styen recently wrote that the deceased financier paid the girls he and Ghislaine Maxwell recruited $200 per day. That's pretty good money, and for Epstein's friends, it provided for their every dream and fantasy. While there is evidence that everything was recorded at the various Epstein properties, Mike Benz suggests that the motive was not direct blackmail. His argument is that had Epstein started to squeeze his friends/clients, everyone would have abandoned him—something that did not happen until he died by suicide or assisted suicide.
Ehud Barak related in a just-released recorded conversation with his friend that he wanted to bring one million Russian non-Jews to Israel in order to dilute the influence of orthodox Jews in the country. A British minister was filmed with an unknown woman in his underwear. The daughter of a sitting Australian prime minister is seen walking outdoors with Epstein as they leave one of his properties. Prince Andrew will have a wing all to himself in the future Epstein Library. Billionaires like Gates and A-list actors all grace the pages and pictures of the Epstein material recently released. While a handful of people warned about pedophilia in Hollywood and Washington, most of the ultra-rich and very famous did not think twice about participating in Epstein-associated activities. Oftentimes, when someone in my family tells me of something horrible or evil done by someone in the public sphere, I have only one question: why would we expect that someone who has abandoned God and any moral path do the right thing? Again, there is no shortage of stories of outwardly religious appearing people doing very bad things. But the Epstein cohort was the top of our political, business, and social order. Even if they knew that cavorting with underage girls and a convicted felon was wrong, they did not stop themselves. And they kept coming back for more.
Now, not all people who associated with Epstein are criminals. Bobby Kennedy, Jr. said that he flew with his family to Epstein Island but did not participate in any unseemly activity. I believe him. Epstein would also appear to have been involved in covert financing work, possibly including Iran-Contra and other off-the-books CIA business. These activities do not appear to be directly associated with the rich friends/young girls department, but they may have all been joined together in one inextricable knot.
Will there be any indictments or convictions? I doubt it. The rich and famous know how to stay out of jail, and unless a case is airtight, I doubt that the government would bother prosecuting. So their "punishment" is their embarrassment, but these are mostly people who have no shame. Our ostensible "betters" mock the normal folks. Look at the NFL bringing in a cross-dressing, USA-hating half-time singer. The leadership couldn't care less about the real Americans who watch and attend the games. We have a detached class that feels it can do what it wants and only looks with disdain at the deplorables who are not in its orbit. One would like to have the wealth but nothing to do with these people.
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