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Marital Infidelity

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Introduction

Given gender differences and conditions, under which each sex competes for access to desirable mates of the other sex, it would be astonishing to find that men and women were psychologically identical in their behaviour in marriage.  Infidelity represents a shortcut some take and from the point of reproduction strategies can be viewed as attempt to obtain a more desirable mate, when such opportunity arise. Whether a child will be conceived or not is another story and here social restriction play dominant role. At this point in history, we can no longer doubt that men and women differ in their preferences for a mate: primarily for youth and physical attractiveness in one case, and for status, maturity, and economic resources in the other. So some males increase their value in "mating market" as they age. While woman usually confront gradual deterioration (probably with the exception of some Hollywood stars, who managed to look young up to their fifties). At the same time women, especially married woman,  dislike being treated as sex objects or valued for qualities largely beyond their control, such as youth and beauty.  Similarly men dislike being treated as success objects or valued for the size of their wallet and the importance of their status in a competitive world.

Marital infidelity is a pretty traumatic  event. A very painful life experience.  But with ages behaviour in which one spouse seeks happiness and sexual satisfaction outside the marriage not only became more common, it became more socially accepted. Not so long ago (say 200 years from now)  a man who seduced somebody else wife risked to get a bullet in the chest. Now the rules are much easier and punishment is less severe. In the past it was regulated by law. Even now, for example, in Minnesota, adultery is a crime punishable by a fine of up to $3000 and/or up to a year in jail (St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch, 1987).

Yet 50% of men and 30% of women admit they have engaged in such relations at some point of their current or former marriage.  The overwhelming number of Americans disapprove of extramarital sexual relations. In national opinion polls, 87% of Americans say that extramarital relations are “always wrong” or “almost always” wrong (Atwater, 1982). Still despite being a clear betrayal of the other spouse such behaviour is relatively common: estimates are that, during marriages in contemporary American culture, at least one half of the individuals (mostly males)  have extramarital sexual relations.

This is high opportunistic behaviour and chance plays a dominant role in fostering extramarital involvement. However, perceived opportunity may be confounded with other factors, including the person attitudes toward sexuality, morality and life-styles. A study by Gerstel ( 1969) of commuter marriages (couples who lived apart for professional reasons at least three days a week) showed that 60% had not had extramarital relations. But that most of those who did had also had extramarital relations prior to the commuting circumstances. Nevertheless, even persons indisposed to affairs may behave in remarkably uncharacteristic ways and end up in extramarital relationships when external circumstances push them past their moral barriers.

Opposite-sex friendships may constitute a particularly powerful opportunity for sexual affairs. Atwater ( 1979) found that, for many women, extramarital sex developed within the context of friendship. Such entanglements may not start with the intent of beginning an extramarital affair out of dissatisfaction with the marital relationship, but may evolve to that point later. The excessive use of internet pornography also increased the chances in engaging marital infidelity, especially for males, as they are primary consumer of this new pulp culture. 

Unless this is a case of infatuation, becoming involved in extramarital relationships implies a decision process that identifies the costs and benefits and compares them with the expected payoff of alternative decisions. Meyering and Epling-McWerther ( 1986) found that men's decisions to become involved in extramarital affairs were most affected by the perceived payoffs, such as variety. In contrast, women's decisions were most affected by the perceived costs (e.g., guilt, destroying the marriage). Although extramarital affairs play a role in one third of divorces ( Burns, 1984), research has not shown how many affairs fail to result in divorce. Males were three times more likely to blame the breakup of the relationship on their wives' affairs than on their own affairs. Females were significantly more likely to identify relationship problems as the cause for the breakup.

Dissatisfaction with the marital relationship may push individuals into affairs, simplifying obtaining divorce later. It seems that dissatisfaction with the marital relationship is a more important motive for women to become entangled in extramarital relationships, especially when it comes to affairs with the emotional involvement ( Glass & Wright, 1985). For example, Atwater ( 1979) found that about half of the women who had been involved in extramarital relationships mentioned an unsatisfactory marriage as part of their motivation. In general, the occurrence of extramarital sexual relations has been found to be related to the level of marital dissatisfaction, especially in women.

Most divorces due to infidelity are sought by women, but a wife's infidelity is more serious reason for divorce for most men, then infidelity of their husband is for most women.  Generally high rate of divorces is linked not to increase of cases of infidelity, but mainly to the new level of women’s involvement in the workplace, as well as the modernization of women’s roles in general. The realities of living together that inevitably create major strains are ignored in modern cultures and are experiences not as a norm, but as a sign of the failure of the marriage. Those trends are amplified by Hollywood with its too rosy and unrealistic view of "happy marriage" (and BTW on the "unhappy marriage" too).

Women once married, are exposed and experience a social pressure to mold into the expectations that are ingrained in the cultural concept of marriage, which are quite different from expectation throughout the engagement period and are not visible during this period. For them workload dramatically increases. Many woman resent that their situation in marriage inherently involves huge inequalities, putting substantially more stress on a woman shoulders including not only an unequal distribution of domestic labor, but also an unequal fulfillment of other emotional or physical needs within the relationship.  That's why so many marriages do not survive for more then two years.

While previously mainly men phenomenon, now infidelity became more common for married women too. Affairs can occur in happy marriages as well as in troubled ones, but they dramatically more frequent in troubled one. Although the involved spouse may not be getting enough from the marriage, often, in reality, the "disgrunted" spouse is not giving enough. It take two for tango.

Among other typical reasons is attempt to raise low self-esteem, relationship deficits (e.g., lack of affection), or a social context in which infidelity is condoned. It also may indicate an addiction to sex or romance. People addicted to romantic relationships are driven by the excitement and emotion which a new relationship temporary brings to them.

In most people affairs cause feelings of shame and worthlessness. that's not true for sex addicts and philanderers. The latter perceive extramarital sex as an entitlement and status symbol (the more, the higher status is).  Infidelity is essentially a breach of trust, so it can be any action that violates an implicit or explicit agreement between two married people.

Jovelyn Garcia

I just can't stand cheating in any form. You better give up the relationship then cheat all you want. I quit on my marriage because my husband lied to me. I just can't accept deceit cause i've been honest since day one.

 Dishonesty is certainly always a part of an infidelity.

Seeking sex outside of the relationship can also be compared to seeking alcohol, drugs, shopping, gambling; virtually any substance or behavior that provides a “quick fix,” a distraction from everyday life, something that makes you feel anticipation, intoxication, even fear of being caught doing something “bad”. It can also be difficult for some people who have sex with someone they have deep intimacy and connection with. The idea of “dirty” or playful sex with the same person you share so much of your life with can be a hard concept to reconcile. For some, built into their belief system of “hot” sex is the idea that the person you are having sex with doesn’t truly know you nor do you know them, allowing a certain freedom and separation from your real life.

Crossing the line from platonic friendships into romantic relationships is helped by modern communications, especially Internet, as well as high demand of time of a modern workplace.

Internet bring a new class of affairs called emotional affairs. The latter differ from platonic friendships by

Certain life cycle changes (midlife crisis in men, etc) also stimulates infidelity. Some associate infidelity with selfishness. Some dissatisfied spouses begin an extramarital relationship as a way of exiting from an unhappy marriage. More frequently, however, the marital history is re-written to justify an ongoing affair. It is unreasonable to compare a brief splash of intensity of feelings in an affair which is still at the stage of romantic idealization with the routine familiarity of spouses in a long-term marriage (The Causes of Marital Infidelity LIVESTRONG.COM)

The actual chances of infidelity might not be as high as many sources claim. In fact, Dr. John Grohol, founder and CEO of PsychCentral.com, suggests these chances could be less than six percent in a given year in his article, "How Common is Cheating and Infidelity Really?" However, he warns that this number could increase to about 25 percent, depending on how long the relationship runs. In either case, if you’re worried about infidelity in your relationship, learning the common causes of cheating can ease your fears or help you address potential problems.

  • Physical Desires. Sexual discontentment and desires often contribute to incidents of cheating, suggests Susan Whitbourne, professor of psychology, in her PsychologyToday.com article, "The Eight Reasons that People Cheat on Their Partners." Some people expect that a new partner can serve their sexual needs better than his current spouse. This can especially true if the frequency or physical passion has diminished over the years. In other cases, a person might believe that in addition to sex with the spouse that she deserves more encounters.
  • Emotional Desires. Emotional needs contribute to incidents of cheating, as well. For example, feeling an emotional disconnect from a spouse might lead someone to pursue an affair, suggests Whitbourne. While this infidelity might initially be restricted to an emotional level, it could grow into a physical affair. In other cases, a partner might feel underappreciated by a spouse but praised by a third person, leading to cheating. Sometimes a spouse will feel completely satisfied with their partner, but an emotional desire to simply pursue new experiences could also lead to affairs.
  • Vengeful Desires. Affairs based on revenge are rare, despite over exaggerations in movies, notes Whitbourne. However, a husband and wife routinely face domestic disputes, it is possible that one member of the marriage might cheat out of spite. In cases like this, the cheater might make the affair known to cause his spouse emotional pain. On the other hand, the cheating spouse might still keep the affair a secret, as the satisfaction of secret payback could be rewarding enough.
  • Platonic Relationship or Affair? Platonic friendships have the potential to evolve into emotional affairs, warns the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. However, the line between these two types of relationships can run thin. A platonic friendship becomes an affair when three conditions are met, suggests the AAMFT. The first is that an emotional affair will have more emotional intimacy than the marriage itself. The second is that the affair will involve some level of secrecy. For example, perhaps a husband intentionally does not tell his wife that he has daily video chats with another woman online. The third trait of an affair is sexual chemistry.
     

Consequences

As Marilyn Monroe said: "It's better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone". In most people affairs cause feelings of shame and worthlessness. that's not true for sex addicts and philanderers. The latter perceive extramarital sex as an entitlement and status symbol (the more, the higher status is).  Infidelity is essentially a breach of trust, so it can be any action that violates an implicit or explicit agreement between two married people.

Jovelyn Garcia

I just can't stand cheating in any form. You better give up the relationship then cheat all you want. I quit on my marriage because my husband lied to me. I just can't accept deceit cause i've been honest since day one.

Life becomes polarized into "before" and "after". Some can raise above this breach of trust in the name of children or similar "higher level" considerations, but many can't. In this case the loss of trust being irreparable for one, the continued anger and blame intolerable for the other

A majority of respondents in Western society disapprove of extramarital relationships under all circumstances. Therefore, most persons who enter into extramarital affairs know their partners will disapprove. Disclosure at some later time, then, will trigger feelings of not only betrayal but also indignation over the deceit. Many negative feelings (e.g., guilt, fear, anxiety, conflict, fear of pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease)  dissuade individuals from engaging in affairs and are often experienced by those who entered them.  Those experiencing guilt reported less satisfaction with the affair. The degree of disapproval has been found to be a function of the nature of the extramarital involvement. These feelings along with anger, sadness, and fear of other spouse may seriously disrupt or terminate the relationship. For instance, Thompson ( 1984) found that the combination of emotional and sexual extramarital involvement was viewed as more unacceptable than just sexual involvement.

Infidelity as a betray of trust

Formerly condemned in the name of good morals, infidelity is now condemned as a breach of trust. the common view is that instrad of trying to pursue such a petty practice it is better to tell each other everything and get out of marriage that proved to be so unsatisfactory. And is you can't do that you need just shut up and behave yourself than to resort to the subterfuges.

Making people laugh at the misfortunes of cuckolded husbands was a mainspring of boulevard theater for almost a century, and the cuckold has always been a character in vaudeville.

However, adultery, even if it is discredited, is not dead: outdated as a genre, it remains current as a practice and is one of the main reasons for the breakdown of marriages. Adultery is practiced by both men and women who deceive one another to combat boredom, to respond to temptations, or to lead several lives at once; it is a symptom of an individualist society torn between the ideal of fidelity and a neoliberal thirst for unlimited and selfish individualism.

There is also a kind of betrayal with respect to relatives and friends: as Oscar Wilde noted we stab in the back only those who are close to us and whose weak.

We recall the stories that have run in American newspapers in recent years: the conservative judge Clarence Thomas, accused in 1991 of having made indecent remarks to one of his advisors at the Department of Education;  Clinton-Lewinsky affair; the tribulations in 2007 of the governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, a champion of the fight against prostitution who was caught with a ravishing twenty-two-year-old brunette whom he was paying for her services; the public confession made by his successor for fear that later on the press would reveal his own infidelities; and the attacks made in 2008 against the head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who had had intimate relations with one of his former employees.

 We can understand that political officials are called upon to be exemplary in their private behavior: a public man does not belong to himself; if he wants to exercise authority over others, he must be able to control his own instincts. The TV series The Good Wife provides pretty interesting depiction of consequences of such behaviour.

 Types of infidelity

There are   two types of fidelities: one a fidelity of convention, the other a fidelity of conviction. The former involves a mechanical observance of social norms, the second a free decision to be loyal to one’s beloved. Similarly there are a least to types of infidelity: with and without emotional bonds.

For example, accidental infidelities (“It just happened”) are  unplanned acts based on the situation that arose spontaneously, are are not expected to last more then a brief encounter. It not always that they develop as planned, so risk is typically underestimated (Fatal Attraction).  Such an encounter does not entail strong emotional bonds and are somewhat similar with sexual acts with prostitutes. 

Men might be vulnerable to a sexual encounter for several reasons. They may still remain curious about what they are missing.   The very things most men and women find so exotically attractive in the beginning often become irritating incompatibilities when you have to live with them.   In any case, once the “honeymoon is over” most couples are disappointed. In addition to the inevitable disenchantments of marriage, some men and women were unpopular as teenagers. Now as adults they can't believe that what they once longed for has become theirs for the asking. Some just can't say no, have had no practice in gracefully refusing a sexual invitation.  Ado Annie in Oklahoma! bemoaned the fact that she just “cain't say no.”  Women may be afraid that by refusing they might crush the man ego, especially if he is her boss.  Men are afraid “the Good Ole' boys” will think him a “wimp” if he declines. Thus they accept sexual overtures they don't really want. Sometimes, people tend to make impulsive decisions when they are drunk. Or maybe they have just had a bad (or good) day. Or else they are horny.

In any case, some men just slide into an affair, without really thinking about consequences. Such an adultery can be fairly harmless in a marriage — if the spouse doesn't find out (If the tree falls in the forest and no one sees or hears it, did it fall?). Later, they may be sorry. Laurie Colwin (1981) depicted the emotions after such a encounter pretty vividly (see also classic scene in the train in  Unfaithful):

I was not prepared for the aftermath of this affair. The distress I felt seemed uncontainable. At the shop I found myself in the bathroom in tears, running the faucets so that Pete would not hear me weeping. … I was beset by devils I had not known existed: grief, rage, longing and pure desire, (pp. 148-149)

Some couples may embark on an extramarital affair as an act of revenge. Other couples may be engaged in a power struggle. Having an affair gives them ammunition to use against one another. They can represent a flamboyant revenge affairs that keep stormy marriages in a state of intense passion and jealousy. The sex goes outside the marriage, but the emotion is still directed in.  Unhappily married couples may stay together for a variety of perfectly good reasons. They may decide to stay together “for the sake of the children,” to protect the couple's family, careers, or finances. Some people are in a permanent process of “getting a divorce.” Their state of prolonged separation protects them from having to get seriously involved with anyone else. Some are just “shopping around” to see if they can find more suitable mates. The secrecy of extramarital affairs may add to the erotic thrill. The strategies and deceptive practices they must adopt to maintain the secret naturally drive a wedge between them and their mates and cause the two secret lovers to become more obsessed with each other. After all, it is only to one another that they can speak mindlessly; tell all. Secrecy adds an extra thrill—which may vary from a shiver of delight to a rush of terror, depending on what is being risked — on each encounter.

Marital infidelity is not only about devaluing of the other spouse. It is also the breach of trust. A form of betrayal. The emotions that are connected with marital infidelity are the same as in case of betrayal.  The most challenging aspects of the healing process are the justifiable rage. So rebuilding trust is difficult unless couple agrees to stay together for the sake of wellbeing of their children or some other "common cause".  This emotional trauma fades with time but rarely completely. When couples seeking a divorce were asked what caused their breakup, many cited infidelity as the problem.

The US culture, especially movies has come to glamorize affairs rather than condemn, them but it not clear what social factors are in play, which is kind of the chicken the egg problem. As one Amazon reviewer put it:

  1. The same social forces act on ALL of us, but only SOME of us cheat. Thus, the social forces cannot explain why cheaters cheat. Differentiating cheaters from others requires looking at variables on which they differ from others, not on forces common to all.
  2. Ms. Vaughan's "evidence" that adultery has increased significantly in the last few decades, when sex has become more public and less closeted, depends to a great extent on generally-unrespected researchers like Shere Hite. Her figures on the rate of adultery are higher than others I've seen (and I've read a lot on this subject). So far as I can tell, we do not really know that there has been a meaningful rise in adultery to accompany the rise in glamorized sexuality (including glamorized icons of adultery).
  3. Even if there is a rising rate of adultery, and even if it correlates the social forces Ms. Vaughan mentions and a rising rate of adultery, it does not follow that one causes the other. Alternative hypotheses can explain both. One such alternative would be that both are results of increasing egoism and hedonism, which could result from any of a number of factors--consumerism, the decline of Heaven-oriented religious belief, decline of community life, commodity-centered views of the person growing out of capitalist ideology, etc. Another might be that both reflect the decline of patriarchal social structures. Surely others could be framed. The point is that we just don't know.

Premarital sexual permissiveness and  infidelity

Differences in the economic independence of women, in the benefits provided by husbands, and in the intensity of competition for husbands all drive the critical cultural variation. Where women benefit from marriage and where competition for husbands is fierce, women compete to signal chastity, causing the average amount of premarital sex to go down. Where women control their economic fate, do not require so much of men's investment, and hence need to compete less, women are freer to disregard men's preferences, which causes the average amount of premarital sex to go up. Men everywhere might value chastity if they could get it, but in some cultures they simply cannot demand it of their brides.

From a man's reproductive perspective, a more important cue to the certainty of paternity than virginity per se is the assurance of future fidelity. If men cannot reasonably demand that their mates be virgins, they can require of them sexual loyalty or fidelity. In fact, the study of temporary and permanent mating found that American men view the lack of sexual experience as desirable in a spouse. Furthermore, men see promiscuity as especially undesirable in a permanent mate, rating it -2.07 on a scale of -3.00 to +3.00. The actual amount of prior sexual activity in a potential mate, rather than virginity per se, would have provided an excellent guide for ancestral men who sought to solve the problem of uncertainty of paternity. Indeed, contemporary studies show that the single best predictor of extramarital sex is premarital sexual permissiveness -- people who have many sexual partners before marriage are more unfaithful than those who have few sexual partners before marriage.

Modern men place a premium on fidelity. When American men in the study of temporary and permanent partners evaluated sixty-seven possible characteristics for their desirability in a committed mating, faithfulness and sexual loyalty emerged as the most highly valued traits. All men give these traits the highest rating possible, an average of +2.85 on a scale of -3.00 to +3.00. Men regard unfaithfulness as the least desirable characteristic in a wife, rating it a -2.93, reflecting the high value that men place on fidelity. Men abhor promiscuity and infidelity in their wives. Unfaithfulness proves to be more upsetting to men than any other pain a spouse can inflict on her mate. Women also become extremely upset over an unfaithful mate, but several other factors, such as sexual aggressiveness, exceed infidelity in the grief they cause women.

It is painful to be the wife of a man whose desire for sexual variety leads him to sexual infidelity. It is painful to be the husband of a woman whose desire for emotional closeness leads her to seek intimacy with another man.

Men and women also differ in their proclivities for casual sex without emotional involvement, in their desire for sexual variety, and in the nature of their sexual fantasies. Men and women face different forms of interference with their preferred sexual behavior and so differ in the kinds of events that trigger powerful emotions such as anger and jealousy. Men and women differ in their tactics to attract mates, to keep mates, and to replace mates.

Extramarital affairs as a form of deception

Conflicts in marriage become exacerbated when one deceives the other. Forms of deception abound in the plant and animal world.  Among married couples, deception about the depth of commitment continues in the form of sexual infidelity. The motivations for male infidelity are clear, since ancestral men who had extramarital affairs had the possibility of siring additional offspring and thereby gaining a reproductive advantage over their more loyal counterparts. Women get extremely upset by male infidelity because it signals that the man might divert resources to other women or even defect from their relationship. Women stand to lose the entire investment secured through the marriage. Based on this prospect, women should be far more upset by an affair that contains emotional involvement than about one that does not, because emotional involvement typically signals outright defection rather than the less costly siphoning off of a fraction of resources. This proves to be the case, because women are more forgiving and less upset if no emotional involvement accompanies their husband's affair.  Men seem to know this. When caught having an affair, men often plead that the other woman "means nothing."

Not to mention that deception has an incontestable erotic potential: the fear of being caught, spur-of-the-moment rendezvous, and shared secrets lend some clandestine encounters a density that the conjugal gruel no longer has. We sometimes lie not to conceal the truth but to make life more intense.

Because the deceived can suffer tremendous losses, there must have been great selection pressures for the evolution of a form of psychological vigilance to detect cues to deception and to prevent its occurrence. The modern generation is merely one more cycle in the endless spiral of an evolutionary arms race between deception perpetrated by one sex and detection accomplished by the other. As the deceptive tactics get more subtle, the ability to penetrate deception becomes more refined.

Women have evolved strategies to guard against deception. When they are seeking a committed relationship, the first line of defense is imposing courtship costs by requiring extended time, energy, and commitment before consenting to sex. More time buys more assessment. It allows a woman greater opportunity to evaluate a man, to assess how committed he is to her, and to detect whether he is burdened by prior commitments to other women and children. Men who seek to deceive women about their ultimate intentions typically tire of extended courtship. They go elsewhere for sex partners who are more readily accessible.

To guard against deception, women spend hours discussing with their friends the details of interactions they have had with their mates or with potential mates. Conversions are recounted and scrutinized. When asked, for example, whether they talk with their friends to try to figure out the intentions of someone they have gone out with, most women admit that they do. Men, in contrast, are significantly less inclined to devote effort to this problem of assessment. Women must separate men who seek casual sex from those who seek marriage.

Although women have developed strategies for penetrating men's deception, men clearly cannot ignore deception at the hands of women.

This is especially true when men seek spouses. Accurate assessments of women's reproductive value, resources, kin group or other alliances, and prospective faithfulness become paramount. This is vividly illustrated in a scene from Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire: Mitch is on a date with Blanche DuBois, a former high school teacher to whom he is engaged to be married but who has deceived him about her sexual past with other men, including a sexual relationship with a student which caused her expulsion from the school. A friend has just alerted Mitch to Blanche's past, so he aggressively tells her that evening that he has always seen her only at night under a dim light, never in a well-lit room. He turns on a bright light, from which Blanche recoils, but he sees that she is older than she had led him to believe she was. He confronts her with what he has heard about her florid sexual past. She plaintively asks Mitch whether he will still marry her. He says, "No, I don't think I'll marry you now," as he approaches her menacingly for sex.

Given the tremendous importance that men assign to physical appearance and sexual exclusivity in a potential mate, they are especially sensitive to deception about a woman's age and sexual history. Men seek out information about women's sexual reputation. Psychological alertness guards men against deception by women about two of the most reproductively important considerations for a man in a permanent mate -- her reproductive value and the likelihood that this value will be channeled exclusively to him.

Gender differences in the types and frequency of extramarital affairs

A shroud of secrecy surrounds extramarital sex, despite the multitude of studies on the subject. The question on this subject caused more people to decline to participate in Alfred Kinsey's study of sex than did any other question, and more people refused to answer it than any other question. The statistics on the incidence of extramarital sex must therefore be regarded as conservative and the actual incidence of affairs might at least 10%  higher than reported.

It has been said that "monogamy is the Western custom of one wife and any number of mistresses." The main point  is not that men inevitably have more affairs than women or that infidelity is invariably expressed in men's behavior. Rather, men's sexual psychology disposes them to seek sexual variety, and many men tend to seek extramarital sex when the costs and risks are low. Some married women also seek short-term sex, including extramarital sex, but their desires, fantasies, and motivations for this form of sex are less intense on average than are men's. Mark Twain observed that "many men are goats and can't help committing adultery when they get a chance; whereas there are numbers of men who, by temperament, can keep their purity and let an opportunity go by if the woman lacks in attractiveness." for significan percentage of men extramarital sex remains a large component of desires throughout life.

In the Kinsey report on the lifetime incidence of extramarital coitus from age sixteen through age sixty, affairs by husbands surpass those by wives at every age.   Fully 37% of married men in the youngest age bracket of sixteen to twenty report at least one affair, in contrast to a mere 6% of comparably aged wives. The incidence of affairs by husbands remains relatively constant over the years, with only a slight downward trend in the later years.  Instead, affairs make up a significant proportion of the men's sexual outlets at every age throughout their life. Extramarital sex comprises about a fifth of these men's sexual outlets between ages sixteen and thirty-five. For men who engage in extramarital sex with companions and prostitutes, these forms of sex become increasingly important with age and occur at the expense of sex with their wives, which becomes a smaller and smaller fraction of their total. Given our knowledge of men's evolved sexual psychology, it is likely that the increase in the importance of extramarital sex for these men results from boredom at repeating sex with the same partner or from a wife's decreasing sexual attractiveness to the husband as a result of her increasing age.

Men's patterns of extramarital sex differ from those of women. More men who are happily married can engage in extramarital sex without emotional involvement and without the feeling that their marriages are unsatisfactory. On average, men engage in sex outside their marriage both more often and more consistently than women over their lifetime.   In one study, 48% of American men express a desire to engage in extramarital sex; the comparable figure for women is only 5%.  In another study of marital happiness among 769 American men and 770 American women, 72% of men, but only 27% of women, admit that they sometimes experience a desire for extramarital intercourse. A study of working-class Germans reveals similar tendencies: 46% of married men but only 6% of married women acknowledge that they would take advantage of a casual sexual opportunity with someone attractive if it was provided.

The incidence of extramarital sex by women shows a marked trend with age. As men's intense mate guarding lessens with age, middle aged women become less constrained by their husbands in their sexual behavior with other men.  Reliable information on extramarital affairs is difficult to come by. But from what we know, the behavior is rare among the youngest wives, being acknowledged by only 6% of wives at ages sixteen to twenty and about 9% of them at ages twenty-one to twenty-five. The incidence of extramarital affairs goes up to 14% of women at ages twenty-six to thirty and hits a peak of 17% of women between ages thirty-one and forty. After the late thirties and early forties, extramarital sex by women declines steadily, acknowledged by 6% of women at ages fifty-one to fifty-five and only 4% of them at ages fifty-six to sixty. Thus, there is a curvilinear relationship between age and affairs for women: affairs are low when women are both most and least reproductively valuable, but high toward the end of their reproductive years.

For women happiness in marriage is a strong correlating factor: in one study only 33% of women who have affairs believe that their marriages are happy, whereas 56% of men who have extramarital sex consider their marriages to be happy. The fact that women who have affairs are more likely to be unhappy in their marriages and more likely to be emotionally involved with the extramarital partner suggests that they may be using their affairs for the purpose of changing mates. Fully 72% of women but only 51% of men are motivated by emotional commitment or long-term love rather than sexual desires in their extramarital dalliances. But another study found that men who have affairs are twice as likely as women to think of the involvement as purely sexual, devoid of emotional attachments.

Conflicts in marriage that experience "love triangle"

Conflicts in marriage that experience "love triangle" situation include:

Another factor in many instances of infidelity it that "monogamous marriage" as an institution contradicts neoliberal ideology and can't be not properly adjusted to neoliberal society, which commodify everything including love and views marriage as a contract entered by two individuals within some virtual "marketplace" when both individuals agree on the "price", with "tying the knot" as a final compromise.   Among the most typical issues that cause such a conflict we can list the following:

  1. Neoliberal culture of "wolf-eat-wolf" individualism and narcissism.  In this context infidelity is viewed not as betrayal of trust, which in reality it is, but as an attempt of self-fulfillment.
  2. Excessive, infused by Hollywood and romantic novels unrealistic expectations. Hollywood provides a very idealized and romanticized view of love. to the extent that a question arise "Is not Hollywood-style romantic love, in reality, a flavor of masochism ? "
  3. Narcissism, egoism, self-centerness, self indulgence.
  4. The grass looks greener on the other side, but it does not necessarily holds to be
  5. Midlife crisis. very real if you are 40 something.

Suspicious Jealousy

As relationships develop, persons become very sensitive to the potential for loss. Ironically, this may be more salient in relationships when stability is not firmly established (dating) than it is later in relationships when passion is blunted and commitment is well entrenched. This paradox might be due to the fact that most individuals realize that, in general, dating relationships are unstable. Most premarital relationships are terminated prior to marriage, and divorce rates in first two years of marriage are reported to be high. Furthermore, persons are told in the popular media that extramarital relationships are common. Accordingly, even when there is no clear evidence of  extramarital relationships, some persons will display, to varying degrees, the following qualities: worrying, vigilance, suspiciousness, mistrust, snooping, testing the relationship, and attempting to control the partner's behavior. which are all summarized under the term of jealousy. Also called  suspicious jealousy and we prefer this term to distinguish it from  reactive (after the fact)  jealousy.

Suspicious jealousy represents a rather consistent pattern of behaviors and feelings, and it is most prevalent among individuals with low self-esteem who are relatively dependent upon and insecure about their relationships. Jealousy over minor events may be construed as a sign of love, and it forewarns other spouse of possible consequences,  if an extramarital relationship were perpetrated. In movie Shall We Dance  the wife hired detective to find out where her husband spends nights.

Although suspicious jealousy usually occurs in the absence of clear, unequivocal signs of  extramarital involvement (see , there may be circumstantial evidence to support such jealousy. Minor events, such as watching the partner engage in an animated discussion with someone of the opposite sex, the partner being late, and telephone calls that are wrong numbers can result in worrying, agitation, and apprehension. Intensity depends of types of specific activities. for example in the spouse's absence spending an evening at an opposite-sex married friend's home   and going to a movie with that couple are more acceptable then having dinner in a secluded place, dancing with somebody else spouse without the other spouse present, spending type in a secluded cabin, and petting.

Suspicious jealousy is not necessarily unhealthy jealousy. When there is a pattern of minor incidents suggesting that the partner might be involved with someone else, vigilance to determine what is happening may be a prudent response that reflects reasonable concern and good strategies to cope with the situation. Furthermore, emotional reactions to these events may forewarn the partner of what will happen if them are serious transgressions and thereby serve the role of preventing extramarital involvements.

On the other hand, suspicious jealousy may be self-defeating and may negatively affect the person's self-esteem. In its most extreme forms, suspicious jealousy may be associated with paranoid personality disorder. Furthermore, chronic suspiciousness and mistrust that fails to abate in the absence of actual major jealousy-evoking events can disrupt the relationship. Attempts to control the partner's behavior and deter that which the person had no intention of doing anyway may create a cycle of reactance, resentment, counteraccusation, counterthreat, and provocation. Finally, continually protesting minor transgressions in an attempt to warn the partner of one's resolve may seriously attenuate relationship outcomes.

A dependent individual in a premarital relationship will not only be relatively more jealous: Occasionally, it seems, such a person will intentionally induce jealousy in the partner. The most frequent reasons for doing so were to test the relationship (e.g., "to see if he still cared") and to increase specific rewards (e.g., "wanting more attention"). White's study also showed that females were more likely than males to induce jealousy, particularly females who thought they were relatively more involved in the relationship than their partners. This is more typical for dating period. During this period induction of jealousy took the form of exaggerating or discussing an attraction to someone else, flirting, and actually dating others.

Reactive Jealousy

Traditional marriage is a legal, social, economic, and emotional contract. It is also a contract for sexual fidelity. However, history indicates that the sanctity of this bonding has always been tenuous, even prior to the religious prohibitions most clearly seen in the Judeo-Christian creed (paradoxically Romantic love, which serves as the  basis for marriage in our Western culture, was the feeling reserved for one's mistress in medieval Europe during the period of arranged marriages )

The intensity of reactive jealousy also serves as a protest and a punishment to the transgressing partner. . Such a response might prevent subsequent incidents and preserve the relationship. However, fervent and vicious reactions can antagonize the partner and destroy the relationship. Jealousy seems, in part, to serve as the glue that helps maintain the couple as a couple. On the other hand, it can be the explosive force that destroys the couple and alienates the persons from each other. Whatever the consequences, jealousy will reliably surface whenever there are sexual affairs that violate norms of exclusivity  in intimate relationships.

Disclosure of an affair creates the need for the offending person to explain the  relationship to the spouse. Both justifications and excuses are used to explain affairs. Justifications are aimed at protecting one's self-image through accepting responsibility but attenuating the negative consequences (e.g., "there is nothing wrong with an occasional affair when the loyalty to the marriage remains intact"). Excuses acknowledge the negative consequences but deny personal responsibility for the event (e.g., "I was just drunk and depressed"). Atwater found that, for women, justifications were more frequent than excuses. The most frequently mentioned justifications for affairs were, in descending frequency: dissatisfaction with the relationship, boredom, revenge, anger or jealousy, being unsure of the relationship, and variety. Females were more likely than males to mention relationship dissatisfaction as a reason, whereas males were more likely than females to mention lack of communication and sexual incompatibility. The most frequently mentioned reaction were, in descending order: terminate the relationship, confront and find out the reason, talk it over, consider terminating the relationship, and work to improve the relationship. Females were more likely than males to indicate that they would discuss the problem with the partner. The most common justification was self-fulfillment. This is consistent with Glass and Wright's ( 1985) conclusion that women's extramarital affairs were more oriented toward emotional issues, whereas for men, affairs were more sexually oriented. Hupka, Jung, and Silverthorn ( 1987) showed that, in addition to justifications and excuses, apologies (e.g., "I don't know what got into me") were also used to explain affairs,  when the intent was to maintain the relationship.

Extramarital relations may result not only from general marital processes that influence satisfaction but also from specific behaviors by the partner. Buunk ( 1982) found a strong correlation between inclinations toward extramarital relations and the readiness to tolerate the behavior in the spouse. Such reciprocity may take the form of revenge ("You did it so I'll do it") or inducement ("I'll let you do it so that I can do it").

Much depends on relative dependency of the partner in the relationship. Relative dependency refers to the degree to which one is more or less dependent upon the relationship, compared to the partner. The less dependent person in a couple is assumed to have more rewarding activities outside the present relationship, more attractive alternative relationships, and therefore has more power in the relationship. The frequency and intensity of jealousy were found to be greater to the degree that a person was attracted to the other person, to the degree that a person was dependent upon the relationship, and to the degree that a person was more involved than the partner

 

 Minimizing the risk of infidelity

My Cheating Heart What Causes Infidelity - Psychology Tomorrow MagazinePsychology Tomorrow Magazine

Here are six things I believe everyone can do in order to minimize the risk of infidelity:

Do The Work It Takes To Know Yourself As A Sexual Person.

Read books, take a workshop, talk to a counselor. Study your sexuality as you would any other subject you were trying to master. Increase your own awareness about what you like and don’t like; what you fantasize about; how you like to be touched and where; what you would like to try.

Communicate To Your Partner Who You Are Sexually.

Don’t assume that they know! Have an honest conversation at a time when you both feel relaxed and close. If a tool would facilitate the conversation or if you need some structure around it, take a questionnaire together and compare answers.

Ask Questions And Listen To Who They Are As A Sexual Person.

Don’t assume that you know! Unless you have asked them and they feel safe in answering, you probably don’t know all of it. Keep in mind, it may be difficult for your partner to share their sexual desires and fantasies with you if they are not used to talking about sex or if they are fearful that their answers will hurt or offend you. Make sure that when you do ask, you are ready for whatever the answers may be. Do your best to be encouraging and supportive.

Keep An Open Mind And Heart. Be Willing To Try New Things Together.

Try not to judge! In the realm of sexuality, almost anything goes (I say “almost” because the one caveat is that “anything” must be consensual). People’s sexual desires and expressions are hugely varied, and you should avoid making assumptions about what they mean as it is unique to each individual. Many people fantasize about things they are actually not interested in trying in real life or are only willing to try within the safety of their relationship.

Instead Of Distracting Yourself And Avoiding The Problem, Try To Remain Present And Engaged.  

Affairs are distractions, and people distract themselves when they are bored or unhappy. An affair is a “quick fix” with a long-term consequence, even if not discovered. Do due diligence in your personal work. You owe it to yourself and to your partner.

Be Honest: Honest With Yourself And Honest With Your Partner.

Honesty early on (before an affair) about your concerns can create an opening for a new level of intimacy. It can be hard to talk about the fact that you are unhappy with the sex in your relationship or that you are finding yourself attracted to another person. Too many couples avoid the topic of sex, especially when it has been a long period of time since partners have had sex because the subject feels too tense and overwhelming. Honesty after an affair will demonstrate accountability and remorse. Many partners who “discover” an affair say that the discovery and the deception were the worst part.

So what happens when an infidelity has taken place? The bottom line is that some couples are able to make it through an affair and some aren’t. Those who do make it through tend to possess two qualities: a genuine commitment to the relationship and a willingness to show remorse and accountability on the part of the person who has acted outside of the implicit and explicit relationship agreements. Also necessary is a willingness to forgive (this may take some time) by the person who feels betrayed. For the person who had the affair, a first stance when faced with the discovery of the truth and the potential loss of their relationship may be defensiveness or blame, masking their true feelings of guilt, shame, and fear. This partner MUST acknowledge that it was their choice and their choice alone to have an affair, and that nothing, including a lack of sex or disconnection from their partner, justifies their betrayal. This partner can expect to be in for some rough times ahead. A betrayed partner will most likely want details; many details, ALL details, and be terrified of new information being discovered, leaving them in a locked place of terror, anger, and hurt. I believe that it is best to honor their request for information as it is the first step to rebuilding trust. They will also tend to question all aspects of what they believed to be true for the relationship, looking back over time with a view now clouded by the idea that what they believed to be truth in one area of their relationship was not truth, and so surely there are other areas in which similarly they were living a lie. Perhaps that even the whole relationship and who their partner presented themselves as being is a lie.

A couples counselor will be helpful in navigating these very difficult conversations. Both partners can also benefit from individual therapy to have a space that they can share their feelings without filter. Books such as After the Affair: Healing the Pain and Rebuilding Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful by Janis Abrahms Spring, PhD, can also help couples navigate this trespass and gain comfort from hearing the stories of those who have been through a similar ordeal, as well as knowledge about what their partner may be feeling. Ultimately, it is rarely the act of sex outside of a relationship that makes or breaks a couple’s ability to survive an infidelity. It is the meaning we attach to the act and the way we proceed with the information once it has been made known.


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Old News ;-)

[Dec 06, 2020] Bill Clinton Couldn t Stay Away From Jeffrey Epstein, Visited Pedo Island According To Former Chief Aide

Highly recommended!
Notable quotes:
"... Band said he had no idea about Epstein's sex crimes back then but got enough bad vibes that he advised Clinton to end the relationship. But Clinton continued to socialize with Epstein and take his money. In 2006 Epstein donated $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation. Clinton made more than two dozen trips on Epstein's jet around this time, Epstein's flight logs show. In January 2003, according to Band, Clinton visited Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little St. James. Band said it was one of the few trips he declined to go on in his time with Clinton. - Vanity Fair ..."
"... Chelsea Clinton had a relationship with Epstein and his alleged co-conspirator in an underage sex trafficking ring, Ghislaine Maxwell. ..."
"... Chelsea had ties to Epstein and Maxwell, Band said; he showed me a photo of Bill and Chelsea posing with Epstein and Maxwell at the King of Morocco's wedding. Chelsea remained friends with Maxwell for years after the press revealed Maxwell was a close associate of Epstein's. For instance, Chelsea invited Maxwell to her 2010 wedding at the Brooke Astor estate in Rhinebeck, New York, after Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida to procuring sex from a minor. - Vanity Fair ..."
"... "Ghislaine had access to yachts and nice homes. Chelsea needed that ," said Band. ..."
"... Thanks again to WikiLeaks, we also know that Band was soliciting donations for Clinton through his PR and investment firm, Teneo in an sordid example of "pay for play" which most of the mainstream media refused to cover - which he worried about in an email to John Podesta, saying: " If this story gets out, we are screwed ." ..."
"... In 2011, Band says he instructed Bill Clinton's staffers to ban Maxwell 'from all Clintonworld events' to try and drive a wedge between Chelsea and Ghislaine . ..."
Dec 04, 2020 | www.zerohedge.com

Bill Clinton's former top aide and Chelsea Clinton nemesis Doug Band has told Vanity Fair that former President Bill Clinton did visit Jeffrey Epstein's infamous "pedo island" in January 2003, and that he was unable to push Epstein out of Clinton's orbit since they flew to Africa together in 2002 aboard the the pedophile's (Epstein's) private 727, dubbed the "Lolita Express."

Band said he had no idea about Epstein's sex crimes back then but got enough bad vibes that he advised Clinton to end the relationship. But Clinton continued to socialize with Epstein and take his money. In 2006 Epstein donated $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation. Clinton made more than two dozen trips on Epstein's jet around this time, Epstein's flight logs show. In January 2003, according to Band, Clinton visited Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little St. James. Band said it was one of the few trips he declined to go on in his time with Clinton. - Vanity Fair

Band - who revealed the Clinton Foundation's 'for-profit' activity and accused Chelsea Clinton of tapping Foundation funds to pay for her wedding (known only because of WikiLeaks) - also says Chelsea Clinton had a relationship with Epstein and his alleged co-conspirator in an underage sex trafficking ring, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Chelsea had ties to Epstein and Maxwell, Band said; he showed me a photo of Bill and Chelsea posing with Epstein and Maxwell at the King of Morocco's wedding. Chelsea remained friends with Maxwell for years after the press revealed Maxwell was a close associate of Epstein's. For instance, Chelsea invited Maxwell to her 2010 wedding at the Brooke Astor estate in Rhinebeck, New York, after Epstein had pleaded guilty in Florida to procuring sex from a minor. - Vanity Fair

"Ghislaine had access to yachts and nice homes. Chelsea needed that ," said Band.

Bill Clinton walks with Doug Band

Band notably created the now-defunct Clinton Global Initiative, which has helped to raise $74 billion for Clinton global charities, according to Newsmax . Thanks again to WikiLeaks, we also know that Band was soliciting donations for Clinton through his PR and investment firm, Teneo in an sordid example of "pay for play" which most of the mainstream media refused to cover - which he worried about in an email to John Podesta, saying: " If this story gets out, we are screwed ."

In response to Band's claims about Chelsea, a family spokesperson said that " Chelsea was on friendly terms with Maxwell because of a mutual friend (Gateway computer founder Ted Waitt) and only took one yacht trip with Maxwell in 2009: "It wasn't until 2015 that Chelsea became aware of the horrific allegations against Ghislaine Maxwell and she hopes that all the victims find justice."

In 2011, Band says he instructed Bill Clinton's staffers to ban Maxwell 'from all Clintonworld events' to try and drive a wedge between Chelsea and Ghislaine .

"I knew in telling everyone to stop including Ghislaine that Chelsea and her father would be very angry. It made it harder for them to justify being close to her," said Band.

[Nov 22, 2020] Dividing Your Assets in a Gray Divorce by Mary Kane

Notable quotes:
"... High-earning older couples also may have more complicated financial situations than younger couples, with both partners sometimes owning multiple 401(k)s, pensions and IRAs, making it hard to split everything equitably. And increasingly, divorcing clients own annuities, which are challenging to divide, says Jeff Kostis, president of JK Financial Planning, in Chicago, and a divorce financial planner. Every annuity contract can be different, and in some cases, couples may need to trade off other assets to avoid cashing out an annuity and losing much of its value. ..."
"... Some couples are tempted to simply split plans themselves. Or at the end of a long mediation session, with retirement plans last on the list, a couple may simply agree to a 50-50 split. But it's not that clear cut. ..."
Mar 07, 2020 | getpocket.com

For older couples who decide to split up, divorce can look very different than it might have in their younger years. Children often are grown and out of the house, so child support and custody aren't an issue. And breakups after long marriages can sometimes seem amicable rather than contentious; partners simply grow apart and decide to go their separate ways.

But with gray divorce on the rise -- the divorce rate for adults over 50 has doubled since the 1990s, according to the Pew Research Center -- both partners need to understand how to correctly split up retirement plans and other assets. One partner may offer to be generous, but that's not necessarily helpful. You need to follow specific rules for dividing 401(k) plans and IRAs, or one partner could take an unnecessary financial hit or face an unexpected tax bill. And the closer you are to retirement, the more crucial it is to get it right. "You can't afford to make mistakes," says Diane Pappas, a divorce financial analyst and owner of Solutions for Divorce, in Boston.

High-earning older couples also may have more complicated financial situations than younger couples, with both partners sometimes owning multiple 401(k)s, pensions and IRAs, making it hard to split everything equitably. And increasingly, divorcing clients own annuities, which are challenging to divide, says Jeff Kostis, president of JK Financial Planning, in Chicago, and a divorce financial planner. Every annuity contract can be different, and in some cases, couples may need to trade off other assets to avoid cashing out an annuity and losing much of its value.

If you're facing a gray divorce, start by accepting that regardless of what agreement gets hammered out with your estranged spouse, your finances are going to take a hit, Pappas says. Be realistic: You had one household, with a set amount of income. You're splitting that into two households, on the same amount of income. "Something has to give," she says.

You'll also need to accept that retirement plans are among the assets you'll need to divide. Partners who hold retirement plans don't always understand this, says Peggy Tracy, owner of Priority Planning, a tax preparation and financial services practice, in Wheaton, Ill. "They're shocked they have to share it," she says. "They feel they are entitled to all the money." She has to explain that yearly contributions to a 401(k), for example, came from a couple's mutual income, and a partner is entitled to a share.

Divide a Plan

Some couples are tempted to simply split plans themselves. Or at the end of a long mediation session, with retirement plans last on the list, a couple may simply agree to a 50-50 split. But it's not that clear cut.

For both 401(k) plans and pensions, you'll need a qualified domestic relations order, which is a judicial decree recognizing a divorcing spouse's right to receive all or a portion of the account owner's qualified plan, says Colleen Carcone, a director of wealth planning strategies at TIAA, in Boston. The QDRO is submitted to the plan administrator. A portion of the plan can then be transferred to the divorcing spouse's name.

When you split a 401(k) plan with a QDRO, you get a one-time divorce-related break. If you take some of the cash out, perhaps for a down payment on a house, you will owe taxes on the distribution but not the 10% penalty for taking an early withdrawal under age 59½. If you roll the money immediately into your own newly established IRA, you won't owe taxes or a penalty.

Before splitting a 401(k), be sure to check a partner's paystub to ensure he or she doesn't have an outstanding loan that's being repaid through paycheck deductions, Tracy says. And change your beneficiaries, if you don't want your ex-spouse named for your plan.

For employer pensions, be aware that each employer has different rules on how or whether the pension can be split, Tracy says. Plus, you'll need a professional to determine its value before you can divide it, a process that can take two or three months. Until you have that information, don't set terms for splitting the pension, she says.

QDROs don't apply to IRAs . Division of IRAs should be detailed in a divorce decree or separation agreement. The agreement then has to be submitted to the IRA custodian. "You just can't sign a napkin over drinks," says Dave Stolz, a certified public accountant and financial planner, in Tacoma, Wash.

Understand the tax rules for splitting an IRA to avoid unexpected penalties. You can't take a one-time penalty-free distribution from an IRA because of a divorce, Pappas says. Take some cash out and you will owe taxes on the distribution, plus the 10% early-withdrawal penalty if you're under 59½. But if the money is rolled directly to an IRA, there is no penalty or tax.

All retirement plans aren't equal. A partner receiving traditional 401(k) assets will owe taxes on any distributions, so it's not equivalent to getting the same dollar amount of Roth IRA assets. Roth IRAs are funded with after-tax contributions. Planners usually separate Roth IRAs from other retirement assets and split them in half, says Tracy.

If your finances are especially complicated, you might consider a collaborative divorce. Each partner typically hires his or her own attorney, but they jointly use a financial planner and coach. The goal is to divide the finances to best meet each partner's goals, Kostis says. Sometimes that may mean unequal divisions of individual assets such as 401(k) accounts or cash accounts, so one person has a more secure retirement and the other has cash to purchase a house.

For example, Social Security benefits can't be included as a marital asset, by law, and the actual benefit can't be divided. A higher-earning spouse will have a bigger benefit than a spouse who may have worked part-time to care for children. The higher earner might agree to provide monthly support payments for a certain period of time to make up the difference, Kostis says. Or the couple might choose to trade off other assets, perhaps from an investment account. "You set your own rules," Kostis says.

To find a collaborative divorce team, do an online search for "collaborative divorce" and your state. In Illinois, for example, you can find professionals at the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois . Find a divorce financial analyst through the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts .

[Aug 19, 2020] Clinton and Cortez at democratic convention

Aug 19, 2020 | www.moonofalabama.org

Peter AU1 , Aug 19 2020 4:53 utc | 6

John Lee

Probably best not have them both on the same stage to speak. Clinton might mistake Cortez for a secretary.

[Aug 02, 2020] Clinton connection to Epstein was not accidental

Notable quotes:
"... Looks like Clinton "dicking (underage) blondes." I am shocked! ..."
Aug 02, 2020 | www.moonofalabama.org

Mao , Aug 1 2020 4:15 utc | 66

In recently unsealed court documents involving dead child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, a woman named Virginia Giuffre, who publicly accused Epstein of sex trafficking, said that she once saw former Democratic President Bill Clinton on Epstein's island with "two young girls" from New York.

In the questioning by lawyer Jack Scarola, Guiffre was asked, "Do you have any recollection of Jeffrey Epstein's specifically telling you that 'Bill Clinton owes me favors?'"

"Yes, I do," Guiffre answered. "It was a laugh though. He would laugh it off. You know, I remember asking Jeffrey what's Bill Clinton doing here [on Epstein's island] kind of thing, and he laughed it off and said well he owes me favors."

https://www.newsweek.com/bill-clinton-went-jeffrey-epsteins-island-2-young-girls-virginia-giuffre-says-1521845


Hoarsewhisperer , Aug 1 2020 5:07 utc | 72

Interesting extract from Xymphora's July 31 blog entry...

Tweet (trappedpatriot):

"So they screwed up bigtime on the redactions for the Ghislaine Maxwell release today. You can literally copy and paste the redacted pages into notepad and read them. Check out document #143 for a great example. #Epstein #Maxwell"

The trick works (I'd like to think it is not a mistake but some direct action by a court employee who is tired of all the lies). From document #143 (a deposition of Maxwell where her lawyer instructs her not to answer most, but not all, questions:
...

I can wait for the Official Version but I'd be interested to hear if any of MoA's resident sleuths have found the copy/paste assertion to be true?

NemesisCalling , Aug 1 2020 5:55 utc | 74

@74 hoarse

Not holding my breath but my ears are perked.

It looks like they highlighted what was to be redacted in adobe instead of scanning redacted documents manually.

Somebody screwed up? Intentionally? Mistrial for Maxwell?

Looks like Clinton "dicking (underage) blondes." I am shocked!

