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To be fair, I'm sure some people regretted it earlier in private, before there was an expectation to put their opinions into the public record.

by drcode 7y ago

smacktoward 7y ago
The question isn't putting their opinions into the public record, it's the wisdom of maintaining the relationship in the first place. Epstein was convicted of sex trafficking in 2008, eleven years before his story became national news. A cursory Google search of his name anytime after his conviction would have turned that up. And yet all these luminaries were happy to continue keeping his company and taking his money through those eleven years -- until he became a public relations liability. Even if they privately had regrets about maintaining a relationship with Epstein, clearly those regrets weren't strong enough for any of them to actually, you know, do anything.
- miracle2k 7y ago
  He was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution, with there being public accusations of underage prostitution, something that Epstein claimed however to be not aware of. See [1]. Given that people convicted of crimes such as prostitution deserve to be re-integrated into society rather than being shunned, it's not clear you can accuse Bill Gates of much except maybe taking on a PR risk to himself to be kind to another human being. I am assuming he did not have a relationship with Epstein for the money. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/02/usa.internationalcrime1 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/02/usa.internatio...
  - AndrewBissell 7y ago
    The conviction was for solicitation of an underaged prostitute.
- smsm42 7y ago
  Do what? Epstein is dead now. Even if he wasn't, everything that could be done to him was already done. Back then Gates didn't appreciate what kind of person Epstein was, and surely regrets it now - who wouldn't? - but that can he do about it now?

To be fair, I'm sure some people regretted it earlier in private, before there was an expectation to put their opinions into the public record.

by drcode 7y ago

To be fair, I'm sure some people regretted it earlier in private, before there was an expectation to put their opinions into the public record.

smacktoward 7y ago

The question isn't putting their opinions into the public record, it's the wisdom of maintaining the relationship in the first place. Epstein was convicted of sex trafficking in 2008, eleven years before his story became national news. A cursory Google search of his name anytime after his conviction would have turned that up. And yet all these luminaries were happy to continue keeping his company and taking his money through those eleven years -- until he became a public relations liability. Even if they privately had regrets about maintaining a relationship with Epstein, clearly those regrets weren't strong enough for any of them to actually, you know, do anything.

miracle2k 7y ago
He was convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution, with there being public accusations of underage prostitution, something that Epstein claimed however to be not aware of. See [1]. Given that people convicted of crimes such as prostitution deserve to be re-integrated into society rather than being shunned, it's not clear you can accuse Bill Gates of much except maybe taking on a PR risk to himself to be kind to another human being. I am assuming he did not have a relationship with Epstein for the money. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/02/usa.internationalcrime1 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/02/usa.internatio...
- AndrewBissell 7y ago
  The conviction was for solicitation of an underaged prostitute.
smsm42 7y ago
Do what? Epstein is dead now. Even if he wasn't, everything that could be done to him was already done. Back then Gates didn't appreciate what kind of person Epstein was, and surely regrets it now - who wouldn't? - but that can he do about it now?