Epstein Could Have Been Stopped. But.
The Epstein scandal could have been avoided.
A sordid saga could have been limited to a brief notice about a despicable human being no one had heard of, with a few accomplices no one had heard of either, and a handful of victims swiftly taken care of.
That did not happen. Because no one stopped Mandelson, Jagland, Andrew, Chomsky, Musk or the rest of the lovely lot.
They were able to sail through life until they hit an underwater rock called the Epstein files.
But the signs would have been there for decades.
None of them became the sort of person who befriended him.
They already were, much as power corrupts the already corruptible.
These people would always have been hungry for recognition and willing to eat any mouthful of it—no matter if it came from poisonous creatures.
And if their excuse is poor judgement, they have probably shown lots of poor judgement in the past.
If they are “sorry” now that they have been found out, they have likely had similar episodes where they were “sorry” when caught red-handed.
What if the warning signs had been recognised early?
How did they treat those beneath them?
How did they handle criticism? By attacking or seeking revenge?
Was there much “my way or the highway”?
Not always telling the truth? Breaking promises? Playing games?
Any signs of insecurity? Seemed eager to fawn on those above them?
Or on anyone with a tiny bit more prestige than themselves?
For instance, the coworker whose mother had been at a party with David Bowie in 1969?
We often realise when something is wrong with another human being. Sadly, we are also eager to please, thirsty for praise, easily fooled by a charming manipulator—making us push the “BUT” button.
“But he is so competent.” – “But she is so good with people.” – “But a bit of ruthlessness is needed in this business.”- “But, sometimes you need to cut corners.” – “But we all make mistakes.” – “But, he didn’t mean any harm.”
A persistent stream of “BUTS” led to these people landing or holding positions with enough prestige to be picked up on Epstein’s radar.
And that is the big lesson from this affair: Stop excusing bad behaviour.
Most of the people in Epstein’s circle did not abuse any women or underage girls. Still, they were King Jeffrey’s excellent enablers.
And they have likely been excused for bad behaviour and poor judgement for decades, long before they looked into the eyes of the inglorious bastard.
Remember that the next time you have a “But, he is…” at the tip of your tongue.
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Thanks for reading!