Trump is looking clean and I would have already guessed it with his foray into the porn industry w/ Stormy Daniels. Whereas with paedophiles, it is about power and domination, when you are into a chick like Daniels, you are staying simple and "keeping your cart wheel in worn ruts." (Tao Te Ching)

[Aug 01, 2020] Unsealed docs say Bill Clinton was on 'pedophile island' w- 'young girls' cite Epstein saying former president 'owed him favor'

Aug 01, 2020 | www.rt.com

Newly unsealed files tied to the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case imply that former US President Bill Clinton visited the investor's private island along with "young girls," and that the FBI knew well about the minors' abuse.

Comprising hundreds of pages of documents, the trove was released on Thursday night following a judge's order last week to have it unsealed, over the objections of Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend to Epstein who has recently been charged as an accomplice in his alleged sex-trafficking operation.

ALSO ON RT.COM US judge authorizes release of previously-sealed documents in case of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell

The records stem from a 2015 defamation suit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, which was placed under lock and key after the case was settled in 2017, but was recently unsealed, as a result of a lawsuit brought last year by conservative blogger Mike Cernovich and the Miami Herald newspaper.

Among other revelations, the documents indicate that former US president Bill Clinton consorted with "young girls" during at least one visit to Epstein's private resort in the Virgin Islands, where the billionaire was said to host regular "sex orgies."

"When you were present with Jeffery Epstein and Bill Clinton on the island, who else was there?" one witness – presumably Giuffre – was asked during an interview, to which she replied that Epstein, Maxwell, an unidentified woman named "Emmy" and "2 young girls" had been on the island with the former POTUS. The witness did not elaborate on Clinton's interactions with the girls, however.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289016133052518401&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

The same witness also told her attorney in 2011 that she had overheard Epstein saying that Clinton owed him "favors," but noted she couldn't tell whether he was joking.

"He would laugh it off. You know, I remember asking Jeffrey 'What's Bill Clinton doing here?' and he laughed it off and said 'well he owes me a favor,'" she said. "He never told me what favors they were. I never knew. I didn't know if he was serious."

He told me a long time ago that everyone owes him favors. They're all in each other's pockets.

One of America's top law enforcement agencies was also apparently aware that underage girls were still being abused at Epstein's properties as far back as 2011 – years after he was sentenced for similar crimes in his first criminal case. During her defamation suit, Giuffre said she had provided the FBI a now widely circulated photo of herself and the UK's Prince Andrew – where he is pictured smiling with an arm around her bare waist.

In 2014, moreover, Giuffre contacted the FBI to request evidence they had previously seized from Epstein's residences to aid her civil case, suggesting the bureau had for long been informed of her allegations regarding Epstein and his continued involvement with minor girls.

Home USA News Unsealed docs say Bill Clinton was on 'pedophile island' w/ 'young girls' & cite Epstein saying former president 'owed him favor' 31 Jul, 2020 06:18 Get short URL FILE PHOTO: US Attorney Audrey Strauss speaks at a news conference announcing charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein. © Reuters / Lucas Jackson 3593 Follow RT on RT Newly unsealed files tied to the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case imply that former US President Bill Clinton visited the investor's private island along with "young girls," and that the FBI knew well about the minors' abuse.

Comprising hundreds of pages of documents, the trove was released on Thursday night following a judge's order last week to have it unsealed, over the objections of Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend to Epstein who has recently been charged as an accomplice in his alleged sex-trafficking operation.

ALSO ON RT.COM US judge authorizes release of previously-sealed documents in case of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell

The records stem from a 2015 defamation suit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, which was placed under lock and key after the case was settled in 2017, but was recently unsealed, as a result of a lawsuit brought last year by conservative blogger Mike Cernovich and the Miami Herald newspaper.

Among other revelations, the documents indicate that former US president Bill Clinton consorted with "young girls" during at least one visit to Epstein's private resort in the Virgin Islands, where the billionaire was said to host regular "sex orgies."

"When you were present with Jeffery Epstein and Bill Clinton on the island, who else was there?" one witness – presumably Giuffre – was asked during an interview, to which she replied that Epstein, Maxwell, an unidentified woman named "Emmy" and "2 young girls" had been on the island with the former POTUS. The witness did not elaborate on Clinton's interactions with the girls, however.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289016133052518401&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

The same witness also told her attorney in 2011 that she had overheard Epstein saying that Clinton owed him "favors," but noted she couldn't tell whether he was joking.

"He would laugh it off. You know, I remember asking Jeffrey 'What's Bill Clinton doing here?' and he laughed it off and said 'well he owes me a favor,'" she said. "He never told me what favors they were. I never knew. I didn't know if he was serious."

He told me a long time ago that everyone owes him favors. They're all in each other's pockets.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1289039805528059904&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1289051260566384640&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

One of America's top law enforcement agencies was also apparently aware that underage girls were still being abused at Epstein's properties as far back as 2011 – years after he was sentenced for similar crimes in his first criminal case. During her defamation suit, Giuffre said she had provided the FBI a now widely circulated photo of herself and the UK's Prince Andrew – where he is pictured smiling with an arm around her bare waist.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289028705818480642&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

In 2014, moreover, Giuffre contacted the FBI to request evidence they had previously seized from Epstein's residences to aid her civil case, suggesting the bureau had for long been informed of her allegations regarding Epstein and his continued involvement with minor girls.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289021598561980416&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289020613852635136&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

President Donald Trump also made an appearance in the unsealed papers. However, an associate of Epstein, Juan Alessi, said in an interview that Trump "never" stayed overnight while visiting Epstein's Palm Beach estate, and that he did not receive any "massages" there, as "he's got his own spa." An alleged victim also maintained that while Trump and Epstein were "good friends," Trump made no attempts to "flirt" with her. Home USA News Unsealed docs say Bill Clinton was on 'pedophile island' w/ 'young girls' & cite Epstein saying former president 'owed him favor' 31 Jul, 2020 06:18 Get short URL FILE PHOTO: US Attorney Audrey Strauss speaks at a news conference announcing charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein. © Reuters / Lucas Jackson 3593 Follow RT on RT Newly unsealed files tied to the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case imply that former US President Bill Clinton visited the investor's private island along with "young girls," and that the FBI knew well about the minors' abuse.

Comprising hundreds of pages of documents, the trove was released on Thursday night following a judge's order last week to have it unsealed, over the objections of Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend to Epstein who has recently been charged as an accomplice in his alleged sex-trafficking operation.

ALSO ON RT.COM US judge authorizes release of previously-sealed documents in case of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell

The records stem from a 2015 defamation suit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, which was placed under lock and key after the case was settled in 2017, but was recently unsealed, as a result of a lawsuit brought last year by conservative blogger Mike Cernovich and the Miami Herald newspaper.

Among other revelations, the documents indicate that former US president Bill Clinton consorted with "young girls" during at least one visit to Epstein's private resort in the Virgin Islands, where the billionaire was said to host regular "sex orgies."

"When you were present with Jeffery Epstein and Bill Clinton on the island, who else was there?" one witness – presumably Giuffre – was asked during an interview, to which she replied that Epstein, Maxwell, an unidentified woman named "Emmy" and "2 young girls" had been on the island with the former POTUS. The witness did not elaborate on Clinton's interactions with the girls, however.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289016133052518401&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

The same witness also told her attorney in 2011 that she had overheard Epstein saying that Clinton owed him "favors," but noted she couldn't tell whether he was joking.

"He would laugh it off. You know, I remember asking Jeffrey 'What's Bill Clinton doing here?' and he laughed it off and said 'well he owes me a favor,'" she said. "He never told me what favors they were. I never knew. I didn't know if he was serious."

He told me a long time ago that everyone owes him favors. They're all in each other's pockets.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1289039805528059904&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1289051260566384640&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

One of America's top law enforcement agencies was also apparently aware that underage girls were still being abused at Epstein's properties as far back as 2011 – years after he was sentenced for similar crimes in his first criminal case. During her defamation suit, Giuffre said she had provided the FBI a now widely circulated photo of herself and the UK's Prince Andrew – where he is pictured smiling with an arm around her bare waist.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289028705818480642&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

In 2014, moreover, Giuffre contacted the FBI to request evidence they had previously seized from Epstein's residences to aid her civil case, suggesting the bureau had for long been informed of her allegations regarding Epstein and his continued involvement with minor girls.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289021598561980416&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289020613852635136&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

President Donald Trump also made an appearance in the unsealed papers. However, an associate of Epstein, Juan Alessi, said in an interview that Trump "never" stayed overnight while visiting Epstein's Palm Beach estate, and that he did not receive any "massages" there, as "he's got his own spa." An alleged victim also maintained that while Trump and Epstein were "good friends," Trump made no attempts to "flirt" with her.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1289038574252433408&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289043259403038720&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

Despite repeatedly insisting he had no ties to Epstein's sex-trafficking ring, legal scholar and former Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz is directly accused in the documents of having "sexual relations" with an underage girl. He is also said to have witnessed "the sexual abuse of many other minors by Epstein and several of Epstein's co-conspirators," and would later help to negotiate an undisclosed immunity deal for himself during Epstein's first criminal case. Home USA News Unsealed docs say Bill Clinton was on 'pedophile island' w/ 'young girls' & cite Epstein saying former president 'owed him favor' 31 Jul, 2020 06:18 Get short URL FILE PHOTO: US Attorney Audrey Strauss speaks at a news conference announcing charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein. © Reuters / Lucas Jackson 3593 Follow RT on RT Newly unsealed files tied to the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case imply that former US President Bill Clinton visited the investor's private island along with "young girls," and that the FBI knew well about the minors' abuse.

Comprising hundreds of pages of documents, the trove was released on Thursday night following a judge's order last week to have it unsealed, over the objections of Ghislaine Maxwell, a former girlfriend to Epstein who has recently been charged as an accomplice in his alleged sex-trafficking operation.

ALSO ON RT.COM US judge authorizes release of previously-sealed documents in case of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell

The records stem from a 2015 defamation suit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, which was placed under lock and key after the case was settled in 2017, but was recently unsealed, as a result of a lawsuit brought last year by conservative blogger Mike Cernovich and the Miami Herald newspaper.

Among other revelations, the documents indicate that former US president Bill Clinton consorted with "young girls" during at least one visit to Epstein's private resort in the Virgin Islands, where the billionaire was said to host regular "sex orgies."

"When you were present with Jeffery Epstein and Bill Clinton on the island, who else was there?" one witness – presumably Giuffre – was asked during an interview, to which she replied that Epstein, Maxwell, an unidentified woman named "Emmy" and "2 young girls" had been on the island with the former POTUS. The witness did not elaborate on Clinton's interactions with the girls, however.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289016133052518401&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

The same witness also told her attorney in 2011 that she had overheard Epstein saying that Clinton owed him "favors," but noted she couldn't tell whether he was joking.

"He would laugh it off. You know, I remember asking Jeffrey 'What's Bill Clinton doing here?' and he laughed it off and said 'well he owes me a favor,'" she said. "He never told me what favors they were. I never knew. I didn't know if he was serious."

He told me a long time ago that everyone owes him favors. They're all in each other's pockets.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1289039805528059904&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1289051260566384640&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

One of America's top law enforcement agencies was also apparently aware that underage girls were still being abused at Epstein's properties as far back as 2011 – years after he was sentenced for similar crimes in his first criminal case. During her defamation suit, Giuffre said she had provided the FBI a now widely circulated photo of herself and the UK's Prince Andrew – where he is pictured smiling with an arm around her bare waist.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289028705818480642&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

In 2014, moreover, Giuffre contacted the FBI to request evidence they had previously seized from Epstein's residences to aid her civil case, suggesting the bureau had for long been informed of her allegations regarding Epstein and his continued involvement with minor girls.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289021598561980416&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289020613852635136&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

President Donald Trump also made an appearance in the unsealed papers. However, an associate of Epstein, Juan Alessi, said in an interview that Trump "never" stayed overnight while visiting Epstein's Palm Beach estate, and that he did not receive any "massages" there, as "he's got his own spa." An alleged victim also maintained that while Trump and Epstein were "good friends," Trump made no attempts to "flirt" with her.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1289038574252433408&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289043259403038720&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

Despite repeatedly insisting he had no ties to Epstein's sex-trafficking ring, legal scholar and former Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz is directly accused in the documents of having "sexual relations" with an underage girl. He is also said to have witnessed "the sexual abuse of many other minors by Epstein and several of Epstein's co-conspirators," and would later help to negotiate an undisclosed immunity deal for himself during Epstein's first criminal case.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-8&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1289009776433782786&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/index.html?creatorScreenName=RT_com&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-9&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1289014185637093377&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F496711-unsealed-epstein-docs-clinton-fbi%2F&siteScreenName=RT_com&theme=light&widgetsVersion=223fc1c4%3A1596143124634&width=550px

More than 1,000 pages of documents from Giuffre's civil defamation case had previously been released in August 2019, indicating that a long list of wealthy and powerful figures regularly spent time with Epstein at his lavish properties. One day after that trove was unsealed, Epstein was found hanging in his Manhattan prison cell, dead from an apparent suicide after being charged with sex trafficking and imprisoned some weeks previously.

Maxwell was arrested and charged with procuring minors for sexual abuse earlier this month, after keeping a low profile in the period following Epstein's death. She has pleaded not guilty to six criminal counts and remains in custody without bail, after prosecutors had labeled her an "extreme" flight risk.

[May 26, 2020] How to Use an Android Phone as a GPS Tracker Device by Joel Lee

Dec 16, 2019 | www.makeuseof.com

GPS is great for recovering your device when lost or stolen and navigating while driving with Google Maps . And it's especially nifty because GPS works even when disconnected from the internet . Just download your maps ahead of time! Advertisement

But how about using an Android phone as a GPS tracker? It may not be the most reliable option, and it does comes with some not-so-insignificant drawbacks, but it can get the job done if you're desperate. Here's how to turn your Android phone into a GPS tracker.

Note: These instructions are based on a Samsung Galaxy S8 running Android 8.0 Oreo, but the steps should be relatively similar for most Android devices.

Tracking With Native Android Features

Most Android devices released in 2014 or later have a built-in feature called Find My Device (formerly called Find My Android). This service constantly pings your device's location back to Google's servers so that Google knows where your device is . You can then use Google's web interface to see where your device is at any given time. You'll need a Google account to use this feature.

How to Enable Find My Device on Android
  1. Navigate to your device's Settings .
  2. Tap on Lock screen and security .
  3. Tap on Other security settings . (This step may be unnecessary depending on your particular device and Android version.)
  4. Tap on Device admin apps . (This step may be called Device Administrators depending on your particular device and Android version.)
  5. Tap Find My Device .
  6. Tap Activate .

Note: In order to activate this service, you'll need to allow four permissions: 1) the ability to erase all data, 2) the ability to change your screen unlock password, 3) the ability to lock the screen, and 4) the ability to turn off functions on the lock screen.

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The nice thing about Find My Device is that it's not just a tracker -- it lets you control the device from afar in the above-mentioned ways. Learn more in our overview of Find My Device .

How to Use Find My Device on Android

Once enabled, all you have to do is launch a web browser, navigate to the Find My Device dashboard , and sign into your Google account (the same one associated with your device).

Once you're logged in, select the device you want to locate, click the Locate button for said device, and it'll show its last known location and how long ago it was last spotted. It's fairly accurate in my experience, but I live in an urban environment; it can be off by up to 20 meters in areas with poor GPS visibility.

Tracking With Third-Party Android Apps

If you don't like Find My Device for whatever reason, you can always resort to one of the many third-party alternatives available on the Google Play Store. These apps are easy to install and you don't really have to do anything beyond creating an account to use them.

There are two that we recommend:

1. Lookout : Lookout is an all-in-one security solution where device tracking is just one of its many features. As such, it might be too bloated if device tracking is the only feature you're interested in. But if your device currently lacks a good antivirus app, you might as well use this one and kill two birds with one stone.

2. Prey : In practical usage, Prey is very similar to Find My Device. Its one big advantage is availability across multiple other platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and iPhone, so you can track ALL of your devices from anywhere.

Most of these are marketed as anti-theft and anti-loss security apps for Android -- and they're certainly useful for those purposes -- but you can use them for straight-up tracking if you so wish.

Once your device is set up as trackable, whether using Find My Device or a third-party app, there's only thing left to do: attach the device to the person or object that you want to track . Obviously, this is much easier said than done.

Want to know how to track a car with a cell phone?

The easiest and most effective option is to use a magnetic car mount . Most two-piece kits come with a magnetic insert (that you place inside your device case) and a magnetic base (that you attach to whatever you want to mount). With a good model, the magnetic force should be strong enough for your phone to "snap" onto the base and stay there securely.

[May 26, 2020] PRIMETRACKING Personal GPS Tracker - Mini, Portable, Track in Real Time - 4G LTE - with SOS Button

Might be illegal to use without consent
May 26, 2020 | www.amazon.com

by PRIMETRACKING 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,178 ratings | 637 answered questions


Price: $49.97 & FREE Shipping . Details & FREE Returns Return this item for free
  • Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition and get a full refund: no shipping charges
  • Learn more about free returns.
How to return the item?
  1. Go to your orders and start the return
  2. Select the ship method
  3. Ship it!

Cesar Hawn , Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2019

set up the geofence!

I'm always working late so my mom with an alzheimer's disease is left at home. Sometimes she went outside, and buy food and things. One time, I got home like almost 12 midnight and my mom isn't at home! I found her sitting at the bus station around 3 am. Thank you so much for this tracker as I can now monitor my mother's location!!

Tina A. , Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2019
I've used a much better service

This tracker works fine but the reporting is not very good. I used to have this same type of tracker that I purchased from Americaloc but I misplaced it so I thought I would try this one because the device looked the same but was much cheaper. You get what you pay for! The reporting features was so much better with the Americaloc GL300W! Reporting is great and very precise!

Janet Lord , Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2019
Excellent product all in all.

This is the second tracking device I purchased and this product by far is the most accurate and reliable. Battery lasted for 10 days which is good because my other tracker only lasts 4-5 days. Subscription is also very cheap compared to its uses and the option to cancel it any time.

DotScott1 Top Contributor: Cycling , Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019
Comparing this PrimeTracking GPS Tracker to SpyTec GPS Tracker...

I've been using GPS trackers to track my (quite expensive) electric bike - just in case it gets stolen plus to see my routes after I'm done riding. I built it into my bike to where it's powered by the main bike battery. You can also power it with your car battery with a DC-DC converter - 12v-to-5v - or just take apart any usb car charger and wire it yourself. I think that's really the cheapest way because those things only cost like $1-$2 at auto shops (all it needs is a 5v input). I have another, very similar name-brand tracker (SpyTec) that I can compare this one too so I'll list out the good differences and the bad differences (Pros and Cons) below but before you see the cons, I should mention that I still think this GPS tracker is the way to go:

Pros:
---- Cheaper in the long run: The device is the same price as the SpyTec GPS tracker BUT... the service is cheaper (for "faster" updates). SpyTec is $25/month updating location every 60 seconds. This one is $20/month (with a 6-month payment deal) for 10 second updates.
---- Seems well-built. Battery ran for well over a week before I decided to recharge (was down to around 30%).
---- Device appears to be water-tight, just like my other tracker - which is great :)
---- This one has a (usable) app! SpyTec does not.
---- Can export travel logs to

Cons:
---- About 150% larger than the SpyTec GPS tracker. This could be due to a larger battery or just different electronics. Though it has the same battery life as the SpyTec.
---- Appears to only work in the US and Canada, where the SpyTec tracker works worldwide (as long as you call them and let them know you're traveling).
---- Not nearly as much info on the site. The SpyTec gives start/stop info for every GPS update. This one just shows a solid line. Website is not as user-friendly.
---- No text updates, only emails. This just means when the vehicle goes over the speed limit OR leaves a geofenced area, it will send an email instead of a text. I do miss getting texts from my SpyTec GPS but I'm willing to sacrifice that for the lower monthly fee of this one.
---- Limited notifications. This one only has geofencing and speed alerts where SpyTec has Geofencing, speed, ignition on, ignition off, tow alert (I LOVE THIS ONE, I wish PrimeTracking had this alert), function key and low battery alert.
---- Shows speed in mph but distance in km. Can't find a way to switch distance to miles. Not a huge con but I wish I could change it.
---- Less tracking options than SpyTec.

NOTE: By default, the device is set to only update every 60 seconds. In order to switch it to 10-second updates, you have to either contact support and have them do it for you or do it yourself by following these instructions:

"To access the Upload interval setting; Visit PrimeTracking.Net > Click more under your tracker to the left > Click Upload Interval > to set the 10 second interval enter 10 into each of the four boxes and click save > if the tracker is online and the settings is saved, you will get a notification that says "Command saved" otherwise you will get one that says "please make device online first"."

Overall though, I think this GPS tracker is ALMOST 5 stars. It's almost there. If they added a few features to their site (like tow alerts, the ability to pick an update point to see information [instead of having to click "play" and then "pause" at the point you want to see] and text alerts), I'd say 5 stars all the way. It just needs some work on the website/tracking side of things. If their site gets updated with a more user-friendly UI and some additional options, I'll come back and give it 5 stars. Other than those things though, this GPS unit really does work quite well. And at a great subscription price. Good for tracking a stolen car, your kids or a significant other that you suspect of cheating.

BTW: You can see more info on their website: MyPrimeTracking.com and actually track your device on their other site: PrimeTracking.net

Hope this is helpful!

[May 26, 2020] Spytec GL300 GPS Tracker for Vehicle, Car, Truck, RV, Equipment, Mini Hidden Tracking Device for Kids and Seniors

Spying without consent is illegal in most jurisdictions.
May 26, 2020 | www.amazon.com

MysticCurse , Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2017

Worked Perfectly.

Verified my (now ex) girlfriend was cheating. Sucks but it's better than never knowing the truth. The tracker was incredibly easy to set up. Charge lasted longer than what other reviews stated (mine is still 55% after just over a week). The best feature by far is the Geofence; I would get text alerts whenever my ex arrived or left the dude's apartment complex. I placed the tracker under her vehicle using the Spy Tec M2 Waterproof Weatherproof Magnetic Case for STI GL300 / GX350 Real-Time GPS Trackers which I also recommend.

Since the job is done, I submitted a form on their website to cancel the service. If they continue to charge my card (as other reviews warned of) I'll be sure to change this review to a one-star.

UPDATE: They confirmed my cancellation request within 24 hours. Locating the cancellation form was as easy as typing "spytec gps cancellation" in my search bar. I would 10/10 recommend this product to anyone suspecting of infidelity.

DickDastardly , Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2017
Caught Cheating Wife and Boytoy

Used this to track my ex-wife. Suspected her of cheating and sure enough caught her visiting her boytoy during the day when I was at work. I'm divorced now and can laugh about it, but at the time watching the Spytech screen and seeing her every move was traumatic, but I had to know

[Dec 23, 2019] From "Spook Air" to the "Lolita Express" The Genesis and Evolution of the Jeffrey Epstein-Bill Clinton Relationship by Whitne

Notable quotes:
"... Far from being the work of a single political party, intelligence agency or country, the power structure revealed by the network connected to Epstein is nothing less than a criminal enterprise that is willing to use and abuse children in the pursuit of ever more power, wealth and control. ..."
"... According to one U.S. investigator with substantial knowledge of BCCI's activities, some BCCI officials have acknowledged that some of the females provided some members of the Al-Nahyan family [one of the ruling families in the UAE] were young girls who had not yet reached puberty, and in certain cases, were physically injured by the experience. The official said that former BCCI officials had told him that BCCI also provided males to homosexual VIPs." ..."
"... BCCI was largely brought into the United States business community through the efforts of Jackson Stephens and Bert Lance, former budget director for Jimmy Carter, who assisted with BCCI's acquisition of First American Bank. The law firm involved in this effort was Arkansas' Rose Law Firm and it involved several of the firm's lawyers, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Webster Hubbell and C.J. Giroir. Also involved in the effort was Clark Clifford, former Secretary of Defense under Lyndon B. Johnson, and Kamal Adham, former director general of Saudi intelligence. ..."
"... The late journalist Michael Ruppert asserted that this "bugged software" was none other than the Promis software, which both U.S. and Israeli intelligence had bugged in order to spy on intelligence and which had been marketed in part by Robert Maxwell, father of Jeffrey Epstein's madam, Ghislaine Maxwell. Ruppert cited Systematics as "a primary developer of Promis for financial intelligence use." Promis had originally been leased by Inslaw Inc., a small software company founded by Bill Hamilton, to the Department of Justice -- which later stole it from Inslaw, forcing it to declare bankruptcy. ..."
"... Systematics also had a subsidiary in Israel that, according to a former Israeli intelligence officer, was operated by contractors for the Mossad and sold software to banks and telecommunications companies. According to Richardson's letter, that Israeli subsidiary of Systematics also had a Massachusetts-based front company, which was partially owned by a former U.S. intelligence official. ..."
"... Two partners in the Rose Law Firm who would later serve in the Clinton administration, Vince Foster and Webster Hubbell, acquired significant financial interests in Systematics through ownership in Alltel, which purchased Systematics in the early 1990s. The Hamiltons also provide considerable evidence that Foster's distress prior to his death in 1993 appears to have been related to concerns about litigation involving Systematics and the on-going litigation over Promis' theft. ..."
"... Casolaro had been investigating an international crime syndicate he termed " the Octopus " at the time of his death in 1991. Casolaro believed that this "Octopus" involved powerful individuals in the private and public sectors as well as the criminal underworld and that they were collectively responsible for some of the biggest scandals of the 1980s, including Iran-Contra, BCCI and the theft of the Promis software. ..."
"... Two days after arriving in Martinsburg, Casolaro was found dead in his hotel room and his briefcase full of his research notes and evidence was missing. His death was ruled a suicide. ..."
"... Speculation only grew following the FBI investigation , given that the FBI lied to Congress, pressured its own agents not to question whether it was a suicide and lost 90 percent of its files related to Casolaro's death -- among other glaring inconsistencies. ..."
"... Ostrovsky, in his #1 New York Times bestseller " By Way of Deception ," notes that Khashoggi had been recruited by the Mossad years before and that his private jet had been fitted in Israel. In relation to Iran-Contra, Ostrovsky claims that it was a $5 million bridge loan that Khashoggi provided that helped to overcome the lack of trust between Israel and Iran during the initial arms deals in the early 1980s, and thus his participation was critical to the success of the scheme. ..."
"... One of Epstein's clients after leaving Bear Stearns, per Ward's sources, was the CIA/Mossad-linked Khashoggi at the very time that Khashoggi was involved in Iran-Contra, an operation involving both U.S. and Israeli intelligence. British journalist Nigel Rosser reported in January 2001 in the Evening Standard that Epstein had claimed that he was also working for the CIA during this same time period. ..."
"... Since Epstein's arrest, records of Rosser's article have been scrubbed from British newspaper archives, including the Evening Standard 's own. However, MintPress independently confirmed with Bob Fitrakis, whom Rosser had interviewed for the article in question, that the article did allege that Epstein used to claim he worked for the CIA. In addition, other reports from the time period cited excerpts of Rosser's article, including the reference to Epstein's past claims of involvement with the CIA. ..."
"... Though Epstein denied past connections to the CIA at the time Rosser's article was published, it is worth mentioning that Robert Maxwell -- father of Ghislaine Maxwell and long-time Mossad operative -- also vehemently denied his now well-documented links to Israeli intelligence until his death. Furthermore, as will be shown later in this article, Epstein and his only known billionaire "client," Leslie Wexner, would later forge a business relationship with the CIA front company Southern Air Transport and play a major role in the airline's relocation to Columbus, Ohio in the mid-1990s. During that period, two prominent Ohio officials believed that both Epstein and Wexner were working with the CIA, according to Ohio-based journalist Bob Fitrakis. ..."
"... Furthermore, there is the additional fact that BCCI trafficked underage girls for sex as a means of obtaining favors from and gaining leverage over powerful individuals, something in which Epstein would later become deeply involved. As was shown in Part II of this series, several individuals who were running either sexual blackmail operations involving minors or child trafficking operations were connected to CIA front companies like BCCI, other organizations connected to the Iran-Contra scandal, and several individuals close to the Reagan White House. ..."
"... The CIA director at the time, Bill Casey, was a close friend of Roy Cohn, who also ran the sexual blackmail operation involving underage boys out of Manhattan's Plaza Hotel, described in Part I of this series. According to Cohn's long-time secretary Christine Seymour, Casey was one of Cohn's most frequent callers. ..."
"... [T]he CIA may have used B.C.C.I. as more than an undercover banker: U.S. agents collaborated with the black network in several operations, according to a B.C.C.I. black-network "officer" who is now a secret U.S. government witness. Sources have told investigators that B.C.C.I. worked closely with Israel's spy agencies and other Western intelligence groups as well, especially in arms deals ." (emphasis added) ..."
"... Later iterations of that arms deal were allegedly brokered with the involvement of Prince Charles of the British royal family, and corruption investigations into Al Yamamah were later shut down by the efforts of Tony Blair as well as Prince Andrew. Leese is said to have spoken of Epstein's "genius" and lack of morals when he introduced him to Steve Hoffenberg of Tower Financial, and soon after that introduction Hoffenberg hired Epstein. ..."
"... Two years after BCCI's fraud-driven collapse, Tower Financial imploded in 1993 in what is still considered to be one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history. Hoffenberg later asserted in court that Epstein had been intimately involved in Tower's shady financial practices and had called Epstein the "architect of the scam." However, by the time Tower Financial had collapsed, Epstein was no longer working for the company. Despite Hoffenberg's testimony and abundant evidence regarding Epstein's role in the scheme, Epstein's name was mysteriously dropped from the case. ..."
"... It is likely that Epstein's conspicuous cultivation and support of prominent scientists was in fact camouflage to help cover his real role as a covert operative specializing in blackmail. Comments by some scientists who attended his soirees indicate that Epstein was scientifically an ignoramus and was unserious in scientific discussions. ..."
"... The Mena story was an open secret in Arkansas. Paul Greenberg (who bestowed the monicker "Slick Willie" upon The Boy Wonder) wrote extensively upon this subject. There have been rumors–never confirmed– that Clinton may have been recruited by Spook Inc. as early as his undergrad days at G-Town (it's still not clear how Clinton, a relatively unknown American college graduate, could gain entry into the USSR in the summer of '69 for a "vacation" at a time when our relations with that country were as low as they ever were). ..."
"... What con man does not claim to be a secret agent? ..."
"... Epstein also claimed to be a blackmailer, He promoted himself as freelance secret agent, acting for governments or malefactors whichever paid most, when he was trying to get a journalist to write a book about him in the eighties. Last year Epstein told a NYT journalist that he had compromising material on top tech magnates (this was probably Elon Musk) ..."
"... There was another interview around the same time in which Epstein "rambled" about the big tech people he knew to business reporters at his mansion. Every reporter who was around him decided he was full of it. ..."
"... Going on like this, Epstein would have been disposed of by his own organisation .. if it actually existed. The Mafia kill people for far less ..."
"... Wexner was one of five key managers of organized crime cash flows in the United States. many members of the so-called Mega Group, which Wexner co-founded, had direct ties to the Lansky crime syndicate. Meyer Lansky was a pioneer of sexual blackmail operations and was deeply connected to both U.S. intelligence and Israel's Mossad. ..."
"... I don't buy a word of this. Too much emphasis on sex trafficking, the meaningless description underage and the so-called victims. For some reason everyone believed the story that Epstein was some kind of pervert. Only children trust the Government when it says sex crime, WMD, ISIS or UFO. ..."
Aug 23, 2019 | www.unz.com

Far from being the work of a single political party, intelligence agency or country, the power structure revealed by the network connected to Epstein is nothing less than a criminal enterprise that is willing to use and abuse children in the pursuit of ever more power, wealth and control.

On August 10th, and for several days after, speculation swirled after it was announced that Jeffrey Epstein had been found dead in his cell. His cause of death has officially been ruled suicide by hanging.

Epstein, the billionaire pedophile and sex trafficker with a myriad of connections to the rich and powerful in the United States and several other countries, had told those close to him that he had feared for his life prior to his sudden "suicide," the Washington Post reported, while his defense lawyers claimed that he had planned to cooperate with federal authorities.

Following the controversial conclusion by the New York Medical Examiner that Epstein's death was a suicide -- a conclusion contested by Epstein's attornies as well as by independent forensic pathologists, given the apparent evidence pointing towards strangulation -- corporate media coverage of the Epstein case has slowed to a trickle, save for sensationalist stories about his alleged co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell and new salacious details of his past. Gone from corporate media are any hints of the larger scandal, revolving around the admission that Epstein had "belonged to intelligence."

In this four-part series, " The Jeffrey Epstein Scandal: Too Big to Fail ," MintPress has revealed that Epstein's activities -- a sexual blackmail operation involving minors and connected to intelligence agencies -- was one of many such operations that have taken place for decades, developing from the nexus forged between the CIA, organized crime and Israeli intelligence shortly after World War II.

As Part II of this series revealed, these sexual blackmail operations proliferated during the Iran-Contra affair, which involved this same dark alliance between U.S./Israeli intelligence and organized crime. Though this series has thus far largely focused on the ties of Republican officials to those operations and associated crimes, the final installment of this series will focus on Democratic politicians, namely the Clinton family, and their ties to this same network as well as Jeffrey Epstein.

The Clintons' own involvement in Iran-Contra revolved around the covert activities at Arkansas' Mena Airport, which involved the CIA front company Southern Air Transport and occurred while Clinton was governor. Just a few years into the Clinton presidential administration, Leslie Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein would play a major role in Southern Air Transport's relocation to Columbus, Ohio, leading to concerns among top Ohio officials that both men were not only working with the CIA, but that Wexner's company, The Limited, sought to use the CIA-linked airline for smuggling.

During that same period of time, Epstein had already forged close ties to important Clinton White House officials and prominent Clinton donors like Lynn Forester de Rothschild and made several personal visits to the official presidential residence.

Some of these ties appear related to Epstein's shady financial activities, particularly involving currency markets and offshore tax havens -- activities he began to perfect while working for prominent Iran-Contra figures in the early 1980s, several of whom were tied to the CIA-linked bank Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) and had known relationships with Israeli intelligence, namely the Mossad. The nature of Epstein's work for these individuals and other evidence strongly suggests that Epstein himself had a relationship with BCCI after leaving Bear Stearns and prior to the bank's collapse in 1991.

Of particular importance are Epstein's relationship to the Clinton Foundation and the alleged role of Epstein's Virgin Islands-based hedge fund and the Clinton Foundation in money laundering activity, a relationship still under investigation by MintPress .

It is this tale of intrigue that fully reveals the extent to which this decades-old alliance between organized crime, the CIA, and Israeli intelligence has corrupted and influenced politicians of both political parties, both through the use of sexual blackmail and through other means of coercion.

Far from being the work of a single intelligence agency or a single country, the power structure revealed by this network connected to Epstein is nothing less than a criminal enterprise that transcends nationality and is willing to use and abuse children in the pursuit of ever more power, wealth and control. Existing for decades and willing to use any means necessary to cover its tracks, this criminal racket has become so integrated into the levers of power, in the United States and well beyond, that it is truly too big to fail.

Iran Contra, Mena Airport and the Clintons

When one thinks back to the now-famous Iran-Contra scandal, names like Ronald Reagan, Oliver North and Barry Seal comes to mind, but former President Bill Clinton also played an outsized role in the scandal -- using his home state of Arkansas, where he was then serving as governor, as a sort of rallying point for the CIA's U.S.-side of the Central American operation.

In fact, during Clinton's reign as governor a small town called Mena, nestled in the Ozark Mountains west of Arkansas' capital Little Rock, would be propelled into the national spotlight as a hub for drug and arms smuggling and the training of CIA-backed far-right militias.

Under the close watch of the CIA, then led by William Casey, the Mena Intermountain Regional Airport was used to stockpile and deliver arms and ammunition to the Nicaraguan Contras. The arms were sometimes exchanged for cocaine from South American cartels, which would then be sent back to Mena and used to fund the covert CIA operation.

https://content.jwplatform.com/players/hreAXvJJ-YuKiCfZc.html

Though efforts have been made to dismiss Clinton's role in the scandal, his direct intervention in the Contras' attempts to overthrow the Sandinista government of Nicaragua suggests Clinton had some sort of personal stake in the efforts and was unlikely aloof to the major smuggling operation taking place in his state while he had been governor. In fact, while governor, Clinton split with many other state governments in sending a contingency of the Arkansas National Guard to Honduras to train the Nicaraguan Contras on how to overthrow their Sandinista government. Clinton would also discuss his first-hand knowledge of the operation with now-Trump administration Attorney General William Barr.

Much of this channeling of both weapons and drugs was carried out by notorious drug smuggler and alleged CIA/DEA operative Barry Seal. According to the book Whiteout: the CIA, Drugs and the Press by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair:

A federal investigation aided by the Arkansas State Police established that Barry Seal, a drug dealer working for the Medellin cartel as well as with the C.I.A. and the D.E.A., had his planes retrofitted at Mena for drug drops, trained pilots there and laundered his profits partly through financial institutions in Arkansas. Seal, at this time was in close contact with [Oliver] North, who acknowledged the relationship in his memoir. These were the years in which North was constructing his covert supply lines for the contras."

Seal was known to use aircraft that belonged to the company Southern Air Transport and he also employed flight crews that worked for that same company. Southern Air Transport, formerly Air America, was once directly owned by the CIA and today is remembered for being a CIA front during Iran-Contra. Less known is the relationship between the CIA-linked airline and Leslie Wexner and his then-close associate Jeffrey Epstein, which will be discussed in detail later in this report.

Seal seemed to always operate with much less than six degrees of separation from Clinton while the latter served as governor. In his 1999 confessional expose, Cross-fire: Witness in the Clinton Investigation , former Arkansas policeman turned personal driver and security guard for Bill Clinton, L.D. Brown, recounts how Clinton encouraged him to seek out a post at the CIA. Clinton allegedly went so far as to edit the essay Brown wrote for this employment application. The essay topic was drug smuggling in Central America. Upon receiving his application, the CIA put Brown in touch with none other than Barry Seal. Seal would later be gunned down in 1986 while serving six-months probation for drug-smuggling charges.

Seal was not the only affiliate of Oliver North running a Contra-connected operation in Arkansas. Terry Reed, who had worked for North since 1983, claimed to have been put in touch with Seal by North and established a base just 10 miles north of Mena -- in Nella, Arkansas -- where "Nicaraguan Contras and other recruits from Latin American were trained in resupply missions, night landings, precision paradrops and similar maneuvers," according to Cockburn and St. Clair. Reed further asserted that drug money was being laundered through Arkansas financial institutions.

After Clinton's half-brother Roger was busted for cocaine smuggling (Clinton would later pardon him while president) the CIA sought to move Contra operations out of Arkansas, hoping to put a damper on the increasingly public and sloppy Arkansas-based operation. According to Terry Reed in his book Compromised: Clinton, Bush and the CIA , co-written with John Cummings, a hushed meeting was held in a bunker at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, Arkansas. During the meeting, William Barr, who represented himself as the emissary of then-CIA Director Bill Casey told Clinton:

The deal we made was to launder our money through your bond business but what we didn't plan on was you and your n****r here start taking yourselves seriously and purposely shrinking our laundry."

Barr chastised Clinton for his sloppy handling of the delicate operation and his half-brother's very public fall from grace. He would later tell Clinton, according to Reed ,

Bill, you are Mr. Casey's fair-haired boy You and your state have been our greatest asset. Mr. Casey wanted me to pass on to you that unless you fuck up and do something stupid, you're No. 1 on the short list for a shot at the job that you've always wanted. You and guys like you are the fathers of the new government. We are the new covenant."

Attempts to investigate Clinton's role in the Mena operations and more broadly in the Iran-Contra affair were allegedly axed by Clinton's own confidantes, who consistently denied he played a role in the scandal. According to the Wall Street Journal , former IRS investigator William Duncan teamed with Arkansas State Police Investigator Russell Welch in what became a decade-long battle to bring the matter to light. In fact, of the nine separate state and federal probes into the affair, all failed.

Duncan would later say of the investigations, "[They] were interfered with and covered up, and the justice system was subverted," and a 1992 memo from Duncan to high-ranking members of the attorney general's staff notes that Duncan was instructed "to remove all files concerning the Mena investigation from the attorney general's office." The attorney general, serving under George H. W. Bush, at that time was William Barr, who is currently attorney general under Trump.

The Bank of Crooks and Criminals International

Another Clinton connection to the CIA and the Iran-Contra affair runs through the family's connection to Arkansas financier Jackson Stephens and the CIA-linked Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), which critics nicknamed the "Bank of Crooks and Criminals International." Stephens was among the richest people in Arkansas and was also a major donor and backer of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton . He also played a key role in the rise of Walmart .

Jackson Stephens and other members of the Stephens family bankrolled Bill Clinton's rise to political prominence , contributing large sums of money to both Clinton's gubernatorial and his later presidential campaigns. In addition, Worthen Bank, which was majority-owned by Stephens, provided Clinton's first presidential campaign a $3.5 million line of credit. In addition, Stephens' many businesses were frequently represented by the Rose Law Firm, where Hillary Clinton was a partner.

A redacted FBI report from 1998 describes Stephens as having "lengthy and continuing ties to the Clinton administration and associates" and also discusses allegations that Stephens has been involved in the "illegal handling of campaign contributions to the Democratic National Party."

BCCI had originally been founded by a group of bankers from Pakistan, though Newsweek later reported that CIA officials appeared to have been involved in the bank's founding and that BCCI founder Agha Hasan Abedi had been encouraged by the CIA to found the bank after "the agency realized that an international bank could provide valuable cover for intelligence operations." CIA documents that later surfaced during congressional hearings on the bank's activities and related scandals stated that BCCI was directly involved in "money laundering, narco-financing, gunrunning and holding large sums of money for terrorist groups."

Evidence in the case against BCCI shows cocaine seized from a warehouse and suitcases full of cash to be laundered. Photo | FLMD District Court

Though BCCI was known for its CIA links, Catherine Austin Fitts -- former Assistant Secretary for Housing–Federal Housing Commissioner at HUD during the George H. W. Bush administration, and investment banker with the firms Hamilton Securities Group and Dillon, Read & Co. -- believes that those links went well beyond the CIA. Fitts -- who was placed on the board of the BCCI subsidiary First American Bank following BCCI's collapse -- told MintPress that, after reading through troves of documents regarding the bank's activities prior to its implosion, it was clear to her that there was "no way" its clandestine activities were carried on without the full knowledge of the Federal Reserve, specifically the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the White House.

BCCI also played a key role in the Iran-Contra affair and accounts of the bank were used to send payoffs to individuals linked to the scheme. Adnan Khashoggi, a key figure and intermediary in the scandal, used one BCCI account to move more than $20 million related to illegal arms sales and BCCI created fake documentation, including checks signed by Oliver North, allowing the sale to go forward. The bank later, when its activities subsequently came under congressional scrutiny, claimed it had no records of these transactions.

In addition, BCCI appears to have been involved in the sex trafficking of underage girls, including girls that had not yet reached puberty. According to the report entitled " The BCCI Affair ," by then-U.S. Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Hank Brown (R-CO), BCCI officials were alleged to have obtained leverage with powerful individuals, including prominent members of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), by providing them with young virgins.

The report (page 70) specifically states :

According to one U.S. investigator with substantial knowledge of BCCI's activities, some BCCI officials have acknowledged that some of the females provided some members of the Al-Nahyan family [one of the ruling families in the UAE] were young girls who had not yet reached puberty, and in certain cases, were physically injured by the experience. The official said that former BCCI officials had told him that BCCI also provided males to homosexual VIPs."

BCCI was largely brought into the United States business community through the efforts of Jackson Stephens and Bert Lance, former budget director for Jimmy Carter, who assisted with BCCI's acquisition of First American Bank. The law firm involved in this effort was Arkansas' Rose Law Firm and it involved several of the firm's lawyers, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Webster Hubbell and C.J. Giroir. Also involved in the effort was Clark Clifford, former Secretary of Defense under Lyndon B. Johnson, and Kamal Adham, former director general of Saudi intelligence.

One of the men added to the BCCI board after the acquisition of First American Bank was Robert Keith Gray, whom Newsweek described as often having "boasted of his close relationship with the CIA's William Casey; Gray used to say that before taking on a foreign client, he would clear it with Casey." As was discussed in Part II of this series, Gray was also an expert in homosexual blackmail operations for the CIA and was reported to have collaborated with Roy Cohn in those activities. Some of Gray's clients at the powerful PR firm he led, Hill & Knowlton, included BCCI clients and Mossad-linked individuals, such as Adnan Khashoggi and Marc Rich.

While the Rose Law Firm was assisting BCCI's entrance into the American financial system, it also represented the Stephens-owned financial services company, Stephens Inc., as well as the data-processing company Systematics Inc., which Stephens acquired in the late 1960s. According to James Norman in his book The Oil Card: Global Economic Warfare in the 21st Century , Systematics was "a primary vehicle or front company for the National Security Agency in the 1980s and early 1990s to market and implant bugged software in the world's major money-center banks and clearinghouses as part of the Reagan/Bush 'follow the money' effort to break the Soviets."

The late journalist Michael Ruppert asserted that this "bugged software" was none other than the Promis software, which both U.S. and Israeli intelligence had bugged in order to spy on intelligence and which had been marketed in part by Robert Maxwell, father of Jeffrey Epstein's madam, Ghislaine Maxwell. Ruppert cited Systematics as "a primary developer of Promis for financial intelligence use." Promis had originally been leased by Inslaw Inc., a small software company founded by Bill Hamilton, to the Department of Justice -- which later stole it from Inslaw, forcing it to declare bankruptcy.

According to a 1995 document sent on behalf of Inslaw's founders to then-independent Counsel Ken Starr that asked him to review Inslaw's case, Systematics had "covertly implanted [software] into the computers of its bank customers" that allowed "allied intelligence agencies surreptitiously to track and monitor the flow of money through the banking system" and had done so at "the behest of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and its partner in Israeli intelligence." Inslaw also stated that the software was used by these same intelligence agencies in the "laundering of money, especially drug profits."

Systematics also had a subsidiary in Israel that, according to a former Israeli intelligence officer, was operated by contractors for the Mossad and sold software to banks and telecommunications companies. According to Richardson's letter, that Israeli subsidiary of Systematics also had a Massachusetts-based front company, which was partially owned by a former U.S. intelligence official.

Two partners in the Rose Law Firm who would later serve in the Clinton administration, Vince Foster and Webster Hubbell, acquired significant financial interests in Systematics through ownership in Alltel, which purchased Systematics in the early 1990s. The Hamiltons also provide considerable evidence that Foster's distress prior to his death in 1993 appears to have been related to concerns about litigation involving Systematics and the on-going litigation over Promis' theft.

BCCI itself was known to employ the Promis software after its theft by the DOJ; and one of its subsidiaries, First American Bank, also " filtered PROMIS money " -- i.e., laundered the money generated from the sale of the stolen Promis software -- according to the late journalist Danny Casolaro.

Casolaro had been investigating an international crime syndicate he termed " the Octopus " at the time of his death in 1991. Casolaro believed that this "Octopus" involved powerful individuals in the private and public sectors as well as the criminal underworld and that they were collectively responsible for some of the biggest scandals of the 1980s, including Iran-Contra, BCCI and the theft of the Promis software.

Casolaro had told friends and family that he was close to concluding his investigation and several people close to him had seen documents involving money transfers involving BCCI and the World Bank to people involved in these scandals, such as Earl Brian and Adnan Khashoggi. Casolaro went to Martinsburg, Virginia to meet with some sources to get the final piece of the puzzle and "bring back the head of the Octopus." Two days after arriving in Martinsburg, Casolaro was found dead in his hotel room and his briefcase full of his research notes and evidence was missing. His death was ruled a suicide.

Crime scene photos show deep lacerations in Casolaro's arms

Many, including Casolaro's family, do not believe that Casolaro committed suicide. A week before his death, Casolaro told his brother he had been receiving death threats and the manner in which he died, deep slashes in his arms, was not consistent with Casolaro's well-known squeamishness around even minor amounts of blood. Speculation only grew following the FBI investigation , given that the FBI lied to Congress, pressured its own agents not to question whether it was a suicide and lost 90 percent of its files related to Casolaro's death -- among other glaring inconsistencies.

In a 1994 letter provided to MintPress by Inslaw Inc., Inslaw lawyer Charles Work told then-Assistant Attorney General John Dwyer that one of Inslaw's confidential sources in government had stated that Casolaro had been injected with a substance that deadened his nerves from the neck down, explaining the apparent lack of struggle and that the substance used had come from the U.S. Army inventory. The person who had arranged Casolaro's final meeting before his death was a U.S. military intelligence officer named Joseph Cuellar.

The same year that Casolaro died, there were several other suspicious deaths involving people directly connected to the Promis scandal or involved in Casolaro's investigation of "the Octopus" -- including Alan Standorf , one of Casolaro's sources; Robert Maxwell , father of Ghislaine Maxwell, Mossad operative, and salesman of the bugged Promis software; and John Tower -- the former Texas senator who assisted Maxwell in selling the bugged Promis software to the Los Alamos laboratories.

Jeffrey Epstein and "The Dirtiest Bank of All"

While the role Arkansas played in Iran-Contra is one aspect of the scandal that is often overlooked, so to is the key role played by Israeli intelligence-linked arms dealers and smugglers who would later be connected to powerful individuals in the Mega Group and Jeffrey Epstein, such as Marc Rich and Adnan Khashoggi.

One of the key players in the Iran-Contra affair was Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, uncle of the slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. One lesser known fact about Adnan Khashoggi is that, at the time of his Iran-Contra dealings, he was working for the Israeli Mossad, according to former Mossad agent Victor Ostrovsky.

Ostrovsky, in his #1 New York Times bestseller " By Way of Deception ," notes that Khashoggi had been recruited by the Mossad years before and that his private jet had been fitted in Israel. In relation to Iran-Contra, Ostrovsky claims that it was a $5 million bridge loan that Khashoggi provided that helped to overcome the lack of trust between Israel and Iran during the initial arms deals in the early 1980s, and thus his participation was critical to the success of the scheme.

According to journalist Vicky Ward , Adnan Khashoggi was a client of Jeffrey Epstein's in the early 1980s, not long after Epstein's departure from Bear Stearns in 1981. The reason Epstein left the bank remains murky. Though some former Bear Stearns employees claim he was fired, others -- including Epstein himself -- claimed that he resigned of his own volition.

Ward suggests that Epstein may have left the bank owing to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into insider trading in a case that involved a tender offer placed by the Seagrams corporation for St. Joe Minerals Corp. Seagrams owner Edgar Bronfman, son of Meyer Lansky associate Samuel Bronfman and member of the Mega Group, had tipped off several investors and bankers of the coming tender offer. Epstein resigned from Bear Stearns the day after the SEC opened the case and later claimed he had left the company as a result of a relatively minor "Reg D" violation and rumors that he had an "illicit affair with a secretary."

Yet, as Ward noted :

The SEC never brought any charges against anyone at Bear Stearns for insider trading in St. Joe, but its questioning seems to indicate that it was skeptical of Epstein's answers. Some sources have wondered why, if he was such a big producer at Bear Stearns, he would have given it up over a mere $2,500 fine."

Regardless of the exact reason for Epstein's sudden departure, it was immediately after he left the bank that "the details [of Epstein's work history] recede into shadow. A few of the handful of current friends who have known him since the early 1980s recall that he used to tell them he was a "bounty hunter," recovering lost or stolen money for the government or for very rich people. He has a license to carry a firearm."

