4 ms·

Epstein's ability to carry in his activities with near impunity during his life seems even more shocking to me. Pretty much everyone knew what this guy was doin

Epstein's ability to carry in his activities with near impunity during his life seems even more shocking to me. Pretty much everyone knew what this guy was doing for decades.

A4ET8a8uTh0 7y ago
In the old country, there is a concept of krysha, which technically refers to protection paid to government for protection ( not unlike mafia ), but, for example, in Russia, referred to money paid for protection to the security apparatus. I find it difficult to believe Epstein had no protectors. Natually, now nonone really knew the guy.
- juskrey 7y ago
  Krysha is naturally something that can vanish overnight or turn against you
- code_duck 7y ago
  There's some speculation that he maintained his operational security, such as it was, through the threat of exposure or blackmail. That is, he brought prominent and powerful people into his fold, and then he had power over them. It's similar to how spy organizations intentionally place people in compromising situations, like hiring prostitutes for them, and record it on video.
  - detail-oriented 7y ago
    Isn't video of putins predecessor with prostitutes part of his rise to power?
  - thrower123 7y ago
    I cannot believe that he didn't have a deadman switch set up just in case something like this happened to him. Somewhere or wheres, there has to be a couple boxes of hard drives that could burn the world down if they ever came to light. Although I may be being optimistic; the Panama Papers never amounted to anything.
    - AndrewBissell 7y ago
      After he was arrested the FBI raided his mansion and took into its possession a large cache of CDs labeled "young <girl's name> with <famous rich person's name>" which he kept in his safe. There were also hints that people visited his private island and his New Mexico ranch (which the FBI bizarrely still has not raided) before he was killed. So they may have confiscated the materials for any dead man's switch. Also, if Epstein was indeed an intelligence agency cutout then he was surely watched very closely at all times, so there might not have been an opening for him to set one up (or he might have been told in no uncertain terms what would happen if he tried). Or (most likely of all IMO) after the sweetheart 2008 deal he simply thought he was untouchable and above the law, so why would he need to take precautions against being assassinated?
      - deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
      - dredmorbius 7y ago
        Source?
        AndrewBissell 7y ago
        https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2019/08/13/computer-removed-jeffrey-epsteins-island-fbi-raid-drone-footage-shows/ https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2019/08/13/computer-r... https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-news-ranch-new-mexico-still-has-not-been-raided-by-federal-agents-2019-08-21/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-news-ranch-new-... https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/08/jeffrey-epstein-called-sexual-predator-as-prosecutors-seek-no-bail.html https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/08/jeffrey-epstein-called-sexua...
    - jonplackett 7y ago
      Yeah, like maybe he has a voice recording of the president saying he likes to grab women by the pussy without their consent...
      - 7y ago
Haga 7y ago
Omerta is something beautiful. You drag everyone new to the party and the social connector can silence you, because you associated.
api 7y ago
It's similar to what keeps financial bubbles and Ponzi schemes going: when the money is flowing, nobody asks questions. Epstein threw a lot of money around. The UK had Jimmy Saville and a similar story. He raised a lot of money for various important people and charities so nobody paid attention to the fact that he appears to have been a serial rapist for decades.
- harry8 7y ago
  Saville was a friend of Prince Andrew's elder brother, the future King Charles. Don't overlook the snobbery and friend of royalty aspect. The Windsor boys have been very, um, unlucky in their choice of friends. Despite the fact they have advisors and the secret service keeps tabs on them so they aren't compromised by spies or assassinated. It really is extraordinary that they were both so unlucky and so badly compromised in this way.
  - heavenlyblue 7y ago
    Well, that only gives me an impression that those Windsor boys were simply useless to anyone else. You are not unlucky - you are simply coming from a powerful family but otherwise useless, so the only people who active try to be your friends are people who can’t be friends to someone useful.
paulmd 7y ago
There is some notion that he may have been operating a honeypot (kompromat factory) for Western intelligence services (particularly CIA or Mossad). That would explain why he was collecting blackmail material and all. I suppose the null hypothesis is that rich and well-connected people can get away with even open crimes in public for years and years. Weinstein got away with rape for years and years, against well-connected people as well. Epstein was a financier just like Weinstein. They have what you need, and they have the ear of a lot of other well-connected people who need things from him.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- krn 7y ago
  > There is some notion that he may have been operating a honeypot (kompromat factory) for Western intelligence services (particularly CIA or Mossad). Mossad seems to be the most likely player here[1][2]: > Given the chance to refute Ward’s report, specifically that the Epstein case involved intelligence matters, Acosta did nothing of the sort. Indeed, he functionally admitted that it’s true. > What then can we conclude at this point? It appears that Jeffrey Epstein was involved in intelligence work, of some kind, for someone—and it probably wasn’t American intelligence either. The U.S. Intelligence Community is lenient about the private habits of high-value agents or informants, but they won’t countenance running sex trafficking rings for minors on American soil, for years. While it’s plausible that Epstein was sharing some information with the FBI—many criminals do so to buy themselves some insurance—it’s implausible that he was mainly working for the Americans. > Who are the suspects then? It seems awfully coincidental that Epstein’s best pal and business partner for decades has been Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and daughter of the late Robert Maxwell, the media mogul who died under mysterious circumstances in 1991. > Six serving and former heads of Israeli intelligence services attended Maxwell's funeral in Israel, while Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir eulogized him and stated: “He has done more for Israel than can today be said." [1] https://observer.com/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-spy-intelligence-work/ https://observer.com/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-spy-intelligenc... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell#Israeli_connection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell#Israeli_connect...
Consultant32452 7y ago
I agree with this notion from Eric Weinstein. This comment was in response to an article by NYT which glossed over the horrors. Of course, this criticism isn't particular to NYT. >We need a second Church committee. Obviously. >If you don't want to call for one, then tell us why in an editorial. Why doesn't this recent pattern of state-protected child rape excite you as much as 17th century slavery? This story would sell newspapers & subscriptions. Let it.

