Is it too much to dream that just once we got the whole story behind one of these Jeffrey Epstein-like episodes. … and that we got it within weeks, not years-to-decades after the event?
Of course you, me and every pig flying overhead thought “conspiracy” when we heard Epstein killed himself. As every pundit has been saying, the guy with possibly criminal-quality stories to tell about Presidents, royalty, other politicians, Nobel-level academics and god knows who else, was the highest profile prisoner in US custody when — we’re to believe — the overworked, screwed-up jailers in Manhattan just kinda forgot about him long enough for Epstein to hang himself (with what? from what?) in the cell that against standing policy he had to himself.
All that would be highly suspicious enough were it not for the fact that the man who will now “oversee” the investigation into what happened is … Bill Barr, the raw embodiment of precisely the kind of institutionalist corruption that routinely drops a dense official shroud on uncomfortable truths.
Lord knows there are hundreds of truly insane conspiracy theories choking the sluice gates of our infotainment culture. Think Hillary Clinton and that child sex ring run out of a DC pizza parlor as an example of what a certain quality of thinker is prepared to believe. But … but … unlike the self-proclaimed “cooler heads” of media and government, people who protect their professional credibility by reflexively assuring us that, “You know, I’m not a big conspiracy theory guy”, the plain fact is that throughout human history individuals have plotted together to steal, cheat and murder to protect their nefarious interests. Why, it’s almost as basic as breathing and self-defense. Despite what we here in ‘Murica prefer to think, conspiracies are not the sole provenance of medieval royal courts and Russian apparatchiks.
Proof is everything, of course. And that’s where the likes of characters like Bill Barr are so frequently present and prepared to slow the hunt for truth, cloud up transparency and bury come-what-may resolution under a cloud of convoluted legalism, often in the name of “healing” and “moving on .”
Like you, I have no idea what went down with Epstein over the weekend or what, if anything, Barr already knows. But, based on what we do know, almost entirely from the reporting of Julie K. Brown and The Miami Herald, everything about Epstein’s sweetheart “prosecution” in Florida a dozen years ago stinks like an open sewer. And … and … we still have no real idea how Epstein assembled a financial empire that clearly required the liquid cash wherewithall of an actual billionaire, not a false facade like some cheesy con-man making a show with a leased Maserati.
The larger point being that this — again — is one of those episodes where intelligent, fully-functioning adults have little to reason to believe — much like as in Russia — they will ever get the whole story from their government officials. Maybe from Ms. Brown or another news organization … work that will be derided as “fake news” by those of whom we are most suspicious, but not from the most senior people in charge of the “investigation”/creation of “alternative facts.”
Let me then apologize for this eruption of skepticism, cynicism and faithlessness. Maybe it’s just me. But I really don’t think so.
Your work is always great, except for this. It does no good to peddle “might be” theories, especially in this administration and with the credible Bill Barr in charge.
Taking a pass on crazy theories leads people who are crazy to get their guns out.
Well, to put what I was saying a different way. If you truly want to avoid insane conspiracy theories, appoint investigators with much better credentials than Barr, who I do not find credible in any way, and offer full transparency to serious journalists. Lacking that, you’re feeding the weirdness.
My conspiracy theory about Epstein is rather modest and involves only a few people. I assume Epstein was, in fact, suicidal and needed to be left alone to get the job done. All it would have taken is payments to the guards working that shift and whoever it was that transferred out his roommate. He probably convinced them that the money could be laundered in a manner that would prevent them getting caught. (Sorry to leave the Clintons out of it, but this is more parsimonious.)
I’m open to that crazy theory. Epstein had to know he was — in the parlance of our times — fucked. The sky high notoriety of his case would likely have meant that most if not all of his big-name pals would drop him like radioactive waste. Still, money buys a lot of justice in our free and exceptional democracy. Did he also know that he going to be unable to tap his allegedly vast resources to lawyer-down the charges … again?
One thing for sure–Epstein was going to be killed in jail if he was ever in the general prison population. Probably even if he was ever given a roommate. So, to me, suicide would seems sort of a reasonable choice for him. The only surprise is that he (apparently) didn’t take a bunch of other people down with him. Apparently/maybe, he had the dirt to do so. That is what might seem suspicious to me.
Just letting the imagination roll here … if this was a Frankie Pentangeli kind of deal (“Godfather” reference), what “legacy” benefit would Epstein be getting by silencing himself? Frankie had assurances his family would be taken care of. Epstein has no family. [Correction: While he has no wife or children, he does have a brother.] Mainly though, I want to know where all the money came from. The theory that he was running an extortion racket on very wealthy people doesn’t quite jibe with my thinking on how very wealthy people would deal with someone running a multi-million dollar con on them.
Like every serial killer out there…Epstein “maybe” killed himself. But, I really do seriously doubt that.