Writing in Salon , a former friend of Epstein's, Jesse Kornbluth, also stated that Epstein had claimed to be a "bounty hunter" for the rich and powerful:

When we met in 1986, Epstein's double identity intrigued me -- he said he didn't just manage money for clients with mega-fortunes, he was also a high-level bounty hunter . Sometimes, he told me, he worked for governments to recover money looted by African dictators. Other times those dictators hired him to help them hide their stolen money ." (emphasis added)

One of Epstein's clients after leaving Bear Stearns, per Ward's sources, was the CIA/Mossad-linked Khashoggi at the very time that Khashoggi was involved in Iran-Contra, an operation involving both U.S. and Israeli intelligence. British journalist Nigel Rosser reported in January 2001 in the Evening Standard that Epstein had claimed that he was also working for the CIA during this same time period.

Since Epstein's arrest, records of Rosser's article have been scrubbed from British newspaper archives, including the Evening Standard 's own. However, MintPress independently confirmed with Bob Fitrakis, whom Rosser had interviewed for the article in question, that the article did allege that Epstein used to claim he worked for the CIA. In addition, other reports from the time period cited excerpts of Rosser's article, including the reference to Epstein's past claims of involvement with the CIA.

Specifically, Rosser's article had included the following passage:

He [Epstein] has a license to carry a concealed weapon, once claimed to have worked for the CIA, although he now denies it – and owns properties all over America. Once he arrived at the London home of a British arms dealer bringing a gift – a New York police-issue pump-action riot gun. 'God knows how he got it into the country,' a friend said."

Though Epstein denied past connections to the CIA at the time Rosser's article was published, it is worth mentioning that Robert Maxwell -- father of Ghislaine Maxwell and long-time Mossad operative -- also vehemently denied his now well-documented links to Israeli intelligence until his death. Furthermore, as will be shown later in this article, Epstein and his only known billionaire "client," Leslie Wexner, would later forge a business relationship with the CIA front company Southern Air Transport and play a major role in the airline's relocation to Columbus, Ohio in the mid-1990s. During that period, two prominent Ohio officials believed that both Epstein and Wexner were working with the CIA, according to Ohio-based journalist Bob Fitrakis.

Past claims and evidence of Epstein's involvement with the CIA, coupled with his time as a "shadowy" financial fixer for double-asset Khashoggi, strongly suggest that, whatever Epstein was doing for Khashoggi during this time, it likely involved BCCI. According to " The BCCI Affair " report, Khashoggi "acted as the middleman for five Iranian arms deals for the United States, financing a number of them through BCCI" and "served as the 'banker' for arms shipments as the undercover scheme developed." The report continued:

Khashoggi and [another Iran-Contra arms dealer Manucher] Ghorbanifer performed a central role for the U.S. government in connection with the Iran-Contra affair in operations that involved the direct participation of CIA personnel [and both Khashoggi and Ghorbanifer] banked at BCCI's offices in Monte Carlo and, for both, BCCI's services were essential as a means of providing short-term credit for sales from the U.S. through Israel to Iran."

Saudi arms deale Adnan Khashoggi arrives at Manhatten Federal Court, New York, April 4, 1990. Photo | AP

This connection is even more likely given the fact that Bear Stearns -- Epstein's previous employer right up until he became a financial fixer for Khashoggi and other powerful people -- also worked directly with BCCI during this period. Indeed, Bear Stearns served as a broker to BCCI, a fact that remained hidden until a lengthy court battle in the U.K. concluded in 2011 and forced the government's "Sandstorm Report" about BCCI's activities to unredact the names of Bear Stearns and other institutions, individuals and countries that had done business with the CIA-linked bank.

Furthermore, there is the additional fact that BCCI trafficked underage girls for sex as a means of obtaining favors from and gaining leverage over powerful individuals, something in which Epstein would later become deeply involved. As was shown in Part II of this series, several individuals who were running either sexual blackmail operations involving minors or child trafficking operations were connected to CIA front companies like BCCI, other organizations connected to the Iran-Contra scandal, and several individuals close to the Reagan White House.

The CIA director at the time, Bill Casey, was a close friend of Roy Cohn, who also ran the sexual blackmail operation involving underage boys out of Manhattan's Plaza Hotel, described in Part I of this series. According to Cohn's long-time secretary Christine Seymour, Casey was one of Cohn's most frequent callers.

Another fact that further suggests that Epstein had connections to BCCI is that Epstein was known to have been close to other arms dealers of the period and BCCI was frequently used specifically for covert arms deals. After the bank's collapse in 1991, an article in Time magazine entitled "BCCI: The Dirtiest Bank of All" noted the following:

[T]he CIA may have used B.C.C.I. as more than an undercover banker: U.S. agents collaborated with the black network in several operations, according to a B.C.C.I. black-network "officer" who is now a secret U.S. government witness. Sources have told investigators that B.C.C.I. worked closely with Israel's spy agencies and other Western intelligence groups as well, especially in arms deals ." (emphasis added)

One of the arms dealers that Epstein apparently knew quite well was the British arms dealer Sir Douglas Leese. Leese was involved in brokering the first of a series of controversial British arms deals that involved Khashoggi , known as the Al Yamamah Deal and allegedly involving bribery of members of the Saudi royal family and top Saudi officials. In addition to Khashoggi, several of those officials and royal family members had deep ties to BCCI.

Later iterations of that arms deal were allegedly brokered with the involvement of Prince Charles of the British royal family, and corruption investigations into Al Yamamah were later shut down by the efforts of Tony Blair as well as Prince Andrew. Leese is said to have spoken of Epstein's "genius" and lack of morals when he introduced him to Steve Hoffenberg of Tower Financial, and soon after that introduction Hoffenberg hired Epstein.

Two years after BCCI's fraud-driven collapse, Tower Financial imploded in 1993 in what is still considered to be one of the largest Ponzi schemes in American history. Hoffenberg later asserted in court that Epstein had been intimately involved in Tower's shady financial practices and had called Epstein the "architect of the scam." However, by the time Tower Financial had collapsed, Epstein was no longer working for the company. Despite Hoffenberg's testimony and abundant evidence regarding Epstein's role in the scheme, Epstein's name was mysteriously dropped from the case.

Given that Epstein allegedly received his "sweetheart deal" in 2008 as a result of having "belonged to intelligence," Epstein's activities in the 1980s and early 1990s suggest that his ability to avoid charges in relation to the Tower Financial Ponzi scheme may have been for similar reasons.

Though Hoffenberg claims that he met Epstein through Leese, Epstein himself claimed that he had met the convicted fraudster through John Mitchell, former attorney general under Richard Nixon.

As was noted in Part II of this series, Mitchell was a "friend" of disgraced Washington lobbyist Craig Spence, according to Spence before his fall from grace. Spence, for much of the 1980s, ran a sexual blackmail operation in D.C. involving underage boys and had taken some of those "call boys" on midnight tours of the White House that he said had been arranged by then-National Security Adviser Donald Gregg. Spence, after his trafficking and exploitation of minors was exposed, died under mysterious circumstances. His death was quickly labeled a suicide, not unlike Jeffrey Epstein's.

With Epstein and Wexner's Help, "Spook Air" Finds a New Home

While the state of Arkansas became a hub for CIA activity during the Reagan years and the Iran-Contra scandal, another state appeared to take its place in the 1990s -- Ohio. Just as Arkansas oligarch Jackson Stephens helped attract the CIA to his home state during Iran-Contra, it was also an Ohio oligarch and his close associate that helped attract the CIA to the Buckeye State. Those men were Leslie Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein, respectively.

In Part III of this series, MintPress detailed Wexner's alleged ties to organized crime and his links to the still unsolved homicide of Columbus, Ohio lawyer Arthur Shapiro. Shapiro, who was representing Wexner's company "The Limited" at the time of his death, was set to testify before a grand jury about tax evasion and his involvement with "questionable tax shelters." Columbus police described the Shapiro murder as "a Mafia 'hit'" and a suppressed police report implicated Wexner and his business associates as being involved in or benefiting from Shapiro's death, and as having links to prominent New York-based crime syndicates.

However, Wexner and The Limited also appear to have had a relationship with the CIA. In 1995, Southern Air Transport (SAT) -- a well-known front company for the CIA -- relocated from Miami, Florida to Columbus, Ohio. First founded in the late 1940s, SAT from 1960 until 1973 was directly owned by the CIA, which sought to use the company as a cover for covert operations. After 1973, the company was placed in private hands, although all of its subsequent owners would have CIA ties, including James Bastian, a former lawyer for the CIA, who owned SAT at the time of its relocation to Ohio.

SAT was intimately involved in the Iran-Contra affair, having been used to funnel weapons and drugs to and from the Nicaraguan Contras under the guise of delivering "humanitarian aid," while also sending American weapons to Israel that were then sold to Iran in violation of the U.S. arms embargo. In 1986 alone, SAT transported from Texas to Israel 90 tons of TOW anti-tank missiles, which were then sold to Iran by Israel and Mossad-linked intermediaries like Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi.

Even though the airline's CIA links were well known, Leslie Wexner's company, The Limited, sought to coax SAT to relocate its headquarters from Miami, Florida to Columbus, Ohio, a move that was realized in 1995. When Edmund James, president of James and Donohew Development Services, told the Columbus Dispatch in March 1995 that SAT was relocating to Columbus' Rickenbacker airfield, he stated that "Southern Air's new presence at Rickenbacker begins in April with two regularly scheduled 747 cargo flights a week from Hong Kong," citing SAT President William Langton. "By fall, that could increase to four a week. Negotiations are underway for flights out of Rickenbacker to the Far East Much of the Hong Kong-to-Rickenbacker cargo will be for The Limited," Wexner's clothing company. "This is a big story for central Ohio. It's huge, actually," James said at the time.

The day following the press conference, Brian Clancy, working as a cargo analyst with MergeGlobal Inc., told the Journal of Commerce that the reason for SAT's relocation to Ohio was largely the result of the lucrative Hong Kong-to-Columbus route that SAT would run for Wexner's company. Clancy specifically stated that the fact that "[The] Limited Inc., the nation's largest retailer, is based in Columbus undoubtedly contributed in large part to Southern Air's decision."

According to documents obtained by journalist Bob Fitrakis from the Rickenbacker Port Authority, Ohio's government also tried to sweeten the deal to bring SAT to Columbus in order to please powerful Ohio businessmen like Wexner. Orchestrated by Governor George Voinovich's then-Chief of Staff Paul Mifsud, the Rickenbacker Port Authority and the Ohio Department of Development created a package of several financial incentives, funded by Ohio taxpayers, to lure the airline to relocate to Ohio. The Journal of Commerce described the "generous package of incentives from the state of Ohio" as "including a 75 percent credit against its corporate tax liability for the next 10 years, a $5 million low-interest loan, and a $400,000 job-training grant."In 1996, then-SAT spokesman David Sweet had told Fitrakis that the CIA-linked airline had only moved to Columbus because "the deal [put together by the development department] was too good to turn down."

Though SAT had promised Ohio's government that it would create 300 jobs in three years, it quickly laid off numerous workers and failed to construct the maintenance facility it had promised, even though it had already accepted $3.5 million in taxpayer funds for that and other projects. As the company's financial problems mounted, Ohio's government declined to recoup the millions in dollars it loaned the company, even after it was alleged that $32 million in the bank account of Mary Bastian, the wife of SAT's owner and former CIA lawyer James Bastian, were actually company funds . On October 1, 1998, SAT filed for bankruptcy. It was the very same day that the CIA's Inspector General had published a comprehensive report on the airline's illicit involvement in drug trafficking.

Furthermore, Fitrakis noted that in addition to Wexner the other main figures who were key in securing SAT's relocation to Ohio were Alan D. Fiers Jr., a former chief of the CIA Central American Task Force, and retired Air Force Major General Richard Secord, head of air logistics for SAT's covert action in Laos between 1966 and 1968, while the company was still known as Air America. Secord was also the air logistics coordinator in the illegal Contra resupply network for Oliver North during Iran-Contra. Fiers was one of the key individuals involved in Iran-Contra who was later pardoned by George H.W. Bush with the assistance of then-Attorney General Bill Barr. Barr -- currently serving as attorney general in the Trump administration, and top of the chain of DOJ command in the investigation of Epstein's death in prison -- has refused to recuse himself from the investigation into Epstein's network and his recent death.

Despite the involvement of these CIA-linked men, as well as the organized crime-linked Leslie Wexner, the then-president of SAT told the Columbus Dispatch that the airline was "no longer connected to the CIA."

Notably, It was during this same time that Epstein exerted substantial control over Wexner's finances; and, according to Fitrakis and his extensive reporting on Wexner from this period, it was Epstein who orchestrated logistics for Wexner's business operations, including The Limited. As was revealed in the Arthur Shapiro murder file and in ties between SAT and The Limited, much of The Limited's logistics involved figures and companies connected to organized crime and U.S. intelligence. It is also important to note that SAT was well-known for being a CIA front company prior to the efforts of Wexner et al. to bring the airline to Columbus, and that, a few years prior, Epstein himself had previously worked for intelligence-linked figures also involved in Iran-Contra, such as Adnan Khashoggi.

In addition, during this time period, Epstein had already begun to live in the now infamous New York penthouse that had first been purchased by Wexner in 1989. Wexner had apparently installed CCTV and recording equipment in an odd bathroom in the home after his purchase, and never lived in the home, as was noted in Part III of this series.

In an exclusive interview, Bob Fitrakis told MintPress that Epstein and Wexner's involvement with SAT's relocation to Ohio had caused suspicion among some prominent state and local officials that the two were working with U.S. intelligence. Fitrakis specifically stated that then-Ohio Inspector General David Strutz and then-Sheriff of Franklin County Earl Smith had personally told him that they believed that both Epstein and Wexner had ties to the CIA. These claims further corroborate what was first reported by Nigel Rosser in the Evening Standard that Epstein had claimed to have worked for the CIA in the past.

Fitrakis also told MintPress that Strutz had referred to SAT's route between Hong Kong and Columbus on behalf of Wexner's company The Limited as "the Meyer Lansky run," as he believed that Wexner's association with SAT was related to his ties to elements of organized crime that were connected to the Lansky-created National Crime Syndicate. In addition, Catherine Austin Fitts -- the former investment banker and government official, who has extensively investigated the intersection of organized crime, black markets, Wall Street and the government in the U.S. economy -- was told by an ex-CIA employee that Wexner was one of five key managers of organized crime cash flows in the United States.

As this series has noted in previous reports, Meyer Lansky was a pioneer of sexual blackmail operations and was deeply connected to both U.S. intelligence and Israel's Mossad. Furthermore, many members of the so-called Mega Group, which Wexner co-founded, had direct ties to the Lansky crime syndicate.

Marc Rich's Pardon and Israel's "Leverage" over Clinton

Another shadowy figure with connections to the Mega Group, Mossad, U.S. intelligence and organized crime is the "fugitive financier" Marc Rich, whose pardon during the last days of the Clinton White House is both well-known and still mired in controversy years after the fact.

Marc Rich was a commodities trader and hedge fund manager best known for founding the commodity trading and mining giant Glencore and for doing business with numerous dictatorships, often in violation of sanctions. He worked particularly closely with Israel and, according to Haaretz :

In the years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the ensuing global Arab oil embargo, a period when nobody wanted to sell oil to Israel, for almost 20 years Rich was the main source of the country's oil and energy needs."

It was that trading on Israel's behalf that would ultimately lead to Rich being charged in 1983 for violating the U.S. oil embargo on Iran by selling Iranian oil to Israel. Rich was also charged with tax evasion, wire fraud, racketeering and several other crimes.

Haaretz also noted that Rich's businesses were "a source of funding for secret financial arrangements" and that "his worldwide offices, according to several reliable sources, frequently served Mossad agents, with his consent." Rich had more direct ties to the Mossad as well. For instance, his foundation -- the Rich Foundation -- was run by the former Mossad agent Avner Azulay. Rich was also friendly with prominent Israel politicians, including former Prime Ministers Menachem Begin and Ehud Barak, and was a frequent provider of "services" for Israeli intelligence, services he freely volunteered.

Marc Rich, right, is pictured with Israel's Shimon Peres in a photo from Mark Daneil Ammann's "The King of Oil."

According to Rich's biographer, Daniel Ammann, Rich also fed information to U.S. intelligence but declined to give specifics. "He did not want to tell with whom he cooperated within the U.S. authorities or which branch of the U.S. government he supplied with intelligence," Ammann said in an interview with the Daily Beast .

One clue as to the nature of Rich's relationship to U.S. intelligence is his apparent ties to BCCI. "The BCCI Affair" report mentions Rich as a person to investigate in relation to the bank and states :

BCCI lending to Rich in the 1980s amounted to tens of millions of dollars. Moreover, Rich's commodities firms were used by BCCI in connection with BCCI's involv[ement] in U.S. guarantee programs through the Department of Agriculture. The nature and extent of Rich's relationship with BCCI requires further investigation."

Rich was also deeply tied to the Mega Group, as he was one of the main donors to the Birthright Israel charity along with Mega Group co-founder Charles Bronfman and Mega Group member Michael Steinhardt. Steinhardt was particularly close to Rich, first meeting the commodities trader in the 1970s and then managing $3 million for Rich, Rich's then-wife Denise, and Rich's father-in-law from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s through his hedge fund. In the late 1990s, Steinhardt would enlist other Mega Group members, such as Edgar Bronfman, in the effort to settle the criminal charges against Rich, which eventually came to pass with Clinton's controversial pardon in 2001. Steinhardt claimed to have come up with the idea of a presidential pardon for Rich in late 2000.

Rich's pardon was controversial for several reasons, and many mainstream outlets asserted that it "reeked of payoff." As the New York Post noted in 2016, in the run-up to the presidential pardon the financier's ex-wife Denise had donated $450,000 to the fledgling Clinton Library and "over $1 million to Democratic campaigns in the Clinton era." In addition, Rich had hired high-powered lawyers with links to powerful individuals in both the Democratic and Republican parties as well as the Clinton White House, including Jack Quinn, who has previously served as general counsel to the Clinton administration and as former chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore.

However, per Clinton's own words and other supporting evidence, the main reason behind the Rich pardon was the heavy lobbying from Israeli intelligence, Israeli politicians and members of the Mega Group like Steinhardt, with the donations from Denise Rich and Quinn's access to the president likely sweetening the deal.

Among the most ardent lobbyists for Rich's pardon were then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister Shimon Peres, then-Mayor of Jerusalem Ehud Olmert, then-former Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami and former Director of the Mossad Shabtai Shavit. According to Haaretz , Barak was so adamant that Clinton pardon Marc Rich that he was heard shouting at the president on at least one occasion. Former adviser to Barak, Eldad Yaniv, claimed that Barak had shouted that the pardon was "important Not only from the financial aspect, but also because he helped the Mossad in more than one instance."

The Israel lobbying effort had considerable help from Mega Group member Michael Steinhardt as well as Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which was at the time heavily funded by Mega Group members, including Ronald Lauder and Edgar Bronfman.

There has been speculation for years that Clinton's decision to pardon Rich may have been the result of "leverage" or blackmail that Israel had acquired on the then-president's activities. As was noted in Part III of this report, the Mossad-linked "Mega" spy scandal broke in 1997, whereby Israeli intelligence had been targeting Clinton's effort to broker a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine and had sought to go to "Mega," likely a reference to the Mega Group, to obtain a sensitive document.

In addition, Israel is known to have acquired phone conversations between Clinton and Monica Lewinsky before their affair was made public. Author Daniel Halper -- relying on on-the-record interviews with former officials and hundreds of pages of documents compiled in the event that Lewinsky took legal action against Clinton -- determined that Benjamin Netanyahu told Clinton that he had obtained recordings of the sexually-tinged phone conversations during the Wye Plantation talks between Israel and Palestine in 1998. Netanyahu attempted to use this information to get Clinton to pardon convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. Clinton considered pardoning Pollard but decided against it after CIA Director George Tenet threatened to resign if the pardon was given.

Investigative journalist and author Gordon Thomas had made similar claims years prior and asserted that the Mossad had obtained some 30 hours of phone-sex conversations between Lewinsky and Clinton and used them as leverage. In addition, a report in Insight magazine in May 2000 claimed that Israeli intelligence had "penetrated four White House telephone lines and was able to relay real-time conversations on those lines from a remote site outside the White House directly to Israel for listening and recording."

Those phone taps apparently went well beyond the White House, as revealed by a December 2001 investigative report by Carl Cameron for FOX News . According to Cameron's report :

[Israeli telecommunications company Amdocs] helped Bell Atlantic install new telephone lines in the White House in 1997 [and] a senior-level employee of Amdocs had a separate T1 data phone line installed from his base outside of St. Louis that was connected directly to Israel

[I]nvestigators are looking into whether the owner of the T1 line had a 'real time' capacity to intercept phone calls from both the White House and other government offices around Washington, and sustained the line for some time, sources said. Sources familiar with the investigation say FBI agents on the case sought an arrest warrant for the St. Louis employee but [Clinton] Justice Department officials quashed it."

https://content.jwplatform.com/players/yLU5qcWT-YuKiCfZc.html

According to journalist Chris Ketcham :

[Both Amdocs and Verint Inc. (formerly Comverse Infosys)] are based in Israel – having arisen to prominence from that country's cornering of the information technology market – and are heavily funded by the Israeli government, with connections to the Israeli military and Israeli intelligence

The companies' operations, sources suggest, have been infiltrated by freelance spies exploiting encrypted trapdoors in Verint/Amdocs technology and gathering data on Americans for transfer to Israeli intelligence and other willing customers (particularly organized crime)."

Given the extent of phone tapping of the U.S. government by Israeli intelligence-linked companies and Netanyahu's previous use of intercepted phone calls to pressure Clinton to pardon Jonathan Pollard, it is entirely reasonable to speculate that some other trove of intercepted communications could have been used to push Clinton to pardon Rich in the final hours of his presidency.

Also notable is the fact that several figures who heavily lobbied Clinton over the Rich pardon had ties to Epstein, who also had ties to Israeli intelligence and Israeli intelligence-linked tech companies, as discussed in Part III of this series. For example, Ehud Barak, a close friend and business associate of Epstein, and Shimon Peres, who introduced Barak to Epstein, were the major players in convincing Clinton to pardon Marc Rich.

Furthermore, as will be shown in a subsequent section of this report, Jeffrey Epstein had developed ties with the Clinton administration beginning in 1993 and those ties expanded, particularly in 1996, when Epstein's intelligence-linked sexual blackmail operation was underway. Clinton would later fly on Epstein's infamous private jet, nicknamed the "Lolita Express," and Epstein would later donate to the Clinton Foundation and claim to have played a key role in the creation of the Clinton Global Initiative.

In addition to the role of figures close to Epstein in securing Rich's pardon, Epstein himself appeared to share some level of connection with Rich's former business partners. For instance, Felix Posen -- who ran Rich's London operations for years and whom Forbes described as "the architect of Rich's immensely profitable but suddenly very controversial business with the Soviet Union" -- appears in Epstein's book of contacts . In addition, Epstein's offshore structured investment vehicle (SIV), Liquid Funding, has the same attorney and director as several Glencore entities : Alex Erskine of the law firm Appleby.

The significance of that connection, however, is unclear, given that Erskine was connected to a total of 274 offshore entities at the time of the "Paradise Papers" leak in 2014. Catherine Austin Fitts told MintPress that it could suggest that Epstein's Liquid Funding -- 40 percent of which had been owned by Bear Stearns , and which may have received a "secret" bail-out from the Federal Reserve -- is part of the same shadow economy "syndicate" as Glencore.

This possibility merits further investigation, given that Glencore is partially owned by British financier Nathaniel Rothschild, whose father, Jacob Rothschild, is on the board of advisers of Genie Energy, which includes Michael Steinhardt as well as several alleged associates of Epstein, such as Bill Richardson and Larry Summers. In addition, Nathaniel Rothschild's cousin by marriage, Lynn Forester de Rothschild, is a long-time associate of Jeffrey Epstein with considerable ties to the New York City "Roy Cohn machine." Marc Rich had long-standing ties to the Rothschild family, going back to the early 1970s when he began commodity trading at Philipp Brothers.

Lynn Forester de Rothschild's surprising interest in Epstein

After Epstein's arrests first in 2007 and then again last month, numerous media reports emerged detailing the links between Epstein and Clinton, with most asserting that they had met not long after Clinton left office in 2001 and, as recently mentioned, issued the controversial pardon of Marc Rich.

Those reports claimed that the Epstein-Clinton relationship had been facilitated by Epstein's long-time girlfriend and alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell. However, documents obtained from the Clinton presidential library have revealed that the ties between Epstein and Clinton date back years earlier and were facilitated by powerful individuals who have largely evaded scrutiny in connection with the Epstein case.

One major player who has been largely overlooked in bringing Epstein and the Clintons together is Lynn Forester de Rothschild. Notably, Forester de Rothschild has long been connected to neoconservative Reagan era officials -- the Lewis Rosenstiel/Roy Cohn network described in Parts 1 and 2 of this series, as well as the Mega Group, which was detailed in Part 3 of this series.

Lynn Forester de Rothschild became involved in the world of Democratic Party politics in the late 1970s when she worked on the 1976 campaign of hawkish Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) alongside now-notorious neoconservatives like Elliott Abrams , who would go on to play an important role in the Iran-Contra affair during the Reagan era and later serve in the State Department under Trump. She was also introduced to her second husband, Evelyn de Rothschild, by Henry Kissinger at a Bilderberg conference. Several of the individuals connected to the Mega Group and the Mossad-linked media mogul Robert Maxwell -- including Mark Palmer, Max Fisher and John Lehman -- were one-time aides or advisers to Henry Kissinger.

Before marrying into the Rothschild family in 2000, Lynn had previously been married to Andrew Stein, a major figure in New York Democratic politics, with whom she had two sons. Andrew's brother, James Finkelstein, married Cathy Frank, the granddaughter of Lewis Rosenstiel, the mob-linked businessman who ran a sexual blackmail operation exploiting underage boys, as was discussed in Part 1 of this series. Rosenstiel's protege Roy Cohn was the lawyer for Cathy Frank and James Finkelstein and it was at their behest that Cohn attempted to trick a nearly comatose Rosenstiel to into naming Cohn, Frank and Finkelstein the executors and trustees of his estate, valued at $75 million (more than $334 million in today's dollars).

According to the New Yorker , Lynn Forester de Rothschild requested "financial help" from none other than Jeffrey Epstein in 1993 during her divorce from Andrew Stein.

As far as Forester de Rothschild's ties to the Mega Group go, she is currently on the board of directors of Estee Lauder companies, which was founded and is still owned by the family of Ronald Lauder -- a member of the Mega Group, a former Reagan official, a family friend of Roy Cohn, and the alleged source of Jeffrey Epstein's now-infamous Austrian passport. In addition, Forester de Rothschild also partnered with Matthew Bronfman -- son of Mega Group member Edgar Bronfman and grandson of Samuel Bronfman, who had close ties to Meyer Lansky -- in creating the investment advisory firm Bronfman E.L. Rothschild LP.

It is unclear when Lynn Forester de Rothschild first met Jeffrey Epstein, but she was one of his leading advocates and had the ear of then-President Bill Clinton in the early 1990s, speaking to Clinton specifically about Epstein during her "fifteen seconds of access" with the president and also introducing Epstein to lawyer Alan Dershowitz in 1996.

Living History by Hilary Clinton Book Party Hosted Lynn Forester and Evelyn De Rothschild pose with Bill and Hilary Clinton at the Kensington Palace in London. Photo | Alan Davidson

Forester de Rothschild is a long-time associate of the Clintons and has been a major donor to both Bill and Hillary Clinton since 1992. Their ties were so close that Forester de Rothschild spent the first night of her honeymoon at the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House while Clinton was president. Furthermore, a leaked email between Forester de Rothschild and Hillary Clinton saw Clinton request "penance" from Forester de Rothschild for asking Tony Blair to accompany Clinton on official business while she was secretary of state, preventing Blair from making a planned social visit to Forester de Rothschild's home in Aspen, Colorado. Humbly requesting forgiveness is not something Hillary Clinton is known for, given that her former bodyguard once said she could "make Richard Nixon look like Mahatma Gandhi."

In 1995, Forester de Rothschild, then a member of Clinton's National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council, wrote the following to then-President Clinton:

Dear Mr. President: It was a pleasure to see you recently at Senator Kennedy's house. There was too much to discuss and too little time. Using my fifteen seconds of access to discuss Jeffrey Epstein and currency stabilization, I neglected to talk to you about a topic near and dear to my heart. Namely, affirmative action and the future."

Forester de Rothschild then states that she had been asked to prepare a memo on behalf of George Stephanopoulos, former Clinton communications director and currently a broadcast journalist with ABC News . Stephanopoulos attended a dinner party hosted by Epstein at his now infamous Manhattan townhouse in 2010 after Epstein's release from prison for soliciting sex from a minor.

While it is unknown what Forester de Rothschild discussed with Clinton regarding Epstein and currency stabilization, a potential lead may lie in the links of both Forester de Rothschild and Epstein to Deutsche Bank. Journalist Vicky Ward reported in 2003 that Epstein boasted of "skill at playing the currency markets 'with very large sums of money'" and he appears to have done much of this through his long-standing relationship with Deutsche Bank.

The New York Times reported last month :

[Epstein] appears to have been doing business and trading currencies through Deutsche Bank until just a few months ago, according to two people familiar with his business activities. But as the possibility of federal charges loomed, the bank ended its client relationship with Mr. Epstein. It is not clear what the value of those accounts was at the time they were closed."

In the case of Forester de Rothschild, she served as an advisor to the Deutsche Bank Microfinance Consortium for several years and is currently a board member of the Alfred Herrhausen Society of International Dialogue of Deutsche Bank.

The same year that Forester de Rothschild made the above-noted comments to Bill Clinton about Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein attended another Clinton fundraiser , hosted by Ron Perelman at his personal home, that was very exclusive, as the guest list included only 14 people.

The evolution of the Epstein-Clinton relationship

Even before Forester de Rothschild's 1995 meeting with Clinton, Epstein was already an established Clinton donor. Records obtained by the Daily Beast revealed that Epstein had donated $10,000 to the White House Historical Association and attended a Clinton donor reception alongside Ghislaine Maxwell as early as 1993.

The Daily Beast suggests that Bill Clinton's long-time friend from his college days, A. Paul Prosperi, was the facilitator of that early relationship, as Prosperi had a decades-long relationship with Epstein and even visited Epstein at least 20 times while he was in jail in 2008. Prosperi was intimately involved with the 1993 fundraiser for the White House Historical Association noted above.

The relationship between Epstein and Clinton would continue well after Clinton left office in 2001, a fact well-documented by Bill Clinton's now-infamous flights on Epstein's (recently sold) private jet -- often referred to as the "Lolita Express." Clinton flew on the Lolita Express no less than 26 times in the early 2000s according to flight logs. On some of those flights, Clinton was accompanied by his Secret Service detail but he was unaccompanied on other flights.

Arguably the most infamous flight taken by Clinton on Epstein's jet was a lengthy trip to Africa, where actor Kevin Spacey, who has also been accused of raping minors ; Ghislaine Maxwell; and Ron Burkle, a billionaire friend of Clinton's who has been accused of soliciting the services of "super-high-end call girls," were also present. Clinton specifically requested that Epstein make his jet available for the trip well in advance, with Doug Band as the intermediary. President Donald Trump, also a friend of Epstein, is said to have flown on the plane but appears only once on flight logs.

In addition to flights, an Epstein-run foundation gave $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation according to the 2006 filing tax return of Epstein's former charity, the C.O.U.Q. Foundation. Notably, Epstein's lawyers, Alan Dershowitz among them, claimed in 2007 that Epstein had been "part of the original group that conceived the Clinton Global Initiative, which is described as a project 'bringing together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges.'"

Before the associations between Epstein and the Clinton White House in the early 1990s were made public, Ghislaine Maxwell was thought to have been the bridge between Epstein and the Clinton family because of her close relationship to the family. However, the close relationship between Maxwell and the Clintons appears to have developed in the 2000s, with Politico reporting that it began after Bill Clinton left office. Clinton associate Doug Band was also reportedly friendly to Maxwell, appearing at an exclusive dinner party she hosted at her residence in New York in 2005. Maxwell later became particularly close to Chelsea Clinton, vacationing with Chelsea in 2009 and attending her wedding a year later. Maxwell was also associated with the Clinton Global Initiative at least up until 2013.

Other close Clinton associates and officials in the early 1990s also had notable relationships with Jeffrey Epstein, including Mark Middleton, who was a special assistant to Clinton Chief of Staff Mack McClarty beginning in 1993, and met with Epstein on at least three occasions in the White House during the early Clinton years. In addition, White House social secretary under Clinton, Ann Stock, appears in Epstein's "little black book" as does Doug Band , once referred to by New York Magazine as "Bill Clinton's bag carrier, body man, fixer, and all-purpose gatekeeper." Band also appears several times in the flight logs of Epstein's private jet.

Epstein was also associated with both Bill Richardson, former ambassador to the UN and former secretary of energy under Clinton, and Larry Summers, secretary of the treasury under Clinton. Both Richardson and Summers sit on the advisory board of controversial energy company Genie Energy, alongside CIA director under Clinton, James Woolsey; Roy Cohn associate and media mogul, Rupert Murdoch; Mega Group member Michael Steinhardt; and Lord Jacob Rothschild. Genie Energy is controversial primarily for its exclusive rights to drill in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Bill Richardson also has ties to Lynn Forester de Rothschild as she was on the Secretary of Energy's Advisory Board while Richardson was secretary of energy.

Bill Richardson appears to be among the Clinton era officials closest to Jeffrey Epstein, having personally visited Epstein's New Mexico ranch and been the recipient of Epstein donations of $50,000 to his 2002 and 2006 gubernatorial campaigns. Richardson gave Epstein's donation in 2006 to charity after allegations against Epstein were made public. Richardson was also accused in recently released court documents of engaging in sex with Epstein's underage victims, an allegation that he has denied.

The Jeffrey Epstein scandal: A post-mortem

In 1990, Danny Casolaro began his fateful one-year investigation of "the Octopus," an investigation that played no small role in his untimely death. Shortly after he was found lifeless in a hotel bathtub, Casolaro's friend Lynn Knowles was threatened and told the following : "What Danny Casolaro was investigating is a business Anyone who asks too many questions will end up dead."

Nearly thirty years later, that same "Octopus" and its "business" remains with us and has become ever more wrapped around the levers of power -- particularly in the worlds of government, finance and intelligence.

This MintPress investigative series has endeavored to show the nature of this network and how the world of "the Octopus" is the same world in which Jeffrey Epstein and his predecessors -- Craig Spence, Edwin Wilson and Roy Cohn among them -- operated and profited. It is a world where all that matters is the constant drive to accumulate ever more wealth and ever more power and to keep the racket going at all costs.

While this network has long been able to ensure its success through the use of sexual blackmail, often acquired by the unconscionable exploitation of children, it has also been a driving force behind many other ills that plague our world and it goes far beyond human and child trafficking. Indeed, many of the figures in this same sordid web have played a major role in the illicit drug and weapons trades, the expansion of for-profit prisons, and the endless wars that have claimed an untold number of lives across the world, all the while enriching many of these same individuals.


BannedHipster , says: Website December 23, 2019 at 5:56 am GMT

The Jeffrey Epstein/Ghislaine Maxwell sexual trafficking ring is the "Deep State" itself being revealed.

https://bannedhipster.home.blog/2019/12/23/how-republicans-and-democrats-are-misrepresenting-the-real-deep-state/

This is the MOST important story of our generation, and it is directly related to the 9/11 attacks.

Google "Richard Fuisz" for how the 9/11 attacks and the sexual trafficking of teenage girls are intimately related.

Thank you, Whitney Webb, for your courageous reporting on this issue.

Greg Bacon , says: Website December 23, 2019 at 7:51 am GMT

the network connected to Epstein is nothing less than a criminal enterprise that is willing to use and abuse children in the pursuit of ever more power, wealth and control.

Another aspect of this Mossad honey pot op being run by Epstein is this: How many of those teenage girls, due to being plied by alcohol and drugs so they could perform for dirty old men, how many of them broke down mentally and either committed suicide or were killed off to hide the evidence?

My guess is that there's an underwater burial spot near Epstein's Orgy Island or maybe they're buried under yards and yards of concrete, thanks to Epstein buying and moving that concrete truck to that island.

As for the Rose Law firm in Arkansas, at the same time Hillary was working there, one of her co-workers was Johnathan Pollard, the Israeli spy that did a tremendous amount of damage to our intelligence apparatus, even getting spies killed who he helped expose.

Hillary's Secrets

Most progressives tend to think of the sordid topic of Vince Foster's death as the exclusive domain of the Rush Limbaugh right wing radio circuit. But did you know that Vince Foster, Hillary Clinton, and Jonathan Pollard were all simultaneously partners at Rose Law Firm? Yes, that Jonathan Pollard, the unrepentant spy for Israel, arrested and sentenced to life in 1986 for espionage . Did you know that Vince Foster was under CIA scrutiny for the exact same crime at the time of his "suicide" in 1993?

https://rense.com/general80/hll.htm

Why is it that many of these kind of incidents always involve our friend and special ally, Israel?

Spectacular job of reporting, that the large majority of Americans will never see, as the MSM is too busy serving the needs of the CIA and Israel, and not interested in reporting actual news.

sarz , says: December 23, 2019 at 8:23 am GMT
Whitney, is it more likely that Epstein was killed by the Clintons or Trump? It would be helpful to have a short paragraph giving the thrust of your thinking.
Rebel0007 , says: December 23, 2019 at 10:08 am GMT
What we have not been told yet regarding the Epstein scandal is exactly what political and monetary favors were provided to whom as a result of this sick, sadistic, satanic cult of predators.

The motive must have been for political favors, and not merely sums of cash, would be my guess. Yes, Epstein benefitted from the cash, but if Epstein was acting on behalf of the Mossad, it was apparently for policy control.

So who were the individuals that were threatenning politicians with exposure for not enacting, or for enacting specific policies, and precisely which policies and businesses would be financially rewarded is what has not yet been disclosed and what I think that everyone would like to know.

With Epstein dead, we don't know if we will ever find out. Obviously, many people in the surveillance state know exactly who these individual policy threatenners were, and which policies were demanded and have remained silent on these issues.

Bert , says: December 23, 2019 at 11:57 am GMT
It is likely that Epstein's conspicuous cultivation and support of prominent scientists was in fact camouflage to help cover his real role as a covert operative specializing in blackmail. Comments by some scientists who attended his soirees indicate that Epstein was scientifically an ignoramus and was unserious in scientific discussions.
Alfred , says: December 23, 2019 at 2:01 pm GMT
Around '83, I was living Beaufort Gardens, Knightsbridge. Only a few steps away from the big building occupied by the BCCI at 171-175 Brompton Road. It was purpose-built for the bank. I was without a job. Enjoying myself the way one used to be able to do in one of the smartest areas of London.

My friends and I could not help noticing the smart Mercedes saloons gliding into the underground parking lot of the BCCI every morning. The guys driving seemed to be all Pakistanis. I passed on foot past their imposing building several times every day for almost a year. But I never saw a customer entering into their banking hall. I was bewildered. My finances were non-existent and I envied these bankers. I just could not work out what sort of scam was going on. It was all so obvious to anyone remotely streetwise.

Prester John , says: December 23, 2019 at 2:14 pm GMT
The Mena story was an open secret in Arkansas. Paul Greenberg (who bestowed the monicker "Slick Willie" upon The Boy Wonder) wrote extensively upon this subject. There have been rumors–never confirmed– that Clinton may have been recruited by Spook Inc. as early as his undergrad days at G-Town (it's still not clear how Clinton, a relatively unknown American college graduate, could gain entry into the USSR in the summer of '69 for a "vacation" at a time when our relations with that country were as low as they ever were).
Republic , says: December 23, 2019 at 2:54 pm GMT
@Greg Bacon Pollard did not work in that Little Rock law firm. He was not a lawyer.
Desert Fox , says: December 23, 2019 at 3:06 pm GMT
@Prester John Agree, see the book Compromised, Clinton , Bush and the CIA by Terry Reed can be had on amazon and see his videos on youtube.
Sean , says: December 23, 2019 at 3:36 pm GMT
Netanyahu's son says Barak has a drinking problem.

Epstein used to claim he worked for the CIA

What con man does not claim to be a secret agent?

Gone from corporate media are any hints of the larger scandal, revolving around the admission that Epstein had "belonged to intelligence."

Hearsay, and the person supposed to have said it refused to discuss it, probably because it was a lie intended to explain why he gave Epstein a soft plea deal, and he fears being required to testify about it on oath.

Epstein also claimed to be a blackmailer, He promoted himself as freelance secret agent, acting for governments or malefactors whichever paid most, when he was trying to get a journalist to write a book about him in the eighties. Last year Epstein told a NYT journalist that he had compromising material on top tech magnates (this was probably Elon Musk)

The Day Jeffrey Epstein Told Me He Had Dirt on Powerful People
https://www.nytimes.com › 2019/08/12 › business › jeffrey-epstein-interview
12 Aug 2019 – I went to Mr. Epstein's Manhattan mansion to talk about Tesla. 16, 2018, I visited Jeffrey Epstein at his cavernous Manhattan mansion. . .

There was another interview around the same time in which Epstein "rambled" about the big tech people he knew to business reporters at his mansion. Every reporter who was around him decided he was full of it.

Going on like this, Epstein would have been disposed of by his own organisation .. if it actually existed. The Mafia kill people for far less

Far from being the work of a single intelligence agency or a single country, the power structure revealed by this network connected to Epstein is nothing less than a criminal enterprise that transcends nationality and is willing to use and abuse children in the pursuit of ever more power, wealth and control. Existing for decades and willing to use any means necessary to cover its tracks

How brave of you to write about it.

annamaria , says: December 23, 2019 at 3:57 pm GMT
@BannedHipster The "deciders" of the US foreign and internal politics:

Wexner was one of five key managers of organized crime cash flows in the United States. many members of the so-called Mega Group, which Wexner co-founded, had direct ties to the Lansky crime syndicate. Meyer Lansky was a pioneer of sexual blackmail operations and was deeply connected to both U.S. intelligence and Israel's Mossad.

Criminal, ignorant, deviant. The face of the US highest echelons of power.

anonymous [922] Disclaimer , says: December 23, 2019 at 4:24 pm GMT
The tawdry sleaziness of both Clintons has been apparent for many years to anyone who would spend ten minutes to check. Yet the media have glossed over all that and promoted Hilary for president. She has millions of fans and has been relentlessly promoted as the second coming, making one wonder as to how stupid are Americans anyway? There's a connection between mafia-like criminality, intelligence services and the supposed legitimate aboveground government. There's plenty of money to be had for all playing the game with the bulk of the American people being the cash cow that can be milked.

They'll never give up living like kings and queens; anybody threatening that gets suicided or otherwise dies young. They'll take us all to the brink of Armageddon with other countries rather than lose their positions. Some commenters have theorized Epstein is alive and living incognito elsewhere. This is doubtful.

It's like the mafia: when someone becomes a liability he's got to go. They're not going to take any chances. Epstein became the weak link and so had to be shut up permanently.

Hugh Guccione , says: December 23, 2019 at 8:11 pm GMT
I don't buy a word of this. Too much emphasis on sex trafficking, the meaningless description underage and the so-called victims. For some reason everyone believed the story that Epstein was some kind of pervert. Only children trust the Government when it says sex crime, WMD, ISIS or UFO.

Christians burned people at the stake. I suppose lots of children in the USA would support the Government if they decided to start burning people at the stake for sex. Think of the children!

[Nov 15, 2019] Milken, who was convicted of trading on information that the hedge fund firm Galleon Group would acquire an Italian airline and put it on a stock exchange, was also said to have paid Epstein $450,000 to have sex with an underage girl.

Nov 15, 2019 | www.moonofalabama.org

librul , Nov 14 2019 6:26 utc | 75

@Posted by: S | Nov 14 2019 5:55 utc | 73

Thanks for the interesting link.

However, my first try did not go quite so well - mixed results.
I entered: Epstein did not commit suicide

The project outputted this:

"The news of his death brought back memories of Epstein's death at the hands of a 27-year-old lawyer in 1998, when Michael Milken, who was then a top hedge fund manager, was convicted of insider trading and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Milken, who was convicted of trading on information that the hedge fund firm Galleon Group would acquire an Italian airline and put it on a stock exchange, was also said to have paid Epstein $450,000 to have sex with an underage girl.

Epstein has never been charged in the case.

The scandal has also caused many to question whether the Clintons' political career might have been ruined had they lived in Washington D.C. and Epstein was their friend."

S , Nov 14 2019 11:00 utc | 89

@librul #75: I had better luck with my query (in bold):
Jeffrey Epstein did not kill himself , he did not shoot himself, he was murdered by the Clintons and their henchmen.


Bill Clinton had Epstein locked up on a pedophilia charge that Epstein was actually acquitted of in 2008 due to "technicalities".

There is an entire chapter on the Epstein sex ring in a book called "Lolita".

http://www.amazon.com/Lolita-Jeffrey-Epstein/dp/0393322139/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467154983&sr=1-1&keywords=lolita

The book is very graphic and discusses Epstein's sexual encounters with many of the young girls that he had brought to America.

According to the book, the girls were given drugs and alcohol and then abused by Epstein's friend and masseuse Ghislaine Maxwell.

Of course, Bill Clinton never had Epstein locked up and there's no book called "Lolita" about Epstein -- this is the AI making things up. But the text is quite convincing until you start fact-checking it, isn't it? Also, the example shows that the AI is not propagandistic. It's the way you choose the starting words that produces pro-Empire or pro-truth results.

[Aug 16, 2019] Nice guy(Bill Clinton) uhhh got a lot of problems coming up, in my opinion, with the famous island with Jeffrey Epstein lot of problems

Aug 16, 2019 | www.unz.com

Assad al-islam , says: August 13, 2019 at 8:51 pm GMT

@Junior

"Nice guy(Bill Clinton) uhhh got a lot of problems coming up, in my opinion, with the famous island with Jeffrey Epstein lot of problems."
-Donald Trump at 2015 CPAC conference

https://youtu.be/kEnkJNEMLH0

How does the Candidate Trump knew in 2015 that, "Nice guy(Bill Clinton) uhhh got a lot of problems coming up, in my opinion, with the famous island with Jeffrey Epstein lot of problems."?

What does the above tell us about Candidate Trump and his foreknowledge to things to come?

[Aug 16, 2019] The Perverted Face of Elite America by Matt Purple

Notable quotes:
"... Bill Clinton flew ..."
"... dozens of times ..."
"... on the Lolita Express; was it really beyond him to order a hit? ..."
"... New York Times ..."
"... Are the Elites the arch villains from the comic books, probably not, but then again many of them operate corporations that cause suffering to economically deprived populations all over the world. ..."
"... Why is this surprising? Aristocrats have always behaved this way. ..."
"... The sexual abuse of children and kids in their early teens is a very democratic crime. While physical abuse and neglect are linked to lower-income parents, sexual abuse occurs in all strata of society. It is not confined to the elites or to money changers. Nor to Jews, if that is what you are implying. ..."
"... Unconcerned about negative consequences, these people have become increasingly brazen. They certainly know that the laws that apply to you and me do not apply to them. ..."
"... In the words of George Carlin, "it's a big club, and you ain't in it." I stopped reading after the first two para's on this, tone is exactly the same as the sneering disdain from the empire's various MSM propaganda arms aimed at those "not in the club." ..."
"... 1) Either our intelligence agencies knew what was going on with Epstein and did nothing to stop him. Or... ..."
"... 2) They had no clue .. ..."
"... Occam's Razor says Possibility No. 1 is more likely to be the truth. But what would such a truth tell us? ..."
"... "What I am saying is that Epstein's direct testimony – AND ONLY EPSTEIN'S DIRECT TESTIMONY – had the potential to create a Common Knowledge moment that could bring down – not just specific sociopathic oligarchs like Mob Boss Donald or Mob Boss Bill or Mob Boss Andrew if they were the specific targets of that testimony – but the entire Mob system of sociopathic oligarchy. ..."
"... One strongly suspects that Ghislaine Maxwell knows just as much as Epstein did. Her participation was just as important to the operation of this "trafficking" ring. She was the lead recruiter, handled logistics, "grooming" and also was Epstein's "in" to many of his VIP associates (who were really clients). If witness accounts are accurate, she was also a participant in a good number of these depraved, criminal acts. ..."
"... The fact she has not been charged is quite the tell about our system of "justice." ..."
"... This is a dangerous slope. People once bowed to the elites because there was a principle of enforcement called nobless oblige. Society felt that elites had to be held to a higher standard because they carried greater responsibilities and burdens for society and the welfare of the national good. ..."
"... Since the 1960s nobless oblige has been downgraded to sound bites and photo ops for publicity and marketing. The elites have all but abandoned their responsibilities to support religion, to support education (except to indocrinate), to support tradition and society and the national good. The elites have become inward looking, inbred and narcissistic with little to no outward focus except in a marxist totalitarian vein of thought which serves their interest, indulges their hungers, preserves their wealth and power. ..."
"... My point was that as popolo minuti transform into popolo grossi in terms of access to power, they tend to start to transform into them in terms of moral character as well. (Inequality of) power corrupts, and absolute (inequality of) power corrupts absolutely. Thus, it seems that the over-representation of psychopaths in positions of power is because the psychopathy is acquired (and plenty of studies show drastic declines in empathy with even a little priming for power), rather than because it is easier for psychopaths to rise to the top. The worst of the popolo grossi tend to be hereditary. ..."
"... I think we're a lot closer to 1789 France than we want to believe. Read some Chris Hedges to see how the socialists see the current situation. Here's an example. https://www.commondreams.or... ..."
"... "given that all available evidence points to gross negligence on the part of the jail." How is gross negligence different from deliberate negligence? ..."
Aug 16, 2019 | www.theamericanconservative.com

In our tense populist moment, Jeffrey Epstein's crimes land like a grenade. August 15, 2019

Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in Cambridge, MA on 9/8/04. (Photo by Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images) Hands up, those of you who made a Fort Marcy Park joke last Saturday. Anyone? Surely there were a few. Fort Marcy Park was the Washington, D.C. woodland where White House attorney Vince Foster was found dead in 1993, and while his demise was repeatedly ruled a suicide, certain conservatives spent years afterwards hallucinating that the Clintons had him killed. Now, a quarter century later, both right and left are back in conspiracy mode. Mere hours after pedo-to-the-stars Jeffrey Epstein was reported to have killed himself, the hash tag #ClintonBodyCount began circulating on Twitter, followed closely by #TrumpBodyCount. Both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump had been associates of Epstein's; both, the thinking went, might have been desperate for him not to take the stand.

It is wrong, of course, to publicly speculate that Epstein was whacked, given that all available evidence points to gross negligence on the part of the jail. But can you really blame people? Twenty-five years ago, if you'd said that a roll call of America's elites, everyone from a former president to the most famous lawyer in the country, would be implicated in a sex trafficking ring masterminded by an enigmatic Wall Street financier who was also a member of the Trilateral Commission , you would have been laughed into the darkest corner of the local subway platform (next to the guy holding the "Vatican Hides Pedophiles" sign, presumably). Today, you'd be reading AP copy. Validate an improbable conspiracy theory, and you grant license to all the related improbable conspiracy theories: Bill Clinton flew dozens of times on the Lolita Express; was it really beyond him to order a hit?