Epstein's ability to carry in his activities with near impunity during his life seems even more shocking to me. Pretty much everyone knew what this guy was doing for decades.

A4ET8a8uTh0 7y ago

In the old country, there is a concept of krysha, which technically refers to protection paid to government for protection ( not unlike mafia ), but, for example, in Russia, referred to money paid for protection to the security apparatus. I find it difficult to believe Epstein had no protectors. Natually, now nonone really knew the guy.

juskrey 7y ago
Krysha is naturally something that can vanish overnight or turn against you
code_duck 7y ago
There's some speculation that he maintained his operational security, such as it was, through the threat of exposure or blackmail. That is, he brought prominent and powerful people into his fold, and then he had power over them. It's similar to how spy organizations intentionally place people in compromising situations, like hiring prostitutes for them, and record it on video.
- detail-oriented 7y ago
  Isn't video of putins predecessor with prostitutes part of his rise to power?
- thrower123 7y ago
  I cannot believe that he didn't have a deadman switch set up just in case something like this happened to him. Somewhere or wheres, there has to be a couple boxes of hard drives that could burn the world down if they ever came to light. Although I may be being optimistic; the Panama Papers never amounted to anything.
  - AndrewBissell 7y ago
    After he was arrested the FBI raided his mansion and took into its possession a large cache of CDs labeled "young <girl's name> with <famous rich person's name>" which he kept in his safe. There were also hints that people visited his private island and his New Mexico ranch (which the FBI bizarrely still has not raided) before he was killed. So they may have confiscated the materials for any dead man's switch. Also, if Epstein was indeed an intelligence agency cutout then he was surely watched very closely at all times, so there might not have been an opening for him to set one up (or he might have been told in no uncertain terms what would happen if he tried). Or (most likely of all IMO) after the sweetheart 2008 deal he simply thought he was untouchable and above the law, so why would he need to take precautions against being assassinated?
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - dredmorbius 7y ago
      Source?
      - AndrewBissell 7y ago
        https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2019/08/13/computer-removed-jeffrey-epsteins-island-fbi-raid-drone-footage-shows/ https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2019/08/13/computer-r... https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-news-ranch-new-mexico-still-has-not-been-raided-by-federal-agents-2019-08-21/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-news-ranch-new-... https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/08/jeffrey-epstein-called-sexual-predator-as-prosecutors-seek-no-bail.html https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/08/jeffrey-epstein-called-sexua...
  - jonplackett 7y ago
    Yeah, like maybe he has a voice recording of the president saying he likes to grab women by the pussy without their consent...
    - 7y ago

