Every time new emails drop, elites do the Epstein shuffle: ‘Yes I knew him, but I didn’t KNOW him’ | Emma Brockes
In a thought-provoking piece, Guardian columnist Emma Brockes reflects on the social dynamics surrounding high-profile figures who once mingled with Jeffrey Epstein, the notorious financier and convicted sex offender. The article draws parallels between past experiences of encountering unsavory individuals at social gatherings and the current fallout from Epstein’s connections with prominent personalities in New York, Washington, and elite academic circles. Brockes recounts a personal anecdote about leaving a party upon seeing David Irving, a Holocaust denier, highlighting her discomfort with the normalization of notoriety in social settings. This sentiment resonates with the present situation, where many influential figures are scrambling to distance themselves from Epstein amidst growing scrutiny.
As the Senate voted to release Epstein-related documents, the chorus of denials and justifications from those who previously associated with him has intensified. Brockes points out the irony of these figures claiming ignorance about Epstein’s true nature, emphasizing the absurdity of their attempts to downplay their connections. The article underscores a broader societal issue: the willingness of the elite to overlook troubling behavior in favor of social capital. Brockes’s critique serves as a reminder that the allure of wealth and power can often overshadow moral judgment, leaving a trail of complicity in its wake. As the revelations about Epstein continue to unfold, the social landscape is shifting, forcing a reevaluation of who is deemed acceptable company in the circles of influence.
For the New York and Washington great and good who loved the company of wealth and power, all that glitters is no longer gold
Many years ago, I went to a party in central London thrown by a host known for curating interesting and heavyweight guest lists and, on entering, encountered David Irving, the disgraced historian and Holocaust denier. As a marker of social pariahdom, Holocaust denial is up there with – or perhaps even more potent than – a conviction for sex offences, and I turned around and walked out; not through any particular moral superiority, but because I thought “notoriety” as a criteria for inclusion on a guest list was stupid and offensive. As I left, I remember looking across the room at the host and thinking: you silly bloody bint, I’m embarrassed for you.
I thought about that party and Irving this week while reading, with grim amusement, the absolute scramble currently under way in the US among media and other public figures seeking to
explain, justify, downplay
and generally paddle away as fast as they can from their social interactions with Jeffrey Epstein. I’m not talking about the men alleged to have joined the late paedophile in abusing trafficked girls, but rather the apparently endless list of notable figures – mostly in New York, but also reaching down to Washington DC, and across
America’s Ivy League campuses
– who enjoyed his hospitality, appeared with him at parties, and exchanged cordial emails with the man long after his true nature was known. As the Senate
voted this week
to release the Epstein files, the chorus of “we didn’t know!” from certain corners grew so loud it might’ve been Germany in 1946.
Emma Brockes is a Guardian columnist
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