And if we know one thing about the Epstein story, it's that everything about it is utterly improbable. Epstein stands credibly accused of assembling a veritable underage harem . One of his victims, Virginia Guiffre, has already implicated Prince Andrew , the third-born of Queen Elizabeth II, and a picture has since emerged showing the royal with his arm around the then-teenager's waist. Guiffre says she was also ordered to have sex with , among others, a "foreign president," a "well-known prime minister," and a "large hotel chain owner." Such an open secret was all this perversion that the current president of the United States made cheeky reference to it back in 2002. So invincible did Epstein think himself that he discussed underage sex openly, telling a New York Times reporter that laws against pedophilia were a "cultural aberration."

That Epstein looked to other cultures to rationalize his behavior is nothing new -- Oscar Wilde wrapped his similar predilections in lofty talk about the Greek ideal. What is different is that rather than being hunted and exposed by the powerful, as Wilde was, Epstein was protected by them for decades. Even after he was convicted of soliciting an underage prostitute in 2008, he was sentenced to only 18 months in prison, held in a private wing of the Palm Beach County stockade, and let out on generous "work release."

Study the Epstein case long enough and you end up at Alex Jones's favorite conclusion: they're all sons of bitches. Everyone who was anyone seemed to be in on this, or at least acting at the behest of someone who was. The essence of the conspiratorial mindset is that powerful shadowy forces are, first, capable of and engaged in the most dastardly skullduggery imaginable, and, second, in cabal-like cooperation with each other across all levels of power. The Epstein case seems to affirm both planks. It makes our elites seem like aliens, of a different culture, a different moral code, a different species -- how else could they have let slide what none of us ever would? Mary Colum's remark to Ernest Hemingway, "The only difference between the rich and other people is that the rich have more money," has rarely rang less true.

There's been for some time now a sense of drift between most Americans and their elites, driven by factors like income inequality, geographic enclaving, and cultural differences. We are living in a populist moment, to be sure, an era when the usual purveyors of class warfare sound more apt than they otherwise would. In such a fraught environment, the Epstein revelation lands like a grenade. Not only are America's gentry hitching rides on the Acela while mumbling about deplorables -- so the feeling goes -- they're also running cover for a Caligula who's preying on little Susie down the street. Suddenly the populist divide doesn't just run between classes or races or regular toast versus avocado, but between ethical extremes, good and literal evil.

This is, of course, what most populists profess: the people as a group are wholesome, the elites as a group are venal, and the former has to be vaulted over the latter in order for society to be made whole again. Yet Epstein's crimes are so wicked as to potentially set this moral chasm ablaze like never before. That's why, though Trump may have associated with Epstein, he's unlikely to be damaged by him: everything that's happened only confirms what he's been saying for years. In fact, you might view the Epstein fracas as a dialectic between two of his former associates, Trump's throw-them-out populism versus Clinton's benevolent stewardship of society by the smart set. And Trump won out.

Just as populisms aren't driven entirely by economic causes, so too are revolutions often about more than bread. Consider the Russian Revolution, sparked at least in small part by the people's perception of Rasputin as a sexual deviant. Consider, too, the French Revolution's rage against the profligate "Madame Déficit" Marie Antoinette. In such cases, the moral tends to get intertwined with the economic; license is seen as enabling decadence while the people pray and starve. This can be a blind spot in traditional conservative thinking. We rightly detest (most) revolutions and the tremors they cause, but we sometimes fail to notice that the Jacobins have good reason to be angry and that the ruling classes they overthrow really are that loathsome.

America is nowhere near 1789 France, or armed revolution in general. But we are anxious, restive, hungry for justice. A republic likes ours depends on the harmonious coexistence of its people and its elites, a matter that our Founders spent a good deal of time worrying about. Now we have a hideous face f0r elite corruption, one that's enabled fever in the national mind and dehumanized those around him. For those of us who prize stability and liberty in a polity, who think populism is always best in modest doses, the weeks ahead may be reason for worry.

Because it seems there's only more to come. On Wednesday, another victim came forward , alleging that Epstein raped her when she was 14 after she turned down sex with him. That this carnal omega, this pathetic loser, this finger-sniffing pervert from every teen comedy lurking outside the pretty girl's home longing for a piece of discarded lingerie was somehow elevated into a Teflon-coated Wall Street sun god is beyond comprehension. My friend Michael Davis calls Epstein and company the Hellfire Club , but just how much will they torch on their way down?

Matt Purple is the managing editor of .


Amy Ehlers a day ago • edited

When I started to see what was going on in this country, which was my journey, I was amazed to find out that there is sex trafficking 8 blocks from the White House and I learned of this in 2011. Lisa Ling did a great documentary on it. "Night time traffic greater than the day time." Pimps attempting to recruit girls walking home from school. If you pay attention it is also a journey of the food chain of Corporate America that supports this.
This is a Money Changer issue, that is about the closing of eyes from both parties. and please don't tell me this is not so. I know better than that.
Krazy Uncle a day ago
To be absolutely, clear there was speculation that Epstein was going to be assassinated weeks before it happened. For the most part citizens aren't so much surprised, as disappointed that Justice is once again foiled.

Are the Elites the arch villains from the comic books, probably not, but then again many of them operate corporations that cause suffering to economically deprived populations all over the world.

When the World's 26 richest people own as much as poorest 50%, just how close do they seem to achieve a god like status when looking up from the bottom? Maybe that's one reason that people are so angry when it seems that the most vulnerable among us, our children, are the victims of a limited number of the Elites and their twisted and horrific appetites.

I personally doubt much will come of the Epstein affair it will most likely be just one more myth added to the tally of injustice, and the people will have to bitterly swallow it whole. It will probably take many more cases like this being exposed before the people actually have their fill, and decide to do something about it. In the meantime, prepare to see more of the same by the laughing and mocking Elites

Krazy Uncle Bill In Montgomey 15 hours ago
In this day and age, I doubt a reporter will touch this story, and if they did, the real story would never make it into the Main Stream Media. And, most likely the reporter would be permanently black balled, and never work in Journalism again. It's happened many times before, because it doesn't fit within the approved propaganda message.

Give the story a couple decades or more, and it may come out, but otherwise it will be handled as a whack-job Conspiracy Theory.

The Fourth Estate is the only business that is protected by the Constitution, and yet it has been neutered, and those in the Press, who were supposed to be the Watchdogs for the people, have become the Lapdogs of the Elites.

What passes as News today is formulaic programming, passed on from the Propagandist to the Media, both nationally and locally.

Have you ever seen Conan O'Brian's local news videos?
Newscasters Agree: Rising Gas Prices Edition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAkxR9T01pw
There is one reporter, Julie K. Brown, of the Miami
Herald that actually brought to light the Epstein story again.
Here's the Thing: How Julie Brown broke the Jeffrey Epstein story
https://www.wrvo.org/post/heres-thing-how-julie-brown-broke-jeffrey-epstein-story

So, there is at least one reporter that has the guts to do investigative journalism hope her life insurance policy is up to date.

p.s. I didn't listen to the broadcast in the second link I just posted it in case others are interested. I've read the story elsewhere.

polistra24 a day ago
Why is this surprising? Aristocrats have always behaved this way.
minsredmash a day ago
Two Republican state senators and two New York City Policemen died violently within 72 hours ....

1. On June 4, former Arkansas Senator Linda Collins-Smith, 57, was found dead outside her home, her body unrecognizable on discovery. Police are now investigating her death as a homicide. On June 5, the county prosecutor announced that the circuit judge sealed the documents and statements obtained by police.
2. On June 5, Deputy Chief Steven Silks, 62, weeks away from retirement, was found in an unmarked police car with a gunshot wound to the head. News reports reported indicate it seemed self-inflicted.
3. On June 5, former Oklahoma Sen. Jonathan Nichols, 53, was found shot dead in his home. Police have not announced whether they are investigating a suicide or homicide..
4. On June 6, Detective Joseph Calabrese, 58, was found near his police car on a Brooklyn, NY beach, dead of a gunshot wound in what one report called an apparent suicide.
RIP.
Many other Americans died violently this past week. Why link these four together?

The answer comes down to a dark suspicion and a few hard facts which suggest that one or more of these four deaths might have had something to do with these individuals' work against pedophiles and human trafficking, or the official corruption so often surrounding both.

Source .

Now Jeffrey Epstein...

Jessica Ramer Amy Ehlers a day ago
The sexual abuse of children and kids in their early teens is a very democratic crime. While physical abuse and neglect are linked to lower-income parents, sexual abuse occurs in all strata of society. It is not confined to the elites or to money changers. Nor to Jews, if that is what you are implying.

Just about everyone in America has a family member who was sexually abused by someone who was usually not elite. Therefore, I cannot get worked up about class issues because of Jeffrey Epstein.

What I can get worked up about are the way elites start wars for poor people to die in and the way poor people get cruel sentences while the elite either walk or get the Epstein treatment--private wing, generous work release.

mrscracker Jessica Ramer 16 hours ago
I agree. Young girls are trafficked in more circles than the elite. I don't understand the connection to any particular social class. But better connected people do have better lawyers and can get away with more. Until like Mr. Epstein , they don't.
Bill In Montgomey a day ago • edited
The true character of these people is starting to be revealed. This (lack of) character is not only displayed when these men travel to Pedo Island, it's on display everywhere they go, in everything they do. Every organization they lead, or have anything to do with, is likely rotten to the core.

Unconcerned about negative consequences, these people have become increasingly brazen. They certainly know that the laws that apply to you and me do not apply to them.

If the system is so corrupt to have protected Epstein for decades, who else is being protected? Who else is getting away with figurative rape in every department of government, or house of finance?

The sooner the public recognizes the "true face" of our elites and rulers the better. Left to their own devices, these people - who think they have class but in reality are the worst kind of trash - can bring down a nation.

Krazy Uncle Bill In Montgomey a day ago
who else is being protected?

Good point... who else indeed... and how many more children are suffering?

prodigalson a day ago
Literally no one I know thought this guy would make it to trial alive with the exception of me, as I still had some hope in the system, and I was proven wrong. I've lost whatever remaining faith I had in the system.

In the words of George Carlin, "it's a big club, and you ain't in it." I stopped reading after the first two para's on this, tone is exactly the same as the sneering disdain from the empire's various MSM propaganda arms aimed at those "not in the club."

Sid Finster a day ago
There are two possibilities here:

1) Either our intelligence agencies knew what was going on with Epstein and did nothing to stop him. Or...

2) They had no clue ... which would mean our much vaunted intelligence community knew nothing about the travel habits of the "ruling class" of the world, about Jeff Epstein's real activities, had received no tips, had no insiders, and were incapable of "putting two and two together," etc. In short, Big Brother - with all its resources and intelligence and sources - with capabilities that put the Gestapo or the KGB to shame - had no idea.

Occam's Razor says Possibility No. 1 is more likely to be the truth. But what would such a truth tell us?

Mccormick47 Sid Finster a day ago
The third possibility is that BigBrother was in on it and didn't object to sacrificing teenage girls to get compromising information on people they wanted tp blackmail.
Sid Finster a day ago
"What I am saying is that Epstein's direct testimony – AND ONLY EPSTEIN'S DIRECT TESTIMONY – had the potential to create a Common Knowledge moment that could bring down – not just specific sociopathic oligarchs like Mob Boss Donald or Mob Boss Bill or Mob Boss Andrew if they were the specific targets of that testimony – but the entire Mob system of sociopathic oligarchy.

Jeffrey Epstein was the Missionary to bring down the monsters behind the monster, to bring down the SYSTEM of monsters. Jeffrey Epstein's books and records are not. The individual voices of Jeffrey Epstein's victims are not.

And that's what makes me angriest of all.

That while the individual victims of Jeffrey Epstein's crimes will maybe (maybe!) get some smattering of "justice" and recompense from the show trial of a monster's estate, there will be no Justice served against the monsters behind the monster, that the Mob system of sociopathic oligarchy that CREATED this Jeffrey Epstein and the next Jeffrey Epstein and the next and the next will continue unabated. Untouched. Golden."

https://www.epsilontheory.c...

Bill In Montgomey Sid Finster a day ago
One strongly suspects that Ghislaine Maxwell knows just as much as Epstein did. Her participation was just as important to the operation of this "trafficking" ring. She was the lead recruiter, handled logistics, "grooming" and also was Epstein's "in" to many of his VIP associates (who were really clients). If witness accounts are accurate, she was also a participant in a good number of these depraved, criminal acts.

The fact she has not been charged is quite the tell about our system of "justice."

Tony55398 a day ago
Whether Epstein was killed or committed suicide I don't know. I would however like to know who these elites were who participated in the rapes of these young girls. They are just as guilty as Epstein whether they knew the ages of these girls or not, it was there responsibility to find out.
ChristopherRobin1 a day ago
This is a dangerous slope. People once bowed to the elites because there was a principle of enforcement called nobless oblige. Society felt that elites had to be held to a higher standard because they carried greater responsibilities and burdens for society and the welfare of the national good.

Since the 1960s nobless oblige has been downgraded to sound bites and photo ops for publicity and marketing. The elites have all but abandoned their responsibilities to support religion, to support education (except to indocrinate), to support tradition and society and the national good. The elites have become inward looking, inbred and narcissistic with little to no outward focus except in a marxist totalitarian vein of thought which serves their interest, indulges their hungers, preserves their wealth and power.

What you are have been seeing since the 1960s is the veneer being pulled off the rich and powerful. I would say Nixon and Princess Diana and Ted Kennedy did the most to pull down the veneer from the rich and powerful but it could be argued that Nixon and Princess Diana and Ted Kennedy were accidental victims of circumstance. However Epstein's human trafficking of children for sex and blackmail .... breaks the most because his crimes were no accident nor was he a victim of circumstance. Epstein planned this and created an organization around it elevating his elitist crimes to a level no that I dont think anyone in modern history can match.

atimoshenko ChristopherRobin1 a day ago
I doubt that history's elites were ever any better. It's just that with far less transparency and access, it was much easier for them to hide how awful they were. The 1960s was the start of mass media, and so the veneer started to crack.
Bill In Montgomey ChristopherRobin1 a day ago
I do think this COULD qualify as "the story of the century." That is, If the story was told in its entirety - all "names" exposed.

If fully told, the swamp might, in fact, be "drained."

Now the people in said swamp have a strong incentive to protect their domain. Which is why so many of us are skeptical the true story will ever be told.

If there was ever a time where brave and patriotic whistleblowers were needed ...

BXVI a day ago • edited
"This is, of course, what most populists profess: the people as a group are wholesome, the elites as a group are venal, and the former has to be vaulted over the latter in order for society to be made whole again."

Sorry, but take a look at the average American. The so-called "people" are for the most part just as morally obtuse as the "elites" but they carry the additional burden of being not only ignorant but also stupid. Just look around. Best recent example of the utter stupidity of the American people: a recent survey shows they think 23% of the population is gay. Really.

johnhenry a day ago
"Hands up, those of you who made a Fort Marcy Park joke last Saturday."

Matt, are you tired of people making jokes about *purple prose*?
Just wondering :)

atimoshenko a day ago
But isn't the issue exactly that the "only difference between the rich and other people is that the rich have more money" comment is perfectly true?

The rich and powerful are us, but corrupted by riches and power. Many of them behave the way many of us would quickly start to behave if we found ourselves in their shoes. If the gap in power between you and most other people is so huge that you can do anything to them and get away with it, your morals stop applying to them because you start to view them as somewhat subhuman. In this sense, I'm sure Epstein never even thought of raping the underage daughters of other elites.

Thus, the issue is stratospheric inequality of power (by whatever fungible measure you choose - money, political, religious, social, etc). And we see it happen ALL the time throughout history and across geographies - as soon as the power gap is in excess of social boundaries, as soon as there is a group of people you can do pretty much anything you want to and get away with it, you start going a little crazy. Exploitation, rape, torture, murder, slavery - everything starts looking justified. Then it's just a matter of degree, with tin-pot dictators on one end and Epstein somewhere in the middle.

Cosmin Visan atimoshenko 20 hours ago
Read Machiavelli. He observed that the popolo minuti (regular folks) just wished to be left alone by authorities whereas popolo grossi (fat cats) were of a different psychological composition: they delighted in deception, were vain, greedy and hungry for power.

Centuries later, studies of psychopaths reveal these creatures are different from regular humans at the brain level. The elites are psychopathic (the key ones are) and no, they ain't like regular people. They are literally a different kind.

atimoshenko Cosmin Visan 11 hours ago • edited
My point was that as popolo minuti transform into popolo grossi in terms of access to power, they tend to start to transform into them in terms of moral character as well. (Inequality of) power corrupts, and absolute (inequality of) power corrupts absolutely. Thus, it seems that the over-representation of psychopaths in positions of power is because the psychopathy is acquired (and plenty of studies show drastic declines in empathy with even a little priming for power), rather than because it is easier for psychopaths to rise to the top. The worst of the popolo grossi tend to be hereditary.

In my opinion, there is nothing so dangerous as to believe that evil people are a different breed from the rest of us. Instead, they tend to simply be us, but in different circumstances. History tends to show that revolutions aimed at replacing the evil people with better people end up with corrupted revolutionaries, rather than a fundamentally less abusive system.

minsredmash atimoshenko 6 hours ago • edited
"It reminds me of a well known speech by a defense counsel, who pleaded his client's poverty as an excuse of robbing and murdering six of his victims, on the lines that "My client's poverty drove him to murder six people, everybody else would have done the same!"

Dostoevsky, The Idiot.

phreethink a day ago
Outstanding article. However, I think we're a lot closer to 1789 France than we want to believe. Read some Chris Hedges to see how the socialists see the current situation. Here's an example. https://www.commondreams.or...
Zsuzsi Kruska a day ago
Elites, that is those with more wealth and/or power than the rest of the masses have always been this way. Remember how decadent the European aristocracy was with their sport of "wenching"? that is going around in groups raping young peasant girls. Also, there was the Hellfire Club which you can research if you want details. This scandal will get less and less coverage in the MSM until it fades away like all the others involving the rich and powerful.
Jr. a day ago
The Global "Elite" control our Ruling Class by means of blackmail. A person does not get raised to high truly influential positions of power(Politicians, Judges, Hollywood, etc.) unless they have enough dirt on you to know that they can control you without question. The most powerful form of blackmail that they have is ped0filia because it is THE most abhorrent crime that someone can commit, so much so that even criminals in prison refuse to allow ped0 scumbags to be housed near them.

Trump has an obvious penchant for beautiful WOMEN not kids. He was helping and somewhat part of the "Elite" in that he was joining in with them to buy politicians for influence but Trump neutralized that being over his head by openly admitting to buying politicians. They thought it was safe to allow him to run because they thought it was a joke and he would never get elected. They were wrong. In my opinion, they don't have enough dirt on him to get him to go along with their agenda of selling out the USA to the highest bidder hence the all-out attacks on him.

The key to understanding the "Elite"/Ruling Class dynamic is not conflating the two and realizing that blackmail is the main tool used by the one to keep the other under their control.

*Sorry about the Trump tangent above but it's absolutely ridiculous that people are trying to tie Trump to Epstein even though Trump has been trying to bring national attention to the Epstein case FOR YEARS.

Cosmin Visan 20 hours ago
"given that all available evidence points to gross negligence on the part of the jail." How is gross negligence different from deliberate negligence?

You can tell? And btw the WaPo just came out with news that broken bones in Epstein's neck are more usual in cases of homicide.
I generally see anyone who belittles

'Conspiracy theorists' as part of an Establishment that uses 'incompetence' as the perennial excuse for everything that goes wrong.

stevek9 19 hours ago • edited
The old accusation, that you are a 'conspiracy theorist' (a term invented by the CIA after the Kennedy assassination) is holding less and less weight. The irrational kooks now seem to be the people who think Epstein committed suicide. Jokes were everywhere about how 'we were shocked to hear about the suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, next Tuesday' when a day later we hear, 'Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide'.

By the way, this equivalence between Trump and Clinton is bogus, I believe. There isn't much evidence of any involvement of Trump (some evidence to the contrary in fact), but there is a load of evidence suggesting 'Wild Bill' was availing himself.

JeffK from PA stevek9 5 hours ago • edited
Remember when Maxine Waters was labelled a kook for saying the CIA was bringing cocaine into her LA district? She was mocked and ridiculed. Now we know she was right. You can't make this stuff up.
YoungHegelian2020 18 hours ago
I'm sorry, but this case stinks to high heaven, and if you're ready to accept "gross negligence" as the explanation you're likely to believe ANYTHING the authorities tell you. Epstein was either murdered, as the autopsy and reports of shrieking from his cell indicate, or subbed out by intelligence services and replaced by a murdered homeless person who received plastic surgery. Study the history of modern intelligence services: appearances are deceiving, and systemic disinformation is endemic to politics. Careful public speculation, acknowledging where we're uncertain, is very much the responsible thing to do; otherwise there is no hope of democratic accountability. The investigation we're being promised will be conducted by the exact same institution -- the US Department of Justice -- that was responsible for keeping Epstein safe and securing his public testimony about his criminal network. These are the people you want us to trust? Come on, a little critical reasoning, please!
Bryan 10 hours ago
The most ridiculous part is the idea that being rich and powerful gives you a predilection to turn a blind eye. My wife's family turned a blind eye to a perverted uncle that molested multiple family members over decades. No one stood up, it would've been a shame to them to admit it. How is this any different?
Will Thomas 10 hours ago • edited
No one really cares. He was pretty rich. Talk radio and weird cable conspiracies shows will benefit. Truth is irrelevant.

[Jul 25, 2019] Epstein Visited Clinton White House Multiple Times In The 1990s

Notable quotes:
"... And according to the Beast , "Clinton also failed to mention the intimate 1995 fundraising dinner at the Palm Beach home of Revlon mogul Ron Perelman, where Clinton hobnobbed with the likes of Epstein, Don Johnson, and Jimmy Buffett. (Nearby, at Epstein's own Palm Beach mansion, the money man allegedly abused hundreds of underage girls.)" ..."
"... Meanwhile, Clinton's college friend A. Paul Prosperi visited Epstein at least 20 times while he was in the Palm Beach county jail after pleading guilty to procuring an underage prostitute in 2008. Prosperi was also present at a 1995 Perelman fundraiser at which both Clinton and Epstein were present. ..."
"... Over that same time period, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Daily Beast, Middleton met with Epstein in the White House at least three times . It is unclear what they discussed, or for how long. Middleton did not respond to repeated calls and emails for comment, or to a reporter who visited his home in Arkansas. ..."
Jul 25, 2019 | www.zerohedge.com

Bill Clinton's attempts to distance himself from convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein have taken yet another blow - after a Daily Beast investigation reveals that the financier - who came highly recommended by Lynn Forester de Rothschild - visited the Clinton White House multiple times .

As early as 1993, records show, Epstein donated $10,000 to the White House Historical Association and attended a donors' reception hosted by Bill and Hillary Clinton. Around the same time, according to a source familiar with the connection, Epstein visited presidential aide Mark Middleton several times at the White House . Two years later, businesswoman Lynn Forester de Rothschild wrote a personal letter to Clinton thanking him for their talk about the financier . - Daily Beast

On July 8, the former president sought to distance himself from Epstein, claiming that the two crossed paths just six times beginning in 2002; "four flights on the billionaire's private jet, a single trip to his Harlem office, and one "brief visit" to his New York apartment, all with staff and security detail in tow," per the Beast .

"President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York," Clinton spokesperson, Angel Ureña, told the Beast. " Any suggestion to the contrary is both factually inaccurate and irresponsible."

Clinton's denial flies in the face of flight logs from Epstein's now-sold 'Lolita Express' 727 jet at least 26 times .

When the president released his initial statement on Epstein, he did not explain the multiple other trips he appears to have taken on the financier's plane -- including one flight to Westchester with Epstein, his alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell, and an "unnamed female." - Daily Beast

And according to the Beast , "Clinton also failed to mention the intimate 1995 fundraising dinner at the Palm Beach home of Revlon mogul Ron Perelman, where Clinton hobnobbed with the likes of Epstein, Don Johnson, and Jimmy Buffett. (Nearby, at Epstein's own Palm Beach mansion, the money man allegedly abused hundreds of underage girls.)"

While Politico claimed in a piece last week that the Clintons and Epstein connected through Epstein's longtime confidant and alleged procurer of young women - Ghislaine Maxwell, after Clinton left office, documents in the Clinton Library attest to much earlier links .

In late September of 1993, Bill and Hillary Clinton hosted a reception for supporters who had contributed to recent White House renovations. The nearly $400,000 overhaul -- which included new gold draperies and a 13-color woven rug for the Oval Office -- was funded entirely by donations to the White House Historical Association, a private organization that helps preserve and promote the White House as a historical monument.

The reception took place at the White House residence from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., according to a copy of the president's daily schedule. White House Social Secretary Ann Stock -- who appears in Epstein's little black book of phone numbers -- was listed as the point of contact . According to multiple attendees, the evening included an intimate tour of the newly refurbished residence, followed by a receiving line with the president and first lady. Dessert was served in the East Room, where the couple thanked everyone for attending and announced the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.

Guests for the event , according to the invitation list, included the journalist and philanthropist Barbara Goldsmith, heiress Jane Engelhard, political consultant Cynthia Friedman, and " Mr Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell ." Epstein and Maxwell do not appear on the 'regret list,' and there is a letter 'A' next to both of their names, indicating they planned to attend . A press release from the event, put out by Hillary Clinton's office, lists Epstein as a White House Historical Association donor. - Daily Beast

Meanwhile, Clinton's college friend A. Paul Prosperi visited Epstein at least 20 times while he was in the Palm Beach county jail after pleading guilty to procuring an underage prostitute in 2008. Prosperi was also present at a 1995 Perelman fundraiser at which both Clinton and Epstein were present.

Another Clinton connection with Epstein comes through White House aide Mark E. Middleton - a friend of Clinton's from his beginnings in Arkansas who joined the administration in 1993 as special assistant to Chief of Staff Mack McClarty (another Arkansas insider, per the Beast ). Middleton would rise to the level of "Deputy to the Counselor" in 1994.

Over that same time period, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Daily Beast, Middleton met with Epstein in the White House at least three times . It is unclear what they discussed, or for how long. Middleton did not respond to repeated calls and emails for comment, or to a reporter who visited his home in Arkansas.

Middleton and Epstein also appear to have shared a famous friend in common. Donald Trump -- who once called Epstein a "terrific guy" -- sent Middleton a signed copy of his book , The Art of the Deal , while the lawyer was working in the White House. The inscription read, " To Mark -- Best wishes. Your mom is the best ."

Hobnobbing with businessmen like Epstein and Trump was part and parcel of Middleton's White House job , according to a 1999 report from the House Committee on Government Reform. ("In the course of his duties, Middleton was in contact with many prominent business people and contributors to the President," the report states.) But it also got the lawyer in trouble with the administration once he left. - Daily Beast

Rothschild letter

In 1995, Lynn Forester de Rothschild writes ""Dear Mr. President: It was a pleasure to see you recently at Senator Kennedy's house. There was too much to discuss and too little time. Using my fifteen seconds of access to discuss Jeffrey Epstein and currency stabilization, I neglected to talk to you about a topic near and dear to my heart. Namely, affirmative action and the future."

Of note, former Epstein attorney and pal Alan Dershowitz previously said that Forester de Rothschild introduced him to Epstein at a party on Martha's Vineyard for Lord Rothschild in the summer of 1996.

"He was feisty, he was utterly politically incorrect," said Dershowitz in a recent interview with New York magazine. "He was interesting to be with."

He was also sexually molesting underage girls.


Bounder , 7 minutes ago link

He should have just said:

"I didnt have sex with those under age girls" and shook his finger at us.

Schroedingers Cat , 9 minutes ago link

Bill Clinton and that vicious evil **** of a wife Hillary have done more to **** this country up and the entire world than any other human beings. No contest.

Give Me Some Truth , 19 minutes ago link

Remember when Harvey Weinstein was the "scum" of the moment? During these "15 minutes," director Quentin Tarantino acknowledged his regret in not exposing Weinstein. Basically, he gave an interview where he admitted he knew what his producer friend had been doing - or must have been doing - all these years, and yet Taratino did nothing. Taratino gets credit in my book for acknowledging this. In other words, he COULD have done something to stop his activities/crimes, but did not.

Compare and contrast Tarantino's "mea culpa" to the HUNDREDS of VIPs who must have known what Epstein was doing - for decades. And remained silent and never considered going to authorities.

Scores or hundreds of people COULD have stopped this, but did not.

This tells us much about our system and the "leaders" who rule us. Also about our "watchdog" press corps, which had no interest in exposing this person or his operation.

Tunga , 21 minutes ago link

Affirmative action? Ha! 1 year later Clinton signs into law permission for the Attorney General to traffic in little kids without Judicial oversight;

SEC. 604. ASYLUM REFORM.

(a) Asylum Reform.--Section 208 (8 U.S.C. 1158) is amended to read as follows: ... (D) No judicial review.--There shall be no judicial review of a determination of the Attorney General under subparagraph (A)(v). ..." - excerpt from https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104publ208/html/PLAW-104publ208.htm

Give Me Some Truth , 36 minutes ago link

Bill Richardson seems to be getting a pass so far on this story. While he has been identified as being in Epstein's "black book" and receiving a couple of $50,000 campaign donations from Epstein, what hasn't been mentioned is Richardson's key role as a Clinton "fixer" and sycophant. Typically, he is identified only as a "former New Mexico governor."

But prior to being elected governor of New Mexico, he served (if memory is correct) as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under Bill Clinton. It was in this role that he "found" a job for Monica Lewinsky, when Clinton had to move her out of the White House.

No telling what he did for Clinton before he was rewarded with this plum appointment.

I'm sure if a real investigation ever occurred we would learn that New Mexico leaders were as "bought off" as the U.S. Virgin Island leaders had to be.

Epstein bought his 7,500 acre "ranch" from a former New Mexico governor. Richardson admits he visited this place one time (yeah right). The "ranch" has no cattle and has its own air strip. Hasn't anyone in this state, or this county, investigated what was going on at this place?

But if Richardson and Clinton are both involved (and they are), we know they were both up to no good, and we're trying to keep something secret.

Distant_Star , 48 minutes ago link

" Clinton's college friend A. Paul Prosperi visited Epstein at least 20 times while he was in the Palm Beach county jail . . ."

Just checking on Epstein's well-being and morale. A true humanitarian. There is no chance that Mr. Prosperi was acting as a cut-out for the Clinton family. /S

FUG , 15 minutes ago link

Paul must have visited him at night since Epstein was hardly in his cell during the daytime due to the allowance of liberal furloughs 6.5 days per week and "business trips" he was allowed to take that lasted several days.

Give Me Some Truth , 56 minutes ago link

Virginia Roberts is on the record - in sworn affidavits - of saying she had sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions. She even mention the places and time frames she was at these places with Prince Andrew.

Can't reporters or investigators simply see if Prince Andrew was at these places at the same time she was? Wouldn't this corroborate (or disprove/impeach) her story?

They won't even do this.

Distant_Star , 45 minutes ago link

Absolutely not. "Journalists" have no time to check on the Prince Andrew story, or the allegation that Bill Clinton flew with Epstein 26 times. They are too busy pursuing false allegations against Trump and putting spin on Mueller's train-wreck testimony from yesterday.

Give Me Some Truth , 35 minutes ago link

I think it would be easy to prove that Clinton "dismissed" his Secret Service detail on many occasions, right?

Doesn't he have to sign some kind of release when he does this?

Simply check the dates he did this and cross-reference to Epstein's schedule. Simply find out who he travelled with and to where on these occasions.

Plenty of ex Secret Service might grant interviews, even off the record or anonymously, right?

Give Me Some Truth , 52 minutes ago link

This story intimates that Bill Clinton and Jeff Epstein knew one another long before Clinton says they knew one another. And were much closer to one another than we have been led to believe.

And anyone who spent a lot of time with Epstein knew exactly what commodity/service Epstein offered.

Even if Clinton never availed himself of the services offered by one of Epstein's girls, he had to know exactly what business Epstein "trafficked" in. Of course, the notion that Clinton never "sampled the product" is laughable.

The little voice inside my head , 7 minutes ago link

The story also opens the door to a vast amount of connections previously unknown, you could follow the people mentioned in the article and see what became of them and start building a web... Many posts here are starting to do that. Hopeful

Give Me Some Truth , 1 hour ago link

This was some real investigative journalism. All reporters had to do was check White House records that show who attended what events. This story PROVES Clinton was lying if he indeed said he didn't know Epstein until after he was out of office. This alone is grounds to investigate him further. (Things he said in the past have now been proven to be lies - Investigation 101).

Reporters then showed Clinton's long-time buddy (who ran his political campaign at Georgetown) was also an associate of Epstein. And this person visited Epstein 20 times (!) while Epstein was in jail (over a 13-month period).

These CAN'T be coincidences.

Anyway, most of these people will say "no comment" or will refuse to respond to requests for comments. But this doesn't mean reporters can't find incriminating sources or stories from other avenues.

For example, Vanity Fair reporters simply interviewed people who worked at the Virgin Islands airport. They then asked these people: "Did you happen to see a large number of young girls boarding or getting off Epstein's planes?"

Answer: Yes. Definitely. All the time.

I mean, what are we to make of this?

Why were so many young girls traveling to and from Epstein's island?

There can only be one answer.

PrivetHedge , 1 hour ago link

Lynn Forester de Rothschild

The connections to the elite go deep. Very deep. This is an interesting test of their grip on the narrative.

Give Me Some Truth , 35 minutes ago link

I'd like to learn more about all the news organizations that "took a pass" on investigating this story.

The Palm Beach Police Chief can give the names of several of these organizations.

According to the Miami Herald story, he grew "tired" of all these reporters talking to him and never publishing a single story.

Well, which reporters from which news organizations did he talk to who subsequently dropped the story?

This is another story where the "investigators" should also be investigated.

[Jul 25, 2019] The Epstein Case Is A Rare Opportunity To Focus On The Depraved Nature Of America s Elite

Highly recommended!
Notable quotes:
"... When scanning the news most days, I see a constant amplification of wedge issues by mass media, blue-check pundits and even many in the so-called alternative media. I see people increasingly being encouraged to demonize and dehumanize their fellow citizens. Anyone who voted for Trump is automatically a Nazi, likewise, anyone who supports Sanders is an anti-American communist. The reality is neither of these things is even remotely true, so why are people so quick to say them? ..."
"... The Epstein case shines a gigantic spotlight on just how twisted and sociopathic the highest echelons of U.S. society have become. This is exactly what happens when you fail to put wealthy and powerful super predators behind bars. They get more brazen, they get more demented and, ultimately, they destroy the very fabric that holds society together. We are in fact ruled by monsters. ..."
Jul 25, 2019 | www.zerohedge.com

Authored by Michael Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,

Perhaps, at long last, a serial rapist and pedophile may be brought to justice , more than a dozen years after he was first charged with crimes that have brutalized countless girls and women. But what won't change is this: the cesspool of elites, many of them in New York, who allowed Jeffrey Epstein to flourish with impunity.

For decades, important, influential, "serious" people attended Epstein's dinner parties, rode his private jet, and furthered the fiction that he was some kind of genius hedge-fund billionaire. How do we explain why they looked the other way, or flattered Epstein, even as they must have noticed he was often in the company of a young harem? Easy: They got something in exchange from him , whether it was a free ride on that airborne "Lolita Express," some other form of monetary largesse, entrée into the extravagant celebrity soirées he hosted at his townhouse, or, possibly and harrowingly, a pound or two of female flesh.

– From the New York Magazine article: Who Was Jeffrey Epstein Calling?

An honest assessment of the current state of American politics and society in general leaves little room for optimism regarding the public's ability to accurately diagnose, much less tackle, our fundamental issues at a root level. A primary reason for this state of affairs boils down to the ease with which the American public is divided against itself and conquered.

Though there are certain issues pretty much everyone can agree on, we simply aren't focusing our collective energy on them or creating the mass movements necessary to address them. Things such as systemic bipartisan corruption, the institutionalization of a two-tier justice system in which the wealthy and powerful are above the law, a broken economy that requires both parents to work and still barely make ends meet, and a military-industrial complex consumed with profits and imperial aggression not national defense. These are just a few of the many issues that should easily unite us against an entrenched power structure, but it is not happening. At least not yet.

We currently find ourselves at a unique inflection point in American history. Though I agree with Charles Hugh Smith's assessment that " Our Ruling Elites Have No Idea How Much We Want to See Them All in Prison Jumpsuits, " we have yet to reach the point where the general public is prepared to do something about it. I think there are several reasons for this, but the primary obstacle relates to how easily the citizenry is divided and conquered. The mass media, largely owned and controlled by billionaires and their corporations, is highly incentivized to keep the public divided against itself on trivial issues, or at best, on real problems that are merely symptoms of bipartisan elitist plunder.

The key thing, from a plutocrat's point of view, is to make sure the public never takes a step back and sees the root of society's problems. It isn't Trump or Obama, and it isn't the Republican or Democratic parties either. These individuals and political gangs are just useful vehicles for elitist plunder. They help herd the rabble into comfortable little tribal boxes that results in made for tv squabbling, while the true forces of power carry on with the business of societal pillaging behind the scenes.

You're encouraged to attach your identity to team Republican or team Democrat, but never unite as one voice against a bipartisan crew of depraved, corrupt and unaccountable power players molding society from the top. While the average person living paycheck to paycheck fashions themselves part of some biblical fight of good vs. evil by supporting team red or blue, the manipulative and powerful at the top remain beyond such plebeian theater (though they certainly encourage it). These folks know only one team -- team green. And their team keeps winning, by the way.

When scanning the news most days, I see a constant amplification of wedge issues by mass media, blue-check pundits and even many in the so-called alternative media. I see people increasingly being encouraged to demonize and dehumanize their fellow citizens. Anyone who voted for Trump is automatically a Nazi, likewise, anyone who supports Sanders is an anti-American communist. The reality is neither of these things is even remotely true, so why are people so quick to say them?

Why is most of the anger in this country being directed at fellow powerless Americans versus upward at the power structure which nurtured and continues to defend the current depraved status quo? I don't see any upside to actively encouraging one side of the political discussion to dehumanize the other side, and I suggest we consciously cease engaging in such behavior. Absolutely nothing good can come from it.

Which is partly why I've been so consumed by the Jeffrey Epstein case. For once, it allows us to focus our energy on the depraved nature of the so-called American "elite," rather than pick fights with each other. How many random Trump or Sanders supporters do you know who systematically molest children and then pass them off to their wealthy and powerful friends for purposes of blackmail?

The Epstein case shines a gigantic spotlight on just how twisted and sociopathic the highest echelons of U.S. society have become. This is exactly what happens when you fail to put wealthy and powerful super predators behind bars. They get more brazen, they get more demented and, ultimately, they destroy the very fabric that holds society together. We are in fact ruled by monsters.

Unfortunately, by being short-sighted, by fighting amongst ourselves, and by taking the easy route of punching down versus punching up, we allow such cretins to continue to rape and pillage what remains of our civilization.

If we can truly get to the bottom of exactly what Epstein was up to, I suspect it has the potential to focus the general public (beyond a few seconds) on the true nature of what's really going on and what makes the world tick. Revelations of such a nature could provide the proverbial tipping point that's so desperately needed, but this is also why the odds of us actually getting the whole story is quite low. There's simply too much at stake for those calling the shots.

* * *

Side note: I've been consistently updating my Epstein twitter thread as I learn new information. I suggest checking back in from time to time.

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Ali Tarpate , 23 minutes ago link

> ...f urthered the fiction that he was some kind of genius hedge-fund billionaire

He wasn't - he was set up by Mossad

Mossad Epstein Connection

Notice the Bronfman involvement...

giovanni_f , 32 minutes ago link

If we can truly get to the bottom of exactly what Epstein was up

1. We can't.
2. Epstein was in the business to set up people with kompromat material ...
3. ...and did it for someone else , it appears as he was protected from above for many years.
4. These " elses " won't allow that the support of the Americans to forever fight Israels wars gets shattered.
5. I expect operation diversion & coverup soon. My hunch is that they will pull a 9/11 hoax as a last resort if things get out of hand fast.
6. They did it in the past, they will do it in the future.
7. Human lives don't matter to them.

He–Mene Mox Mox , 35 minutes ago link

Michael Krieger said: "It's sad and mind-boggling how easy it is to divide and conquer the American public. Manipulating the masses in this country is trivial. The next few years will not be pretty".

Despite all the news of how the elites have manipulated the American public, it still goes on, unabated. Americans, for the most part, are dumb and fat couch potatoes. They are not going to rise up against their elite masters, because they don't have the wherewithal to do so. So, the show continues on, and the elites don't seem to have anything to worry about, and do as they will.

If Americans were truly energetic about reigning in the abuses of the elites, they would have done so back in the 1870's, when Mark Twain wrote about the Gilded Age Elites. Here it is, 149 years later, and nothing has changed in America today. The elites still rule, and everyone else is an indentured servant. Of course, there are benefits for the elites to keep the American masses dumbed down, and letting them lead couch potato life styles. Doing so, keeps them in power.

Give Me Some Truth , 14 minutes ago link

I suspect it was the CIA or FBI. But the goal was to keep Acosta from investigating Virginia Roberts' claims. If authorities did this they would have had to investigate Prince Andrew.

If they found her to be truthful, they might even have to arrest Prince Andrew (can you imagine this happening?). Or at least ask him to testify in a trial.

If the truth came out, this would humiliate the British nation, and Great Britain was (still is) one of America's most important allies in the "war on terror" and all our other neocon initiatives.

Acosta was essentially told to "back off" Prince Andrew (not necessarily Epstein, who was best buddies with "Andy.")

This doesn't mean Israel intelligence was not involved in some way. It just means that American intelligence was involved, or wanted to protect key people. Hell, they still do.

We can be almost certain that the exact same thing that happened with Acosta is happening right now. Some prosecutor is being told to "back off. Don't go here. Focus only on Epstein and Epstein only."

This is why Ghislaine Maxwell has not been charged and will not be charged. This is why the FBI has not raided Pedo Island or Pedo Ranch. This is why Epstein's four "co-accomplices" have not been charged.

Prosecutors have again been told that "intelligence" is saying that it's okay to do this (charge Epstein with sex crimes), but NOT okay to do this (investigate and arrest any fellow predators).

phillyla , 38 minutes ago link

It isn't just the elites and we need to stop pretending it is

"Child sex trafficking which is the buying and selling of women, young girls and boys for sex, some as young as 9 years old, has become big business in America. It is the fastest growing business in organized crime and the second-most-lucrative commodity traded illegally after drugs and guns.
Adults purchase children for sex at least 2.5 million times a year in the United States.
It's not just young girls who are vulnerable to these predators, either.
According to a 2016 investigative report, "boys make up about 36% of children caught up in the U.S. sex industry (about 60% are female and less than 5% are transgender males and females)."
Who buys a child for sex?
Otherwise, ordinary men from all walks of life. "They could be your co-worker, doctor, pastor or spouse."

https://www.groundzeromedia.org/7-17-19-apex-predator-den-of-vipers-heart-of-darkness-w-ed-Opperman/

Obamanism666 , 45 minutes ago link

If Epstein was muslin would this be a crime? Of course not it would be part of Muslim Culture. Look into the Abuse done to young girls in the Rotherham abuse case. BTW I am no sticking up for Epstein but the ruling elites and certain minorities are treated different from Joe and Jane Public

Give Me Some Truth , 53 minutes ago link

The headline for this story is great:

"The Epstein Case Is A Rare Opportunity To Focus "On The Depraved Nature Of America's Elite"

This IS a "rare opportunity' for Americans to do just this (focus on how deprived our elite leaders really are).

If Americans really started to do this, for an extended period of time, and got, you know, kind of pissed off about this state of affairs, we might even throw all the bums out. We might really "drain the swamp."

So this is a BIG story. Potentially.

Of course, the Powers that Be are going to do everything they can to make sure Americans do NOT focus on this story for too long. Or that the "narrative" is controlled. (For example by focusing only on Epstein, not his hundreds of depraved buddies and corrupt institutions).

Give Me Some Truth , 26 minutes ago link

I've been posting for 10 days that there are "too many" of these people. And they are too powerful.

Seems to me if authorities went after one of the "johns," they would have to go after ALL of the "Johns." And this includes Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, former senators, governors, CEOs, secretaries of the treasury, bankers, etc.

It's the massive numbers of possible offenders that is probably keeping all of these people "safe."

And I still think Prince Andrew is the biggest fish the authorities don't want to humiliate/charge.

Even more so than Clinton. Half the country would throw a party if Clinton was charged. But in the UK, 90 percent of British citizens would be mortified and greatly embarrassed if one of their Princes was proven to have done all the things that have been alleged he did.

[Jul 21, 2019] Bill Clinton was one of the most famous and frequent passengers on Epstein s Lolita Express and a guest on his private island

Notable quotes:
"... The **** smell of all of this is simply overwhelming. He is not just a pedophile. He was and probably still is a Mossad agent whose purpose it was to entrap mainly US politicians and power bookers with the extremely compromising film evidence he was later found to be obtaining from the various elite junkets to his little island. ..."
Feb 23, 2019 | www.zerohedge.com

Implied Violins , 2 hours ago link

Just posting this for posterity, as I've seen this information before:

"Bill Clinton was one of the most famous and frequent passengers on Epstein's "Lolita Express" and a guest on his private island. When Roberts asked Epstein about Clinton's presence on the island, he simply laughed it off, and said, "Well, he owes me a favour."[37] Epstein also donated money to the Clinton Foundation even after his conviction. In early 2015, a photo emerged showing Ghislaine Maxwell at the wedding of Chelsea Clinton to Jewish investment banker Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010.

An annotated copy of the address book turned up in court proceedings after Epstein's former house manager Alfredo Rodriguez tried to sell it in 2009. Rodriguez characterized it as containing the "Holy Grail" or "Golden Nugget" to unraveling Epstein's child-sex network."[38] The book, which was eventually obtained by the FBI, listed well-known political figures such as Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia, Tony Blair, Senator Edward Kennedy, and Henry Kissinger, Ehud Barak, John Kerry, David Rockefeller and even Donald Trump."

http://www.conspiracyschool.com/blog/kompromat-trump-hollywood-sex-parties-and-russian-oligarchs-part-i

So...Kraft goes down, and there are supposedly even more "interesting" names on the list of those who were serviced by those toothless asian whores. Could this be part of some unreal blackmail scheme against Trump?? Or is this **** TRUE, and we have a pedophile in our highest office??

I don't know what the truth is any more. Maybe someone smarter than me can make sense of this ****. I sure can't.

navy62802 , 5 hours ago link

Don't get your hopes up. This guy is an operative of the Secret Team. He will never be held to justice. Neither will his associates.

navy62802 , 5 hours ago link

By "associates" I really mean those he compromised in the course of his operation.

MadHatt , 5 hours ago link

https://www.foxnews.com/us/billionaire-sex-offender-epstein-once-claimed-he-co-founded-clinton-foundation

FBaggins , 4 hours ago link

The **** smell of all of this is simply overwhelming. He is not just a pedophile. He was and probably still is a Mossad agent whose purpose it was to entrap mainly US politicians and power bookers with the extremely compromising film evidence he was later found to be obtaining from the various elite junkets to his little island.

He and his Israeli handlers simply have too much on too many people for Epstein to really pay for any of his crimes, which crimes many spy agencies around the world engage in frequently. However, what should really piss Americans off is that Epstein was doing his dirt mainly against Americans for Israel, and Israel was supposed to be a trusted friend and ally of the US, working in close concert with US spy agencies and forces in destroying nations like Iraq and Syria and pulling off false flag operations like 9/11.

Treason Season , 2 hours ago link

Mossad + Mayfia = 9/11

[Jul 21, 2019] Charge of epstein procuring underaged girls for sex

Notable quotes:
"... A court filing in a civil case in Florida last week included new allegations against Jeffrey E. Epstein, a businessman who pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution, and two other high-profile men: a member of the British Royal family and an American lawyer. ..."
"... About the royal: Some of you may argue that if there was an encounter, the Prince may have been unaware of the girl's age. He has people . People who make arrangements for him. One can see how such a fellow might hear the same knock on the door that Neil Bush once heard. Perhaps, upon opening the door, his first reaction was something other than "May I see your ID, Miss?" ..."
"... On Saturday, Mr. Dershowitz said he "categorically and unequivocally" denied all of the allegations. He said he would file disbarment proceedings against the lawyers who filed the motion, Bradley J. Edwards, a lawyer in Florida, and Paul G. Cassell, a former federal judge and a law professor at the University of Utah. ..."
"... The full court filing was published on Mondoweiss a couple of days ago. We learn that the complainant, Jane Doe #3, was 15 years of age, and that she was recruited by an Epstein associate named Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of Robert Maxwell (the late news tycoon and known Mossad asset). The photo to the left shows the Prince with the girl who seems to have been Jane Doe #3. ..."
Mar 03, 2017 | cannonfire.blogspot.ca">
Underaged sex with Alan Dershowitz and Prince Andrew...and Bill Clinton...? (If the claims are true, Hillary is OVER.) Wow.

A court filing in a civil case in Florida last week included new allegations against Jeffrey E. Epstein, a businessman who pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution, and two other high-profile men: a member of the British Royal family and an American lawyer.

The motion filed in United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida alleges that Mr. Epstein forced a teenage girl to have sexual relations with several men, including Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth's second son, and Alan M. Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School. Both men have denied the allegations.

Jeffrey Epstein is not just a businessman. He's a billionaire, and he has already been convicted of soliciting underaged prostitution.

About the royal: Some of you may argue that if there was an encounter, the Prince may have been unaware of the girl's age. He has people . People who make arrangements for him. One can see how such a fellow might hear the same knock on the door that Neil Bush once heard. Perhaps, upon opening the door, his first reaction was something other than "May I see your ID, Miss?"

That scenario seems plausible. However, as we shall see, that scenario is not what has been alleged.

We will get to the Prince in a bit. For now, let's focus on Dershowitz.

On Saturday, Mr. Dershowitz said he "categorically and unequivocally" denied all of the allegations. He said he would file disbarment proceedings against the lawyers who filed the motion, Bradley J. Edwards, a lawyer in Florida, and Paul G. Cassell, a former federal judge and a law professor at the University of Utah.

"They are lying deliberately, and I will not stop until they're disbarred," Mr. Dershowitz said in a phone interview.

The very predictability of that furious reaction means that no lawyer would have filed such charges against Dershowitz frivolously. Cassell has an impressive resume. He's not a young go-getter out to make a name for himself.

I understand that there are a lot of women who have made iffy claims against famous people. But this case seems different. Epstein has already pled guilty. Moreover, Dershowitz was part of Epstein's legal team.

The full court filing was published on Mondoweiss a couple of days ago. We learn that the complainant, Jane Doe #3, was 15 years of age, and that she was recruited by an Epstein associate named Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of Robert Maxwell (the late news tycoon and known Mossad asset). The photo to the left shows the Prince with the girl who seems to have been Jane Doe #3. Allegedly, the shot was taken by Epstein. (Note: In what follows, the term NPA refers to non-prosecution agreement .)

Epstein then became enamored with Jane Doe #3, and with the assistance of Maxwell converted her into what is commonly referred to as a "sex slave." Epstein kept Jane Doe #3 as his sex slave from about 1999 through 2002, when she managed to escape to a foreign country and hide out from Epstein and his co-conspirators for years. From 1999 and 2002, Epstein frequently sexually abused Jane Doe #3, not only in West Palm Beach but also in New York, New Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, in international airspace on Epstein's private planes, and elsewhere.

