Do friends of rich people have no shame?

[NotDarkGothicMama]

Reading about the Epstein files, the first thing that struck me was the awful photo of Andrew kneeling over what looks like a very young woman, looking extremely pervy.

The second thing was the emails from people like Fergie and Peter Madelson's husband asking for money. "I need 20 grand for rent, today." "I need 10 grand for an osteopath course." Have they no shame whatsoever? Surely if you're friends with a rich person, you're very careful not to mention financial needs so they don't think you're only after their cash? Let alone actually ask for handouts!

This has probably already been said but I’m currently reading “Entitled” about the Yorks and Sarah Ferguson had constant money worries due to her greed and waste and, yes, she was always asking rich friends and acquaintances, including Epstein for money to pay her rent and debts. No shame apparently.

"Surely if you're friends with a rich person, you're very careful not to mention financial needs so they don't think you're only after their cash? Let alone actually ask for handouts!"

I think with Epstein this was entirely the point - he WANTED these people to ask him for money - in return they felt a "friendship" to him & were beholden to him.
Of course there were the "extras" Epstein offered his "friends" too - and there he cemented his circle of power & influence over powerful people. Sex & ££.

What I find utterly cringe & shameless is rich successful people asking for relatively small sums such as $10K - using him as an overdraft.

cringe cringe cringe.

The picture of Andrew & the young woman on the floor was horrifying. She looks very stiff - not at all relaxed. Why would anyone take a photo like that?

Well, there's friends and there's "friends", right? Seems like all Epstein's relationships were transactional - he wanted people who could do something for him and he was willing to do what it would take to keep them onside, and perhaps give him power over them. I don't suppose he palled up with either for Andrew or Fergie because he was so drawn to their brains, wit, charm and sparkling personalities. But they were both probably too dim to see that. Or maybe not, in her case. Maybe she understood it perfectly - access to the royals, for a price.

This. What kind of people invite paedophiles to their daughter’s birthday party, or share photos of them. If I was the parent of a friend of their daughters, I’d be livid at the risk they put my child at. They really are despicable.

It's a 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' situation. These people, like Sarah wanted money, and Epstein wanted power and connections. It's a trade-off. If Epstein filmed/took photos of these people, he had the power, to make them provide what he wanted.

I've always assumed that photo was an insurance, handy little item to have in the back pocket for a rainy day.

These kinds of people are despicable enough able to be able to compartmentalise their own daughters as princesses who are better than the girls they would have dismissed as working class sluts who would never amount to anything anyway. In their perverted minds, there would have been no comparison between their young daughters and these poor young abused girls.

The kneeling over the woman photo looked a bit pervy, but we know nothing about the age of the woman, or how she felt about any of it.

Reading about the Epstein files, the first thing that struck me was the awful photo of Andrew kneeling over what looks like a very young woman, looking extremely pervy.

That photo of Andrew is the stuff of nightmares. The demonic eyes, the devil poised over a slight girl, it's truly horrific.

I totally agree they they would have seen the girls as “other” non people. Barely human unlike their own dds.

It’s why I instinctively am against a monarchy. It’s clearly corrupting to give individual people power. See also R Kelly and P Diddy. Power corrupts. Why democracy and the rule of law are so very precious.

I think it's weird too OP. I have some very wealthy friends and I would never tap them up for a few grand! That's not what friendship is based on...

But the monarchy doesn’t have any hard power. Personally I see them as a bit of a brake on the potential totalitarianism of a head of state that has real, actual power. That scares me far more. Trump, anyone?

The freely asking for money suggests to me that he was in effect their banker. That they had placed investments with him, and it was quicker and easier to get their money out from him than from a conventional bank. Of course he would be free with the amounts handed out, making it very easy for them and luring them in.

I'm surprised that none of them questioned his background. Or maybe they had, and decided it was better to let sleeping dogs lie than prompt proper investigations. That would be a motivation for them to ask for money frequently, to get their assets out as soon as appeared reasonably 'normat', in case it all collapsed.

I think we are all trying to cross reference our definition of friendship with what has happened here. When they call each other friends, it’s not the same sort of relationship we would have with our friends (no matter how wealthy).

I think that wealth has little to do with it and it’s more about power and class and perhaps fame. I know a lot of very wealthy people who do not behave like this at all. It seems it’s the mix of wealth without work (privelege) and then scoundrels like Epstein is just a perfect recipe for this sordid tale.

How can you say they do not have power? Maybe not constitutionally but the power of their name is huge. Look what two of them have got away with - for years!

Politicians however awful or inept are elected by the people and can be unelected.

I’m an atheist but that doesn’t mean there aren’t very clear truths in scriptures written by humans -

‘For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’

Money stood for other things for each of the people involved, but if Epstein had been an average guy working on a market stall he might have committed crimes but he wouldn’t have corrupted so many others.

@NotDarkGothicMama I have been wondering just the same - thanks for posting.

I also agree totally with @Walkaround about the sacrificial lambs, although I do think in the case of Prince Andrew the rationale for the removal of the title, etc went beyond Epstein and was at least as much to do as his dealings with political and business figures. His judgement is clearly so poor they had to humble him sufficiently he wouldn't be of interest to as a 'mark' anymore.

I guess I class Epstein more as a 'society' figure.

This video really freaked me out.

Epstein is asked ‘Are you the devil himself?’ in released video

This is possible.

That is soft power

Andrew clearly has power, otherwise he would be in prison rather than still in his palace while the staff prepare a lovely countryside house for him.

It's like Mandelson "not recalling" being given £75k: either it happens so often that it's inconsequential, or it's a big fat lie.

It wasn't just Epstein, Maxwell, Andrew, Fergie and Mandelson at these parties. Where are the staff? Security? The pilots? The guests of guests? An awful lot of people were involved and none of them know anything? It stretches beyond belief.

These are people for whom there is no difference between asking for an underage girl to have sex with and asking for a tens of thousands of pounds - it’s all the same belief that the world exists to service your inhumane and excessive and consumption. If you don’t care about trafficking and exploiting humans why on earth would you give a hoot about cadging money?

@NotDarkGothicMama It's like Mandelson "not recalling" being given £75k: either it happens so often that it's inconsequential, or it's a big fat lie.

Co-signed.

I thankfully exist so far outside these circles.