ScienceGuyOz

The Epstein files make terrifying reading. Angering, depressing in equal measures. A level of depravity, exploitation of innocent children, and callous manipulation and profiting from suffering of others that makes you despair for the world. But it’s the collegiate nature of extreme wealth, power that is disturbing. Despite the world knowing what Epstein was, when in their personal interests, there’s nothing off limits, no boundaries they’ll apply, and with so many files yet uncovered, no end to the ugliness. And still, many perpetrator names are redacted while victims have been exposed. The question is whether extreme wealth and power corrupts, or whether the corrupt rise to extreme wealth and power, because the moral compromise of decision making is such that good people choose otherwise? Both, it seems. And we know that many of those named are held up as standards to follow, as models of ‘success’ and lecture the world on morality, a cruel hoax. The collective impunity, closing of ranks, failure to prosecute, lack of accountability of the powerful, different standards of justice and complicity of the system of power is the problem. All of those directly implicated, who certainly all knew what Epstein was, yet continued to engage with him, must be held responsible. And not just them, but those around them who looked the other way. And people everywhere need to consider what global organisation looks like in a world where this can’t happen. With the global order exposed and in flux, and the world’s most powerful and most wealthy so clearly repugnant, change is necessary. The point is not to expect better people, that is futile, but to create a better system. And if it can’t be done to protect innocent children, there’s something wrong with all of us.