Epstein also sexually trafficked the then-minor Jane Doe, making her available for sex to politically-connected and financially-powerful people. Epstein's purposes in "lending" Jane Doe (along with other young girls) to such powerful people were to ingratiate himself with them for business, personal, political and financial gain, as well as to obtain potential blackmail information.

One such powerful individual that Epstein forced then-minor Jane Doe #3 to have sexual relations with was former Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, a close friend of Epstein's and well-known defense attorney. Epstein required Jane Doe #3 to have sexual relations with Dershowiz on numerous occasions while she was a minor, not only in Flroida but also on private planes, in New York, New Mexico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to being a participant in the abuse of Jane Doe #3 and other minors, Dershowitz was an eye-witness to the sexual abuse of many other minors by Epstein and several of Epstein's co-conspirators. Dershowitz would later play a significant role in negotiating the NPA on Esptein's behalf. Indeed, Dershowitz helped negotiate an agreement that provided immunity from federal prosecution in the Southern District of Florida not only to Epstein, but also to "any potential co-conspirators of Epstein." NPA at 5. Thus, Dershowitz helped negotiate an agreement with a provision that provided protection for himself against criminal prosecution in Florida for sexually abusing Jane Doe #3. Because this broad immunity would have been controversial if disclosed, Dershowitz (along with other memebers of Epstein's defense team) and the Government tried to keep the immunity provision secret from all of Epstein's victims and the general public, even though such secrecy violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act.

There's a third named participant in these doings, one Jean Luc Brunel, a close Epstein friend and a scout for various modelling agencies.
He would bring young girls (ranging from ages as young as twelve) to the United States for sexual purposes and farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein. Brunel would offer the girls "modeling" jobs. Many of the girls came from poor countries or impoverished backgrounds, and he lured them in with a promise of making good money.
The Government was well aware of Jane Doe #3 when it was negotiating the NPA, as it listed her as a victim in the attachment to the NPA. Moreover, even a rudimentary investigation of Jane Doe #3's relationship with Epstein would have revealed the fact that she had been trafficked throughout the United States and internationally for sexual purposes. Nonetheless, the Government secretly negotiated a non-prosecution agreement with Epstein precluding any Federal prosecution in the Southern District of Florida of Epstein and his co-conspirators. As with Jane Doe #1 and Jane Doe #2, the Government concealed the non-prosecution agreement from Jane Doe #3 -- all in violation of her rights under the CVRA -- to avoid Jane Doe #3 from raising powerful objections to the NPA that would have shed tremendous light on Epstein and other powerful individuals that would likely have prevented it from being conlcuded in the secretive manner in which it was.
The document also mentions a Jane Doe #4, an impoverished sixteen year old who was told that she could make $300 by giving a "massage" to an old man in Palm Beach.

This matter seems very serious. We have too many details, too many corroborating witnesses (in the form of four Jane Does). We have a photo. We have reports of the existence of many, many more photos. The hugger-mugger involving the NPA seems downright ghastly -- yet all too credible.

Frankly, I would not rule out the possibility that Epstein was working for an intelligence agency -- either Mossad or one of our own. The Maxwell connection points to Mossad.

This whole business has "honeytrap" written all over it.

The Clinton connection.

The Daily Mail discloses that one of Epstein's, er, protegees was a woman named Johanna Sjoberg. Since the story links her to Prince Andrew, it is tempting suppose that she is the aforementioned Jane Doe #3. However, British newspapers have named another young woman, Virginia Roberts.

Miss Sjoberg worked for Epstein for four years, often massaging him as he lay on a couch in his giant bathroom making phone calls to friends such as Bill Clinton and Cate Blanchett.

He kept a little black book, containing the numbers of all his masseuses by a phone in the bathroom, she said. She left after he started becoming 'more aggressive' in his demands that she 'do sexual things to him'.

She said she was aware that the girls recruited by Epstein and his acolytes were not paid just for massages but for 'sexual favours'.

Virginia Roberts revealed that as a 17-year-old 'erotic masseuse', she was flown by Epstein to London to meet Prince Andrew,

Miss Sjoberg said: 'I'm not surprised he was sending girls abroad. I just did not think they were so young.'

The Prince strongly denies any claim of impropriety, of course.

What about Epstein and Clinton? Obviously, there is nothing wrong in taking a man's phone call, even a call from someone like Epstein. However...

Bill Clinton was also named dozens of times in lawsuits against Epstein and was alleged to have flown on his private jet more than 10 times.

Flight logs in lawsuits detailed that between 2002 and 2005 the former US President traveled around the world courtesy of his friend and stopped at Epstein's Caribbean island Little St James where young girls were supposedly kept as sex slaves.

Clinton was deemed to be so close to Epstein that he was nearly deposed during the investigation into his paedophilia.

Before he was jailed Epstein's other acquaintances are said to have been former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak; former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson; and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

Let's make the obvious point. If there is any evidence of wrongdoing against Bill Clinton, then Hillary's chances at the nomination are over . A candidacy can withstand many things, but a statutory rape scandal involving one's spouse? No.

More on the Clinton link here :

Over the years, the casually-dressed, globe-trotting financier, who was said to log more than 600 flying hours a year, has been linked with Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, Chris Tucker and Manhattan-London society figure Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of the late media titan Robert Maxwell.

Epstein reportedly flew Tucker and Spacey to Africa on his private jet as part of a charitable endeavour. Clinton, meanwhile, flew on multiple occasions in the same plane to Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little St James, between 2002 and 2005 as he developed his philanthropic post-presidential career. It would later be alleged in court that Epstein organised orgies on that same private island in the US Virgin Islands.

Reports in the US media say many of the A-list names broke off any links with the former maths teacher after his arrest and conviction in 2008 of having sex with an underage girl whom he had solicited. His arrest followed an 11-month undercover investigation at a mansion in Florida's Palm Beach that Epstein owned.

In 2008, he pleaded guilty to a single charge of soliciting prostitution and was handed a 18-month jail sentence. He served 13 months in jail and was obliged to register as a sex offender. A 2011 report in the New York Post said that he celebrated his release from jail and his return to a property he maintains in New York – a 45,000-sq-foot eight-storey mansion on East 71st Street – with Prince Andrew.

The story goes on to give much useful information about Epstein's business dealings.

More here :

The financier, who was jailed for 18 months in 2008 after pleading guilty to solicitation for prostitution, kept a sickening stash of images on a computer seized at his Palm Beach mansion in 2006.

The six-year-old papers, seen by the Sunday People, state: "Some of the photographs in the defendant's possession were taken with hidden cameras set up in [Epstein's] home in Palm Beach.

"On the Day of his arrest, police found two hidden cameras and photographs of ­underage girls on a computer in the defendant's home.

"[He] may have taken lewd ­photographs of Jane Doe 102 with his hidden cameras and transported [them] to his other residences and elsewhere."

Court papers also allege that Maxwell presented nude pictures of her she had taken herself to Epstein as a birthday present.

They add that Roberts' claims that she was forced to tell Epstein all about her sexual encounters so he could use the information to "blackmail" the royal.

She further claims she was sex-trafficked to "many other powerful men, including numerous prominent American politicians, powerful business executives, foreign presidents, a well known Prime Minister, and other world leaders".

And now let's play our game: Who was that Prime Minister?

To- neeeeee...! If that's you, you're gonna have to say so many rosaries that even the Virgin Mary will get sick of hearing your voice.

This scandal places our right-wing media in a bind. Obviously, the right-wingers will want to leap on anything that dirties the Clinton name. On the other hand, anything that reeks of Mossad involvement is untouchable.

[Jul 21, 2019] Is Epstein case a start of Trump counterattack on the Clinton wing of Dems

Trump attacked Hillary during 2016 elections campaign using change of Bill connection with Epstein. This was too dangerous move if he himself was implicated.
Notable quotes:
"... Why would intelligence services want to make an intelligence op out of someone so sleasy and easily compromised? ..."
"... The wealthy class has defeated the poor class. What we are seeing now is a civil war in the wealthy class. The Epstein business is just one of the skirmishes in that civil war. ..."
"... Trump is fighting for his life and money. Lose the next election and spend the rest of both fighting imprisonment. What makes me think its time to remind people that the office of POTUS has teeth? ..."
"... "I was told Epstein 'belonged to intelligence' and to leave it alone," ..."
"... does not say he "worked for intelligence". It might just mean that "intelligence" made the deal with him in return for information and that they then estimated the fall out and cleaned up (ie took people that could be blackmailed out of sensitive positions). ..."
"... But as to the "why now" of Epstein, surely it is 2020. As for Barr being a CIA kid, that does give some pause, except he is working for Trump, and so presumably he is playing his part in the 2020 event. ..."
"... From what I have read and heard, Trump is not tainted by the Epstein story. The attempts of those on the left or whatever (I can't even call it the left anymore) to associate Trump with the Epstein story are very belabored. "Grabbing pussy" of adult women who cluster around is not the same as recruiting young girls and teenagers and running sex camps for grown-up boys such as Randy Andy, RAndy Bill, and other Randy boys. ..."
"... AFAIK Trump did not ride the Lolita Express. The rumors about raping a 13-year-old in Epstein's apartment will have to become more than rumor to harm Trump, no matter how much the left pushes an Epstein = Trump narrative. ..."
"... As they pushed the Weinstein = Trump narrative. I.e., whenever you see Weinstein's name, think "Trump." But I don't think that really worked except with the very ones who were pushing that equation in the first place. In other words, auto-suggestion. ..."
"... "...every good gamblers knows to hedge their bets. ..."
"... Defense Department computers are among the top distributors of child pornography. An untold number of Department of Defense (DOD) employees and contractors have subscriptions to child pornography websites, and the problem is apparently so pervasive it requires new technical solutions to address it. ..."
"... "Hundreds of DoD-affiliated individuals" were recently identified as suspects in child pornography cases, according to an investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. ..."
"... Last year, an investigation by the National Criminal Justice Training Program found DOD computers were among the top networks nationwide for peer-to-peer sharing of pornographic images of minors. DOD's network ranked 19th out of 2,891 computer networks studied. ..."
"... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNue92Gta3s 2014 Aerial drone video of Little St. James. The island is owned privately by Jeffrey Epstein and is located southeast of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. ..."
Jul 12, 2019 | www.moonofalabama.org

Moon Reader , Jul 11 2019 4:45 utc | 125

Mr Reader

Interesting post in that it raises many of the key issues and how they may fit together.

Generally agrees with my initial (or maybe secondary) impression that this is result of Trump triggering backmail clause by failing to act as required by those running the show.

But, I have I think a better theory more fits the situation. Acosta (the human "sh*t-grenade) was hired because he knew stuff and knew people who knew stuff. Trump was being blackmailed with Epstein affair - dems/cia/etc... It almost work, he almost attacked Iran, was led to believe it could be done in a way that would not lead to war - likely by you-know-who.

He balked and called their "bluff". They were not bluffing. Problem for them is that Trump can maybe weather the sh*t-storm they can bring - comey/brennan/clapper/et al... For now, I am inclined to side with Trump.

I don't know why but in spite of his lack of polish, he's brought some crude and interesting results.

ralphieboy , Jul 11 2019 12:19 utc | 149
Why would intelligence services want to make an intelligence op out of someone so sleasy and easily compromised?
Ghost Ship , Jul 11 2019 12:27 utc | 150
Epstein was just a young "dirty old man". Trump is innocent - can anybody point to any incident where Trump committed a real felony, not some breach of landlord regulations, For all the accusations of him being the capo di tutti capi, nothing has really stuck, so he gives the impression of being a criminal but really isn't but it's good theatre. So my guess is that Trump told Barr to go to it and bring Epstein in and bang him up for life. Reasons:
  1. Trump was getting bored with Acosta
  2. Epstein may drag down others - the Clintons being prime candiadates
  3. This is a poke in the eye for Obama
  4. Trump looks good when Epstein does the time he deserves

Meanwhile the anti-#resistance investigations role on and implicate Hillary for making false statements and Obama for trying to fix the 2016 election.
Trump'll romp home in 2020. If Adelson, etc. tries to push another Republican candidate, Trump'll run as an independent and probably still win. Trump now has his main "problems" by the balls.

As for the Daily Beast they have an article claiming that there was co-ordination between Trump and Russia instead of collusion . I'd love some of the shit the author's been smoking, 'cos it's up there with S T Coleridges Kubla Khan as a work of fantasy.

nottheonly1 , Jul 11 2019 12:52 utc | 151
'Appalled' does not suffice any longer. All this shit is more than a mentally healthy Human Being can bear - and in that fact lies also a motive to bombard the population 24/7 with shit like that. Therefore it appears that this, too is part of an orchestrated effort to rile up people against each other and destroy whatever peace still exists.

You could call it 'distraction' from insurmountable problems created by this specific sub-species of Homo Sapiens. But I am not commenting about that.

I am as pissed as a decent person can get without losing its temper. But I am utterly disgusted that this childfucker Epstein has soiled the name of one of my favorite Human Beings in history:

Brian Epstein - the one person that gave Humanity The Beatles.

I can not emphasize enough how effed up this is. There must be a court order to rename him into Jeffrey Childfucker, in order to protect the name of one of the greatest music managers ever.

But I do concede to the fact, that this kind of damage might as well limited to people who know who The Beatles were.

JasonT , Jul 11 2019 12:53 utc | 152
The wealthy class has defeated the poor class. What we are seeing now is a civil war in the wealthy class. The Epstein business is just one of the skirmishes in that civil war.
Really? , Jul 11 2019 12:57 utc | 153
Today's CJR media feed focuses on Acosta and the 2007 plea deal without mentioning either Bush or Obama. Focus is still on Trump. Of course Acosta is now a member of the Trump administration. But Trump was not in charge with this particular POS went down.

??????

https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/alexander_acosta_jeffrey_epstein.php

harry , Jul 11 2019 9:12 utc | 139

Trump is fighting for his life and money. Lose the next election and spend the rest of both fighting imprisonment. What makes me think its time to remind people that the office of POTUS has teeth?
somebody , Jul 11 2019 9:43 utc | 140
"I was told Epstein 'belonged to intelligence' and to leave it alone,"

does not say he "worked for intelligence". It might just mean that "intelligence" made the deal with him in return for information and that they then estimated the fall out and cleaned up (ie took people that could be blackmailed out of sensitive positions).

They don't care about the fall out any longer, so this now is allowed to blow up.

The plea deal was in 2007 under president Bush.

Really? , Jul 11 2019 10:08 utc | 141
# 123 Travers

"The left is going wild thinking that this will "get Trump" but quite the opposite is happening. . .

Now this story will run into 2020 largely damaging democrats into the 2020 election. Trump's DOJ is running the operation."

That is my perception, although I am not a qualified observer.

But as to the "why now" of Epstein, surely it is 2020. As for Barr being a CIA kid, that does give some pause, except he is working for Trump, and so presumably he is playing his part in the 2020 event.

From what I have read and heard, Trump is not tainted by the Epstein story. The attempts of those on the left or whatever (I can't even call it the left anymore) to associate Trump with the Epstein story are very belabored. "Grabbing pussy" of adult women who cluster around is not the same as recruiting young girls and teenagers and running sex camps for grown-up boys such as Randy Andy, RAndy Bill, and other Randy boys.

To me the big question is why Dersh was part of the FOIA action to unseal the docs. If just appearing in a photo with Epstein is enough for "the left" to try to hang Trump, the Dersh is in a lot more image trouble, with him name on the plane manifest.

Is Trump's name on the plane log? I don't think so. So, imagewise Dersh is going to take a big hit. And, by defending Trump last summer as he did, he has now associated himself with both Trump and Epstein. Trump comes out clean. Dersh comes out Derty.

PS. Why is so much blacked out on the plane logs that have been published?

Really? , Jul 11 2019 10:20 utc | 142
125 Moon Reader

the Macow sounds "about right" to me, but only "about." I can very well imagine that Dersh is taking orders from the JSP, but if he rode the Lolita Expres, he is in trouble.

AFAIK Trump did not ride the Lolita Express. The rumors about raping a 13-year-old in Epstein's apartment will have to become more than rumor to harm Trump, no matter how much the left pushes an Epstein = Trump narrative.

As they pushed the Weinstein = Trump narrative. I.e., whenever you see Weinstein's name, think "Trump." But I don't think that really worked except with the very ones who were pushing that equation in the first place. In other words, auto-suggestion.

William Gruff , Jul 11 2019 11:00 utc | 144
O @110 sez: "...every good gamblers knows to hedge their bets.

You bet equally on both wrestlers in the ring? You don't make much profit that way. Much better to arrange who wins ahead of time with the competitors and the referee and then just bet on the one everyone agrees to make the winner.

Sure, Trump was in on the fix, so even if he won the power elites still win, but that is true for all of the other contestants in the primaries as well, with the possible exception of Sanders. The problem is that the power elites have very specific plans, and those plans depended upon their tool in the White House being Clinton, not Trump. It isn't that Trump would be their enemy or anything silly like that, but rather that a Trump victory would not resonate; would not synergize with the megatrends they were manufacturing within the population.

On the contrary, the Trump victory introduced a societal forcing function that is 180° out of sync with the larger narrative the power elites were trying to create. Trump was chosen to be the loser in the 2016 elections because his defeat would have had the opposite effect, damping trends in society that the power elites wanted quashed and reinforcing the ones that they wanted amplified. Hundreds of $billions in entertainment-base narrative generation that have been fed to the public since 2016, and had been in the production pipeline from years prior, were supposed to be reflected in the real world by the victory of the first woman president. Instead that media is being fed to the public while the top office in the world is occupied by an unrepentant pussy grabber. The messaging is diametrically opposed and interferes with itself rather than reinforcing itself.

Sure, Trump is still the tool of the power elites, but he is not the tool they were planning on.

pantaraxia , Jul 11 2019 11:20 utc | 145
@62 fastfreddy

"I am trying to link Wexner with the Bronfman's (Seagrams Liquor Family) via a source other than the Mega Group (which may not be credible, IDK)."

The existence of the Mega Group was revealed in the Wall Street Journal in 1998 under the headline 'Titans of Industry Join Forces To Work for Jewish Philanthropy'. According to the Journal , it was founded in 1991 by Wexler and Charles Bronfman.

Membership included Edgar Bronfman, the chairman of the World Jewish Congress, Charles Bronfman, Edgar's brother and a top executive of the family's flagship Seagrams Corp.; Leslie Wexler of Limited, Inc.; Charles Schusterman, chairman of Samson Investment Co. of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Harvey "Bud" Meyerhoff, Baltimore real estate magnate; Laurence Tisch, chairman of Loews Corp.; Max Fisher, the Detroit oil magnate and Republican Party powerhouse; bagel magnate Max Lender; Leonard Abramson, the founder of U.S. Healthcare; and hedge-fund manager Michael Steinhardt.

One of its so-called 'philanthropic' projects entitled "Wexner Analysis: Israeli Communication Priorities 2003," was leaked to Electronic Intifada.

Leaked document exposes pro-Israel lobby's manipulation of US public
https://electronicintifada.net/content/leaked-document-exposes-pro-israel-lobbys-manipulation-us-public/4540

Israel Shamir also writes about the Mega group in 2001 entitled Kugel Eaters, https://www.mediamonitors.net/kugel-eaters/

"...when they met in the Edgar Bronfman mansion in Manhattan. The head of the World Jewish Congress hosted a meeting of the fifty richest and most powerful Jews of the US and Canada. There was no press coverage, no limelight, just a few lines in the newspapers. The gathered multibillionaires discussed the ways to achieve Jewish unity, and strengthen the Jewish identity of American Jews, tersely reported Shlomo Shamir for Haaretz. They also agreed to launch a PR program under the Orwellian codename of 'Truth' with the purpose of influencing American public opinion regarding Israeli policies.

The megabucks call themselves 'Mega group'. This name appeared in the media a couple of years ago, as a name for the secret Israeli mole in the upper reaches of the US establishment. It came up in an overheard phone conversation, later denied by the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC. The newshounds and spook watchers got it wrong. 'Mega' was not an agent, Mega was the boss."

curious man , Jul 11 2019 11:55 utc | 146
Defense Department Computer Network Among Top Sharers of Child Pornography

Defense Department computers are among the top distributors of child pornography. An untold number of Department of Defense (DOD) employees and contractors have subscriptions to child pornography websites, and the problem is apparently so pervasive it requires new technical solutions to address it.

"Hundreds of DoD-affiliated individuals" were recently identified as suspects in child pornography cases, according to an investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

So far, authorities have only looked into about 20 percent of these cases. But already, they've found "several" individuals "using their government devices to download or share said pornographic material."

Last year, an investigation by the National Criminal Justice Training Program found DOD computers were among the top networks nationwide for peer-to-peer sharing of pornographic images of minors. DOD's network ranked 19th out of 2,891 computer networks studied.

To prevent such widespread abuse going forward, the "End National Defense Network Abuse Act" would "crack down on this activity by upgrading the training and technical capacity of military criminal investigative organizations to confront the misuse of DoD computers, facilities, and equipment," according to a press release. It would also arrange for DOD authorities to work more closely with civilian law enforcement on these cases.

"The notion that the Department of Defense's network and Pentagon-issued computers may be used to view, create, or circulate such horrifying images is a shameful disgrace, and one we must fight head on," said Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D -- Va.), who co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Mark Meadows (R -- N.C.).

A companion bill in the senate has been introduced by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R -- Alaska) and Brian Schatz (D -- Hawaii).

LINK 1 LINK 2

curious man , Jul 11 2019 12:02 utc | 147
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNue92Gta3s 2014 Aerial drone video of Little St. James. The island is owned privately by Jeffrey Epstein and is located southeast of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands.

[Jul 21, 2019] Jeffrey Epsteins Political and Sex Trafficking Networks Plus Help me find a Miami-based Cuban by Ken Silverstein

Notable quotes:
"... If you haven't heard of him, Epstein's the super-sleazy Palm Beach billionaire who was busted some time back and convicted for conspiring to bring underage foreign girls to his estates in the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Or as his 2008 plea deal put it, to "knowingly and willfully conspiring with others known and unknown to persuade, induce, or entice minor females to engage in prostitution." ..."
"... I've previously written about Epstein's ties to Bill Clinton and to Donald Trump . Neither Clinton nor Trump look come out of it looking good, to put it mildly, but in this case Clinton looks a lot worse. ..."
"... "Flight logs show Bill Clinton traveled at least 10 times on Epstein's private jet, dubbed the 'Lolita Express,' by tabloids, and he is widely reported to have visited Little St. James, Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands," I've previously written. "That's where, according to attorneys for Epstein's victims, many of the worst crimes against minors were committed by Epstein and friends who traveled there with him." ..."
"... In a 2011 interview with her attorneys, Virginia Roberts, one of the teenagers preyed upon by Epstein, said he had told her he had "compromising" information on Bill Clinton and that the former president "owes me a favor." ..."
"... Oh yeah, and by the way Epstein donated to the Clinton Foundation and multiple Democratic Party causes before and after being convicted for pedophilia. ..."
"... Federal and state investigators amassed a mountain of evidence against Epstein, but in the end Black and his other attorneys were able to draft and negotiate a bizarre plea deal. The terms of the agreement, which was secret at the time, capped damages against Epstein - reportedly worth about $2 billion - to between $50,000 and $150,000, depending on what year he had abused the girl, an attorney with direct knowledge of the case told me. ..."
"... So why write about Epstein now? First, as just noted, this creep got off easy. Second, Page Six recently spotted Epstein on the Upper East Side with young Russian "playmates." ..."
"... He said that Karin had two departments, one that was legal and sent girls to New York and elsewhere, and an illegal side that recruited underage girls for Epstein and other global clients. "They lured young girls [to Orgy Island], mostly from small towns in Brazil and Eastern Europe – with the promise of a fat modeling contract," this person said. "They told them they'd go to the island and meet the head of the modeling agency. Instead, they were coerced into pleasuring Epstein, Brunel and their guests." ..."
"... This source said Epstein's entire sex procurement operation was laid out to him by a former Karin bookkeeper, a Cuban-American woman who worked for the modeling agency's Miami office during the relevant period. ..."
Jan 17, 2017 | washingtonbabylon.com

Before heading out for the weekend, let's discuss Jeffrey Epstein, America's best connected political pedophile, shall we?

If you haven't heard of him, Epstein's the super-sleazy Palm Beach billionaire who was busted some time back and convicted for conspiring to bring underage foreign girls to his estates in the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Or as his 2008 plea deal put it, to "knowingly and willfully conspiring with others known and unknown to persuade, induce, or entice minor females to engage in prostitution."

I've previously written about Epstein's ties to Bill Clinton and to Donald Trump . Neither Clinton nor Trump look come out of it looking good, to put it mildly, but in this case Clinton looks a lot worse.

"Flight logs show Bill Clinton traveled at least 10 times on Epstein's private jet, dubbed the 'Lolita Express,' by tabloids, and he is widely reported to have visited Little St. James, Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands," I've previously written. "That's where, according to attorneys for Epstein's victims, many of the worst crimes against minors were committed by Epstein and friends who traveled there with him."

In a 2011 interview with her attorneys, Virginia Roberts, one of the teenagers preyed upon by Epstein, said he had told her he had "compromising" information on Bill Clinton and that the former president "owes me a favor."

Oh yeah, and by the way Epstein donated to the Clinton Foundation and multiple Democratic Party causes before and after being convicted for pedophilia.

Lately, however, the party has reportedly shunned Epstein. Indeed, he's so toxic, recently released emails show , that Team Obama rejected the idea of having Epstein's chief attorney, Roy Black, host a fundraiser. Black, by the way, is perhaps best known for winning an acquittal for William Kennedy Smith for allegedly raping a Palm Beach teenager. Following that trial Black married a juror in the case.

Federal and state investigators amassed a mountain of evidence against Epstein, but in the end Black and his other attorneys were able to draft and negotiate a bizarre plea deal. The terms of the agreement, which was secret at the time, capped damages against Epstein - reportedly worth about $2 billion - to between $50,000 and $150,000, depending on what year he had abused the girl, an attorney with direct knowledge of the case told me.

The agreement also barred victims from seeking any future financial redress. Roberts and a number of other "Jane Does" - Epstein's underage victims- are currently suing to overturn the settlement. A number of attorneys with ties to the Obama administration were involved in negotiating the deal, which was highly criticized and never publicly explained. (The astonishing story of the "sweetheart" plea deal is laid out in this article in the Palm Beach Daily News.)

So why write about Epstein now? First, as just noted, this creep got off easy. Second, Page Six recently spotted Epstein on the Upper East Side with young Russian "playmates."

Third, James Patterson, the best-selling writer, is authoring a book about Epstein that's coming out in October. It's a great time to pile on.

Fourth, I've been looking into the Epstein affair for over a year. I've interviewed dozens of sources in Florida, including several of the Miami-area lawyers for the Jane Does, and have a lot of material in my files.

Interviews with key sources, documents and previously published accounts show that Epstein's closest friends and collaborators included Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of disgraced British newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell, and Frenchman Jean-Luc Brunel. The latter ran a modeling agency called Karin, which is based in Paris but also has offices in New York, Miami, and Brazil.

Brunel, whose role in the Epstein case has been covered by Jezebel and others, has a long and sordid record of abusing and pimping out young women. Back in 1988, 60 Minutes aired a segment that featured a dozen models who said they had been sexually assaulted by Brunel.

Craig Pyes, an associate producer and chief investigator of the segment, said various witnesses told him that Brunel was "heavily into cocaine and sex with young girls," and that he set-up parties for "his rich playboy friends" and invited girls to weekend parties that "operated as meat markets for older men." Several models told 60 Minutes they had been drugged and raped by Brunel or his friends.

What's especially outrageous, attorneys tell me, is that neither Brunel nor Maxwell ever testified in Epstein's case. Both fled the United States on the eve of their respective depositions with the flimsiest of excuses. (Page Six recently reported that Maxwell was finally going to be forced to testify in the ongoing Jane Doe trial, but I haven't been able to confirm that.)

Brunel lined up underage girls for Epstein's Virgin Islands hideaway through his modeling agency, several of the victims' attorneys I interviewed said. A private investigator involved in the case backed those accounts.

He said that Karin had two departments, one that was legal and sent girls to New York and elsewhere, and an illegal side that recruited underage girls for Epstein and other global clients. "They lured young girls [to Orgy Island], mostly from small towns in Brazil and Eastern Europe – with the promise of a fat modeling contract," this person said. "They told them they'd go to the island and meet the head of the modeling agency. Instead, they were coerced into pleasuring Epstein, Brunel and their guests."

This source said Epstein's entire sex procurement operation was laid out to him by a former Karin bookkeeper, a Cuban-American woman who worked for the modeling agency's Miami office during the relevant period.

I've unsuccessfully tried to track this woman down. Anyone with information please email me at [email protected] .

I've reached out to Epstein, Brunel, Maxwell and Black on various occasions and never heard back from any of them.

[Jul 21, 2019] Steve Pieczenik additional video on Lolita express

Nov 03, 2016 | www.zerohedge.com

Muse minus Time chubbar Nov 3, 2016 10:18 AM ,

Steve Pieczenik additional video on "Lolita express" HRottenC enabled/participated in pedophilia as well, more intel leaks to come from US gov. insiders:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12zVlaZyX3Q

Julian Assange is a hero as well as the US moral citizens standing up against this evil criminal monster!!!

[Jul 21, 2019] Lolita Express book will be released Monday detailing the exploits of the infamous billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

Notable quotes:
"... A blockbuster book detailing the exploits of the infamous billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein hits shelves on Monday. Sources close to the 63-year-old Brooklyn native have advised him to be "unreachable and out of the country" this weekend when the preliminary media blitz gets underway. ..."
"... Epstein is far deeper scum than a mere pedophile, while the Koch bros and Pence may have a truly fundamentalist moral streak. The period of time between now and the election could be very dangerous for Epstein. ..."
Oct 09, 2016 | www.nakedcapitalism.com

Lolita Express Monday - just another tequila sunrise:

A blockbuster book detailing the exploits of the infamous billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein hits shelves on Monday. Sources close to the 63-year-old Brooklyn native have advised him to be "unreachable and out of the country" this weekend when the preliminary media blitz gets underway.

"Filthy Rich," a collaborative effort between best-selling author James Patterson and investigator John Connolly, is set to reopen old wounds for Epstein, who served 13 months in prison following a 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a teenage girl.

Epstein has reportedly settled numerous similar cases out of court. The blockbuster book is also expected to further embarrass celebs who once partied with Epstein.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/pedophile-billionaire-jeffrey-epstein-braces-book-release-article-1.2819009

An absolutely remarkable aspect of this "news" article is that while it mentions Trump as a celebrity who partied with Epstein, the name "Bill Clinton" is entirely missing. That's despite documentary proof that "Bill" took 21 flights on the Lolita Express.

Just another MSM advertorial for Hyena Rodent Clinton.

Steve H. October 9, 2016 at 11:17 am

Hey Jim, I've got a comment in moderation that touches on this. Specific to Epstein, I'll say the Koch brothers are as close to the White House as they will ever get, and that Epstein was adamant about getting evidence about the people he serviced.

Epstein is far deeper scum than a mere pedophile, while the Koch bros and Pence may have a truly fundamentalist moral streak. The period of time between now and the election could be very dangerous for Epstein.

Jim Haygood October 9, 2016 at 11:30 am

Now that the Politics of Personal Destruction are in full play, certain parties had better hope that Epstein's settlements, compelling his victims to silence in exchange for hush money, hold up.

After all, if one of them has already spent all her settlement money, she's effectively judgment proof in case she tells her story in violation of the settlement.

As ol' Saddam Hussein used to say, " Anything is possible now, my brothers. "

MyLessThanPrimeBeef October 9, 2016 at 11:53 am

Will the next debate be rated XXX?

Is this getting personal? Is that trap for Trump?

MyLessThanPrimeBeef October 9, 2016 at 11:37 am

Trump: "Go behind closed doors of the holier-than-thou politicians and pundits and see what they're saying. I look like a baby."

What's it like inside the restrooms at the White House or Capitol Hill? Must be very colorful.

Here, we are looking at public and private etiquette. Unless you're a saint or infallible, many of us work like that.

Hence, surveillance.

[Jul 21, 2019] Breaking: Clinton Just Got Devastating News

Highly recommended!
Epstein issue and his connection to Clinton mafia was raised by press in 2016 but went nowhere.
The fact that Trump campaign targeted Clinton for his connection with Epstein means that Trump is probably was not involved as a client of Epstein brothel with underage prostitutes for high ranking politicians .
Notable quotes:
"... Now Bill Clinton is back in the press and not for his controversial relationship with Monica Lewinsky, but rather his friendship with Epstein. In fact, flight records indicate that Bill would frequent the island paradise during the 2002 and 2005 era while Hillary, Bill's wife, was a Senator in New York. ..."
"... The woman went on to say how orgies were a regular occurrence and that she recalled two young girls from New York who were always seen around the five-house compound but their personal back-stories were never revealed. ..."
"... Moreover, Epstein was invited to Chelsea Clinton's wedding in 2010 amongst 400 other guests, demonstrating his close friendship with the Clinton family. ..."
"... To top it all off blue blood, "Prince Andrew was allegedly one of the house's visitors. On Friday, the Duke of York was named in a federal lawsuit filed against Epstein, whom the FBI once reportedly linked to 40 young women. Filed in 2008 in the Southern District of Florida, the $50 million lawsuit claimed Epstein had a "sexual preference and obsession for underage minor girls gained access to primarily economically disadvantaged minor girls in his home and sexually assaulted these girls,"reported the Washington Post. ..."
Aug 12, 2016 | beforeitsnews.com

... ... ...

Back in 2005 police conducted an 11 month-long undercover investigation into Epstein and his estate after the mother of a 14-year-old girl went to police after suspecting her daughter was paid $300 for at least one sexual act on the island in which she was ordered to strip, leaving on just her panties, while giving Epstein a massage.

Although police found tons of photos of young women on the island and even interviewed eyewitnesses, Epstein was hit with a mere slap on the wrist after "pleading to a single charge of prostitution". Epstein later served 13-months of his 18-month service in jail.

In 2008, Epstein was hit again, this time with a $50 million civil suit after another victim filed in federal court claiming that she was "recruited" by Epstein to give him a "massage" but was essentially forced into having sexual intercourse with him for $200 which was payable upon completion. The women were coming out of the woodwork.

Now Bill Clinton is back in the press and not for his controversial relationship with Monica Lewinsky, but rather his friendship with Epstein. In fact, flight records indicate that Bill would frequent the island paradise during the 2002 and 2005 era while Hillary, Bill's wife, was a Senator in New York.

'I remember asking Jeffrey what's Bill Clinton doing here kind of thing, and he laughed it off and said well he owes me a favor,' one unidentified woman said in the lawsuit, which was filed in Palm Beach Circuit Court.

The woman went on to say how orgies were a regular occurrence and that she recalled two young girls from New York who were always seen around the five-house compound but their personal back-stories were never revealed.

"At least one woman on the compound was there unwillingly," reported the Daily Mail in a recent article. The woman was allegedly forced to have sex with "politicians, businessmen, royalty, academicians" at the retreat. Just one of "more than 40 women" that have come forth with claims against Epstein, showing the vast scale of the man's dark operations, which aren't limited only to Little St. James.

Moreover, Epstein was invited to Chelsea Clinton's wedding in 2010 amongst 400 other guests, demonstrating his close friendship with the Clinton family.

To top it all off blue blood, "Prince Andrew was allegedly one of the house's visitors. On Friday, the Duke of York was named in a federal lawsuit filed against Epstein, whom the FBI once reportedly linked to 40 young women. Filed in 2008 in the Southern District of Florida, the $50 million lawsuit claimed Epstein had a "sexual preference and obsession for underage minor girls gained access to primarily economically disadvantaged minor girls in his home and sexually assaulted these girls,"reported the Washington Post.

[Jul 21, 2019] Clinton shared more than a dozen flights with a woman who federal prosecutors believe procured underage girls to sexually service Epstein and his friends and acted as a potential co-conspirator in his crimes

Notable quotes:
"... "I wanted to tell you that I have compiled a list of 34 confirmed minors," Villafana wrote to Lefkowitz. "There are six others, whose name [sic] we already have, who need to be interviewed by the FBI to confirm whether they were 17 or 18 at the time of their activity with Mr. Epstein." ..."
"... Epstein agreed to a 30-month sentence, including 18 months of jail time and 12 months of house arrest and the agreement to pay dozens of young girls under a federal statute providing for compensation to victims of child sexual abuse. .the U.S. Attorney's Office promised not to pursue any federal charges against Epstein or his Named and Un-Named co-conspirators. ..."
"... His legal team? Gerald Lefcourt, Roy Black, Ken Starr, and Alan Dershowitz. ..."
"... The federal non-prosecution agreement Epstein's legal team negotiated immunized all named and unnamed potential co-conspirators in Epstein's child trafficking network, which includes those who allegedly procured minors for Epstein and any powerbrokers who may have molested them." ..."
Feb 23, 2019 | www.zerohedge.com

William Dorritt , 3 hours ago link

LOLITA EXPRESS...ORGY ISLAND...ELITE PEDOPHILE RING ?-2006
* George W Bush President: January 20, 2001 – Jan. 20, 2009
* Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney General USA: Feb. 3, 2005–Sept. 17, 2007
* Michael Bernard Mukasey, AG. USA: Nov. 9, 2007 – Jan. 20, 2009
* Eric Holder, A G. USA: Feb. 3, 2009 – April 27, 2015
* Loretta Lynch, Attorney General USA: April 27, 2015 – Present
* Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Villafana
* Epstein's Attorneys: Gerald Lefcourt, Roy Black, Ken Starr, Alan Dershowitz.

+ "He (Epstein) is an enthusiastic member of the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations."

+ Bill Clinton...26 trips aboard the "Lolita Express"

Jeffrey Epstein's Boeing 727 is equipped with the necessary hardware for him to wake up, roll out of bed, and start trading.

+ Clinton shared more than a dozen flights with a woman who federal prosecutors believe procured underage girls to sexually service Epstein and his friends and acted as a "potential co-conspirator" in his crimes.

+ Socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein's former assistant Sarah Kellen -- have been repeatedly accused in court filings of acting as pimps. Oxford-educated Maxwell, recently seen dining with Clinton at Nello's on Madison Avenue. Manhattan-London G. Maxwell, daughter of the mysteriously deceased media titan Robert Maxwell.

+ A new lawsuit has revealed how Clinton took multiple trips to Epstein's private island where he 'kept young women as sex slaves'

+ Clinton was also apparently friends with a woman who collected naked pictures of underage girls for Epstein to choose from

+ Clinton invited her (pimp) to Chelsea's wedding

+ According to former child sex slave Virginia Roberts and a class action lawsuit against convicted billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, former President Bill Clinton was present during sex parties involving up to twenty underage girls at Epstein's secluded island in the Caribbean.

+ 20 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 said were sexually abused by Epstein, Palm Beach Police and FBI

+ 35 female minors sexually abused, Epstein settled lawsuits from more than 30 "Jane Doe" victims since 2008; the youngest alleged victim was 12 years old at the time of her abuse.

..............................Source: FBI & Federal Prosecutors

+ flights on Epstein's planes 1997 to 2005, include Dershowitz (FOX NEWS, Harvard Law), former Treasury Secretary and Harvard president Larry Summers, Naomi Campbell, and scientist Stephen Pinker.

+ In the most recent court documents, filed on December 30, Roberts further claims she was sex-trafficked to "many other powerful men, including numerous prominent American politicians, powerful business executives, foreign presidents, a well-known Prime Minister, and other world leaders." Roberts said Epstein trafficked children to politicians, Wall Streeters and A- listers to curry favor, advance his business, and for political influence.

The FIX

2015 Doc Release by Judge:

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Villafana wrote to Epstein lawyer Jay Lefkowitz in a Sept. 19, 2007, email. "I will include our standard language regarding resolving all criminal liability and I will mention 'co-conspirators,' but I would prefer not to highlight for the judge all of the other crimes and all of the other persons that we could charge ... maybe we can set a time to meet, if you want to meet 'off campus' somewhere, that is fine. I will make sure that I have all the necessary decision makers present or 'on call' as well."

"I wanted to tell you that I have compiled a list of 34 confirmed minors," Villafana wrote to Lefkowitz. "There are six others, whose name [sic] we already have, who need to be interviewed by the FBI to confirm whether they were 17 or 18 at the time of their activity with Mr. Epstein."

In a December 2007 letter, the prosecutor acknowledges some notifications of alleged victims but says they were sent after the U.S. Attorney's Office signed the plea deal and halted for most of the women at the request of Epstein's lawyers.

"Three victims were notified shortly after the signing of the Non-Prosecution Agreement of the general terms of that Agreement," Villafana wrote, again to Lefkowitz. "You raised objections to any victim notification, and no further notifications were done."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2015/07/judge-unseals-more-details-in-jeffrey-epstein-underage-sex-lawsuit-210065

Original Deal Hidden

On Sept. 24, 2007, in a deal shrouded in secrecy that left alleged victims shocked at its leniency,

Epstein agreed to a 30-month sentence, including 18 months of jail time and 12 months of house arrest and the agreement to pay dozens of young girls under a federal statute providing for compensation to victims of child sexual abuse. .the U.S. Attorney's Office promised not to pursue any federal charges against Epstein or his Named and Un-Named co-conspirators.

Sources:

Fox By Malia Zimmerman, May 13, 2016

Daily Mail Reporter 19 March 2014

Gawker Nick Bryant 01/22/15

Western Journalism Kris Zane March 27, 2014

Politico By Josh Gerstein 07/07/15

New York Magazine, By Landon Thomas Jr.

THE FIX IS IN

"In 2006 the FBI counted at least 40 underage girls who had been molested by Epstein. Authorities searched his Florida mansion and found two computers containing child *********** and homemade video and photographs from cameras hidden in bedroom walls which had been used to film sex acts. The case was airtight for many counts of sexual crimes but Palm Beach State Attorney Barry Krischer and the Justice Department stepped in and offered Epstein a plea deal. In 2008 Epstein pleaded guilty in a Florida court to one count of soliciting underage girls for sex. His punishment was 13 months of "8 hour nights only" at a halfway house. No other charges about raping underage girls nor running an underage sex trafficking ring were mentioned in the plea. His legal team? Gerald Lefcourt, Roy Black, Ken Starr, and Alan Dershowitz.

The federal non-prosecution agreement Epstein's legal team negotiated immunized all named and unnamed potential co-conspirators in Epstein's child trafficking network, which includes those who allegedly procured minors for Epstein and any powerbrokers who may have molested them."

http://dcxposed.com/2015/01/26/bilderberg-pervs-island-sin-scandal-threatens-ultra-elite-politicians-lawyers-royalty/

William Dorritt , 3 hours ago link

The Talented Mr. Epstein

Lately, Jeffrey Epstein's high-flying style has been drawing oohs and aahs: the bachelor financier lives in New York's largest private residence, claims to take only billionaires as clients, and flies celebrities including Bill Clinton and Kevin Spacey on his Boeing 727. But pierce his air of mystery and the picture changes. Vicky Ward explores Epstein's investment career, his ties to retail magnate Leslie Wexner, and his complicated past.

June 27, 2011 12:00 am

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303

Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery

So how do termite grouping patterns fare as an investment strategy? Again, facts are hard to come by. A working day for Epstein starts at 5 a.m., when he gets up and scours the world markets on his Bloomberg screen -- each of his houses, in New York, St. Thomas, Palm Beach, and New Mexico, as well as the 727, is equipped with the necessary hardware for him to wake up, roll

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/n_7912/index3.html

[Jul 21, 2019] That a person with the stature of being a former president would hang around with a low-life like Epstein is really telling. He flew perhaps twenty-seven times on Epsteins plane which makes him more than just a passing acquaintance. Birds of a feather flock together.

Notable quotes:
"... The children in some of these poor third-world 'orphanages' aren't really orphans as we understand the term but are just from poor families who can't take care of them. ..."
"... That a person with the stature of being a former president would hang around with a low-life like Epstein is really telling. He flew perhaps twenty-seven times on Epstein's plane which makes him more than just a passing acquaintance. Birds of a feather flock together. ..."
"... If a country next to us, so similar to ours in many ways but with a fraction of our population, has so many that can be exposed at one time then how many could the US have? ..."
"... The Burning Platform has featured a series of posts over the last few weeks that provide a volume of evidence that is impossible to discount. ..."
"... I have no doubt whatsoever that child sex abuse, trafficking and even sex-related murder may well be hung around the necks of very, very famous persons, and the horrors so bad that those persons (if still alive) will not even make it to trial before they're hung from a street lamp. ..."
"... What is clear is that the contention that there is "no evidence", a contention that is asserted or implied in seemingly every mainstream media discussion, is flatly false. There is a vast array of pertinent evidence, much of it circumstantial, but much of it also suggesting something of the mindset of some of the central figures. Anyone who denies this is utterly oblivious, or a liar, or a fool. ..."
"... As to what the evidence establishes, that is a different question. If skilled and intelligent investigators fail to take it up, then motivated and fervent - if not entirely competent - inquirers will surely rise up in their stead. ..."
"... Watch for the "fake news" sources' standard method for dealing with a large set of serious allegations like these from the internet's "real news" sources. They will take the most absurd/least likely allegations and dispose of them. They will then unobtrusively fail to address harder to dismiss allegations. Instead they will argue to the effect that, some of these allegations are false so obviously all must be. ..."
"... The "truther" site Snopes once had a perfect example, since taken down, I suspect because it made the technique so obvious ..."
Jan 24, 2017 | www.unz.com
anonymous December 6, 2016 at 3:47 pm GMT • 300 Words

The children in some of these poor third-world 'orphanages' aren't really orphans as we understand the term but are just from poor families who can't take care of them. These international adoptions are a business where everyone along the line gets paid with the child being the commodity being sold to the end purchaser, people in the west seeking to adopt a child to make themselves feel good. As in the mentioned case, the agencies move around from country to country where people are poor and desperate and legal safeguards are weak. Although the end receivers seem to be mostly naive and well-meaning people there's no telling how many aren't.

That a person with the stature of being a former president would hang around with a low-life like Epstein is really telling. He flew perhaps twenty-seven times on Epstein's plane which makes him more than just a passing acquaintance. Birds of a feather flock together.

The Canadians pulled in over three hundred people. If a country next to us, so similar to ours in many ways but with a fraction of our population, has so many that can be exposed at one time then how many could the US have? Yet we hardly ever hear much, just of a few lone wolves here and there. Look at how Sandusky got away with it for so many years. People didn't want to know, turned a blind eye to it, because he was too valuable.

This entire bunch who hobnob with each other have a very creepy vibe. There's all these 'coincidences' that seem to gather together in one place.

Alfred1860 , December 6, 2016 at 3:50 pm GMT \n

@MQ

This 'story' is complete horseshit / random confirmation bias. Scan the full social media accounts of any group of 100+ people and you could find just as much 'evidence' if you were determined to do so. This is scary -- the day that any social media post involving children that uses the word "chicken" anywhere in it counts as evidence of pedophilia is the day anyone could be smeared.

Ron Unz should be ashamed of himself for giving this kind of unhinged paranoid fear-mongering space.

Do some of your own research on this topic and you will come to a different conclusion if you can get beyond your massive bias. The Burning Platform has featured a series of posts over the last few weeks that provide a volume of evidence that is impossible to discount.

Most people cannot accept something like this would be real because they cannot fathom the depths of evil that exist in this world ..why, I don't know. You'd think the fact that many of the people implicated have also been the ones fully on board with unprovoked wars that have killed, maimed and displaced millions of people, including children, would be evidence enough.

Kudos to Ron Unz for exposing more people to this tragic, disgusting, horrendous story.

dc.sunsets , December 6, 2016 at 3:54 pm GMT \n

Socionomic Theory documents that the public's appetite for scandals is low when stocks and high and high when stocks are low.

Case in point: The "news" about Enron was favorable all the way down, until the stock had lost way over 90%. Only then did "news" about criminality and malfeasance gain traction.

This being the case, with stocks at All Time Highs after an astonishing 7 year vertical rally, pizzagate's very existence here tells us that when the next bear market (in social mood, as revealed by stock prices) is in full swing, the level of sociopathic, demonic behaviors emerging into public consciousness will be unimaginable.

I have no doubt whatsoever that child sex abuse, trafficking and even sex-related murder may well be hung around the necks of very, very famous persons, and the horrors so bad that those persons (if still alive) will not even make it to trial before they're hung from a street lamp.

Public disgust with those who ran (and run) the Federal Government will in all likelihood be so pervasive that it will undermine the very political cohesion of the United States.

Jus' Sayin'... , December 6, 2016 at 4:30 pm GMT \n
200 Words

@BucephalusXYZ

This is by far the best survey of this topic that I've read.

What is clear is that the contention that there is "no evidence", a contention that is asserted or implied in seemingly every mainstream media discussion, is flatly false. There is a vast array of pertinent evidence, much of it circumstantial, but much of it also suggesting something of the mindset of some of the central figures. Anyone who denies this is utterly oblivious, or a liar, or a fool.

As to what the evidence establishes, that is a different question. If skilled and intelligent investigators fail to take it up, then motivated and fervent - if not entirely competent - inquirers will surely rise up in their stead.

Watch for the "fake news" sources' standard method for dealing with a large set of serious allegations like these from the internet's "real news" sources. They will take the most absurd/least likely allegations and dispose of them. They will then unobtrusively fail to address harder to dismiss allegations. Instead they will argue to the effect that, some of these allegations are false so obviously all must be.

The "truther" site Snopes once had a perfect example, since taken down, I suspect because it made the technique so obvious. One popular right-wing internet site claimed to link 100 or so suspicious deaths to the Clintons. Snopes attacked the obviously absurd linkages and was left with about twenty cases of persons who (1) were involved or rumored to be involved with nefarious activities involving the Clintons; (2) were scheduled to testify against the Clintons or rumored to be brokering plea deals; and (3) died under suspicious circumstances soon after. Snopes dismissed these with a comment to the effect that all public figures had numbers of known associates die like this; let's just move on, folks; nothing to see here.

Jus' Sayin'... , December 6, 2016 at 4:55 pm GMT \n
200 Words @MQ This 'story' is complete horseshit / random confirmation bias. Scan the full social media accounts of any group of 100+ people and you could find just as much 'evidence' if you were determined to do so. This is scary -- the day that any social media post involving children that uses the word "chicken" anywhere in it counts as evidence of pedophilia is the day anyone could be smeared.

Ron Unz should be ashamed of himself for giving this kind of unhinged paranoid fear-mongering space.

In one of my many different careers I worked for a couple of years as an outside consultant to the FBI's ViCAP (now VICAP) program. About the time I was thus delving the depths of human depravity - and they are far deeper than the more fortunate readers of this are ever likely to learn - a scandal similar to this broke in Belgium, involving the highest levels of society, politics, and the EU bureaucracy in criminal conspiracies to kidnap children, sexually violate them, torture them, and even use them in the production of snuff films. A full investigation dead-ended after many suicides and suspicious deaths and disappearances. IMHO, based on some experience with criminal conspiracies of this type, the mass of material presented here is a pretty overwhelming indication that something very bad is happening. That the MSM ("fake new") sources are not paying more attentionto this is scandalous.

eah , December 6, 2016 at 5:03 pm GMT \n
200 Words

I'm not going to commit myself to the idea that this is going to be as huge as Rotherham was.

