To feel grateful for my ordinary life?

[House2House2]

We live in a world where we are socialised to revere those with money, power, and status. What Epstein files have shown is that many of these people are just sad, empty, and degenerate. They masquerade in public like decent folk but they are just roaming this life with darkness in their hearts. They treat us ordinary folk as disposable items to be used and abused. They all know what each other are up to. All these wealthy people have security and access to intelligence. They are not ignorant of the problematic issues.

However, the majority will continue to value these people above themselves, bowing and deferring to them. Be they kings, princes, billionaires, etc, we need to stop putting these people on pedestals, protecting them from scrutiny by constantly placing them above reproach with our sycophancy. They are not worth it.

This is just one other example of the complicity. There will be claims of not knowing about Sulayem's association with Epstein but that is not believable. They may not have known of his emails but they would have known of his problematic behaviours otherwise, the intelligence and security service and their vetting are useless.

Prince William's Earthshot Prize is reported to the Charity Commission over Epstein donor questions | Daily Mail Online

It's incredible how far reaching Epstein's web is. Not being part of it does feel like something to be thankful for. I think we have to do something about it though, and pursue every angle for justice. In addition to the more well known horrific abuse which has affected at least hundreds of people directly, there is much more in terms of financial crime, corruption, espionage, media manipulation, arms trafficking, you name it, which has probably affected us all. We shouldn't accept it.

@FloorWipes you are so right. As for the media, what has happened? They protect these unsavoury individuals by distracting us with nonsense rather than shinning a light in dark places and keeping us properly informed. We've been taken down rabbit holes of mindless gossip and made up stories. What we need is the sort of journalism of old where the search for truth and justice for ordinary people was at the forefront. Now the media dances to the tune of power and money. We've taken gigantic leaps backwards as a society.

Can you imagine the wrongs that are taking place? The abuse of young children and women is rife. Epstein is just a small window into that world. Those files show that there is an enormous spread of abuse all over the globe.

I have just started listening to Virginia Guiffre's autobiography on Audible.

I am not in anyway disputing that this is a true account by her of what happened but right from the offset her description of her young life and her initial relationship with Epstein and Maxwell is so alien to me, so far removed from any experience of my own, I have to keep reminding myself this is NOT fiction. This is NOT a novel. This was reality. And similar realities are being played out in the here and now.

It's as though us " ordinary " people live in a parallel universe to the one inhabited by the rich, powerful, totally amoral " elite".

Unfortunately I don't have much faith in things changing. Because the pull of money and power means that a lot of " ordinary" people would actually like to join the ranks of the privileged. And given half a chance would probably behave in a similar way. Because money and power corrupts.

We live in a men’s world made for and by men and it’s disgusting.

Yeah yeah not all men but always a man …

I've been really rattled by the revelations over the last couple of weeks.

It has me begging the questions, does power corrupt ordinary people (men) or do only corrupt people pursue power?

I think they lose purpose when they become powerful and rich. What else is there to do other than abuse others? The value of life becomes meaningless to them. I think, people who have genuine purpose in life, do not become so corrupted and if wealthy women can maintain decency, why not men? I am not saying wealthy women aren't corrupt but so far, we have not seen evidence of women engaging in such behaviours. Ghislaine was a facilitator and possibly a victim of the sordidness. Sarah Ferguson was equally complicit because of her greed but I doubt these two women would have been originators of such depravity on their own.

Or are a huge proportion of men fundamentally morally corrupt, just lacking opportunity to act on it.

Look at the Giselle Pelicot case. Look at stats for how many men say they would rape, murder, if they could get away with it.

They live among us.

This exactly.

I am deeply troubled by it. My granny is religious and believes all this is some sort of escalation to an "end of days" situation. I'm not sure what's scarier, that idea, or the idea that this is actually how society has functioned for millenia and it's only now we're seeing this.

Interesting that you think the security vetting is "useless" rather than all in on the idea women and girls can be used as chattels. I think given the M15 lies and the secrecy around the married men involved in having relationships and children with women while working under cover, many secret services see women as part of the leverage.

Money and power corrupt - it's a story as old as time. How many times do we have to see stories about how unpleasant, abusive and perverted famous/wealthy/powerful people are IRL before we start to expect that?

In most cases, to get to be famous/wealthy/powerful you have to be a ruthless individual who is prepared to step on and over other people to get to that position. And if you have it handed to you on a plate (Andrew MW, etc) then chances are you're a spoiled, entitled jerk who is surrounded by enablers and sycophants. Why people worship celebs and rich people I don't know.

I think, people who have genuine purpose in life, do not become so corrupted and if wealthy women can maintain decency, why not men?

I think making it all about the wealthy is kind of giving the rest of us a free pass. Not that I'm not disgusted at what he did and totally agree it's such an alien world for me. And I'm much happier staying in mine! But humans aren't fundamentally different for being rich, even if some are corrupted by money.

Just stuck me after reading an awful article about girls trafficked into brothels in Bangladesh and they had the case of a madam who was previously one of the trafficked girls. Of course the money was going up the chain to her to men as well. And I have some sympathy for her trapped in a system. Epstein has no excuse.

The extent to which many men just follow their dicks around, leaving ethics and morals behind is truly mind blowing. They will literally do anything to get their cocks out.

Sad, dangerous, disgusting bastards.

It has me begging the questions, does power corrupt ordinary people (men) or do only corrupt people pursue power?

I think there are several issues: narcissists are more likely to be rich and powerful because they are bold enough to tread over everyone to achieve their success and there is an entitlement there that they feel they deserve it so they dont care who they hurt to get it.

I dont think power/money corrupts people- I think it makes you more of who you are at your core. So, if you are cruel then you will use your power/money for cruelty and to satisfy your own desires regardless of whom you hurt. If you are generous and kind, you will use power/money to benefit people. Kind, generous people who are rich dont tend to end up in the news so we dont hear about them as much even though they exist, because their stories arent salacious or shocking and so not "newsworthy".

I think its a mistake to think only rich powerful people can be evil- their scope and reach probably affect more people but there are plenty of poor and power-less men who beat, abuse, attack and rape women. They haven't been corrupted by power- its due to them being nasty bastards to begin with.