From the moment the Jeffrey Epstein story appeared, an outrageous quality attached itself to it, like slug-slime on the heel of your naked foot.
Now, as the case is allegedly closing, it’s only getting weirder.
It’s needless to run through the arc of the story again: the rumors, the financing, the arrests, the trials, the documentaries, the books and articles, the “suicide.” Most people are aware. And most know that it was MAGA folks who were most exercised about the issue.
“Epstein didn’t kill himself” was not a meme of the left.
The idea that Mr. Epstein had fronted a honey-pot blackmail ring to exert control over politics and science and culture was a story that even the mainstream didn’t pooh-pooh much, because, in part, there was so much circumstantial evidence.
Then came the switch, when Dan Bongino and Kash Patel assured us that Epstein did indeed commit suicide. When I commented a week ago, it was Trump switching sides — after years milking MAGA anger over it — that stood out.
And now it got bigger. In two ways. Trump’s switch got bigger. And the evidence for Epstein’s self-offing got shakier.
The latter is explosive evidence that our leaders may have lied to us. And done a lousy job of it. The taped evidence said to prove that no one had been to visit Epstein in his cell was first shown to have been clumsily edited, and then all-the-sudden more footage came out!
Meanwhile, Trump took to calling the Epstein File issue a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats — Comey, Obama and Biden specifically!
Do they think we’re stupid?
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18 replies on “The Salience of the Switch”
They hope that we are weak and unable to come together to compel a release of the Epstein information, either by using the formal system or by informal means.
And I believe that they are are correct. The formal system is heavily rigged, and something approximating a Cournot-Nash equilibrium prevails, keeping people from using means in conflict with the formal system.
If indeed the information is never released, the deep state may be strengthened by this episode. Americans in general will probably come to feel still less able to defy the state. The sloppiness itself may have been by design.
The political fortunes of Donald John Trump may suffer terribly, but that won’t pry loose the information. What may effect its release is the actions of a whistle-blower like Edward Joseph Snowden; but the deep state is more attuned to the possibility of such actors.
According to Alan Dershowitz, release of much of the Epstein file has been prohibited by judges. Grand jury testimony, for instance, is not public information. We may never know how much information was destroyed by Epstein employees in the wake of his arrest. His setup on “Epstein Island’ surely required support personnel who knew what was going on and who visited the island.
Pat, all true. Yet, if the Trump Administration were not withholding something that could be released, their interest would have lain in announcing weeks ago that a judge were keeping everything sown-up. They could either attempt an appeal, or merely request that the judge reconsider, based upon how much they wanted to release the sealed evidence.
I like your metaphor of attached itself like slug-slime on the heel of your naked foot. The public perception can be manipulated and modified at will be whoever control the megaphone. To get pass the noise and get to the source we must look at last remains of the British Empire and its involvement in the destruction of what their still consider their domain, the United States. They are the Globalists controlling the MI6, CIA, Mossad, Financial world, and the media. Jefery Epstein was their creation to control money flow as directed. President Trump was right calling it a “Hoax” propagated by the Democrats to deflect what is really going on with gloabalists Agenda.
There is no such thing as a CONSPIRACY THEORY. There is only truth and lies, and people lie to cover up the truth. People just want things nice and tidy because the truth will create one helluva mess. Here’s heuristic for ya: Any time the fake news media focuses on a conspiracy theory, know that they are creating a diversion from the BIG TRUTH because that truth will eventually create one helluva mess.
Here’s the BIG TRUTH they are trying to hide: AG Bondi and Director Patel are currently investigating Russiagate. At the center of Russiagate was a sitting POTUS — Obama. The BIG TRUTH questions are: Did Obama order the use of the fake Steele Dossier to get people to believe that Donald Trump was colluding with Putin to win the 2016 election? Did Obama order the use of lawfare against his political opponent just like Putin did to his political opponent Alexei Navalny? Were Wray, Brennan and others under orders from POTUS Obama to “stop Trump”? Oh hell yeah, lots of smoking guns there, right? Remember, to these communists, the ends always justify the means.
A recent Rasmussen poll
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration_second_term/most_democrats_still_believe_russian_collusion_helped_trump_win_2016
shows that 60% of Democratic voters still think “the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government to win the 2016 election”. See how powerful a lie can be if repeated often and loudly? They just can’t deal with the truth that Hillary was extremely unlikeable and her elitist “it’s my turn now” attitude turned off voters. They just want things nice and tidy, right?
Want the truth? “WASHINGTON (TNND) — Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell has signaled that she would be willing to testify before Congress regarding the part she played in facilitating sex trafficking of underage girls.”
Republikooks just blocked that in congress. Most likely because Trump doesn’t want. Democrats are for the testimony.
Just another Republican coverup!
Pam, when the Democrats held the Executive branch, all names of perpetrators other than Epstein and Maxwell were withheld, no prosecutions were brought against any of those other perpetrators were brought, and Epstein’s murder was effected.
Democrats are merely posturing, now that they feel safe that Republicans will not release that information.
Epstein’s death was in 2019. Can’t blame Biden for that. Trump was the president.
I acknowledge that I was wrong about the timing of Epstein’s murder. The fact remains that a Democratic Administration withheld the information that the Republicans are now withholding.
My *guess* is if the perp list was released there would be a whole lot fewer sitting politicians, not just in the US, but around the world.
That doesen’t count all of the other ‘bigwigs’ who would fall as well.
“CNN) — A collection of letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003 included a note bearing Donald Trump’s name and an outline of a naked woman, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Thursday.
The drawing, depicting a woman’s breasts and a “Donald” signature in the place of pubic hair, surrounded several lines of typewritten text, according to the newspaper, which reviewed the letter. It concluded with the line: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
If untrue, Trump will Sue. Bet he doesn’t!
Pam, I’ll bet that the WSJ issues a retraction.
We now know the truth! Maybe someone used Joe Biden’s auto pen! How would a retraction help Trump? MAGA world smells blood! Trump bows to Putin because Putin has the “tapes” from the Miss USA pageant in Russia. Now the fun begins!
Retraction would help Trump not simply because the claim itself would cease to harm him but because it would make Trump’s opponents look untrustworthy.
Political power isn’t gained by fulminating sermons in a church already filled with true believers. The only people who still insist that the Steele Dossier claims are true are people otherwise utterly committed to opposing Trump. And only those same people will continue to insist that the claim by the WSJ is true if it withdraws that claim.
To regain power, your tribe needs to move people not in your tribe; you’ve made a hash of that.
This lawsuit, if filed, will disappear! Trump would have to answer questions in discovery and that will NEVER happen!
The lawsuit that you said would not be filed is being filed. I continue to expect that the WSJ will retract its claim.
Trump’s McDonalds are now affecting his health! Did you see the size of those ankles? The lower extremities are where pulmonary embolisms start! More burgers for Donald!
Trump has a trip to Scotland 25 – 29 July. Why Scotland? That is where the golf courses are! Ostensibly, it is for work but it is really a boondoggle to play golf for free paid for the citizens of. The U.S.