Sorry, but you are deluded if you believe Rotherham was "huge" in the media - even after the story broke, the English media did its best to downplay and underreport it - when they did report it, especially the BBC, it was always in a professional monotone, with no hint of outrage, or how disgusting and appalling all of it was, including/especially the behavior of the authorities - however let the BNP or EDL protest in front of the court where some of the Paki scum were being tried, and there you saw and felt media outrage - at this point, Rotherham has practically disappeared from the news - which is pretty sad because as everyone knows, it was just the tip of the iceberg.

And as currently being framed and investigatively fleshed out, if Rotherham was "huge", then Pizzagate will be a scandal of positively galactic dimension.

People will not let this go the way they did with the Jeffrey Epstein sleaze.

Beaderino , December 6, 2016 at 6:26 pm GMT \n
200 Words

Thank you for this article. It is well written and makes the point I have been trying to make. That the Wikileaks taken together with the Instagram photos warrant an investigation. A person with a predilection to pedophilia (based on the Instagram photos, choice of music, and music recordings at the Pizza Parlor premises) at the least, should not be running a "child-friendly" pizza parlor without some kind of societal due diligence to ensure the safety of our children.

On the one hand, what is lost if an investigation occurs and it turns out there is no wrong doing? We would have wasted some tax dollars and time of the law enforcement teams, but James Alefantis would in fact benefit from being exonerated. If however, there is ANY truth and any harm has and is occurring to children, then the greater good resulting from the investigation would be without price.

Alfred1860 , December 6, 2016 at 7:12 pm GMT \n
@Jus' Sayin'... In one of my many different careers I worked for a couple of years as an outside consultant to the FBI's ViCAP (now VICAP) program. About the time I was thus delving the depths of human depravity -- and they are far deeper than the more fortunate readers of this are ever likely to learn -- a scandal similar to this broke in Belgium, involving the highest levels of society, politics, and the EU bureaucracy in criminal conspiracies to kidnap children, sexually violate them, torture them, and even use them in the production of snuff films. A full investigation dead-ended after many suicides and suspicious deaths and disappearances. IMHO, based on some experience with criminal conspiracies of this type, the mass of material presented here is a pretty overwhelming indication that something very bad is happening. That the MSM ("fake new") sources are not paying more attentionto this is scandalous.

The Belgian case, among other high-profile quashed investigations, is summarized here:

https://www.theburningplatform.com/2016/11/29/could-the-pizzagate-allegations-be-true/

It was known as the Dutroux Affair.

FKA Max , December 6, 2016 at 7:28 pm GMT \n
400 Words @FKA Max
Furthermore, Tony Podesta's favorite artist is Biljana Djurdjevic, whose art heavily features images of children in BDSM -esque positions in large showers.
Psychopathy in the Pedophile (From Psychopathy: Antisocial, Criminal, and Violent Behavior, P 304-320, 1998, Theodore Millon, Erik Simonsen, et al, eds.--See NCJ-179236)
This paper argues that pedophilia may represent a special case or subcase of psychopathy and that the main aims of both the psychopath and the pedophile are to dominate, to use, and to subjugate another person in service of the grandiose self. [...] It notes that the major differences between psychopaths and pedophiles are that the object of the predation for the pedophile is a child and that the overt behavioral manifestation of the pathology is sexual.
- https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=179240

I just wanted to reemphasize Scott Adams' statement about the scandal:

Over on his blog, Scott Adams asks us to keep in mind cases where confirmation bias did lead to false allegations of institutional pedophilia, to caution against excessive confidence.

These types of investigations and scandals can easily lead to 'witch hunts' and 'panics' and need to be handled with the greatest care, prudence, and levelheadedness possible.

----

I wanted to add the following study/information, because as the study states ' These results provide further evidence of the importance of distinguishing between these groups of offenders. '

This might just be an irrelevant distinction for most people appalled by this potential/alleged abuse of power and authority of 'our' elites; but I believe we might mostly be looking at and dealing with psychopathy and not necessarily 'just' pedophilia in this Pizzagate scandal.

This has several different implications for how this scandal might be handled or be covered up, etc., because psychopaths are master liars, deflectors, charmers, etc., i.e. 'pillars of the community,' 'movers and shakers,' etc.

There is another curious connection here; Professor Robert Hare – the father of psychopathy research – said this:

Hare considers newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell to have been a strong candidate as a corporate psychopath.[10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy_in_the_workplace#General

Robert Maxwell is the father of Ghislaine Maxwell, who is close friends with Jeffery Epstein:

In an American court case that was made public in January 2015, a woman identified as 'Jane Doe 3′ said she was approached by Maxwell in 1999, and claimed that Maxwell procured under-age girls to have sex with Epstein. Maxwell has always denied any involvement in Epstein's crimes.[10] She said: "She [Ghislaine] said she'd hit hard times. Jeffrey offered her a job and then, I guess, because of her ability to procure girls, she became a vital asset to him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghislaine_Maxwell


Psychopathy among pedophilic and nonpedophilic child molesters.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22571910

Abstract
OBJECTIVE :
Among men who commit sexual offenses against children, at least 2 distinct groups can be identified on the basis of the age of the primary targets of their sexual interest; pedophiles and nonpedophiles.
METHOD :
In the present report, across 2 independent samples of both types of child molesters as well as controls, a total of 104 men (53 pedophilic and 51 nonpedophilic) who had sexually offended against a child age 13 or younger were compared to each other (and to 49 non-sex offender controls) on psychopathy as assessed by the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI).
RESULTS :
In both samples of child molesters, the nonpedophiles scored as significantly more psychopathic than the pedophiles.
CONCLUSIONS :
These results provide further evidence of the importance of distinguishing between these groups of offenders.

Olorin , December 6, 2016 at 9:36 pm GMT \n
500 Words @MQ This 'story' is complete horseshit / random confirmation bias. Scan the full social media accounts of any group of 100+ people and you could find just as much 'evidence' if you were determined to do so. This is scary -- the day that any social media post involving children that uses the word "chicken" anywhere in it counts as evidence of pedophilia is the day anyone could be smeared.

Ron Unz should be ashamed of himself for giving this kind of unhinged paranoid fear-mongering space.

Your comment sounds familiar to me. Are you writing from the UK perchance?

Back in the mid-Aughts I was surprised by how often I saw commenters at MSM news sites talking about the grooming and abduction of white girls in cities in England. At the time I was regularly reading BBC, Guardian, Telegraph, and Times. The stories where these comments appeared were diverse in topic.

Sometimes other comments would share similar experiences. Some would say they talked to someone who claimed similar experience. Others would say they'd heard murmurs of such things.

These voices repeatedly called on the MSM outlet to investigate, or they wondered why no response was forthcoming from elected officials or policymakers.

This was after–I later learned–Ann Cryer (MP for Keighley) had bravely stepped forward on behalf of girls whose parents had approached her for help. IOW, the cat was emerging from the bag, but the MSM were trying to stuff it back in.

Dismissive responses to these comments frequently were framed as yours is here: nothing to see here, move along, it's confirmation bias, you people are nuts, mods, step in and censor them!

In the Rotherham/etc. case, racism, Islamophobia, etc., were trotted out to inflict silence.

What was most noteworthy to me, and creepy, was how these comments would be removed from the comment streams of these outlets.

Sometimes the comments would be deleted but the response calling them racists or Islamophobes allowed to stand.

By the late Aughts I was convinced some sort of coverup was underway of something terrible indeed.

We now know that the MSM were key players in that.

Similar murmurings were afoot in Pennsylvania for many years prior to the revelations of the sexual abuse of children by Penn State coach Sandusky. I knew men who steered their sons away from football in general, guiding them instead to hockey or lacrosse, because the word on the street was that football camp was not a safe place for boys anymore. (Nor, increasingly, Boy Scouts or church camps.)

The gig is up for the MSM acting as panderers and pimps in the Cathedragogue of their own degenerate Narrative-religion.

They won't go down without a fight. They have more power and money to lose than any of the kids victimized by pedocidal perverts.

But what those kids have to lose is a treasure of vastly more importance than power and money.

Thing is, truth and goodness of spirit will win. This is part of why these degenerates fight back as they do. They can put truth and goodness on the run for only so long. They fight back not because they are losing, but because, by nature, they can never join the winning side of truth and goodness. It's just not in them.

All the more reason they need to be found out and reined in hard.

One last thing, regarding some people's assertion that these symbols, in-jokes, etc., are all "just a game." Or, worse, "art." (Which implies getting money and power by representing degeneracy to decorate rich people's businesses, homes and bedrooms.)

If pedophilia, grooming, and child rape are now matters to take lightly as shibboleths of entrance to circles of power, then those circles of power need to be napalmed.

"In the beginning there were the swamp, the hoe, and Jussi."

Sunbeam , December 6, 2016 at 10:52 pm GMT \n
100 Words

I think the crux of the problem is that most people find two different things equally plausible.

1) That the people who are talking about this (pizzagate) are lunatics.

or

2) That Podesta and the rest actually are involved in things like this.

Personally I think a nation that has reached this point, that it is totally believable that our leaders and elites are a bunch of monsters well that's a real problem.

Another problem is that the UK article a poster above linked to is two years old. Has anyone heard anything about that since? Expect to?

Sandy Berger's Socks , December 6, 2016 at 11:13 pm GMT \n
100 Words

How many members of the media political class, that are dismissing this as fake news have enjoyed "pizza" at Besta or at a similar place?

What if criminal deviancy rather than disqualifying a person, is not instead some weird prerequisite for elite status? Don't have to worry about rock throwers if they're inside the same glass house.

Blackmail seems as good an explanation as any for things like John Roberts sudden change of heart on the constitutionality of the Obama care mandate.

Aaron B. , December 7, 2016 at 12:09 am GMT \n
100 Words

This is a very good summary; thank you for publishing it.

The speed with which the old media have declared the entire thing false, far sooner than they possibly could have explored all the latest information and come to that conclusion, is astonishing. In other cases of conspiracy theories they think are false, they are willing to stand back and ridicule the theorists. Obama Birthers, 9/11 Truthers, Boston Bombing hoax, Sandy Hook . all certainly called false and ridiculed, but that's all. I don't think I've ever seen them try to squelch an entire line of discussion from the start like this before, even threatening lawsuits and prosecution.

Kirt , December 7, 2016 at 12:16 am GMT \n
200 Words

There may be something to pizzagate but I'm very skeptical of accusations of widespread institutional pedophilia. I initially fell for the "Satanic panic" of the 1980s; I learned my lesson.
I see that this case relies a lot on cryptic symbols. Reminds me of the people who see swastikas and white supremacy runes wherever they look and try to make a case for a vast neo-Nazi underground. But the author states that 470,000 children "disappear" each year in the US alone. Really? The link goes to "reported missing" which is a whole different thing. I once reported one of my kids missing; he turned up shortly afterwards at a friend's house. He hadn't even run away, just overstayed and not informed us where he was. That sort of thing happens all the time, but genuine disappearances? I don't know of a single case and I know plenty of people with kids. In some third world country in a war, tens of thousands of missing kids might be believable, but even in most such countries (Syria for example) 470,000 disappearances per year would be a stretch.

TelfoedJohn , December 7, 2016 at 12:23 am GMT \n
100 Words

In the U.K., all the abuse took place by people in power. Catholic clergy over choirboys. Celebs over their fans. Pakistanis targeted girls from broken homes. The wealthy and 'noble' preyed on the lesser born.

The worst though are the politicians, who have maximum power. I'm not sure I believe the pizzagate thing – the evidence is not conclusive (show me a victim or witness). But I certainly believe it is possible.

Cortes , December 7, 2016 at 12:44 am GMT \n

The reliably excellent John Helmer provides an oblique reference to Pizzagate in the following linked piece about Propornot and its marvellous 200 Putin Stoogesites:

http://johnhelmer.net/?p=16851

Avery , December 7, 2016 at 12:49 am GMT \n
200 Words @utu "What 'relatively obscure charge'?" - Making payments in a manner hiding the detection of payments. Payments were not illegal but he was doing it in amounts below the amounts that automatically would require reporting. In my opinion he did nothing illegal. The crimes he allegedly committed were beyond the statute of limitation and paying hush money is not illegal either.

I kinda thought that's what you were referring to, but wanted to make sure.

His real crime was something else.

He was a high school coach years ago and was raping underage boys in his charge. The cash he was withdrawing was for payments to one of the boys to keep him quiet. If memory serves, another one of his victims had committed suicide (not sure though). But the one Hastert was paying off wanted to burn him.

In addition, Sibel Edwards, when she was working for the FBI and translating foreign language intercepts, picked up some conversations by Turkish officials, who were bribing Hastert, and claimed they "owned him". He reportedly got $500K, but not sure for what. FBI had courts put a gag order on Sibel, so she could not reveal any more details. The story was buried: probably because too many high ranking swine were involved.

Hastert pleaded guilty to a Mickey Mouse charge so that there would no public child-rape trial, where the public might learn all the lurid details of what the filthy swine did to those underage boys.

Hastert got away with destroying the lives of many boys.
Hopefully he will be savagely beaten and crippled in prison – but not killed – so he can suffer for years.

Johnny Smoggins , December 7, 2016 at 2:19 am GMT \n
200 Words

Like a lot of people I have gone from completely ignoring this story, thinking it was Alex Jones type fantasy to starting to wonder if there might not be some truth to it after all. So far I haven't seen any definitive evidence that kids are actually being molested, or worse. And because the accusations are so damning I would want to be very cautious about casually tossing them around.

That being said, a lot of the stuff that's surfaced; the artwork, the cryptic messages, Spirit cooking, the odd choices of entertainment for a family friendly pizza restaurant and the Instagram pictures are just flat out creepy .

Even with a presumption of innocence I wouldn't allow anyone under the age of 18 anywhere near the Podesta brothers, Alefantis and everyone else involved without adult supervision.

I'm glad Unz has decided to publish this. I'm interested to see if anything more will come of it. It certainly warrants further investigation.

James Kabala , December 7, 2016 at 3:04 am GMT \n
@DanC Rotate the old logo for Besta Pizza 180 degrees. It is the pedophile BLogo symbol.

That's why when it got publicised, Besta's management immediately deleted the old one and converted to a new, BLogo-free symbol on all their website and printed materials.

What is interesting to note in mainstream media "debunkings" of PizzaGate is that they focus on the doubtful evidence, things that could be "interpreted either way" and they leave out the glaringly obvious pedophilia links, like the Besta Pizza logo.

Just look at all the "debunking articles." Do any of them mention the old Besta logo? I haven't seen any.

It seems to me this is the way to wean the public off the mainstream media. Hammer on the fact that the MSM insists on leaving out the clear, obvious evidence and tries to imply that everything is doubtful and open to interpretation. Then people will start to associate them with coverup and BS. The MSM can't recover from that.

Actually the logo issue is a prominent part of this Washington Post article (and a tweet by the fairly well-known Dave Weigel highlighted that part in particular):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/were-going-to-put-a-bullet-in-your-head-pizzagate-threats-terrorize-dc-shop-owners/2016/12/05/39469a82-bb2e-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?utm_term=.af2e34c09164

pepperinmono , December 7, 2016 at 3:48 am GMT \n
100 Words @Johnny Smoggins Like a lot of people I have gone from completely ignoring this story, thinking it was Alex Jones type fantasy to starting to wonder if there might not be some truth to it after all. So far I haven't seen any definitive evidence that kids are actually being molested, or worse. And because the accusations are so damning I would want to be very cautious about casually tossing them around.

That being said, a lot of the stuff that's surfaced; the artwork, the cryptic messages, Spirit cooking, the odd choices of entertainment for a family friendly pizza restaurant and the Instagram pictures are just flat out creepy .

Even with a presumption of innocence I wouldn't allow anyone under the age of 18 anywhere near the Podesta brothers, Alefantis and everyone else involved without adult supervision.

I'm glad Unz has decided to publish this. I'm interested to see if anything more will come of it. It certainly warrants further investigation.

pepperinmono , December 7, 2016 at 3:48 am GMT \n
100 Words @Johnny Smogg

Podesta is a creepy fuck period.
How did such a dweeb get to be such a big person in our national conversation?
He is an obvious hack , but not a particular clever one. He just comes off so "are you fucking kidding me?". Where do they get these dudes? James Carville. Paul Begala. Bill Burton. Robby Mook. Even right has George Will, Buckley. Strange unnormal people.

utu , December 7, 2016 at 3:48 am GMT \n
@for-the-record See, for example,

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-24513267

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/madeleinemccann/10377714/Madeleine-McCann-E-fit-suspect-was-carrying-child-police-reveal.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Efit_images_of_Madeleine_McCann_suspect.jpg

http://www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/top-news/podesta-brothers-revealed/

Tulip , December 7, 2016 at 4:23 am GMT \n
100 Words

I confess I don't get it. I can understand pizzagate as a brutal and nasty last minute campaign tactic, but the election is over, drop it. A mighty tissue of "coincidences" woven together in a manner that would make Glenn Beck envious. I guess I need to fashion a tin foil hat and then re-read the article. I think it just discredits the source more than the target.

If someone is actually raping children, then where are the children? The kids related to the socialite that she is bringing to a pool party? Come on, that is what plebes are for. How are the children procured? Where do they live? There is necessarily logistics to this kind of activity, and zero evidence of logistics, just some weird emails and weird art. Its like saying someone is a coke head because they had a runny nose. tweet at early hours in the morning, and behave very alpha.

Anon , December 7, 2016 at 4:45 am GMT \n

In the 70s, I hear that NY pizzerias were fronts for narcotics dealers.

Are they now used by pedo-dealers?

I love pizza, but this issue is making me feel a bit icky about it.

Anon , December 7, 2016 at 5:02 am GMT \n
500 Words @Anonymous "Every aspect of British society seems to have ties to pedophilia, from Parliament, to the elites, the City of London, the government, public schools, Oxbridge, the universities, all the way down to Paki immigrant communities and even British soccer."

Why do pedos gain such power? Same reason why homos do? Since many of them don't have families and since they resent the Normal World(from which they must hide their deviance or sickness), do they have extra time/energy for gaining power? Are they fueled by resentment toward Normal Society? It seems like homos had a kind of revenge streak, and it all came out with New Normal. Homos really want to rub our faces in their feces. They want to force us to accept the New Normal or be totally destroyed. They want to turn us into their bitches. They are into Bitch-Hunting.

Working in the shadows, homos and pedos seemed to gained considerable power. And since they are associated with Vice Industry, they have the dirt on everyone else and can blackmail them. Bill Clinton prolly never had sex with a minor, but surely homos and pedos have a lot of dirt on him about his many affairs and orgies. And since they have many connections, they serve as essential middlemen for those who seek power.

Also, there is a code of silence among the powerful. They watch out for one another. And homos and pedos are both pushy and gushy. They are very demanding but also accommodating and supportive of the powerful and ambitious. They go all out to serve the powerful and those on the up-and-up, but they also demand a cut of the pie.

The ambitious care most about power and privilege than about right and wrong. If their power depends on a coterie of people committed to them 24/7, they will look the other way even when they know something is up. Also, there is the human factor. People who work together closely develop an emotional bond. It's team politics, us vs them. And loyalty must be favored.
Since homos and pedos have more time on their hands and more energy(fueled by resentment), they might be more available to the powerful or those who seek power.

Hollywood made the media the hero in the movie SPOTLIGHT. But the media seem eager to bury this as fast as possible.

Why did it take so long for the Hastert and Sandusky cases to come to light?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Sandusky

How did they get away with that stuff forever?

Is it a good idea to allow homos into Boy Scouts?

Homos seem to be closely allied with pedos, and the trajectory of our culture is to normalize pedophilia by sexualizing young girls and boys. If young ones are sexualized, it means they can be objects of sexual desire. And then what?

And the scientific community is arguing pedophilia should be treated as a condition than a crime. This may be legit as long as pedos didn't act on their impulses. But if they did, how can it not be a crime?

Rape is 'natural' too given that sexual feelings are natural. But we can't treat rape itself as a condition and not a crime.

Wizard of Oz , December 7, 2016 at 5:48 am GMT \n
200 Words

Regrettably, though one may have grown old without ever feeling the wish to have sexual contact with a pre-adolescent or of anyone of the same sex it hasn't been possible for a long time to deny the prevalence of socially disapproved sex drives and behaviours. So one finds that the nice young presenter on the antique show has been arrested for downloading and keeping pedophile images. And so on But isn't the idea of a large network, and what is needed to keep it covered up, a bit much to swallow? Nasty minds? Conspiracy theories?

Well I suppose not. Sex as a drive and the perverse varieties of expression that we know to manifest themselves are enough to make one accept the pedophile reality. Then the network and the cover up? The cover up, however difficult to make it reliable, is just a consequence of the danger their behaviour exposes them to. And the network? Easy enough to explain once you are in it – like knowing that you could attend mass in a number of aristocratic Elizabethan households. But the detail of why and how it should grow from a very small group is obviously more complex. I guess that there are organisers and facilitators who seek various rewards, some financial, some in young flesh, some in the obtaining of blackmailing power.

NoseytheDuke , December 7, 2016 at 6:07 am GMT \n
100 Words @utu

It's the age difference and the power equation that matters. If a fifteen year old is sexting a thirteen year old it's quite different than a grown man like Anthony Wiener. I couldn't blame any father who administered a sound beating to an adult creep who was sexting a minor. What kind of a society doesn't protect children?

Anon , December 7, 2016 at 6:28 am GMT \n
100 Words

MSM is so eager to kill this story but tried so hard to keep alive the UVA hoax.

Even after it became clear that the whole thing had been made up, NY Times pretended that it wasn't sure.

But then, look at our political culture.

Say nothing of Israel's 200 nukes but never stop bitching about Iran's non-existing nukes.

And even though the West is the aggressor, blame Russia.

Yellow Cake and WMD. Colin Powell's lies and MSM's collusion.

Silence about black thuggery but pretend innocent blacks are murdered by evil white cops.

A real inversion of truth and lies.

Lugenpresse calling its detractors 'fake news'.

Shimshon , December 7, 2016 at 7:30 am GMT \n
100 Words @Tulip

,

First, the emails are not just weird. Second, regarding this:

"There is necessarily logistics to this kind of activity, and zero evidence of logistics "

Actually, there is.

Jeffrey Epstein, the Lolita Express, and his pedophile island. This was obviously covered up.

The Pizzagaters have shed a tiny bit of light on Laura Silsby. Look her up.

Anonymous Nephew , December 7, 2016 at 8:25 am GMT \n
100 Words @Tim Howells

"IMO this is yet another Jimmy Savile case: i.e. literally Satanic pedophilia on a vast scale, with the active collusion of our political and media elites"

Savile case wasn't that at all – more like famous DJ/charity fundraiser with great PR taking advantage of his status with teenage girls. How many of the post-death allegations are true, who knows, but we know some definitely aren't true – we know because long-time blogger Anna Raccoon was a resident of a small children's home where Savile was claimed to have abused girls. She has a whole series of seven posts called "Past Lives and Present Misgivings" on the allegations.

http://annaraccoon.com/2012/10/24/past-lives-and-present-misgivings-part-four/

More "active collusion" is likely in the cases of Cyril Smith and Greville Janner, two pretty high-profile and connected MPs, who seem to have managed to go to their graves scot free.

Blado , December 7, 2016 at 9:21 am GMT \n
@Miro23

The idea of on-camera child rape as a prerequisite of entry into organizations/guarantee of cooperation is a pretty old one. It's no doubt been done.

Skeptikal , December 7, 2016 at 1:58 pm GMT \n
100 Words @Anonymous

How the "fake news" trope works in the real world:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/07/trump-adviser-son-michael-flynn-sacked-pizzagate-comet-ping-pong-restaurant

Flynn's tweet regarding this story was perfectly reasonable.
The story has been stamped "bogus" without any kind of investigation.
No response to questions about the weird content of emails by Podesta and others.
Stonewalling.
Makes one think the shotgun blast at Comet might even have been a false flag!!

PI , December 7, 2016 at 2:00 pm GMT \n

For those wondering about the authenticity of the FBI document, here is the wikileaks page where it was revealed in 2007 and they say "Wikileaks has verified the document":

https://wikileaks.org/wiki/FBI_pedophile_symbols

And here is a MSM article about it:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3560069/The-symbols-pedophiles-use-signal-sordid-sexual-preferences-social-media.html

BB753 , December 7, 2016 at 4:17 pm GMT \n
200 Words @Anonymous

I remember watching an excellent Australian film years ago that covered this very topic. It portrayed in a very realistic way the whole homo/ pedo underground in the upper rungs of society, from posh public schools to university, where grooming of youngsters occurred, to Parliament and Finance, where the powerful pederasts/homosexuals ruled. In this world, the shortest way to power and riches for a young man was to seek out the protection and guidance of an older and powerful homo/pederast lover. It was shot in Australia and in Australian settings and institutions, but it's all so British you'd think the film makers really intended the story to reflect British society and were using Australia as a legal cover.
Sorry, I can't remember the title of the movie or the director. It was quite disturbing to watch but very interesting.
Perhaps Pat Hannagan or some other knowledgeable Australian reader can help.

Anon , December 7, 2016 at 8:01 pm GMT \n
100 Words

Let's say there was no pedo-ring. I'm rather skeptical of it myself.

But just look at that pizzeria. What kind of freako place is that?

And why are some of the 'most powerful' people in DC such downright perverts and degenerates?

The fish rots from the head. Degenerates run government, institutions, and culture.

Government and judges push homo agenda. College push porn and 50 genders. Hollywood pushes drugs and tattoos. Disney turns girls into whores.

And this isn't just a 'left' vs 'right' problem. A lot of Trump voters were ass-tattoo freaks. The working class grew up on Jerry Springer, WWE, mentally deranged metal music, or Goth freakery.

And middle class kids grew up on the nerdy black magic of Harry Potter whose teacher is a happy ass-man.

Whether it's elites and their Pervert Pizza or the underclass with their degeneracy, it's ugly all around.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4006300/Filth-chaos-weird-religious-symbols-Pictures-appalling-conditions-inside-Oakland-warehouse-36-died.html

We need Vito-Corleonism.

This is how a man should be:

https://youtu.be/IeDV0rxBq9E?t=1m35s

Anon , December 7, 2016 at 8:29 pm GMT \n
300 Words @map

I'm not sold on the pedo-ring. Too much risk, though I think those 'elites' are a bunch of pervs.

If anything, this pedo-issue takes our eyes off the ball.

The real issue should be that the governing elites of this nation in government, colleges, cultural institutions, media and even military(look at those tranny freaks) are a bunch of decadents, even degenerates. We are seeing the normalization of freakery and grossness.

The fact that it is considered NORMAL for Hillary to invite Lena Dunham to the DNC speaks for itself. The fact that Newsweek celebrated Obama with a gay 'halo' speaks for itself. The fact that churches hang 'homo flags' speaks for itself.
It is a sick nation.

A tolerant nation has room for decadence and even degeneracy. It belongs in the underground. They always existed.
But now, this underground stuff is the bobo cultural fixation of the elites who consider themselves 'hip' and 'edgy'.
And they even introduce their kids to this stuff from a young age.
Indeed, even without overt pedophilia, introducing sexuality to kids at a very young age is a kind of indirect pedophilia.
When homo-ness is promoted among kids, what is being done? Kids will ask 'what is homo stuff?' And an honest answer will have to be, "some guys wanna stick pee pee into poo poo". But then, the kids will have to be told THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, and if anything, WE SHOULD BLESS THE HOMOS. But why? What is so great about pee pee in poo poo?

We really need Culturegate. The whole culture is a rotten scandal, and the fact that US globo-imperialism spreads this filth around the world speaks volumes about how sick America has become. We don't need real pedo-rings of 'pizzagate' to accuse the elites of filth and vileness. Their cultural life is garbage.

Just look at this: 'mainstream' culture has no problem with it. If anything, it is promoted as the New Norm.

http://rare.us/story/lena-dunham-posts-picture-of-herself-on-the-crapper-before-declaring-herself-a-feminist-hero/

Anon , December 7, 2016 at 9:01 pm GMT \n
@Pablo

As John Helmer points out, the new digital news business model doesn't provide any funds for investigative journalism.
So who is going to pay for a serious journalist to do the legwork and paperwork and FOIA requests, etc.?

Skeptikal , December 7, 2016 at 9:20 pm GMT \n
100 Words

Re "And why are some of the 'most powerful' people in DC such downright perverts and degenerates? "

I thought you were going to say:
What are the most powerful people in DC doing hanging out at this creepy pizza parlor and doing fundraising events there?
We all know where Hillary goes for "real" money: The Saudis, Goldman Sachs, billionaires' glitzy summer compounds in the Hamptons, places like that-you know, where the money is.
So WTF is she doing in one of these pizza joints? Why would there be any real money there?
With creepy, tawdry "artwork" on the walls?
Something here does not pass the smell test.

Tim Howells , December 7, 2016 at 9:43 pm GMT \n
100 Words @Anonymous Nephew

I'm intrigued by the Anna Racoon stuff, but I found it completely incoherent. Could you explain what these claims are, and why they should be taken seriously?

Re Sir Savile and Satanic child sex abuse, at least two victims gave entirely credible and consistent accounts. Here's a mainstream source:

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/370439/Jimmy-Savile-was-part-of-satanic-ring

NoseytheDuke , December 7, 2016 at 11:36 pm GMT \n
100 Words @Skeptikal

Agreed. Often one wonders why such outrageous decisions are made in politics that clearly contradict the public good and one wonders, why? This topic goes a long way to explaining the why. I'm not so sure if the investigating of it is the hard part or the broad exposure, but it needs to happen.

I am probably more tolerant of 'deviates' than most on here. Queers don't bother me much, though I would recommend that they be more discreet and stop the promotion of their peccadilloes as normal. When it comes to children, even teenagers, I am very strict about them not being able to give consent and should be treated with respect, if not revered, by all adults with no exceptions.

There is enough smoke here for a thorough investigation to be demanded and carried out. I hope nothing less ensues.

Stonehands , December 8, 2016 at 4:52 am GMT \n
100 Words @Anon

The fact that it is considered NORMAL for Hillary to invite Lena Dunham to the DNC speaks for itself. The fact that Newsweek celebrated Obama with a gay 'halo' speaks for itself. The fact that churches hang 'homo flags' speaks for itself.
It is a sick nation.

Yep. I don't have to look any further then this perv Alefantis. This is what you get when sodomy is legal. Of course this craven bastard makes all kinds of snarky degenerate comments about children on his instagram

Society has been desensitized to homosexuality- so they have moved on to the "prize".

You have hit it out of the park as usual, I enjoy and concur with your assesments.

glorietalabs , December 8, 2016 at 12:51 pm GMT \n
300 Words

I believe I saw the instagram account of Alefantis before it came down. The girl pictured in several images seems to be the child of a family friend. I thought the taped to the table image and the other pic with #chickenlover tag were at a minimum indicators of a dark humor or innuendo. Who finds this sort of thing funny?
There were more pics of infants and a doll with creepy tags like #hoetard and suggestive comments, again, indicating a level of casual comfort with making implied references to pedophilia. ..wink wink.

Gross, at a minimum. But evidence of a ring? I don't understand why Alefantis doesn't just acknowledge that there is an "appearance" of sick humor.

Regarding the use of supposedly known pedo symbols- I'm skeptical. These are shapes and motifs we see everywhere. It could be that the pedo symbol inventors purposely chose designs that would easily coincide with innocent use so as to hide in plain sight. Or hmm ?

Podesta is definitely using code in his emails but my read was that he's talking about drugs and partying. Didn't we all use "pizza" at one time or another as a reference to party favors back in the day?

The Podestas have bad taste in art. Not a crime, just a general indicator of regular degenerately "hip" tastes so as to impress the cool kids?

And yet no one clears the air. And this is disturbing. I have yet to read one Wapo or nyt article denouncing the "witch hunt" but acknowledging that, yes, it looks bad. Because it really does.

Incidentally, if they haven't been faked, one of Alefantis' instagram commenters is the maker of child sized coffin coffee tables. Nice.

par4 , December 8, 2016 at 4:54 pm GMT \n

Here is the Judge rebuking serial molester Hastert (R) before sentencing.

The Scalpel , Website December 8, 2016 at 7:42 pm GMT \n
100 Words @Sandy Berger's Socks

"What if criminal deviancy rather than disqualifying a person, is not instead some weird prerequisite for elite status? Don't have to worry about rock throwers if they're inside the same glass house.Blackmail seems as good an explanation as any for things like John Roberts sudden change of heart on the constitutionality of the Obama care mandate."

This fits Occam's Razor. I would go so far as to say that pedophilia blackmail appears to have been a method of political control since the days of the British Empire. Much like gang membership, participation is required for entrance into the inner circles of political power, then used as blackmail to enforce conformity and secrecy.

Interestingly, there is a recent episode of "The Black Mirror," a Netflix show, that addresses this very psychology.

FKA Max , December 9, 2016 at 5:11 pm GMT \n
300 Words @FKA Max

There is a rather informative article in the WaPo about Pizzagate and its potential (mass-)psychological origins. It actually indirectly and temporarily "blames" over-zealous feminists with being the originators of the this moral panic. Quite interesting, but of course the article/author reverts back to Trump-bashing, etc. in the end.

What the Pizzagate conspiracy theory borrows from a bogus satanic sex panic of the 1980s

Second, in both cases, social movements were involved in the weaponization of suspicion, although the political center of gravity has shifted from one episode to the next. In the late 1970s, social workers and feminist activists had focused on combating child sexual abuse; they sometimes developed extremely broad definitions of abuse or floated exaggerated estimates of its occurrence in this quest. Such efforts have left deep cultural residues, and these include the acceptance of exaggerated claims about the number of child trafficking victims, and the incidence and forms of organized child sexual abuse. Pizzagate relies on these inflated fears to seem plausible, and it similarly relies on a viewpoint marked by extreme suspicion (of the media, Washington "elites," politicians and the Clinton camp specifically) to decode ordinary events and statements into extraordinary claims.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/12/08/the-satanic-roots-of-pizzagate-how-a-30-year-old-sex-panic-explains-today/

A moral panic is a feeling of fear spread among a large number of people that some evil threatens the well-being of society.[1][2] A Dictionary of Sociology defines a moral panic as "the process of arousing social concern over an issue – usually the work of moral entrepreneurs and the mass media."[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_panic

I had never come across the term "moral entrepreneur" before, very useful term https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_entrepreneur

Stonehands , December 9, 2016 at 8:50 pm GMT \n
100 Words @FKA Max

We know all about "Hysteria", but why did the artist use a decapitated male if not to possibly conflate this in the viewers mind with the atrocities of Dalmer?

What about the other degenerate art, such as the child bondage spankees posing in the easy- to -clean tiled torture chambers?

Some of us will never accept homosexuality as an "alternative" lifestyle.

The fact that Alefantis is a homo; who by dint of his perverse sexuality- has achieved some level of notoriety prior to pizzagate- is certainly part of the underlying rancor towards him.

NoseytheDuke , December 9, 2016 at 11:01 pm GMT \n
100 Words @FKA Max

Incredibly generous of you to quote WaPo as a credible source. I would have done the same at one time but that was ages ago.

BB753 asks why haven't the Posdestas sued? I would ask why haven't they at the very least stepped forward to offer a simple explanation for what most agree is code in the emails?

I would suggest a possibility that blowing the lid off on this exposes exactly how certain "lobby" groups maintain control of the wheelhouse of the US ship of state, and have consistently steered it into troubled waters against the national interest.

Wiz, a simple typo that my computer ran with (very observant of you).

anonymous , December 9, 2016 at 10:02 pm GMT \n
@FKA Max

This clip of Brietbart going off on John Podesta seemed to me more than just a political squabble.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgBvPx4CvhI

Keep in mind, this was years before the Wikileaks 'Pizza' stuff. Also keep in mind that Breitbard dropped dead shortly after this was filmed.

Anonymous , December 10, 2016 at 3:17 am GMT \n
200 Words

Pizzagate is not "fake news" at all. It needs to be investigated.

The MSM says it does not disseminate "fake news". However, the MSM will often simply not cover events that ARE real news.

Thus, the MSM is disseminating the opposite of "fake news", namely NO NEWS. The MSM keeps people in the dark because there things that it does not want people to know about. For example, the MSM will often not cover stories about how the LGBTQ movement is brainwashing kids in even the lowest grade in public elementary schools. That's because the MSM does not want people to become upset at the penetration (no pun intended) of the LGBTQ agenda.

In reality, there is relatively little "fake news" out there. Most alternative websites that people visit, such as Unz, simply provide a different perspective on issues that the MSM won't cover at all, or cover in a cursory manner.

Skeptikal , December 10, 2016 at 2:35 pm GMT \n

Agreed.
And the "fake news" trope is an excellent example of misdirection/laying a false trail.

NoseytheDuke , December 10, 2016 at 9:49 pm GMT \n
100 Words @Jus' Sayin'...

Classic disinfo technique, to seed the truth with a few lies that are provably false so that then the whole thing can be claimed to be false and written off.

I don't know about the Podestas but as others here have rightly stated, there's enough smoke for a thorough, open investigation.

Coincidently, the anti-Russian rhetoric has escalated to an even more absurd degree alongside the Pizzagate news. I wonder if the result will be even less people believing the blatant lies of mass media or if people will just demonstrate that there are no limits to gullibility.

anonymous , December 11, 2016 at 5:31 am GMT \n
100 Words @NoseytheDuke

I saw a headline on CNN.com claiming Russia was attempting to smear people by 'planting' child pornography on their computers.

I didn't bother reading it, as CNN is a Gawker level news source these days, but it seems like they may attempt to blame this stuff on Russia – along with everything else.

Mark Green , Website December 11, 2016 at 7:41 am GMT \n

Here's another sex scandal (and a certifiably real one) involving a prominent Canadian who turned out to be a pedaphile. There's a lot in this story that's revealing and fascinating.

http://torontolife.com/city/ben-levin-child-pornography-sting/

Skeptikal , December 11, 2016 at 2:33 pm GMT \n
500 Words @Mark Green

Such a disturbing story. But instructive. In particular the information, or perhaps it is a speculation, that the pedophiliac sexual drive develops early on. This drive must be incredibly strong-stronger than what would be considered normal sexual desire? I don't know. But I have read that it is so strong that pedophiles make major life choices in terms of finding a way to get access to children to use sexually. Such as marrying: so they can father their own children and have them handy for abuse. Or entering a profession, such as the priesthood, or pediatrics, or education, etc. so that they have access to children. Or becoming sports coaches, where they spend a lot of time in locker rooms and also have blandishments to offer young boys such as sports career advances. Etc.

I think this point-the power of the drive-should be taken into account when people such as some commenters on this thread say: "These people [such as Podesta} are too intelligent to risk their careers blah blah." If the pedophilia drive is as strong as, say, a heroin addiction, then the addiction is in the driver's seat, not "intelligence." The more you feed an addiction, the stronger it gets, and the more stimulation it takes to get the charge.

As for the sprinkling of a few lies in with a story that is targeted for debunking: In a normal police investigation the police solicit leads from the public. (It is true that in this case there is not an obvious victim, so that must also be taken into account; but this was also the situation with the Ben Levin [Toronto] case; nevertheless what he did was criminal and dangerous.) They examine the leads and follow them up. This is detectives' job.

Often an obscure lead does lead to further useful information needed to build a hypothesis of the motive-means-opportunity for the crime and widen the scope of an investigation. Every American with a TV set has seen hundred of such police procedurals showing how crimes have been solved, often cold cases. Bona fide detectives who get leads from the public don't immediately start to smear the source of leads as looney-tunes. In this case the public, in the face of apparent inaction by law enforcement to follow up on this case, is responding by posting ideas and hypotheses and possible leads.

An honest law enforcement agency would be conducting an aggressive investigation and checking out any useful info and ideas that members of the public come up with, whether online or off. Honest news outlets should either be calling for a thorough investigation, or staying mum if they have been informed that an investigation is ongoing. The fact that the MSM, absent any sign of an investigation, are blaring out the "nothing here; move on; blogger are rabid fools" message is in itself suspicious and suggests that someone is being protected. The MSM have put out just enough info to warn the possible wrongdoers to get their act together, change their signage, and run for cover.

Miro23 , December 11, 2016 at 4:40 pm GMT \n
100 Words @Skeptikal

The fact that the MSM, absent any sign of an investigation, are blaring out the "nothing here; move on; blogger are rabid fools" message is in itself suspicious and suggests that someone is being protected. The MSM have put out just enough info to warn the possible wrongdoers to get their act together, change their signage, and run for cover.

My feeling exactly. Too much volume, no doubts, too orchestrated and nothing being investigated, in fact just like WMD, and 9/11.

Anon , December 11, 2016 at 5:23 pm GMT \n

Ping Pong Comet Pizza should rename itself as Suck-E-Cheese.

Btw, more pedo stuff.

https://www.rt.com/news/367652-norway-pedophiles-arrested-scandal/

Media seem less enthused about going after secular pedos, just like rabbi pedos got less public scrutiny than the Catholic pedo priests did.

Intelligent Dasein , Website December 11, 2016 at 6:07 pm GMT \n
800 Words

I believe that Pizzagate is a Trojan Horse being pushed into Alt-Right internet circles by Hillary/Soros' former CTR trolls in order to help the Democrats and the MSM continue to flog the "fake news" narrative. The idea behind it is to enable them to say, "Look, you see what kind of crazy conspiracies those Alt-Righters consume and repeat amongst themselves? This is the kind of fake news believing nutjobs we're up against." If you think back upon the history of the meme (I hate that word, but I have no other to use in its place), you'll find that its original and most vocal proponents were exhibiting clear trolling behavior. Given their flaky commenting histories, their pretended expertise on this then-obscure topic, their ostentatious expressions of optimism that this breaking news would ensure a Trump victory (itself a rather obsequious and scarcely believable attempt to paint themselves as one of our number), and their single-minded determination to talk about (and to get us talking about) nothing else, one can only suspect the presence of some sort of agenda behind their sudden exuberance over Pizzagate.

I believe we are up against a new and rather sophisticated sort of Concern Troll here-a veritable Stuxnet of concern trolling. A perfect example here at the Unz Review is the poster "anonguy". Look at his commenting history. Look at the sudden acceleration of his offerings as Election Day neared. And then look at his militant megaphoning of the Pizzagate narrative all over Sailer's blog in the days immediately preceding the election. Furthermore, pay attention to his unusual style, i.e. how he structures his comments as detached musings about the goings-on in the "infosphere" (his word), how he jejunely assures us the "the narrative is forming" (yes, he actually said that, and at a time when there was no narrative to speak of), and his links to literally fake news sites (the Denver Guardian? Give me a break). Now tell me that this is the behavior of someone who actually has the health of the body politic as his primary objective.

Now, after having sifted all that, do try to remember that the larger general public really doesn't know or care anything at all about Pizzagate, and that the leaked Podesta emails (all 37,000 of them, or whatever the final tally was) influenced the vote of precisely no one who did not have the time or inclination to read through them all, which is practically every one of us. Remember that the only people talking about this in the first place are the Alt-Right bloggers and their followers, the very venues of "fake news" whom the Left is attempting to discredit and sully. Remember that the Clintons and Soros specialize in public deception and that they employ all sorts of people for that very purpose. Now consider who is rendered vulnerable by all of this. It isn't going to be the Clintons or Podesta. If Hillary Clinton was not prosecuted for trafficking in state secrets from her private server-a crime for which she should have been executed- then Podesta is not going to be investigated for this. But you all, on the other hand, have been tainted with it. You have been successfully associated in the public mind with a "conspiracy theory," with the "fake news."

My conclusion: Pizzagate is a "thought worm" designed to infect, distract, and destroy the Alt-Right, and most of you have been infected with it. This is not to say that there is no pedophilia going on in Podesta's circle. There may be or there may not be, I really don't know. The point is that there isn't anything you can do about it. The accusations will be turned against the accusers instead-classic Clinton behavior. It would be better not to take the bait anymore. Recent history has demonstrated over and over again that the public is not going to rise up with one voice and clamor for the punishment even of credibly accused child molesters unless there is something more to be gained from doing so, and in this case there clearly isn't. What this says about the spiritual state of the modern West or the psychology of fallen mankind are subjects I will leave for another discussion. For now it is simply a fact of life with which we have to account. The only way to beat these people is the Chicago Way: hit them harder than they hit you. We dealt them a stunning blow by electing Donald Trump, but now we are in danger of losing our advantage by immersing ourselves in a mire of toothless recriminations, and this is exactly what they want. Let's not fall for this again; let us rather rekindle the spirit that got us this far, and take these vile people down once and for all.

robt , December 11, 2016 at 6:28 pm GMT \n
@Anon

The Washington Post found the funds to assign 27 investigative reporters for over a year to dig dirt on Trump, and bragged about it. Judging by what they came up with, it wasn't too fruitful.

map , December 11, 2016 at 8:50 pm GMT \n
100 Words @Intelligent Dasein

Your comment is ridiculous.

First you say the entire pizzagate meme is fake and it's fakery will undo the alt-right. Then you say that you can't do anything about pedophilia anyway, pizzagate or otherwise.

Which is it? Is the story fake and thereby discrediting to those who support it, or is it real but pointless to cover because you can't do anything about it?

Then you suggest we do this "the Chicago way" which is hitting harder than them whatever that means. If you are not going to open investigations against these people, then what does "hitting harder" entail?

There is no way that Soros or anyone else is going to construct an elaborate criminal conspiracy out of whole cloth and tag one of his own loyal operatives.

Skeptikal , December 11, 2016 at 9:55 pm GMT \n
100 Words @map

I agree.
Intelligent's comment looks to me like an elaborate misdirection.
All such blah blah gets no one any closer to an answer as to what is behind the coded language in the Wikileaks emails.

It is a classic example of throwing up a convolution of dust to obscure the smoking emails.
Stick to the evidence.
Ignore irrelevant baroque musings.

NoseytheDuke , December 11, 2016 at 11:45 pm GMT \n
300 Words @Intelligent Dasein

You make some good points but have missed the real issue entirely. Whilst I and many others here DO care about pedos and want them locked away from society, what makes this matter much more important is that it involves many top level power brokers in politics.

Pedophilia is more of a compulsion rather than addiction, why matters less than the fact that recidivism is the norm and society deserves protection both from the crime itself and from the crimes of blackmail that can result from knowledge of it..

Blackmail is a very powerful tool in the work of pure evil and is the reason why even Marines and Embassy guards have restrictions on who they may or may not consort with whilst on active foreign postings. I would estimate that there is no greater threat of exposure than one of sexually exploiting children. Even hardened criminals have contempt for such perverts who are usually granted special protection when incarcerated.

I would venture the suggestion that people with a compulsion towards sexual contact with children are identified early in their careers and consequently put forward for rapid progress within government institutions by those working behind the scene to exercise control over others with decision making capacity in the highest levels of government.

This is not a matter to be swept away if the swamp is to be drained, rather, this may well be where the "plughole" to the swamp itself is to be uncovered. It will require a special investigation team but not one like the Warren Commission or 9/11 "Investigation", a real investigation. Americans should settle for nothing less and it is incumbent of them to demand it.

Erebus , December 12, 2016 at 11:07 am GMT \n
100 Words @NoseytheDuke

This is not a matter to be swept away if the swamp is to be drained, rather, this may well be where the "plughole" to the swamp itself is to be uncovered.

I'm willing to believe something pretty sordid is required to keep the bung hole as tightly plugged as it is and I can't imagine anything else creating a more tightly woven, impenetrable web of mutual blackmail. Imagine what they have on each other, and imagine what foreign intelligence services could do with same if they got hold of it. Come to think of it, maybe they have

America must get to the bung, dislodge it and deal with the stench that will cover the country for a generation. Until then, America can't hope to be great again.

Skeptikal , December 12, 2016 at 12:51 pm GMT \n
100 Words @NoseytheDuke

This makes a lot of sense.
That string pullers are on the lookout for rising political stars who can be compromised along the way.
Hmmmmm . . .
Seems like a lot of political families have dynastic aspirations. That would mean that such offspring might be natural targets for monitoring for any "quirks."

Ace , December 16, 2016 at 7:25 am GMT \n
100 Words @jacques sheete

Craig Spence's call boy business in Washington clearly involved high civilian and military officials. And Spence was able to take friends on midnight tours of the White House.

Spence's house was provided by the Japanese ruling party. The house they provided him had at least one bedroom wired for audio and video. I'm sure the Japanese didn't know that.

The Washington Times covered it for two or three weeks and it was never mentioned again.

Kids from Boys Town in Nebraska were allegedly used.

Unpack that and hope your hair doesn't turn white.

Skeptikal , December 17, 2016 at 1:37 pm GMT \n
100 Words @NoseytheDuke

"Nobody is suggesting a rush to judgement here but clearly a prompt and thorough investigation is called for especially given the supporting evidence, as other commenters have pointed out."

Really.
If the putative "circumstantial evidence" that Russia-no! Putin himself!!-interfered in the American election suffices to launch the CIA on a nutty investigation whose purpose is, obviously, to "prove" that this is the case to the satisfaction of enough electors for them to become "faithless," then I think the Pizzagate emails plus "circumstantial" Pizzagate evidence are by comparison much more compelling and really scream for an investigation. In the Pizzagate case the investigating agency would presumably be the FBI. Which *might* be grounds to expect a genuine investigation.

No reasonable person would think that the emails really are about Podesta's playing dominos and having cheese for dinner. quite apart from the fact that cheese is usually mixed in with pasta!! Come on. I bet Podesta doesn't know how to play the game of dominos. What are these people really emailing about?

BB753 , December 18, 2016 at 1:35 pm GMT \n
@NoseytheDuke

The Podestas' silence about the leaks seems pretty damning in itself. Silence is an admission of guilt.

Eagle Eye , December 22, 2016 at 5:56 am GMT \n
100 Words @Sunbeam

For U.S. readers to gauge whether something like this COULD be happening in an advanced country, look to other countries where such incidents ARE known to have happened.

In Belgium, the Marc DUTROUX scandal led to political consequences and appears to be ongoing.

In the UK, the claims against Ted Heath and Cyril Smith (see picture of both in article linked below) are broadly seen as having at least some factual basis, and were reported in a number of newspapers including the Independent, the Guardian and the Daily Mail (see link below). Other names were rumored about.

There were also years of investigations and cover-ups involving various orphanages such as KINCORA (in Northern Ireland) and HAUTE GARENNE (on the Isle of Jersey). Both were conveniently located in somewhat remote locations outside the direct reach of English law.

There were also extensive rumors regarding several locations in London. Investigations were accompanied by the usual fortuitous deaths of potential witnesses, mysterious disappearance of documents, etc.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3189951/A-vanished-file-troubling-claims-Heath-young-musicians-s-no-smoking-gun-week-shocking-headlines-Mail-s-unearthed-fresh-allegations.html

FKA Max , December 24, 2016 at 10:11 pm GMT \n
200 Words @FKA Max

Mr. Cassiel concludes his 3-part series of Pizzagate articles:

Precedents for Pizzagate
Aedon Cassiel Published: December 23, 2016

http://www.counter-currents.com/2016/12/precedents-for-pizzagate/

To reiterate a point that should be clear to the more astute reader, my goal in this series (part 1, part 2) has not been to defend "Pizzagate" as such. My goal has been to defend the people who want to investigate it against specific accusations levied against them by people who think Pizzagate has revealed no intriguing information at all-for a specific reason, which I will be honing in and focusing on much more directly in this closing entry.