Haga 7y ago

Omerta is something beautiful. You drag everyone new to the party and the social connector can silence you, because you associated.

api 7y ago

It's similar to what keeps financial bubbles and Ponzi schemes going: when the money is flowing, nobody asks questions. Epstein threw a lot of money around. The UK had Jimmy Saville and a similar story. He raised a lot of money for various important people and charities so nobody paid attention to the fact that he appears to have been a serial rapist for decades.

harry8 7y ago
Saville was a friend of Prince Andrew's elder brother, the future King Charles. Don't overlook the snobbery and friend of royalty aspect. The Windsor boys have been very, um, unlucky in their choice of friends. Despite the fact they have advisors and the secret service keeps tabs on them so they aren't compromised by spies or assassinated. It really is extraordinary that they were both so unlucky and so badly compromised in this way.
- heavenlyblue 7y ago
  Well, that only gives me an impression that those Windsor boys were simply useless to anyone else. You are not unlucky - you are simply coming from a powerful family but otherwise useless, so the only people who active try to be your friends are people who can’t be friends to someone useful.

paulmd 7y ago

There is some notion that he may have been operating a honeypot (kompromat factory) for Western intelligence services (particularly CIA or Mossad). That would explain why he was collecting blackmail material and all. I suppose the null hypothesis is that rich and well-connected people can get away with even open crimes in public for years and years. Weinstein got away with rape for years and years, against well-connected people as well. Epstein was a financier just like Weinstein. They have what you need, and they have the ear of a lot of other well-connected people who need things from him.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
krn 7y ago
> There is some notion that he may have been operating a honeypot (kompromat factory) for Western intelligence services (particularly CIA or Mossad). Mossad seems to be the most likely player here[1][2]: > Given the chance to refute Ward’s report, specifically that the Epstein case involved intelligence matters, Acosta did nothing of the sort. Indeed, he functionally admitted that it’s true. > What then can we conclude at this point? It appears that Jeffrey Epstein was involved in intelligence work, of some kind, for someone—and it probably wasn’t American intelligence either. The U.S. Intelligence Community is lenient about the private habits of high-value agents or informants, but they won’t countenance running sex trafficking rings for minors on American soil, for years. While it’s plausible that Epstein was sharing some information with the FBI—many criminals do so to buy themselves some insurance—it’s implausible that he was mainly working for the Americans. > Who are the suspects then? It seems awfully coincidental that Epstein’s best pal and business partner for decades has been Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and daughter of the late Robert Maxwell, the media mogul who died under mysterious circumstances in 1991. > Six serving and former heads of Israeli intelligence services attended Maxwell's funeral in Israel, while Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir eulogized him and stated: “He has done more for Israel than can today be said." [1] https://observer.com/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-spy-intelligence-work/ https://observer.com/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-spy-intelligenc... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell#Israeli_connection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maxwell#Israeli_connect...

Consultant32452 7y ago

I agree with this notion from Eric Weinstein. This comment was in response to an article by NYT which glossed over the horrors. Of course, this criticism isn't particular to NYT. >We need a second Church committee. Obviously. >If you don't want to call for one, then tell us why in an editorial. Why doesn't this recent pattern of state-protected child rape excite you as much as 17th century slavery? This story would sell newspapers & subscriptions. Let it.