I, like so many, am horrified (and also fascinated) by what we’re learning from the creepy Epstein files.
Those so far identified had the most ability to gauge a master manipulator and yet succumbed to his treachery.
It’s equally as interesting to see who saw through it. Melinda Gates for one. She has hinted that it was her husband’s involvement with Epstein that finally ended their marriage.
Pleading innocence is just not believable for those implicated.
We all will at some point have our values challenged. But it’s our choice to maintain or forsake them.
My Honor, tested
For me, it was during the 1990’s when I was a policy analyst at the US Department of Energy. Congress drastically cut funding for any program that had the word “climate” in it. Layoffs were coming and as a relatively young employee, I was vulnerable. I started looking for a job outside of government.
I was introduced to the head of a well-known government contracting organization, who appeared interested in hiring me. A day or so after being interviewed, he called me at the office and asked me to meet him in DOE’s lobby. After a couple of niceties, he obliquely asked me for some inside information that we both knew I was not allowed to share. I was discomfited and feigned a reason to get out of this meeting. It took a bit for me to realize the ethical quandary he was putting me in. Or maybe it was a test before offering me a job?
I had taken enough required ethics training (yes, career Feds are held to very high standards) to know that this wasn’t kosher. I never spoke to him again.
I am indebted to an early boss and mentor, who cautioned me to never break the law or lie to appease a political appointee. I took this advice to heart and spread it to others that followed me. It’s this obvious message – be truthful and honorable – that enabled me to never consider working for an organization that clearly offered me a quid pro quo. [Postscript: I survived the layoffs.]
The Paucity of Bravery
What is it about the human brain that allows anyone, but especially people of means, intellect and entitlement, to continue to engage a convicted sex offender? For those who fell for the titillating sexual favors Epstein offered, are they just socially awkward, desperate little rich men?
Beyond sexual matters, what was it about the connections Epstein offered to all manner of powerful people at the leading corporate, banking, university and other institutions that didn’t trigger concern? How could someone like the corporate tycoon Les Wexner (and others it seems) give Einstein power of attorney (!) and the ability to steal a good deal of their wealth? What convinced so many to essentially launder his reputation AFTER his initial conviction and jailtime? Why all the silence?
Why did it take until the icky Harvey Weinstein scandal for our culture to start listening to women? Nine years after Me Too, it is only now that the emails and photos in the files are finally providing vindication to the hordes of girls and women harmed by Epstein.
In the podcast episode linked below, Ezra Klein points to the current paucity of bravery. Those elites in our country who stood up to Trump during his first term are barely visible in his second. For many, their parents and grandparents fought bravely in WWII to destroy or escape fascist Germany. Now, they are simply rolling over, tolerating evil and enabling Trump’s descent into autocracy.
We’re seeing how difficult it is for the powerful to give up power. Thankfully, so much more will come out from the Epstein files.
Is this the beginning of a crescendo of accountability of the elite class, like the slow burn in 1973 as Watergate unfolded, taking another year until Nixon was forced to resign? That seems so simple compared to where we are today.
Action Absorbs Anxiety
For those experiencing anxiety about what’s going on, taking action, rather than just stewing, helps. [Props to Dan Harris for this pithy saying.]
Thank you, Minneapolis! The world has been inspired by the courageousness of its common citizens, who continue to brave crazy cold to stop ICE. Their examples are contagious, luckily.
While individual protests may do much, last year’s massive and geographically dispersed No Kings protests finally got Democratic Congressional leaders to start asserting their power. They seemed to be cowering in the corner until forced to be accountable. Individual action is being recognized by elites and matters more than any of us truly appreciated.
Those who care about preserving our democracy need to DO something to protect it. And then we need to push ourselves further to save our system, which too many of us have taken for granted.
There are a lot of options, even for folks who are hesitant to be seen in public hewing to one side. If attending a protest isn’t comfortable, try a tech boycott that Scott Galloway (see podcast episode link below) suggests. His advice is that companies will only stop accommodating this President when there’s a financial reason to do so. So, he favors a tech boycott of companies that are subscription based, like ChatGPT (or of course Amazon). Check out ResistandUnsubscribe.com.
Volunteer in your community to help immigrants or food-insecure folks. Take an online Know-Your-Rights training to help those ICE could target in case you find yourself amid an incident. Make donations to Indivisible, Move On, Meidas Touch and/or other organizations that are organizing protests.
We are being tested big time. We can’t wait for others to put their necks out first. Let’s all reach beyond our comfort zone.
Much about today has parallels with 1934 Germany, when Hitler had recently been elected and was starting to test the system. Facing little resistance, he went full-force into the totalitarian Third Reich. History is our teacher. We are not (yet) powerless.
I’d love to hear thoughts about this post or when you’ve had to overcome challenges to your values.
Recommended Listen:
The Infrastructure of Jeffrey Epstein’s Power from The Ezra Klein Show
Scott Galloway Wants You to Resist and Unsubscribe from The Best People with Nicolle Wallace