Whereas the mainstream critics of Pizzagate would have you believe that the world is divided between paranoid conspiracy theorist followers of "fake news" and level-headed people who follow trustworthy news sources and rely on cold, hard reason to determine the truth, my goal has been to show that-whatever is or is not happening with Pizzagate itself-this framing of the issue is arrogant, insulting, and the product of extremely narrow tunnel vision. [...]

And if the media is telling you only about the most bizarre, reaching accusations without telling you any of the more interesting points that have been uncovered (which it is), it is not doing its proper job."

foolisholdman , December 27, 2016 at 9:45 pm GMT \n
100 Words @Sandy Berger's Socks

If in fact making all the "elite" blackmailable is the object of the exercise and at the same time being blackmailable is the requisite entry ticket to the elite, then not all the people taking part in all this sinister deviancy need be actual pedophiles! Some of them could be "merely" psychopaths furthering their careers. (Not that that makes them any better.)

If this story is what it appears to be – the tip of a very nasty and very large iceberg, then it could be the mechanism by which the "Deep State" keeps its control of the US government. That would make getting an investigation by official investigators going, very difficlt indeed.

Ron Unz , December 27, 2016 at 10:07 pm GMT \n
200 Words @foolisholdman

If in fact making all the "elite" blackmailable is the object of the exercise and at the same time being blackmailable is the requisite entry ticket to the elite, then not all the people taking part in all this sinister deviancy need be actual pedophiles! Some of them could be "merely" psychopaths furthering their careers.

Well, I don't really have anything to contribute to the "Pizzagate" discussion myself, except to say that some of the supposed evidence plus the behavior of the media makes me very, *very* suspicious.

However, here's a somewhat related paragraph from one of the articles I published a year or two ago:

An obvious problem with installing puppet rulers is the risk that they will attempt to cut their strings, much like Putin soon outmaneuvered and exiled his oligarch patron Boris Berezovsky. One means of minimizing such risk is to select puppets who are so deeply compromised that they can never break free, knowing that the political self-destruct charges buried deep within their pasts could easily be triggered if they sought independence.

I have sometimes joked with my friends that perhaps the best career move for an ambitious young politician would be to secretly commit some monstrous crime and then make sure that the hard evidence of his guilt ended up in the hands of certain powerful people, thereby assuring his rapid political rise.

http://www.unz.com/runz/american-pravda-when-tokyo-rose-ran-for-president/

Junior , January 20, 2017 at 2:17 am GMT \n
1,100 Words

This is ALL about the child trafficing that the Clinton-Bush Foundation was doing in Haiti. It is the weakpoint in a global child trafficing network and it is why the Clinton-Bush Foundation has taken down their website and are attempting to cover up any traces of it as we speak. Trump knows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMJoNl2RHIU

Anyone who believes that it is ludicrous to think that pizzerias could be used for such nefarious operations, I 'd like to point out to you the case of "The French Connection" which later became known as "The Pizza Connection" in which a huge global network of pizzerias were being used to distribute drugs in the 1980′s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza_Connection_Trial

Anyone who believes that the pedophile code is purely circumstantial needs to take a look at the Katy Perry video "This Is How We Do" which appears to be an homage to Comet Pizza. It is absolutely rife with the code words from the Podesta emails revealed by Pizzagate. They prance around with convicted sex offender, who plea bargained out of a child porn charge, Pee-Wee Herman( http://people.com/celebrity/pee-wee-actor-settles-kiddie-porn-case/ ) singing about "this is how they do" and "it's no big deal".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RMQksXpQSk

Here is a video "Kids" by the group MGMT. The quote at the beginning of the video is from the quintessential Satanist Nietzsche("Free spirits", by contrast to the philosophers of the past, are "investigators to the point of cruelty, with rash fingers for the ungraspable, with teeth and stomach for the most indigestible" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Good_and_Evil ). The video shows them bragging about how prevalent they are through our community. The "do as thou wilt" bastards are laughing at us about how they control positions of authority like policemen(3:36 of video) and how childrens TV programs are filled with their garbage of wolves in sheeps clothing(4:24 of video). And of course the Pizza and Hot Dog symbology throughout the end which culminates with them eating the child. This trash has 77 million views on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe4EK4HSPkI

Here is the video "Criminal" by Fiona Apple. It is all about placing the blame on the victim, by saying that the victim enticed the pedo scum, instead of the perpetrator. This homage to Child Porn makes great pains to highlight Pizza(:21 and :38 of the video) and tiled kill rooms with easy clean-up(:45 of the video and blood stains on carpet at :48 and :54).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFOzayDpWoI

Junior , January 20, 2017 at 3:06 am GMT \n
100 Words @Junior

The lyrics from "In Bloom":
Sell the kids for food. Weather changes moods. Spring is here again. Reproductive Glands. We can have some more. Nature is a whore. Bruises on the fruit. Tender age in bloom . But he don't know what it means when I say "Yummmmmm"

It should be noted that there are two versions of this song. The original one has the Yummmmm heard at the end at 4:15 in this version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdlrEJk9RDY

FKA Max , January 20, 2017 at 5:55 am GMT \n
500 Words @FKA Max

Some potential victims of James Alefantis have been identified and one gave an anonymous testimony.

What James Alefantis allegedly did here is not illegal, but speaks volumes about his character, in my opinion, if the story indeed is true:
[...]
It turns out that Carole's son, who is +/-18 at this time, is also working at the restaurant. I think his name is Dylan/Dillon. He grew up without a father and turned to James Alefantis often for advice.
One night Carole walked into the comet pizza kitchen, and saw James Alefantis fucking her son in the kitchen. She was furious because she immediately knew how completely James had taken advantage of her son. She quit immediately and denounced James viciously in private, unwilling to do so publicly for professional reasons.

http://www.unz.com/article/precedents-for-pizzagate/#comment-1732211

The story checks out, so far: Carole Greenwood is a single mom and has a son named Dylan, who was 13 years old/young in 2003. [...] [–] daj 16 points (+16|-0) 11 hours ago (edited 10 hours ago)

It's legit: http://hollaforums.com/thread/8359034/politics/james-alefantis-fucks.html

Archive: https://archive.fo/iDbWN

http://www.unz.com/article/precedents-for-pizzagate/#comment-1732521

Disclaimer : I have absolutely no idea if this person is authentic, but since many Pizzagate critics argue that the scandal has not a leg to stand on, because no victims have come forward so far, I believe this testimony is important to share.
[...]
This is how he answered one of the questions on a voat comment thread. He seems to know/be aware of Dylan Greenwood
[...]
Here is one of the email exchanges between he and James Alefantis, that he did not delete: http://archive.is/8423t
[...]
After a little while when it was nearing the final exams, I was stressed out, exhausted and let my guard down and went out for some drinks with James a few times after work to get stuff off my chest. James would drug me up and then take advantage of me. When I threatened to go to the police he implied that he would harm me physically and said he would sue me. He had so many friends around DC that I believed him, I really was afraid, and just kept it all bottled up. I ended up getting PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, from what were effectively rapes, and later I began to realize that I likely had Stockholm Syndrome. I eventually quit the job, but James would send me lewd photos and texts for another 2 or three years at the rate of once about every 2 to 3 months, I think 6 months was the longest in that period. I had to kick him out of the place I worked when he came in every other month or so for about a year. Let this be a lesson: do not trust sociopaths and pathological liars.

http://www.unz.com/article/precedents-for-pizzagate/#comment-1733621

FKA Max , January 21, 2017 at 1:15 am GMT \n
200 Words @FKA Max

Former Comet Ping Pong Employee Alleges: "James Alefantis sexually assaulted me"
5 hours ago by abortionburger in pizzagate

https://steemit.com/pizzagate/@abortionburger/victim-comes-forward-i-was-sexually-assaulted-by-james-alefantis

Note: I have personally verified this person's identity and backstory. I obviously cannot verify his accusations. He wishes to remain anonymous.

By now, most people are at least vaguely familiar with the so-called "fake news" story known as Pizzagate. For those that aren't, the brief version is that self described "internet investigators" caught wind of some strange wording in the John Podesta emails released by Wikileaks, and went down the largest internet rabbit hole in recent history.

The story was quickly written off as mass hysteria, a conspiracy theory, and fake news by nearly all of mainstream media, and censored from the internet forum site Reddit. The theory, which has a plethora of circumstantial evidence, lacked one key factor: a victim. [...] The anonymous nature of internet forums leads to skeptics demanding proof of any seemingly outrageous claim. The publication of these emails adds credibility to his story.

[Jul 21, 2019] The Billionaire Pedophile Who Could Bring Down Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton by Brandy Zadrozny

This is from 2016 campaign
Notable quotes:
"... A judge threw out Guiffre's motion in 2015, but Guiffre stands by her claims and is suing Ghislaine Maxwell, whom she claims acted as Epstein's madam. ..."
"... Buckingham Palace has also denied the allegations against Prince Andrew, calling them "categorically untrue. ..."
"... Requests for comment to Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Clinton Foundation were not returned. The former president, who flew on the "The Lolita Express" at least 26 times from 2001 to 2003, has never addressed his ties with Epstein, a onetime major Democratic donor, according to Federal Election Commission records, who also gave millions to the Clinton Foundation even after his arrest for abusing underage girls. ..."
Jul 30, 2016 | www.thedailybeast.com

Trump's supporters have long wondered whether he'd use billionaire sicko Jeffrey Epstein as ammo against the Clintons-until a lurid new lawsuit accused The Donald of raping one of Epstein's girls himself. Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the withdrawal of Virginia Roberts Guiffre's allegations against Alan Dershowitz and the striking of the allegations from the court record by a federal judge. For Jeffrey Epstein and his famous friends, the Aughts were a simpler time, when the businessmen, academics, and celebrities who counted themselves among the playboy philanthropist's inner circle could freely enjoy the fruits of his extreme wealth and connections. Epstein's little black book and flight logs read like a virtual Who's Who: Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Larry Summers, Kevin Spacey, Prince Andrew , and Naomi Campbell all hitched rides on Epstein's private planes. Socialites and distinguished scientists went to visit Epstein's island in St. Thomas, and cavorted at epic dinner parties at his palatial townhouse-then the largest privately owned residence in New York, as he liked to brag .

There, they picked at elaborate meals catered by celebrity chefs like Rocco DiSpirito, marvelled at Epstein's opulent decor, and noted the pack of very, very young model-types with whom Epstein always seemed to surround himself. But a darker story was going on underneath the glamour. In 2008, Epstein was convicted of soliciting sex from an underage girl and quietly paid settlements to scores of alleged victims who said he serially molested them. But the girls kept coming out of the woodwork-in 2014, another young woman filed a lawsuit claiming that Epstein used her as a sex slave for his powerful friends-and that she'd been at parties on his private island with former President Clinton. And just last week, yet another "Jane Doe" filed a suit in New York accusing Epstein and Donald Trump of raping her at a series of sex parties when she was only 13.

... ... ...

By the time Epstein was arrested in 2008, police in Palm Beach County, Florida, had already spent months monitoring his movements, rifling through his trash, and interviewing potential victims and witnesses. Police reported to prosecutors that they had gathered enough evidence to charge the money manager with several felonies: lewd and lascivious molestation and four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Epstein's freedom, his wealth, his little black book full of famous folk-including princes, presidents, and prime ministers-all were seemingly at stake.

So Epstein did what the mega-rich do in these situations: hired star attorneys Gerald Lefcourt and Alan Dershowitz, who defended their client vigorously, reportedly having witnesses followed and discrediting the alleged victims by offering their MySpace pages as evidence of supposed drug use and scandalous behavior.

Prosecutors said Epstein's dream team made successful prosecution unlikely. "Our judgment in this case, based on the evidence known at the time, was that it was better to have a billionaire serve time in jail, register as a sex offender, and pay his victims restitution than risk a trial with a reduced likelihood of success," U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta explained in a 2011 letter.

And so, despite a decade of alleged serial sexual abuse and rape of an unknowable number of girls, some as many as 100 times according to court filings, the notoriously secretive financier was offered a deal. For the alleged systematic victimization of young girls-most of whom were plucked by Epstein's assistants from Palm Beach's poorer neighborhoods and groomed to adore or acquiesce to him-he was slapped with a 2008 conviction on a single charge of soliciting a minor; and sentenced to an 18-month stay in a Palm Beach county jail-of which he served only 13 months and was allowed to leave six days out of every week for "work release." He also agreed to a few dozen confidential, out-of-court payoffs to his accusers, the most recent of which was finalized in 2011.

Epstein's "potential co-conspirators," as the U.S. Attorney called them-women who allegedly procured girls for Epstein-also received immunity from prosecution as a condition of the 2007 agreement that enraged the local police force for its leniency. As of 2015, according to The Guardian, two of these women had changed their names, and were operating businesses out of a building owned by Epstein's brother, where it was alleged in court documents that Epstein had housed young women.

Though Epstein must register as a sex offender for life, and arguably suffer the world's most revolting Google presence, he has seemingly retained his collection of elite academic and media friends as well as his fortune. Since his release in 2009, Epstein has gone about his business, running a mysterious money management firm (clients unknown, income unknown, investments and activities unknown) from his private 70-acre island in the U.S. Virgin Islands and spending time at his Uptown stone mansion. The palace was gifted to Epstein, some say, by its previous owner-Epstein's guardian angel and the founder of The Limited Inc., Leslie Wexner.

... ... ...

In December 2014, just as the Palm Beach lawsuits were winding down, another alleged victim emerged and her claims were salacious: Epstein, she said, had loaned her out as an underage sex slave to his famous friends -- including Britain's Prince Andrew and Epstein defense attorney Dershowitz (both men denied the charges). Coming forward in Britain's Daily Mail in 2011, Virginia Roberts Guiffre-called Jane Doe #3 in a related lawsuit ( PDF )-claimed that Epstein and his "girlfriend," alleged madame Ghislaine Maxwell, forced her to have sex with the pair's powerful pals and gather intel that Epstein could later use. In court documents, Guiffre testified, "Epstein and Maxwell also told me that they wanted me to produce things for them in addition to performing sex on the men. They told me to pay attention to the details about what the men wanted so I could report back to them."

Guiffre noted that Epstein appeared to be collecting information on Prince Andrew-particularly on his alleged foot fetish-and claimed, "Epstein also trafficked me for sexual purposes to other powerful men, including politicians and powerful business executives. Epstein required me to describe the sexual events I had with these men presumably so that he could potentially blackmail them. I am still very fearful of these men today." A judge threw out Guiffre's motion in 2015, but Guiffre stands by her claims and is suing Ghislaine Maxwell, whom she claims acted as Epstein's madam. Meanwhile, the men named by Guiffre seem eager for her to go away. "It's as if I've been waterboarded for 15 months," Dershowitz told the Boston Globe after the settlement of a defamation case related to Guiffre's claims. "This has taken a terrible toll on my family, on my friends " Buckingham Palace has also denied the allegations against Prince Andrew, calling them "categorically untrue."

UPDATE: This April, Giuffre's lawyers withdrew her allegations against Dershowitz and said that it was a "mistake" to have filed the accusations in the first place. A federal judge later struck her allegations against Dershowitz from the court record. At Dershowitz's request, Louis Freeh, the former head of the FBI, also conducted an independent investigation of her claims and published a statement noting, "Our investigation found no evidence to support the accusations of sexual misconduct against Professor Dershowitz."

In her lawsuit, Guiffre had claimed that during trips to Epstein's private island, she'd also encountered another very famous person: former President Bill Clinton. Guiffre alleges the former U.S. president visited Epstein's "Orgy Island" when there were underage girls present, but added that she never had sex with him and never saw him have sex with any of the young women. Still, it's these sorts of allegations that have journalists and Clinton-haters circling. Just last month, pundits on MSNBC's Morning Joe were speculating about Bill Clinton's oft-discussed friendship with Epstein and whether it would be the go-to play for a Trump campaign looking to combat Hillary Clinton's claims that Trump is bad for women .

Requests for comment to Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Clinton Foundation were not returned. The former president, who flew on the "The Lolita Express" at least 26 times from 2001 to 2003, has never addressed his ties with Epstein, a onetime major Democratic donor, according to Federal Election Commission records, who also gave millions to the Clinton Foundation even after his arrest for abusing underage girls.

"I invest in people-be it politics or science. It's what I do," Epstein has reportedly said to friends. "There's a 100 percent chance [Trump] is going there," said former McCain strategist Steve Schmidt on Morning Joe , referring to Clinton's friendship with the pervy moneyman.

[Feb 23, 2019] It looks like an effort is going on to stamp out news of what these other "bigger fish" were up to

Feb 23, 2019 | www.zerohedge.com

chunga , 5 hours ago

It's really interesting that I was listening to a Boston sports radio station as the thing with Kraft and prostitution was unfolding and ESPN's reporter Adam Schefter was on and he denied his initial reporting about the 200 other guys and "bigger fish".

It looks like an effort is going on to stamp out news of what these other "bigger fish" were up to.

edit to expound on that. Adam Schefter got caught, and remains in, a fake news warp. Right before he came on the WEEI radio show they had a TMZ guy come on and he said the names they showed were the only ones.

Schefter said what he said and the radio guys were talking about it and asked him about the 200 names and the bigger fish and he denied saying it. So what happened as far as I can tell is TMZ got the memo from fake news hqtrs to *** it and Schefter/ESPN did not.

People are saying who cares about old guys paying for blow jobs - but according to the popo spokesman - this multi-agency investigation is not about prostitution but about human trafficking which moves the needle from raunchy to sinister.

[Feb 23, 2019] Trump appoints the prosecutor who slapped Epstein on the wrist for Lolita Express crime

Notable quotes:
"... Trump didn't drain the swamp, he pour fertilizer in it. ..."
"... The shekel counting big snout alligators? They're particularly nasty. ..."
"... Acosta = Epstein Pedogate Prosecutor "When I first heard the name Alexander Acosta, Trump's new pick for Labor Secretary, I knew it sounded eerily familiar. And then it dawned on me. He was the U.S. Attorney in charge of the Southern District of Florida from 2006 through 2009, and oversaw a sweetheart deal for Jeffrey Epstein." ..."
"... Trump - Epstein civil suit COMPLAINT FOR RAPE, SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, CRIMINAL SEXUAL ACTS, SEXUAL ABUSE, FORCIBLE TOUCHING, ASSAULT, BATTERY, INTENTIONAL AND RECKLESS INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, DURESS, FALSE IMPRISONMENT, AND DEFAMATION ..."
"... Over 200 children. 12,13,14 years old. Broken homes. Different countries. "Punishment" = Empty wing of a comfy 'prison' with liberal leave privledges for him to work from his office, where he could receive guests including females. That's not prison Tyler's, it's ******* daycare - which is the kind of place he's attracted to. Stop calling it / quoting it as a "prison sentence". ..."
Feb 23, 2019 | www.zerohedge.com

gildedtime , 3 hours ago link

So Trump appoints the prosecutor who slapped Epstein on the wrist for a cabinet position. This is so obvious as Trump was part of the Lolita Express as was lifelong Democrat Alan Dershowitz who has suddenly flipped to Trump's most ardent supporter as well as the usual group of pervs like Clinton and Spacey (who cares I guess).

Trump didn't drain the swamp, he pour fertilizer in it.

Karl Malden's Nose , 54 minutes ago link

The shekel counting big snout alligators? They're particularly nasty.

William Dorritt , 3 hours ago link
Acosta = Epstein Pedogate Prosecutor "When I first heard the name Alexander Acosta, Trump's new pick for Labor Secretary, I knew it sounded eerily familiar. And then it dawned on me. He was the U.S. Attorney in charge of the Southern District of Florida from 2006 through 2009, and oversaw a sweetheart deal for Jeffrey Epstein."
http://lawnewz.com/high-profile/trumps-new-labor-secretary-pick-protected-convicted-pedophile-billionaire-jeffrey-epstein-from-prosecution/
Anonymous_Beneficiary , 3 hours ago link

https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000158-26b6-dda3-afd8-b6fe46f40000

Trump - Epstein civil suit COMPLAINT FOR RAPE, SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, CRIMINAL SEXUAL ACTS, SEXUAL ABUSE, FORCIBLE TOUCHING, ASSAULT, BATTERY, INTENTIONAL AND RECKLESS INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, DURESS, FALSE IMPRISONMENT, AND DEFAMATION

SpinDrift , 4 hours ago link

Over 200 children. 12,13,14 years old. Broken homes. Different countries. "Punishment" = Empty wing of a comfy 'prison' with liberal leave privledges for him to work from his office, where he could receive guests including females. That's not prison Tyler's, it's ******* daycare - which is the kind of place he's attracted to. Stop calling it / quoting it as a "prison sentence".

Must be some really compromising video footage with some very powerful people on it to get that kind of deal. Day of the rope for that **** and all who let him walk. No exceptions.

Return_of_Byzantium , 4 hours ago link

I had to search this up to believe what you said. Holy ****... the rabbit hole is deeper than most realize:

" Instead of being sent to state prison, Epstein was housed in a private wing of the Palm Beach County jail. And rather than having him sit in a cell most of the day, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office allowed Epstein work release privileges, which enabled him to leave the jail six days a week, for 12 hours a day, to go to a comfortable office that Epstein had set up in West Palm Beach. This was granted despite explicit sheriff's department rules stating that sex offenders don't qualify for work release ."

Helena Bonham-Carter , 3 hours ago link

When you have dirt on the Clintons, and you **** up, and they can't kill you, this is what you get.

Anonymous_Beneficiary , 3 hours ago link

https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/new-photos-bill-clinton-trump-melania-227945

Groundround , 4 hours ago link

Note how they spent hours to placate and kowtow to the pedophile while dumping on the victims. That is because the government is loaded with dog **** like the half monkey Epstein and his fellow tribe members. The only justice left to Americans will come from the streets. I am completely against torture and war, yet this piece of scum should be waterboarded for names. They need to clear out those members of government who have been compromised by the activities of the tribe.

Realname , 4 hours ago link

Well, the swamp would, finally, be drained.

ashu.lsa56 , 4 hours ago link

I g­e­t p­a­i­d o­v­e­r $­9­0 p­e­r h­o­u­r w­o­r­k­i­n­g f­r­o­m h­o­m­e w­i­t­h 2 k­i­d­s a­t h­o­m­e. I n­e­v­e­r t­h­o­u­g­h­t I­'­d b­e a­b­l­e t­o d­o i­t b­u­t m­y b­e­s­t f­r­i­e­n­d e­a­r­n­s o­v­e­r 1­0­k a m­o­n­t­h d­o­i­n­g t­h­i­s a­n­d s­h­e c­o­n­v­i­n­c­e­d m­e t­o t­r­y. T­h­e p­o­t­e­n­t­i­a­l w­i­t­h t­h­i­s i­s e­n­d­l­e­s­s. H­e­r­e­s w­h­a­t I'v­e b­e­e­n d­o­i­n­g,

HERE►► http://www.todaysfox.com

Miss Tick , 2 hours ago link

Those spammers are criminals

The websites contain not only virus, malware, spyware whatever. .. (depends on your PC protection)

It is a ripoff . You never get paid a cent. But if one is gullible and naive enough to give away to shady strangers personal data as address, birth date, social security number, credit card number, bank account etc., they empty your account , and they do Identity theft.

p.e. They ask for an initial payment for training, or they sell you a starter kit etc., so they get your data. Or they promise you to pay salary in advance, before they ever saw you. Sometimes they have "real" job interviews with a "recruiter" by Skype or Smartphones facial, no skills required, with faked websites of real companies, faked or personal email addresses.

Grandad Grumps , 4 hours ago link

Cage Mueller!!

SocratesSolutions , 4 hours ago link

Every last pedophile is dead meat just like Judaica is dead meat which promoted it. No, you cannot touch a kid any longer, ignorant arrogant sick followers of the Talmud and Kabbalah, for the Talmud and Kabbalah will be burned out of every last Synagogue on the planet just as the entire religion will be burned down to the ground. Including many dumb parts of the Bible. Take for example that sick *** stupid mother ******* event where some guy holds a knife up to his son because God told him to. You ignorant arrogant assholes. God never said any such thing, and God sure as hell never said you were chosen! Well, I take that back. You see, God told me that you are actually especially chosen for the *** kicking of a millenia.

www.21stcenturyworldmessage.com

charlie_don't_surf , 4 hours ago link

Root em out.

Walter Melon , 4 hours ago link

Ruh roh!

That's right, I said it.

RayUSA , 4 hours ago link

This is the manner that the scum in the so called "Justice Department" works to protect pedophiles. If it wasn't for an intense amount of corruption, Epstein would have been prosecuted by the full extent of the law. Instead, sneaky deals by the scum bags that "prosecuted" this fraud of a case ended up with a plea agreement which "punished" this slimy creep with a measly 13 month sentence.

To add insult to injury to the victims, the civil case is dragged on for 11 years.

This is the same type of "justice" that is in place that has protected the Catholic clergy pedophiles, which for the most part, never saw the inside of a court room for their unspeakable crimes.

Why are pedophiles seemingly protected in this society? Is it because pedophilia is rampant among so many that are in powerful positions? I think we all know the answer to that one.

stubb , 4 hours ago link

LOL. Since when do the courts or any other part of the government care about breaking laws.

dirty fingernails , 4 hours ago link

When you and I do it. 2 tier justice system.

ConservativeOldMan , 4 hours ago link

And then there are all Epstein's friends, who enjoyed themselves with little girls on that benighted island: hearsay includes both the Clintons among them, and the Queen of England's second son, prince someone or the other. I assume that what they did on that island was felonious. Need to go after them.

And then there's ACOSTA - our current Federal Secretary of Labor. TRUMP NEEDS TO FIRE HIM, perhaps to prosecute him.

Realname , 4 hours ago link

Hasnt Trump, also, been a guest there?

Karl Malden's Nose , 4 hours ago link

Shhhh, never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Orange Jesus is their messiah. He can do no wrong. He was misquoted when he said he'd bang his daughter, ignore those creepy photos too.

Realname , 4 hours ago link

Apparently, critical thinking is becoming rare. Go team!

Proud-Christian-White-American-Man , 3 hours ago link

Karl Malden's Nose: Guess you are letting Trump Derangement Syndrome get in the way of the facts.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-12-12/fusion-gps-tried-and-failed-link-trump-jeffrey-epstein

Karl Malden's Nose , 1 hour ago link

Facts? Oh you mean like the Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislane Maxwell connection? Yeah. Wait, they obviously never met right? "He's a lot of fun to be with," "It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."

https://fitzinfo.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/trump-and-epstein.jpg

https://fitzinfo.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/epstein-and-trump-at-mar-a-lago.jpg

https://i0.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/JeffreyEpsteinDonaldTrumpBillClintonSexOffenderBearStearnsChildMolestation.jpg?w=1920&ssl=1

Who could forget this gem?

https://fitzinfo.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/trump_daughter-ivanka_creepy_01.jpg

tmosley , 4 hours ago link

No, he just borrowed the plane.

gildedtime , 3 hours ago link

Trump needs to fire him? Trump hired him! It wasn't a coincidence.

MasterPo , 4 hours ago link

This ****** is toast. If you don't get that, you're just not ready for what's happening, and it's OK. The adults have stepped in, and are cleaning house. The streets will be paved with the carcases of these pedophiles, satanists, and assorted scumbags. Some will be from the dregs of society, others from the highest echelons, but none will escape.

[So it has been spoken, so it shall be done... (Yul Brenner as Pharoah - from The Ten Commandments)]

Groundround , 4 hours ago link

I think the only justice to be done will be that we do ourselves. But that time is coming. A lot of folks have had enough of Epstein and his cronies.

Ignorance is bliss , 4 hours ago link

Double jepopardy. Can't go to trial twice for the same crime. The pedophile walks among us.

UmbilicalMosqueSweeper , 4 hours ago link

Multiple crimes, not just one crime.

Karl Malden's Nose , 4 hours ago link

Except he was never tried for sex trafficking. He plead guilty to two prostitution charges. Send the **** to the slammer, better still the gallows.

Shadow1275 , 4 hours ago link

Got Em!

khnum , 4 hours ago link

You can run on for a long time

run on for a long time

run on for a long time

Sooner or later God'll cut you down

Sooner or later God'll cut you down,

(from Johnny Cash,God's Gonna Cut You Down)

johnnycanuck , 4 hours ago link

One can only hope, but hope never amounts to anything so long as the robber barons continue to run everything.

As my old bro used to say; We thank God for the blessings we are about to receive, the ones I worked hard for.

khnum , 4 hours ago link

I figure God helps those that help themselves,there is an afterlife though,the trick is being in this world but not of it.I have a roof over my head,a full belly,an income and good family and friends hell thats better than 70 per cent on this planet so I tend not to be much of a God botherer.

johnny two shoes , 4 hours ago link

And Epstein was there at Chelsea Hubbell's wedding...

UmbilicalMosqueSweeper , 4 hours ago link

Think he banged her?

RufusMacDuff , 4 hours ago link

Nah, it was far too old...

Karl Malden's Nose , 4 hours ago link

Come now, even Chelsea's hubby hasn't fucked around in that hairy cabbage patch. They sent her to the vet to get inseminated.

johnny two shoes , 4 hours ago link

I must apologize, it seems his pimpette (?) named Ghislaine was there, representing Prince Andrew, who also seems to like them young, ... not sure if thats why Fergie left him... its complicated...

As far as the Clinton Foundation paying for the 3 million dollar wedding, well that's murky too

sorry

johnnycanuck , 4 hours ago link

Far more important in the here and now is Bernie Sanders refused to go with the Dims and back fat Mike's 'Guido' in Venezuela. The head of the Clinton Foundation , a Congresswoman from Florida and ex Bill Clinton Secretary of something, loudly condemned Bernie and said he will NEVER be the Dems candidate for President.

https://www.rt.com/usa/452141-sanders-venezuela-guaido-maduro/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Shalala

[Apr 22, 2018] Yeah. Sociopath. Gives me the shivers. Bill is the same, but conceals it better.

Notable quotes:
"... Yeah. Sociopath. Gives me the shivers. Bill is the same, but conceals it better. I mean, WTF, the guy had state troopers bringing him any pussy he spotted on his lunch break. ..."
Apr 22, 2018 | www.unz.com

Steve Gittelson , April 18, 2018 at 1:55 am GMT

@Rurik

Yeah. Sociopath. Gives me the shivers. Bill is the same, but conceals it better. I mean, WTF, the guy had state troopers bringing him any pussy he spotted on his lunch break.

Jesus, the rejects this country brings to the White House it's a wonder there's anything left of this country at all.

[Apr 01, 2018] All the President s Women by Andrew Levine

This is probably the most vicious attack on Trump trangressions that i encountered so far...
Notable quotes:
"... The problem for Trump is that what his accusers are saying puts him in legal and political jeopardy. They are claiming, in effect, that he has committed a variety of unlawful and impeachable offenses – from obstruction of justice to violations of campaign finance laws. ..."
"... The Clinton-Lewinsky dalliance led to a series of events that prevented Clinton from doing even more harm to our feeble welfare state institutions than he would otherwise have done. ..."
"... Fire and Fury ..."
Apr 01, 2018 | www.counterpunch.org

There is no doubt about it: Stormy Daniels is a formidable woman. Karen McDougal is no slouch either, though she is hard to admire after that riff, in her Anderson Cooper interview, about how religious and Republican she is; she even said that she used to love the Donald. Stormy Daniels is better than that.

How wonderfully appropriate it would be if she were to become the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.

Even in a world as topsy-turvy as ours has become, there has to be a final straw.

To be sure, evidence of Trump's vileness, incompetence, and mental instability is accumulating at breakneck speed, and there are polls now that show support for him holding fast or even slightly rising. Trump's hardcore "base" seems more determined than ever to stand by their man.

But even people as benighted as they are bound to realize eventually that they have been had. Many of them already do, but don't care; they hate Clinton Democrats that much. This is understandable, but foolish; so foolish, in fact, that they can hardly keep it up indefinitely.

To think otherwise is to despair for the human race.

What, if anything, can bring them to their senses in time for the 2018 election?

Stormy Daniels says she only wants to tell her story, not bring Trump down. But her political instincts seem decent, and she is one shrewd lady. Therefore, I would not be the least surprised if that is not quite true. It hardly matters, though, what her intentions are; I'd put my money on her.

A recession might also do the trick. A recession is long overdue, and Trump's tax cut for the rich and his tariffs are sure to make its consequences worse when it happens.

To turn significant portions of Trump's base against him, a major military conflagration might also do -- not the kind Barack Obama favored, fought far away and out of public view, but a real war, televised on CNN, and waged against an enemy state like North Korea or Iran. It would have to go quickly and disastrously wrong, though, in ways that even willfully blind, terminally obtuse Trump supporters could not fail to see.

Or the gods could smile upon us, causing Trump's exercise regimen (sitting in golf carts) and his fat-ridden, cholesterol rich diet to catch up with him, as it would with most other sedentary septuagenarians. The only downside would be that a heart attack or stroke might elicit sympathy for the poor bastard. No sane person could or should hope for a calamitous economic downturn or for yet another devastating, pointless, and manifestly unjust war, especially one that could become a war to end all wars (along with everything else), on the off-chance that some good might come of it. And if the best we can do is hope that cheeseburgers with fries will save us, we are grasping at straws.

These are compelling reasons to hope that the accusations made by Daniels and McDougal and Summer Zervos – and other consensual and non-consensual Trump victims and "playmates" – gain traction. If the several defamation lawsuits now in the works can get the president deposed, this is not out of the question.

The problem for Trump is not that his accusers' revelations will cause his base to defect; no matter how salacious their stories and no matter how believable they may be. Trump's moral turpitude is taken for granted in their circles; and they do not care about the myriad ways his words and deeds offend the dignity of the office he holds or embarrass the country he purports to put "first." If any of that mattered to them, they would have jumped ship long ago.

Except perhaps for unreconstructed racists and certifiable sociopaths, white evangelicals are Trump's strongest supporters. What a despicable bunch of hypocrites they are! As long as Trump delivers on their agendas, his salacious escapades don't faze them at all. Godly folk have evidently changed a good deal since the Cotton Mather days.

What has not changed is their seemingly limitless ability to believe nonsense.

And in case light somehow does manage to shine through, Trump has shown them how to restore the darkness they crave. When cognitive dissonance threatens, all they need do is scream "fake news."

The problem for Trump is that what his accusers are saying puts him in legal and political jeopardy. They are claiming, in effect, that he has committed a variety of unlawful and impeachable offenses – from obstruction of justice to violations of campaign finance laws.

In this case as in so many others, it is the cover-up, not the underlying "crime," that could lead to his undoing – especially if the stories Daniels and the others are telling shed light upon or otherwise connect with or meld into Robert Mueller's investigation of (alleged) Russian "meddling" in the 2016 election.

Trump could and probably will survive their charges. His base is such a preternaturally obdurate lot that there may ultimately be no last straw for them. We may have no choice, in the end, but to despair for a sizeable chunk of the human race.

Stormy Daniels would not be any less admirable on that account. She took Trump on and came out on top. For all the world (minus the willfully blind) to see, she, the porn star, is a strong woman who has her life together, while he, the president, is a discombobulated sleaze ball who is leading himself and his country to ruin.

***

It was different with Monica Lewinsky, another presidential paramour who, almost two decades ago, also held the world's attention.

There was nothing sleazy or venal about Lewinsky's involvement with Bill Clinton; and, for all I know, unless chastity counts, she is as good and virtuous a person as can be. But personal qualities are not what made her affair with our forty-second president as historically significant as it turned out to be.

It would be fair to say that of all the women who have ever had intimate knowledge of that old horn dog's private parts, there is no one who did more good for her country. If only for that, if there were a heaven, there would be special place in it just for her.

The Clinton-Lewinsky dalliance led to a series of events that prevented Clinton from doing even more harm to our feeble welfare state institutions than he would otherwise have done.

Who knows how much progress he would have turned back had he and Monica never done the deed or at least not been found out. Building on groundwork laid down by Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush, he and his wife had already terminated Aid to Families With Dependent Children, one of the main government programs aimed at relieving poverty. This was to be just the first step in "ending welfare as we know it."

With their "donors" pushing for more austerity, those two neoliberal pioneers were itching to begin privatizing other, more widely supported social programs, including even Social Security, the so-called "third rail" of American politics.

The "Lewinsky matter" put the kybosh on that idea, leaving the American people forever in Monica's debt.

Back in the Kennedy days, Mel Brook's two-thousand year old man got it right when he said: presidents "gotta do it," to which he added – " because if they don't do it to their wives and girlfriends, they do it to the nation."

Stormy Daniels made much the same point ten years ago, while flirting with the idea of running against Louisiana Senator David Vitter. Vitter's political career had been almost ruined when his name turned up in the phone records of the infamous "DC Madam," Deborah Jeane Palfrey. Daniels told voters that, unlike Vitter, she would "screw (them) honestly."

What then are we to make of the fact that Trump screws both the nation and his wife (maybe) and his girlfriends (or whatever they are)?

Blame it on arrested development, on the fact that despite his more than seventy-one years, Trump still has the mind of a teenage boy, one with money and power enough to live out his fantasies.

The contrast with Bill Clinton is stark. Clinton is a philanderer with eclectic tastes, a charming rascal with a broad and mischievous mind. Honkytonk women from Arkansas appeal to him as much as zaftig MOTs from the 90210 area code.

Trump, on the other hand, goes for super-models, Playboy centerfolds, and aspiring beauty queens -- standard teenage fantasy fare.

He seems to have had little trouble living his dreams – not thanks to his magnetic face, form and figure, and certainly not to his refinement, wit or charm, but to his inherited and otherwise ill-gotten wealth.

It is money and the power that follows from it that draws women to his net.

Henry Kissinger understood; recall his musings on the aphrodisiacal properties of power. Even in his prime, that still unindicted war criminal (and later-day Hillary Clinton advisor) was even more repellent than Trump. But that never kept him from having to fight the ladies off.

This fact of life puts a heavy responsibility on the women with whom presidents hook up.

Consider Melania. She made a Faustian bargain when she agreed to become Trump's trophy bride; in return for riches and a soft life in a gilded tower, she sold her soul. She might have thought better of it had she taken the burdens she would incur as First Lady into account, but why would she? The prospect was too improbable.

She has, it seems, a very practical, old world view of marriage, and is therefore tolerant of her husband's womanizing. At the same time, as a mother and daughter, she is, like most immigrants, a strong proponent of old world "family values."

Too much of a proponent perhaps; insofar as her idea was to "chain migrate" her parents out of Slovenia and onto Easy Street, or to raise a kid who would never want for anything, there were less onerous ways of going about it. After all, there are plenty of rich Americans lusting after supermodels out there, and it is a good bet that many of them are less repellent than Trump.

She was irresponsible as well. She ought to have realized that the man she married had already spawned two idiot sons, along with other fruit from the poisonous tree, and that four bad apples in one generation are enough.

And so now she finds herself a single mother – not in theory, of course, but very definitely in practice. Unlike most women in that position, she is not wanting for resources. But it must be a hard slog, even so. To her credit, Melania seems to be handling the burden well. More power to her!

She also deserves credit for her body language when the Donald is around; the contempt she shows for him is wonderful to behold. Best of all is her sense of the absurd. The way she plagiarized from Michelle Obama had obvious comic validity, and making childhood bullying her First Lady cause – all First Ladies have causes -- was a stroke of genius.

On balance, therefore, it is hard not to feel sorry for her. Of all the women in Trump's ambit, she deserves humiliation the least.

The rumor mill has it that with all the publicity about Daniels and the others , she has finally had enough. This may be the case; the old world ethos requires discretion and a concern with appearances. That is not the Donald's way, however, and now she is paying the price.

What a magnificent humiliation it would be if she and Trump were to split up on that account. This could happen soon. I would expect, though, that through a combination of carrots and sticks, Trump and his fixers will find a way to minimize the political effects. More likely still, they will channel Joe Kennedy and Jackie O, and figure out a way to head the problem off.

Then there is poor forgotten Tiffany. Her Wikipedia entry lists her as both a law student and a "socialite." I hope her studious side wins out and that, despite the genes from her father's side, she is at least somewhat decent and smart.

I'd be more confident of that if she would do what Ronald Reagan's daughter, Patti, did: use her mother's, not her father's, name. Unless she is a sleaze ball too, a Trump in the Eric and Don Junior mold, that would be a fine way to make a political point.

It would also pay back over the years. With the Trump administration on its current trajectory, who, in a few years' time, would take a Tiffany Trump seriously? A Tiffany Maples would stand a better chance.

Her half-sister, the peerless Ivanka, the Great Blonde Hope, is, of course, her father's sweetie. Let's not go there, however. Her marriage to Jared Kushner is already enough to process.

What a pair those two make; and what a glorious day it will be when the law finally catches up with Jared, as it did with his Trump-like father, Charles. Perhaps he will take Ivanka down a notch or two with him. Despite an almost complete lack of qualifications, Trump made his son-in-law his minister of almost everything; a pretty good gig for a feckless, airhead rich kid. Among other things, Trump enabled him to become Benjamin Netanyahu's ace in the hole. Netanyahu is a Kushner family friend. Netanyahu has more than his share of legal troubles too. Let them all go down together!

Ivanka and Jared are well matched – they share a "business model." It has them exploiting their daddies' connections and money.

Jared peddles real estate; his efforts have gotten his family into serious debt, while putting him in solid with Russian and Eastern European oligarchs, Gulf state emirs, and Mohammad bin Salman – people in comparison with whom his father-in-law seems almost virtuous.

Ivanka sells trinkets and schmatas to people who think the Trump name is cool. There actually are such people; at two hundred grand a pop, Mar-a-Lago is full of them. Ivanka's demographic is made up mostly of their younger set.

Two other presidential women bare mention: Hope Hicks and Nikki Haley. Surely, they both have tales to tell, but it looks, for now, as if their stories would be of little or no prurient interest. Neither of them appear to have been propositioned or groped.

Even though Hicks is said to be like a daughter to the Donald – we know what that could mean! – it is a safe bet that there was nothing of a romantic nature going on between them. For one thing, Hicks seems too close to Ivanka; for another, she is known to have dallied with two Trump subordinates, Corey Lewandowski and Rob Porter. The don is hardly the type to let his underlings have at his women.

Haley had to quash a spate of rumors that flared up thanks to some suggestive remarks Michael Wolff made while hawking Fire and Fury . The rumor caught on because people who hadn't yet fully realized what a piece of work Trump is, imagined that something had to be awry inasmuch as her main qualification for representing the United States at the United Nations was an undergraduate degree in accounting. Abject servility to the Israel lobby also helped.

But the Trump administration is full of ambitious miscreants whose views on Israel and Palestine are as abject and servile as hers, and compared to many others in Trump's cabinet she is, if anything, over qualified. Think of neurosurgeon Ben Carson heading the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He is qualified because, as a child, he lived in public housing.

With the exception of Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Summer Zervos and whoever else comes forward with a juicy and credible tale to tell, the women currently in the president's ambit, though good for gossip and interesting in the ways that characters on reality TV shows can be, are of little or no political consequence.

This could change if any of them decides to "go rogue," to use an expression from the Sarah Palin days. But, while neither Melania nor Tiffany can yet be judged hopeless, it would be foolish to expect much of anything good to come from either of them.

Stormy, Karen, Summer, and whoever else steps forward are a better bet. They are the only ones with any chance of doing as much for their country and the world as Monica Lewinsky did a generation ago.

Among the president's women, they are a breed apart. This is plainly the case with Stormy Daniels; it is already clear that she deserves what all Trump's money can never buy – honor and esteem. To the extent that the others turn out to be similarly courageous, they will too.

[Oct 02, 2017] Bill Black: Marriage and the Jobs Guarantee

Jobs is another significant stress on modern marriage...
Notable quotes:
"... This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 297 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page , which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why we're doing this fundraiser, what we've accomplished in the last year and our current goal, more meetups and travel . ..."
"... By Bill Black, the author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One, an associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and co-founder of Bank Whistleblowers United. Jointly published with New Economic Perspectives ..."
"... The "young woman with crusty old rich guy" is so common it's a cliché. ..."
"... The tactic is only going to sway a portion of the cultural warriors, because a lot of them are arguing in bad faith. ..."
Oct 02, 2017 | www.nakedcapitalism.com

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Yves Smith This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 297 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page , which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why we're doing this fundraiser, what we've accomplished in the last year and our current goal, more meetups and travel .

Yves here. Bill Black's article is well timed as well as important. Tonight, the Wall Street Journal was flogging "Cheap Sex and the Decline of Marriage," adapted from a new book, which argues that young men aren't getting married because it's so easy for them to get laid. Black takes on this effort to try to present good old fashioned moralism as the remedy for deeper economic problems in his next column in this series, so let me have a mini-go at its first.

It does not appear to occur to author Mark Regnerus that young women might be the ones who aren't so keen to get married, due among other things to the widely reported immaturity of young men. Moreover, there are now more women than men graduating from college and law schools than men. Women are acculturated to marrying up or at worst sideways, income-wise. Might another problem be a shortage of sufficiently-desirable partners?

The book's findings are also at odds with trends that have been widely reported: more young people, particularly young men, being less keen about having casual sex; the number of sex partners among young people falling and the age when young people on average start having sex rising. Admittedly, some of this change has been attributed to smart phones degrading social skills to the point that it apparently makes young people less adept at flirting and seduction.

To give an idea of the caliber of this alleged research, this was the only argument presented to counter the notion that young people aren't getting married because many aren't making enough to set up households:

A May 2017 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, focusing on regions enriched by the fracking boom, found that increased wages in those places did nothing to boost marriage rates.

Help me. What do you think mining boom towns are like? Answer: they bring in a lot of men, from engineers (yes, petroleum engineers skew male) and oil industry workers like derrickhands. They do risky physical work and are paid well. But most of the men are transients, and aren't looking to stay and marry local women. Moreover, the influx of men skews the gender ratio, putting the men who are interested in getting married at a disadvantage from a dating perspective (if you think men who want to get laid can't fake romantic interest, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you).

Even though the book claims to be based on exhaustive work, all you need to do is have a gander through the underlying study to see it screams bias. As we've regularly reminded readers, survey instruments are very sensitive to the order and phrasing of questions.

The first section is about religion. Not exactly subtle about what the researchers think matters. And while generalizing from one's social circle falls into the "data is not the plural of anecdote" fallacy, I consider my peer group to be stodgy, yet this study say the number of sex partners I know many of my friends (male and female) have had puts them at the far end of the spectrum of this study.

Put it another way: in the 1950s, before birth control, Kinsey found that the average man reported having had six sex partners and the average woman, three. This would seem to be impossible unless you have gay men having sex way way out of proportion to the general population (which as far as I can tell, they do, but even so, not enough to fully account for this difference), and/or men overstating and women understating their histories, and/or men and women having different ideas of what constitutes having had sex with someone else.

So what has this study found about our modern era where people are supposedly having way too much casual sex? On p. 23:

The median heterosexual man or woman (age 18 to 60) reports somewhere between four and six opposite sex partners in their lifetime.

This is in line with what Kinsey found in the stone ages before The Pill. So exactly where is all this casual sex that is leading to the handwringing? Either it's not happening despite birth control (doubtful) or the sample for this study, despite its size, is crap.

By Bill Black, the author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One, an associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and co-founder of Bank Whistleblowers United. Jointly published with New Economic Perspectives

The University of Missouri – Kansas City recently hosted the first conference on Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and a closely associated idea, a federally-backed job guarantee for everyone willing and able to work. On September 25, 2017, the New York Times published an article exemplifying one of the applications of the job guarantee that would provide a win-win that should unite anyone interested in strengthening the family. The title is "How Did Marriage Become a Mark of Privilege?" Claire Cain Miller authored the column, and her key takeaway are in these two passages.

Fewer Americans are marrying over all, and whether they do so is more tied to socioeconomic status than ever before. In recent years, marriage has sharply declined among people without college degrees, while staying steady among college graduates with higher incomes.

Americans across the income spectrum still highly value marriage, sociologists have found. But while it used to be a marker of adulthood, now it is something more wait to do until the other pieces of adulthood are in place -- especially financial stability . For people with less education and lower earnings, that might never happen.

These facts establish an obvious policy that could unite the public. The combination of MMT full employment policies and the job guarantee is the best way to strengthen family financial stability. The United States, which has a sovereign currency, can do that. The European Union nations that lack a sovereign currency will frequently be unable to do so. Jobs, not simply income, are essential to many humans' happiness and sense of self-worth. Unemployed American men, for example, do less housework than do employed American men. Businesses are deeply reluctant to hire the unemployed, particularly if they have been unemployed for any significant time. The cliché of males responding to unemployment through depression has considerable truth.

Miller's article notes that there is an unproductive split between conservatives and progressives about how to strengthen families. Conservatives tend to claim that the problem is cultural. Progressives generally agree that culture is important but note that the surest and quickest way to make productive changes in culture is frequently economic. Progressives oppose conservatives' punitive and authoritarian policies that purport to change culture and note that they have failed. Miller correctly notes that the economics and culture are closely interrelated.

Conservatives deeply resent safety net programs in which the recipients are able to work but decline to do so. The complementary steps to run a consistent full-employment program are to follow MMT principles with an employer-of-last-resort job guarantee program. The job guarantee does not merely guarantee that anyone willing and able to work in the government or non-profit sectors can do so; it finesses the disinclination of private sector employers to hire the unemployed. We can provide a full employment economy with rates of inflation so low that even (very conservative) central bankers consider desirable , not simply acceptable.

The job guarantee program would also allow us to close one the great perception gulfs between progressives and Trump's supporters. Trumps supporters believe that disfavored minorities prefer not to work and live on the dole. Progressives believe the opposite. The jobs guarantee would provide the definitive test that could end any debate and replace perceptions with an easily observable reality. The job guarantee test has the potential to do what female employment in World War II did – destroy prejudiced myths that 'everyone' knew were true. It turned out that women could do a massive array of jobs and that they were interested in doing so.

The Themes of this Series of Columns

This column is the first of three related columns on the general topic of the conservatives' culture wars in which the family is ground zero. I develop several themes. First, that their culture war is rests on false premises. There are win-wins available, particularly through the job guarantee and MMT that allow great progress in strengthening the family. Progressives would be delighted to work with conservatives to implement these winning strategies.

Second, the policies that the conservative culture warriors are pushing rest on bogus claims. They also fail.

Third, the policies that the conservative culture warriors are pushing are nasty. They represent authoritarian, dogmatic, and bigoted pathologies that have long disgraced America.

Fourth, the conservative culture warriors do not address most of the critical problems Americans and others face. They religiously ignore the cultural/ethical problems of conservative elites and the Republican Party and the harm that these cultural/ethical problems inflict on Americans and the peoples and creatures of the world. The culture warriors overwhelmingly support and assist Republicans implementing pathological policies arising from these cultural/ethical problems. Those pathological policies channel the most disgraceful American traditions.

Fifth, the conservative culture warriors religiously refuse to join progressives and others in embracing cultural values the conservatives purport to treasure even though there is an obvious potential for broad consensus on a broad range of cultural and ethical views and policies that represent the very best of American traditions. The conservative culture warriors are hypocrites who want a culture war that energizes the worst elements of their base even though they know that the result will be to degrade American values and practices and cause immense harm to the "other."

Other Win-Wins We Can Implement to Strengthen Families

We could build on these win-wins by getting rid of federal subsidies to places that are not real colleges – the scores of fraudulent for-profit schools. Fraudulent for-profit schools do not provide the benefits to employment and marriage that real public and non-profit community colleges, colleges, and universities provide. This reform would also greatly reduce eventual losses due to student loan defaults.

Conservative culture warriors that run the Education Department are racing to prevent sanctions against these fraudulent schools. Other conservative culture warriors applaud this obscenity.

We could create another win-win by providing real sex education (rather than the sham of "just say no") and provide ready access to contraceptives including the morning after pill to poorer women. All of these reforms reduce considerably births outside of wedlock. Conservative culture warriors in the Trump administration are trying to eliminate these successful programs – and the conservative culture warriors outside the administration are cheerleaders for the travesty.

A win-win policy that has been shown to be exceptionally effective is the provision for home visits by specially trained nurses to new moms who are most at risk of being overwhelmed. The nurses explain and demonstrate, for example, the importance of moms talking pervasively to their infants. The Trump administration's culture warriors targeted the program for elimination because it is successful. Conservative culture warriors know the program works, but refuse to oppose their fellow warriors.

Even When the Culture Warriors Talk Economics They Get it Wrong

"Financial stability" is the key concept, one that "pro-marriage" cultural warriors and weak economists have repeatedly failed to comprehend. Their typical "analysis" goes like this – if poor women would only marry their boyfriends, they would have materially larger income and only modestly larger living household expenses. (Their analysis almost invariably purports to describe the marriage decisions of poorer, heterosexual women, so I address that context.) The simplistic idea is that adding the male's income to that of the poor woman means that she and her children must be better off. The only slightly less simplistic version of this claim is that married couples tend to have stronger economic results than do the unmarried. Both arguments ignore the most important and fundamental applicable principle of finance – risk. Fortunately, poor women apply a more sophisticated analysis to the question of marriage than do these economists.

Risk, as most poor women understand, is the key. It is not sufficient that the male, on the average day, would be a source of financial strength, particularly if the mother has children. If the male does not have stable income, creates a material risk of increased expenses, or both he is a threat to financial stability that can put the mom and her child at grave risk. One car accident while impaired or even tripping on the stairs while impaired and breaking a leg can put the household in a financial crisis. The typical working class household has under $400 in savings. Even if they have auto and medical insurance, the deductible plus the loss of work due to the injury or wrecking the auto can instantly hurl the household's financial stability into a desperate crisis. If the male's job is unstable with material periods of unemployment or underemployment the household is made more unstable. If the male becomes depressed when these episodes occur the financial and family instability increase greatly.

If the male has expensive tastes for non-essential goods or if he has a substance abuse problem, he makes the household more unstable financially and in terms of safety for mom and her kids. If the male is violent or hostile towards mom or her kids, or indifferent or unreliable in providing childcare he makes the household more dangerous and unstable.

It is impossible to "hold constant" for these factors in an empirical test. Heterosexual moms are in the best position to judge the strengths and frailties of potential male mates. If the man is interested in marrying her, and seems to the primitive economist to add to the household's total wealth, and she does not want to marry him the logical inference is that she has a reason for her unwillingness. The types of risks I have explained are realistic examples of those reasons. In statistical jargon, they represent "unobserved differences" – unobserved by the researcher who cannot "hold constant" for them, but observed by the heterosexual women making the decisions whether to marry a particular man.

The job guarantee does not eliminate many of the risks I have described. It would improve job and income stability, particularly for working class males. That would be unambiguously good for men, women, the economy, and our culture. The ability to run a real world test that demonstrated that disfavored minorities do want to work could reduce bigotry and our cultural and political divisions.

In my second column in this series, I criticize Mark Regnerus' false assertion that working class male employment stability is unrelated to women's decisions whether to marry. Miller's column provides a useful corrective.

In a working paper published in July, three economists studied how the decline in manufacturing jobs from 1990 to 2014, across industries and regions, "contributed to the rapid, simultaneous decline of traditional household structures."

Labor market changes made men less marriageable, they concluded. There were fewer available men, because unemployment was associated with a rise in incarceration or mortality from drugs and alcohol. The men who were left were less desirable, because they lacked income and were more likely to drink to excess or use drugs.

Researchers found a corresponding increase in births to unmarried mothers. The decline in marriage was not offset by more couples living together.

***

Never-married adults cite financial instability as a major reason for being single, especially those who are low-income or under 30, according to a new Pew Research Center survey . Most men feel it's important for a husband to be a financial provider, especially men without college degrees, according to another new Pne ew survey .

Women, meanwhile, have learned from watching a generation of divorce that they need to be able to support themselves. And many working-class women aren't interested in taking responsibility for a man without a job.

"They say, 'If he's not offering money or assets, why make it legal?' " said June Carbone, a law professor at the University of Minnesota and the author with Naomi Cahn of "Marriage Markets: How Inequality Is Remaking the American Family."

(June Carbone is the inaugural holder of the Robina Chair in Law, Science and Technology at the University of Minnesota's Law School. She is also my spouse.)

PS

Carbone notes that marriages in which both couples have at least college degrees have vastly lower divorce rates. If you are in college and contemplating marriage after graduation do not assume that you are doomed to a high risk of divorce.

Larry , October 2, 2017 at 7:46 am

What Yves states in the foreword and Black states in the article is so obvious as to be head slapping as to why other "experts" don't see it. How can an economist or scholar argue that marriage would always be a virtue and not take into account decisions at the relationship level that Black nicely outlines here? Are these not the same so called "experts" touting a philosophy of markets being rational because of a series of individual choices within them? Obviously the decision to forgo marriage is a rational one.

Perhaps I'm the one who is too naive and "experts" must double down on blaming the victim of policy so that they can continue dumping on victims with increasingly bad policy.

Steve Ruis , October 2, 2017 at 9:08 am

Can you spell "hidden agenda" boys and girls?

savedbyirony , October 2, 2017 at 11:33 am

"Hidden agenda"!!! Surely not Mark Regnerus! He of the fraudulent, Witherspoon Institute funded "Gay Parenting 'Study'".

savedbyirony , October 2, 2017 at 11:47 am

A brief demonstration of the scholarly quality and integrity of some of his past work: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/05/10/new-criticism-of-regnerus-study-on-parenting-study/?utm_term=.bd05745ddab

tony , October 2, 2017 at 9:09 am

Ideologues always reach the same conclusion. You can have them make an argument, show them that the facts they had were wrong and showed the opposite, and their response is to reformulate the argument to reach the original conclusion.

DF , October 2, 2017 at 8:09 am

Another related issue is that a lot of these men have atrociously bad credit. I know at least one person who hasn't married her baby-daddy because his credit is off-the-wall bad (he mostly uses prepaid debit cards to avoid taxes and back child support).

Kurtismayfield , October 2, 2017 at 1:02 pm

And there is the second reason not to marry him.. avoiding child support is not exactly a good sign of reliability. I know a few anecdotes that work for cash because of such situations.

Code Name D , October 2, 2017 at 3:08 pm

The child support system is a strong disinsentive against men to even have relatonsips. There are cases where men have been ordered to pay child support, even if its not their child, or having as much as 90% of their wages garnished. I know a man where his two boys have moved out of their mom's and are now living on their own. One even being in he US Marine core – and he STILL has to pay child support.

The current system is to easy to abuse. Incresng risk for men. There only real option these days is to no longer play the game.

Counterpt , October 2, 2017 at 3:56 pm

This is exactly the point I am making below. The article and comment by Yves is written as if there is risk on only ONE side that needs to be "managed" when there is actually risk on both.

If it is "ok" now to think of these matters in purely economic terms, why should men accept any risk either? Instead of "hiring" what amounts to a full time "sex/support" employee, why not simply contract for the services you need on an a la carte basis?

Need someone to pretend to care about your problems? Go talk to a therapist at $100/hr.

Need "affection" services? Go to a sex worker or a "cuddle salon".
http://www.richmond.com/business/local/metro-business/buzz/cuddle-salon-to-open-wednesday/article_08155f30-da65-11e4-841b-bbb743b671eb.html

Not only will you be a good capitalist, you'll have reduced your risk and kept each relationship on an honest, purely transactional basis.

Romance!

Darn , October 2, 2017 at 8:23 am

Krugman had a nice turn of phrase a while back, something like, why do conservatives not consider that social breakdown isn't causing unemployment, but that unemployment is causing social breakdown?

I think we should consider the case for moving from a full employment economy with a welfare state to "free markets" would lead to greater "responsibility" to be falsified. Ppl can't take up responsibilities without an income.

Synoia , October 2, 2017 at 1:21 pm

In the gig economy, there is no stability of "work place." It could be anywhere, and one has to migrate or travel to find the work.

Few want to raise children when they might have to move cities at any time to continue to earn.

Counterpt , October 2, 2017 at 10:08 am

"Women are acculturated to marrying up or at worst sideways, income-wise. Might another problem be a shortage of sufficiently-desirable partners?"

"They say, 'If he's not offering money or assets, why make it legal?' "

So this is ok? Women are acculturated to be gold diggers and that's that? Doesn't this flirt with blaming the victim? Might this also not be a problem the in same way men are acculturated to prefer young, bone thin models?

Perhaps there are a number of men who have seen this dynamic at work and are choosing to stay single since the only factor that seems to actually matter is our income level.

Put another way, why would I want to marry someone who is most likely going to leave for greener pastures the moment my career takes a turn for the worse?

jrs , October 2, 2017 at 12:15 pm

why make it legal anyway unless you plan to breed? It's just a piece of paper, an old religious relic.

LyonNightroad , October 2, 2017 at 12:30 pm

Furthermore, then what exactly is the man offering money or assets for?

Rojo , October 2, 2017 at 3:56 pm

I don't think Yves was saying it was ok.

Although actual gold-diggers are rare, I think there's a cultural lag on the part of many women. They want to make their own money, as they should, but still want a man to make more.

Counterpt , October 2, 2017 at 4:00 pm

Rare? C'mon rojo. The "young woman with crusty old rich guy" is so common it's a cliché. See one Hefner, Hugh. You really think if he had been a local schoolteacher that those women would agree to put up with his nonsense?

Rojo , October 2, 2017 at 4:06 pm

I would consider Playmates to be pretty rare. Most women I know do have more of an "income line" than most of my guy pals. But the straight-up rich-guy anglers are the minority.

HotFlash , October 2, 2017 at 4:32 pm

And Hugh is unique.

HotFlash , October 2, 2017 at 4:36 pm

The "young woman with crusty old rich guy" is so common it's a cliché.

Lessee, other cliches -- 'woman driver' oh, that one doesn't work anymore. Maybe 'ditzy girl'. No, not that one. How about 'dumb blonde'? OK, not that either. I forget, what were you trying to prove by citing 'cliche'? And I'm still keeping this family-bloggable.

HotFlash , October 2, 2017 at 4:31 pm

Whoa, whoa, whoa! If offspring are contemplated (by either party), then it is usual for the female to spend at least some time with the new little creature, and it may be medically necessary -- childbirth is still not a piece of cake. As well, the current thought is that parent-child bonding or whatever socializes the little critters so they don't become psychopaths -- seems like a good idea to me.

Now, in my country, Canada, we are guaranteed 17 weeks of maternal leave, plus 17 weeks of parental leave (both parents can take it) and adoptions are included (slightly less time, IIRC), so around 35+17 = 52 weeks off to care for your child. That's not all paid, very little is, but you get your old job back, guaranteed. However, you're still gonna need bucks, so it's nice if there is one income coming in while the other parent, um, parents.

US-ians, benighted country that you live in, do not have any such thing and any woman contemplating having children would be a poor mother indeed to not provide for her child This is not gold-digging, it's just rational acting.

Kathryn M Tominey , October 2, 2017 at 4:46 pm

In my family, my mother's college-educated farmer father, had a mantra regarding women and professions. He said, every woman should have a profession so she'll never have to marry to live. His daughters went to college to become teachers. His granddaughters went to college, his granddaughters, great grands, 2Gs on track.

Any woman with children knows she may become the primary or sole breadwinner in her household. Unless she is a complete fool or exceedingly wealthy.

Tribes affiliated with conservative religious practice should require their church to provide support for abandoned or abuse wives & children in their Churches. Let Graham, Osteen, et al pony up Support money, health insurance, etc for female adherents in poverty owing to following their advice regarding birth control & selection criteria for spouses.

PKMKII , October 2, 2017 at 10:10 am

The tactic is only going to sway a portion of the cultural warriors, because a lot of them are arguing in bad faith. Ignoring even the ethno-nationalist cultural warriors who aren't interested in traditional religious values, many of the traditional values CW's, especially those in positions of power, are just using that argument as apologetics for the economic failings of the system. Blame loose morals, homosexuality, and lack of religiousity for stagnant wages, opioid abuse, un- and under-employment, as to create a cover for the free market, shareholder value, wealth hoarding, etc. So it's not enough to just make appeals to the true believers, but enlighten them to the fact that many of their so-called peers are wolves in sheeps' clothing.

HotFlash , October 2, 2017 at 4:40 pm

The tactic is only going to sway a portion of the cultural warriors, because a lot of them are arguing in bad faith.

Agreed. But it might sway their listeners/followers, which would be more to the point that converting people who are arguing in bad faith.

Andy S. , October 2, 2017 at 10:25 am

The University of Missouri – Kansas City recently hosted the first conference on Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and a closely associated idea, a federally-backed job guarantee for everyone willing and able to work.

I'm going to flog this point one more time. It is a logical fallacy and, more to the point, a potential distraction to link MMT and progressive issues.

Aside from the purely academic discussion, we most often see MMT raised to answer questions such as:

How can we fund job guarantees, universal health care, better public education, etc.?

Let me point out that MMT can also answer the question:

How can we fund greater military adventurism, a more effective and intrusive surveillance state, pork projects and tax cuts for the politically favored?

Progressive policy issues will not be advanced by a change in the accounting rules. Progressive policy issues will ultimately only be advanced by promoting and electing people who support progressive policy issues.

MMT is both a fiscal model and a budgeting/planning tool. Like any tool, it can be used for good or for ill depending on who wields it

RabidGandhi , October 2, 2017 at 11:47 am

Ugh. Didn't we just leave this party, Andy ? Repeating: MMT is not a tool. MMT is a theory explaining how the currency system works.

Jeremy Grimm , October 2, 2017 at 3:39 pm

What you said.

@ RabidGandhi -- Agree with you too but take a look post and some of the comments from yesterday on the opener to the ongoing MMT Meeting.

Jeremy Grimm , October 2, 2017 at 3:50 pm

look [at the] post [ -- – ugh!]

JustAnObserver , October 2, 2017 at 12:02 pm

Steve Randy Waldman had this article from a few years ago on this subject: "Marriage promotion is a destructive cargo cult". Title maybe a bit OTT but IMHO definitely worth a read even if he goes the UBI route rather than the JG one.

http://www.interfluidity.com/v2/4938.html

r2 , October 2, 2017 at 12:26 pm

Maybe policy ought to consider universal healthcare at an affordable rate to the economy (ie less than 12% of GDP). Extending universal education to 16 years seems reasonable, too. BTW everyone ought to have basic training in real home economics and health even within a college prep program. Plumbing, electrical, construction, gardening, child rearing, cooking, etc. are real skills that contribute to health and well being.

HotFlash , October 2, 2017 at 4:43 pm

Yes, yes! Standing on my chair clapping!

jsn , October 2, 2017 at 12:58 pm

Andy S.
The UMKC scholars who have advocated the dissemination of information about the Chartalist aspects of the dollar system since the abandonment of Bretton Woods have done so from a position of principled progressivisim, they advocate the work they have done for progressive reasons.

I agree entirely on the moral neutrality of tools, what can be used for good can be used for bad. The essential issue at play here is the Chartailist reality now described by these scholars to define the policy space available for progressive causes has been well understood by the MIC and FIRE sectors of the economy since 1971. They have profited grotesquely while pauperizing the nation under a deliberately propagandized attack on "government debt" for any purpose other than their own enrichment.

Progressives won't have material successes until progressive efforts are funded. The recognition that the US Govt can purchase whatever is for sale within the dollar denominated world system at no cost to itself simply by paying for it must be applied again to public goods rather than war mongering and financial speculation. This won't happen until people understand what money is to a sovereign issuer.

Yes, also any bastard who takes hold of the system, like our last half dozen presidents, can use it for Forever War and to guarantee rentier income. But the policy space for progressivism must be staked out according to the terms of the actual, existing, function monetary system through which policy will be deployed and through which, once understood, the incredible waste of the last 4 decades can be exposed.

Harold , October 2, 2017 at 1:33 pm

This article does not appear to be up yet at New Economic Perspectives.

Rojo , October 2, 2017 at 4:02 pm

"Put it another way: in the 1950s, before birth control, Kinsey found that the average man reported having had six sex partners and the average woman, three. This would seem to be impossible unless you have gay men having sex way way out of proportion to the general population (which as far as I can tell, they do, but even so, not enough to fully account for this difference), and/or men overstating and women understating their histories, and/or men and women having different ideas of what constitutes having had sex with someone else."

Could this also be due to prostitution? I mean if more than a few of the men have one or two pro's in the their totals, but you don't include prostitutes in your sampling (and how many of them are going to answer a survey), they you'd get a skew.

MichaelSF , October 2, 2017 at 5:01 pm

In these modern times where one or both members of a couple may have experienced one or more divorce among their parents marriage may not be seen in quite as rosy a light as it once was. Most people are aware that "happily ever after" is not a sure thing so why be in a rush to enter the matrimonial state?

As an anecdatum I'll offer that my wife and I (both of us with divorced parents, university grads, career Federal civil service, no children nor desire for them) have been together just under 40 years but only married for the last 10. We were fine with our unmarried status, what prompted the change was when we started doing planning for our modest estate. The attorney we were seeing pointed out that the process would be greatly simplified if we just got married, and since we had no significant objections either way we did that.

There was no big change in our lives other than having another anniversary to celebrate, mainly just some legal/financial benefits.

So while there may be some correlation that can be drawn between marital status and economic status, I'm not sure how much causality can be established.

[Jul 18, 2017] A man does not want anything they get too easy

Jul 18, 2017 | awfulavalanche.wordpress.com
      • yalensis says: July 17, 2017 at 3:29 pm Mark: Blame me, I was the one who urged everybody to engage and fight against Matt.
        Against those who said, "Ach Gewahlte, just ignore this noodge "

        People can disagree with my reasoning, but I figured if somebody shows up spoling for a fight, then they should get what they ask for.

        It's like, if you were in a space station, and an energetic monster suddenly starts zipping around acting hostile, then you should take note and not ignore it.

        Which is another plug for one of my blogposts, a movie review.
        Sorry, I coundn't resist!
        As Blanche Dubois used to say: "Attention must be paid."

        Reply

[Feb 26, 2017] T>he code words like "pizza", "cheese", "hotdog", "pasta", etc. are from an FBI list of code words commonly used by pedophiles.

Feb 26, 2017 | kunstler.com
Pucker February 24, 2017 at 9:51 am # Apparently, the code words like "pizza", "cheese", "hotdog", "pasta", etc. are from an FBI list of code words commonly used by pedophiles. These words appear in the Podesta emails. They're not just found in the Podesta emails.

On page 20, it says that the strongest indicator of a pedophile is a person who collects child pornography. John Podesta's brother collected sexually bizarre and sadistic photos of young children.

ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/149252NCJRS.pdf

    • hmuller February 24, 2017 at 10:06 am # Good point, Pucker. All the pro-Podesta apologists can't explain away the code language. Especially, disturbing are remarks (I think by owner James Alefantis) about 4 sick pizzas left over from the last session on sale for $1000. Be sure and dispose of them properly."

      Then there's Laura Silsby rescued from a Haitian jail by the Clintons after being caught trafficking in children for prostitution.

      Either JHK can't believe that such blatant evil exists in the world or he's pimping for that well entrenched crowd.

      Log in to Reply
          • malthuss February 24, 2017 at 5:01 pm # I have pages of Word docs and have listened to too many facts,
            Start with

            You Tube, Titus Frost, especially hhis talk and display of sick 'art' on his PIZZA BRAIN –investigated.

            Why is Katy Perry and the other bimbo, Miley, wearing Pizza Costumes?

            and,

            WHAT IS PIZZAGATE
            CHILD SEX SLAVERY
            PEDOPHILE RING
            BILL CLINTON SEX SCANDAL
            BILL CLINTON PEDOPHILIA
            BILL CLINTON SEX SLAVE ISLAND
            BILL CLINTON ORGY ISLAND
            LAURA SILSBY HAITi CHILD TRAFFICKING
            MONICA PETERSON
            CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING
            CLINTON HAITI
            THE CLINTON FOUNDATION
            JEFFREY EPSTEIN
            LOLITA EXPRESS
            PEDOPHILE ISLAND
            ROGER CLINTON COCAINE
            ROGER CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL PARDON
            DAN LASATER
            DAN LASATER PRESIDENTIAL PARDON
            PIZZAGATE EVIDENCE
            PIZZAGATE PROOF
            PIZZAGATE DOCUMENTARY
            END TIMES NEWS REPORT
            JAKE MORPHONIOS
            JAMES ALEFANTIS
            JOHN PODESTA
            TONY PODESTA
            COMET PING PONG
            etc.

        • Janos Skorenzy February 24, 2017 at 3:26 pm # Most intellectuals hate Conspiracies for two reasons: one good and one bad. On the good side, there is just too much lunacy and crackpottery once conjecture and Freud's "primary process" (fantasy) get going. On the bad side, they hate not having full information or at least a partial store of consensus information from which to analyze. But Life is Conspiracy – and sometimes we have to go with what we have. In this regards, detectives are superior to intellectuals: they do it all the time. Ditto scientists. It's the inductive process. Once you get enough you form a hypothesis. Then you test it. That's all we're asking for in regards to this case. And I think we both agree: what they would find would bring down the System.

          And there are two reasons these people can get away with it: one because of the number of the Elite who are involved. And second because people think a priori that it's not possible that such evil exists or that they could get away with it. Because people think it can't exist and they couldn't get away it enables them to get away with it.

          • Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence
          • Walter B February 24, 2017 at 7:47 pm # The utilization of "Conspiracy theorist" came about after the common man on the street started waking up to the fact that he was being screwed by those in power and lied to consistently. Did you know that during World War II, President Roosevelt, was onboard the battleship USS Iowa in route to North Africa when it was "accidently torpedoed" (the fish detonated in the ship's wake and did not actually impact the ship) by the US destroyer, the William D. Porter? Well it's the first I am hearing of it so I guess that these people are pretty good at keeping things quiet when they go wrong, especially REALLY wrong

            warhistoryonline.com/featured/fdr-torpedo-us-navy-destroyer.html

            I am reading the trilogy of the war by Rick Atkinson, and in the second book in the series, The Day of Battle, the revelation was detailed much to my surprise. If our own people can accidently fire a live torpedo at one of our own battleships, especially the one that happens to be transporting the standing President of the United States on it at the time, well there is no telling what supreme act of incompetence they will pull of next.

            Those who rule lie their asses off every damned day and cover up every damned screw up they create until enough time goes by so that those that are now in the general public don't give a damn anymore. You would have to be retarded or on their payroll to believe otherwise.

[Feb 15, 2017] Proof of sexual misconduct accumulated by the deep state makes it possible to dictate the votes of Congress, decisions of judges and administrators

thesaker.is

Talks-to-Cats on February 14, 2017 , · at 5:51 pm UTC

Never mind their sex lives

@Greg Schofield -

Catastrophic mistake. Proof of sexual misconduct accumulated by the deep state makes it possible to dictate the votes &c. of Congress, decisions of judges and administrators, &c.

Without a one-time blanket amnesty - however morally revolting - deep state control of government will endure. If you want to end its control of the ship of state, you must remove its nuclear option : blackmail (threat of exposure/prosecution/bankruptcy/family impoverishment/dying in prison).

No way around this.

Ann on February 14, 2017 , · at 9:31 pm UTC
the whole Military Intelligence is rife with pedophilia and sodomy – I can't imagine how Flynn avoided it – the whole top ranking guys are involved – watch video interview of Kay Griggs –

Flynn was probably blackmailed

Greg Schofield on February 15, 2017 , · at 12:33 am UTC
Good point, but there are many types of amnesty. The first is the amnesty of tolerance, consenting adult sex mutual or professional, no matter how distasteful or strange, whether adulterous or not, should be considered private and off the table, but never kiddy-fiddling (actual rather than fictitious, in the real that is). Publication of tolerated sexual matters should be slammed, tolerance does not mean condoning, tolerance is what it says tolerating what is not condoned.

That is an amnesty that every civilised nation follows I can't see why the US should not adopt it as it use to be the case. In Australia we tolerate a lot of things, ex prime minister Bob Hawke was a notorious womaniser a faithless husband, and his antics were a national laugh.

I also agree blackmail is one of the main weapons and sexuality is one of its mainstays. Its an puritanical extension of identity politics, I believe toleration is the amnesty. I think your logic and argument is correct.

Look at the other way, a corrupt person, rips off this person and that, they are a public menace. A corrupt judge that cheats on taxes, runs fictions companies, uses legal fictions to launder wealth is defrauding the public as a whole - it is a worse crime. By extension accepting bribes, favours, preferential treatment, corporate support is to provide inequality before the law, negate the whole purpose of the judiciary and again is a worse crime than tax fraud - it is at best a serious conflict of interest (serious enough for removal), but is usually the accepted method of tilting the judicial system which is, with evidence, criminal. and all the evidence has to be is that judge has accepted favours and their judgements demonstrate his gratitude to the social network that provided the favour.

Against this a man whose marriage is happy, but sexually disaster, visits prostitutes or keeps a mistress, or has fathered a child, is as is nothing - if only it was tolerated whilst terrible crimes are tolerated instead. Flint's water poisoning is not a scandal it is a criminal conspiracy that stemmed from a criminal neglect. Banks that seize homes that they purposefully overvalued and over-lent of which we have a mountain of documents to show this was done purposefully - the banks are the ones that should suffer, not those desperate to own a house and were sent to them, by Real Estate agents and developer.

A sea change in attitude, on really simple stuff, has a disproportional effect. And today that is actually easier to achieve than ever before. My advice is to go to the local churches and argue that their fixation on sex is producing untold evils in the world and their moral righteousness is being misdirected. A direct confrontation on theological grounds etc.,

Sorry for the rant your point has been taken on board well and truly.

Talks-to-Cats on February 15, 2017 , · at 2:26 am UTC
The first is the amnesty of tolerance, consenting adult sex mutual or professional, no matter how distasteful or strange, whether adulterous or not, should be considered private and off the table, but never kiddy-fiddling (actual rather than fictitious, in the real that is).

@Greg -

No rant at all. IMO this is the real elephant in the political livingroom. People are coming to understand who the orcs are, how they operate and what their objective is. They can be mentioned now without everything melting down in a storm of terror.

But that they have the whole US government, industry and military (pardon the expression) "by the balls" is not known so well. Nor is it appreciated that no necessary change can be expected to gain political traction so long as this iron control continues.

The trial balloon figure of 30% compromised is probably a gross underestimate. And we are not talking about marital infidelities with secretaries or "escorts" but romping with adolescents (both sexes but apparently boys are their favorites -
http://educate-yourself.org/tg/franklincoverupexcerptwashtimesphoto.shtml
Franklin/Boys Town scandal, Sandusky/Penn State, pizzagate, et al.)

This may not be the place for it but, if not, where ? The "Age of Consent" to sexual relations in the early US varied, but was often put at 9 years of age (this when puberty occurred around age 17-18). I see this as no evidence of moral turpitude, but of hard-nosed realism. It was human nature (as you have the moral decency to note) that people were going to get up to stuff like that, and there was no need to make bigger issue of it than it was. If it stirred popular outrage, the perpetrator could expect to be lynched or, where I grew up, shot "in a tragic accident" during hunting season when he was in the woods. People took care of their own problems. And gravely mistrusted the judicial system where the ability of wealth and connections (business relationships and funny handshakes) all but guaranteed impunity.

We now take it for granted (see Goebbels on the power of simple repetition to create "public opinion") that sex between an adolescent and an adult is the single worst moral outrage imaginable. In reality (I came to understand it inside the criminal justice system during 20+ years of working in it), making this a criminal offense, with the age of consent raised to 18 (completely ridiculous with puberty now happening in elementary school and given the "sexualization" of children by the orc media) was a strategic coup by the prison-industrial complex. By legally re-defining this as RAPE (!) and the perpetrator as a RAPIST (!) - well, repeat this often enough in court with an adolescent well coached by the childrens' services caseworker to see herself as a VICTIM who was GROOMED by him (when the actual dynamics of the situation were often the other way around), and a conviction was a prosecutor's easiest victory in an average month. Not to mention that the threat of sentence piling (pioneered during the Nixon years - prosecuting the same offense as as many separate crimes as possible, with sentences running consecutively) all but guaranteed "plea bargains" without even the expense or inconvenience of a trial.

Prisons love(d) this, as (except for homosexual pederasts) "sex offenders" ( almost 100% White for some strange reason ) are the most easily managed demographic of all. If a state prison (or private one) could house 2,500 of them, it could operate with a staff of, probably,10 guards per 8-hour shift.

Now, with the MSM and academia having turned sex with adolescents into the new "forbidden fruit," the appeal of it to the idle imaginations of the susceptible is multiplied. The whole thing stinks to high heaven of rank hypocrisy, human exploitation and lives ruined by a system that exploits human frailties as profit & control opportunities.

Now I am ranting, so will stop here. Noting that there is a LOT more that needs to be said on this.

[Jan 18, 2017] It was the Left who defended Bill Clinton in the whole Monica Madness era (and before). Mainstream media and "centrist" Democrats, were falling all over themselves to condemn Bill Clinton and his nasty penis, Ken Starr was treated as the second coming of Jesus

Notable quotes:
"... So I found myself on the crazy left. I'm genuinely more "lefty" than I was 15 years ago, but even now I'm not exactly calling for full communism. I generally think that usually the best use of my efforts are to pull the party leftward (not that I think I have the superpowers required to do this), not just because I'm more lefty, but because the forces pulling them to the right continue to be powerful and well-funded. Also, if the "crazy" position is a minimum wage of $25 an hour, then $15 an hour doesn't look so crazy anymore (for example). If the best we can ever do is a compromise, then it's best not to start the negotiations with the compromise position. ..."
"... People get mad about criticizing Democrats these days in a way they never did before. People like Obama associates "the crazy left" with Bernie, blaming him (and therefore the crazy left) for Clinton's election problems. Maybe I'm wrong, but whatever horrors the Trump administration is going to unleash, the important thing is for the Democrats to draw distinctions, and not just hope for team R to step on enough rakes. "Not as evil as the other guys" just doesn't win elections, even when the other guys are really f!@#ing evil. ..."
Jan 18, 2017 | economistsview.typepad.com
Peter K. : January 15, 2017 at 08:38 AM http://www.eschatonblog.com/2017/01/changing-perspectives.html

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2017

Changing Perspectives
Short blog post means big generalizations, but...

Post-impeachment, post-Bush selection, post-9/11 was a weird time in American politics (I suppose a specific weird time, it's always a weird time). One thing people forget about the impeachment era was that it was basically The Left (sometimes actually The Left like The Nation magazine writers and sometimes people who found themselves being branded The Left because of this) who defended Bill Clinton in the whole Monica Madness era (and before). Mainstream media (hi New York Times!), columnists, cable news personalities, all the respectable prominent "centrist" Democrats, were falling all over themselves to condemn that nasty Bill Clinton and his nasty penis, and Ken Starr was treated as the second coming of Jesus in respectable DC circles. It was a weird time in which the crazy left were actually the biggest defenders of the Democratic party, much bigger defenders of it than the Democratic party itself. It was a time when you wouldn't have been surprised if you woke up one morning and half the party hadn't decided to switch teams and become Republicans. "I was a Democrat before Bill Clinton did nasty things with that woman, but now I don't think rich people should pay taxes anymore..."

And then the selection, and then Iraq, and then Bush's re-election, and the whole Social Security privatization nonsense... It was always the "crazy left" that was trying to make the Democratic party just, you know, be Democrats, and everybody else basically being like "Why can't a Democrat be more like a Republican." Being against the war or against Social Security privatization (the Dems finally woke up on that one, but it took a lot of yelling) wasn't exactly calling for full communism, and plenty of people who thought they were just standard squishy Democrats suddenly found themselves being lumped together with radicals.

So I found myself on the crazy left. I'm genuinely more "lefty" than I was 15 years ago, but even now I'm not exactly calling for full communism. I generally think that usually the best use of my efforts are to pull the party leftward (not that I think I have the superpowers required to do this), not just because I'm more lefty, but because the forces pulling them to the right continue to be powerful and well-funded. Also, if the "crazy" position is a minimum wage of $25 an hour, then $15 an hour doesn't look so crazy anymore (for example). If the best we can ever do is a compromise, then it's best not to start the negotiations with the compromise position.

People get mad about criticizing Democrats these days in a way they never did before. People like Obama associates "the crazy left" with Bernie, blaming him (and therefore the crazy left) for Clinton's election problems. Maybe I'm wrong, but whatever horrors the Trump administration is going to unleash, the important thing is for the Democrats to draw distinctions, and not just hope for team R to step on enough rakes. "Not as evil as the other guys" just doesn't win elections, even when the other guys are really f!@#ing evil.

by Atrios at 09:48

[Dec 04, 2016] There is a vengeful, spiteful ugliness that some women have for other women. Hillary is just one of those women

This is from Daily Mail. The later is a British daily conservative, middle-market tabloid. You are warned !
I wonder whether when the Dems --or I should say if the Dems --select an "establishment" nominee they might consider Elizabeth Warren. She's very popular & not as far out there as Bernie. I could live with that. B ut is considered to be a menace to the Wall Street. In realty not much, but due to this perception chances for this happening are slim. Dems are corrupt to the core and are now the party of Wall Street ("republicans light") , thanks to this neoliberal stooge Bill Clinton who sold the party for 20 silver coins (sorry, millions in annual speeches). And as the neoliberals the last thing they need is have Warren as their (temporary) leader. Warren is probably acceptable to neocons as she is war hawk "light" do I would say that her chances are single digits.
An interesting combination would be to have her as VP to boost Hillary changes and then force Hillary to resign. But this is a conspiracy theory.
Funny, Republicans start digging the dirt on Bill Clinton again and it looks like he enjoyed himself not only with Monica during his time at White House. There were also unnamed receptionist, his female jogger companions, and even Eleanor Mondale, the daughter of former US Vice President Walter Mondale. Of course those are rumors but they are 'well substantiated rumors" (http://www.dailymail.co.uk )
Now it is quite clear that both Clintons have a really sociopathic sense of entitlement. A lack of concern for feelings, needs, or suffering of others; lack of remorse after hurting or mistreating another; use of seduction, charm, glibness.' That's why "Anyone by Clinton" movement is so strong. Reportedly around a half of Bernie supporters decided never vote for Hillary.
Notable quotes:
"... 'There is a vengeful, spiteful ugliness that some women have for other women. Hillary is just one of those women.' For the latest on Hillary and Bill Clinton visit www.dailymail.co.uk/hillary ..."
"... Their clandestine meetings typically included Bill goofing around and playing his sax while Miller, a trained singer and musician, accompanied him on her piano. He would sometimes unwind by smoking a marijuana cigarette. Miller claims that she saw Clinton produce a pouch of white powder on several occasions and snort lines off her coffee table. 'I don't do drugs and I don't smoke. But if you come into my house and say "gosh I've had a bad day" I wouldn't know how to stop you,' said Miller. ..."
"... Their affair would remain a secret for nearly a decade until she went public on the Sally Jesse Raphael show in July 1992, a day after Clinton had been formally named by the Democratic Party as its Presidential candidate. ..."
Feb 16, 2016 | dailymail.co.uk

'There is a vengeful, spiteful ugliness that some women have for other women. Hillary is just one of those women.' For the latest on Hillary and Bill Clinton visit www.dailymail.co.uk/hillary

====

...The book promises to recall a series of unguarded conversations in which she claims Bill revealed his wife's preference for female lovers. As far-fetched as her accusations may appear, she remains convinced that Hillary Clinton is behind a plot to silence her ahead of the November election. But it will also lay bare what Miller, describes as a decades-long Democrat campaign to discredit and harass her that began when she first revealed the affair in 1992, a campaign she claims has now reached such perverse depths that she actually fears for her life.

The twice-divorced 77-year-old took to social media in recent weeks to post an extraordinary warning that if she dies by 'suicide' no-one should believe it. When Daily Mail Online visited Miller at her Arkansas home she insisted she had been stalked, spied upon and plagued by anonymous phone calls since word of her memoir leaked out.

... ... ...

It was a very different scenario in August 1983, when a 44-year-old Miller left her back door ajar so her seven-years' younger paramour Bill could be chauffeured to the rear of the property before slipping inside unnoticed.

The pair had met a decade earlier at parties and political functions when Miller was a senate aide at the Arkansas State Capitol and Clinton was preparing for his unsuccessful 1974 run for the House of Representatives.

So when she needed help getting a vintage steam train project off the ground, she sought out her former friend, by now in his second stint as Governor. 'I left my number with his secretary,' recalled Miller. 'He was playing golf but within three hours he'd called me. 'He said "I'm going to be leaving here in a little while, why don't I just drop by and let's see each other for old times' sake."

'We decided because of the positioning of the condo it might be better if he didn't come by the front door, there are some prominent people that live across by me. 'He never drove himself, it was a state trooper or someone on his staff. He parked in the park behind my house. I had a gate on the patio but he just had to lift the latch. 'The first night I just played the piano while he sang. He's not noted as someone who has a trained voice but we laughed, it was just kind of fun. 'Finally he said ''we didn't talk about what I came to talk about, so we're going to have to do this again sometime''. I had all my notes and pictures, all my ideas, all he had to do was call his parks and tourism gal and get her on this. Bill is not the most handsome man. But he makes you feel like you have an incredible body and on top of all that you're beautiful. There are not many men that can make a woman feel that way. 'But we dragged it out for about three months. And yes, we did go upstairs where the bedrooms were.'

Their clandestine meetings typically included Bill goofing around and playing his sax while Miller, a trained singer and musician, accompanied him on her piano. He would sometimes unwind by smoking a marijuana cigarette. Miller claims that she saw Clinton produce a pouch of white powder on several occasions and snort lines off her coffee table. 'I don't do drugs and I don't smoke. But if you come into my house and say "gosh I've had a bad day" I wouldn't know how to stop you,' said Miller.

'Bill is not the most handsome man. But he makes you feel like your breasts are the right size, your legs are the perfect length, you have an incredible body and on top of all that you're beautiful. There are not many men that can make a woman feel that way. 'Do I make it a point to have affairs with married men, no. But most everyone in Arkansas assumed that their marriage was a business arrangement. 'Bill never sounded like he was in love or locked into a loyal arrangement.'

Their affair would remain a secret for nearly a decade until she went public on the Sally Jesse Raphael show in July 1992, a day after Clinton had been formally named by the Democratic Party as its Presidential candidate. But while the future president was a born entertainer and charismatic companion, the sex itself failed to inspire. 'It wasn't that memorable. It was no big deal - think about that,' chuckled Miller. 'That's probably why he didn't have any confidence as a lover. 'He reminded me of a what a little boy would say to his momma. 'Is it OK if I put my hand there? Can I touch you here?' I've always preferred younger men but I've never had one who asked permission.' She claims the affair ended abruptly in late 1983 when Miller revealed her intention to stand for mayor of her hometown, Pine Bluffs, as a Republican.

It would remain a secret for nearly a decade until she went public on the Sally Jesse Raphael show in July 1992, a day after Clinton had been formally named by the Democratic Party as its Presidential candidate.

.... ...

BILL'S WOMEN WHO HAUNT HILLARY

SF94123, San Francisco, United States, 3 months ago

She probably fears her because it's all a bunch of lies.

Not_Surprised, Walton County, United Kingdom, 3 months ago

Don't believe this mess!

Barney Fife, St Paul, United States, 4 months ago

And this is news? It has been rumored for many years Hillary swings both ways. As for Billy, that has been known, too.

mememememe, Glasgow, 4 months ago

So what? Sad old woman reliving her youth

du Vallon, Midwest, United States, 4 months ago

So this woman admits that she freely threw her cat at a married man, and now she is bragging about it, and all the bible pounding, family values, right wing Christian fundamentalists want us to believe that she is the caliber of woman who we should all believe. Making it worse, she has so little regret at the hurt she caused that she is now passing around some completely unsupported and foul whispers about the wife of the man that she dragged into bed. Then has the gall to whine that Hillary isn't very nice to her. I should think not. She is a sodden dox of a woman with no morals whatsoever. I have no use for her and don't believe a word she says.

peanutmom, SFBay, United States, 4 months ago

Meh. Who the Clintons get busy with, and how, is of no consequence. Hillary could do the entire USC football team, and I wouldn't care, just so long as the job she does is done right. It was ridiculous that Bill got impeached over a dalliance with an intern. It's not like Lewinsky interfered with how the country was being run.

[Nov 21, 2016] Belgiums Dutroux Pedophile, Child Rape Affair A Road Map for Deep-State Criminality

Nov 20, 2016 | www.newnationalist.net
Strong, credible allegations of high-level criminal activity can bring down a government. When the government lacks an effective, fact-based defense, other techniques must be employed. The success of these techniques depends heavily upon a cooperative, controlled press and a mere token opposition party.

1. Dummy up . If it's not reported, if it's not news, it didn't happen.

2. Wax indignant . This is also known as the "how dare you" gambit.

3. Characterize the charges as "rumors" or, better yet, "wild rumors." If, in spite of the news blackout, the public is still able to learn about the suspicious facts, it can only be through "rumors."

4. Knock down straw men . Deal only with the weakest aspect of the weakest charges. Even better, create your own straw men. Make up wild rumors and give them lead play when you appear to debunk all the charges, real and fanciful alike.

5. Call the skeptics names like "conspiracy theorist," "nut," "ranter," "kook," "crackpot" and, of course, "rumor monger." You must then carefully avoid fair and open debate with any of the people you have thus maligned.

6. Impugn motives . Attempt to marginalize the critics by suggesting strongly that they are not really interested in the truth but are simply pursuing a partisan political agenda or are out to make money.

7. Invoke authority . Here the controlled press and the sham opposition can be very useful.

8. Dismiss the charges as "old news."

9. Come half-clean . This is also known as "confession and avoidance" or "taking the limited hang-out route." This way, you create the impression of candor and honesty while you admit only to relatively harmless, less-than-criminal "mistakes." This stratagem often requires the embrace of a fall-back position quite different from the one originally taken.

10. Characterize the crimes as impossibly complex and the truth as ultimately unknowable.

11. Reason backward , using the deductive method with a vengeance. With thoroughly rigorous deduction, troublesome evidence is irrelevant. For example: We have a completely free press. If they know of evidence that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) had prior knowledge of the Oklahoma City bombing they would have reported it. They haven't reported it, so there was no prior knowledge by the BATF. Another variation on this theme involves the likelihood of a conspiracy leaker and a press that would report it.

12. Require the skeptics to solve the crime completely.

13. Change the subject . This technique includes creating and/or reporting a distraction.

[Nov 06, 2016] Incarceration in the United States

Nov 06, 2016 | en.wikipedia.org


According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), 2,220,300 adults were incarcerated in US federal and state prisons, and county jails in 2013 – about 0.91% of adults (1 in 110) in the U.S. resident population.[2] Additionally, 4,751,400 adults in 2013 (1 in 51) were on probation or on parole.[2] In total, 6,899,000 adults were under correctional supervision (probation, parole, jail, or prison) in 2013 – about 2.8% of adults (1 in 35) in the U.S. resident population.[2]

[2] Correctional Populations in the United States, 2013 (NCJ 248479). Published December 2014 by U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).


... and those who survive, survive in the belly of the beast.

[Oct 29, 2016] Was Bill Clinton stoned yesterday in Arizona

Oct 29, 2016 | www.fireandreamitchell.com
March 21, 2016

What is wrong with Bill Clinton? He just doesn't look right these days. Is he just stoned, or is whatever is left of the rapist's brain drying up? Check out Bill Clinton yesterday in Arizona where they forced Gabby Giffords to stumble through a speech for Hillary Clinton. Something about BJ just doesn't seem right.

Something isn't right with Bill Clinton. Did he pick up some sort of disease from one of his trips to Jeffrey Epstein's Pedo Island? He looked like he was about to pass out. You ALMOST want to feel sorry for the old fogey, but I don't. dance...dancetotheradio 7 months ago

Late stage syphilis?
Ed Grafke 7 months ago
Slick Willie may be Sick Willy,

Never met a skirt he didn't hike in the Crooked Wagg'in Finger Days of Yore. Firing blanks.. he won't have wedlock problems of Pal Webster Hubbell.

Nor will a poor little baby suffer with the horrible affliction. 2 out of 3, It's more positive, than negative. Bill has Great Health Care...He'll be Fine.

[Oct 29, 2016] The Nuclear Option - Wikileaks Reveals Even Hillarys Own Staff Knows Truth Shes Psychotic

Notable quotes:
"... Remember back when President Bill Clinton got into all that trouble molesting the young intern in his Oral Office? Remember the first thing the lying, conniving, dissembling commander-in-cheek did? ..."
"... In the latest batch of leaked emails, one top Democratic operative is still grappling with "WJC Issues." "How is what Bill Clinton did different from what Bill Cosby did?" Ron Klain asks in a list of questions worth posing to Mrs. Clinton. "You said every woman should be believed. Why not the women who accused him?" And, perhaps the best: "Will you apologize to the women who were wrongly smeared by your husband and his allies?" ..."
"... Never apologize. Never admit. And always keep lying. ..."
"... That is the very heart of the ethos of Hillary Clinton's campaign. Lie about everything. Lie all the time. ..."
"... Lie about emails. Lie about servers. Lie about national security. Lie about who knew what when. Lie about spilling classified secrets. Lie about dead soldiers. ..."
Oct 29, 2016 | www.breitbart.com
...l each batch of stolen emails is worse than the last.

Hillary Clinton is a liar. She has terrible instincts. She doesn't believe in anything. Her head is broken. She doesn't know why she should be president. She is pathological. And she is psychotic.

Just ask everybody who works for her. Just ask campaign chairman John Podesta. Just ask the people working the hardest to get her elected president.

I mean, in her most rabid streak of attacks on Donald Trump's alleged unfitness for office, Mrs. Clinton doesn't call him "psychotic."

Psychotic! That is what her campaign chairman called her.

Remember back when President Bill Clinton got into all that trouble molesting the young intern in his Oral Office? Remember the first thing the lying, conniving, dissembling commander-in-cheek did?

Take a poll. And he found out that he could skate by on even this - even this! But first - the poll told him - he had to stall for time. He had to lie about it for as long as he possibly could before coming clean.

And that was exactly what he did. And he survived.

And good thing he survived so he could go on to haunt America another 15 years later.

In the latest batch of leaked emails, one top Democratic operative is still grappling with "WJC Issues." "How is what Bill Clinton did different from what Bill Cosby did?" Ron Klain asks in a list of questions worth posing to Mrs. Clinton. "You said every woman should be believed. Why not the women who accused him?" And, perhaps the best: "Will you apologize to the women who were wrongly smeared by your husband and his allies?"

Answer: Not likely.

Never apologize. Never admit. And always keep lying.

That is the very heart of the ethos of Hillary Clinton's campaign. Lie about everything. Lie all the time.

Lie about emails. Lie about servers. Lie about national security. Lie about who knew what when. Lie about spilling classified secrets. Lie about dead soldiers.

Exhaust the people with lies. And then, very flippantly, after months or years of lying, say whatever you have to say to make the press go away.

"I am sorry you were confused."

"I have already said I wish I had done it differently."

"What difference, at this point, does it make?"

It is all so shameless and dirty and befuddling that it would make Niccolo Machiavelli blush.

Charles Hurt can be reached at [email protected]; follow him on Twitter via @charleshurt .

[Oct 19, 2016] Hillary Fixer Breaks Ranks I Arranged Sex Trysts For Her - With Men WOMEN National Enquirer

Evidently, the National Enquirer is doing Hillary like they did Edwards.
Oct 18, 2016 | www.nationalenquirer.com
By National ENQUIRER Staff Oct 18, 2016

Hillary Clinton is a secret sex freak who paid fixers to set up illicit romps with both men AND women!

That's the blockbuster revelation from a former Clinton family operative who is sensationally breaking ranks with his one-time bosses to speak to The National ENQUIRER in a bombshell 9-page cover story - on newsstands Wednesday.

"I arranged a meeting for Hillary and a woman in an exclusive Beverly Hills hotel," the man, who was hired by the Clintons, via a Hollywood executive, to cover up their scandals, told The ENQUIRER .

"She had come to the studio to see the filming of a movie in 1994."

"While I was there, I helped her slip out of a back exit for a one-on-one session with the other woman. It was made to look casual, leaving quietly [rather] that being caught up in the melee but really it was for something presumably more sordid."

What's more, it wasn't just Hillary's flings with women that the shadowy Mr. Fix It helped to orchestrate! Hillary's former bagman finally confessed to The ENQUIRER just how he helped her to cover up her affair with married lover Vince Foster , too!

The shadowy figure - who provided PROOF of his employment for the Clintons - also revealed 12 fixes he covered-up, including:

In the bombshell exposé, The ENQUIRER will reveal the fixer's dossier of smoking gun proof, including 24-years of documents, notes, and journals.

See also

[Oct 18, 2016] Hillary to come out as lesbian in October Surprise

It did not happened...
Notable quotes:
"... Yoko Ono has been talking about it for years and those who would be bothered by it, aren't voting for her anyway. ..."
"... I don't think anyone really cares especially since I doubt she's doing much of anything with anyone nowadays. ..."
"... Now, if she were to divorce Bill and have a public gay wedding ceremony with a divorced Huma Abedin, that might surprise some people but that wouldn't win her any points since it would alienate those who actually just like Bill . ..."
Oct 18, 2016 | fellowshipoftheminds.com
Artist | September 5, 2016 at 12:29 pm
why bother, it's no secret to her voters I don't think Yoko Ono has been talking about it for years and those who would be bothered by it, aren't voting for her anyway.

I don't think anyone really cares especially since I doubt she's doing much of anything with anyone nowadays.

Now, if she were to divorce Bill and have a public gay wedding ceremony with a divorced Huma Abedin, that might surprise some people but that wouldn't win her any points since it would alienate those who actually just like Bill .

Dr. Eowyn | September 5, 2016 at 12:33 pm
Good points.
It may be a preemptive move because there are whisperings that Trump would out her.

[Oct 18, 2016] BREAKING Hillary LESBIAN Sex Scandal Tapes To Be Released (GROSS)... THIS IS MASSIVE

This is just a nasty rumor or what ???
Notable quotes:
"... Rumors have abounded for years that Hillary's door swings this way and this is why she had no issue with Bill's marital infidelities. While the story is not a new one, if it came with credible proof to support those long persistent rumors, it could be a complete game-changer for the election that is now just a short, three weeks away. ..."
Oct 17, 2016 | www.americasfreedomfighters.com
Popular Conservative news personality, Matt Drudge, has caused quite the stir. On Sunday Drudge tweeted that he was about to unleash a bombshell like none other, one that could potentially upend this contentious Presidential election.

"Oh, on the sex stuff. Hillary is about to get hers ," he wrote on Twitter, sharing a photo of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton with talk show host-comedienne-actress Ellen DeGeneres. The implications, of course, are that the rumors may force Hillary out of the closet so to speak as a lesbian.

Rumors have abounded for years that Hillary's door swings this way and this is why she had no issue with Bill's marital infidelities. While the story is not a new one, if it came with credible proof to support those long persistent rumors, it could be a complete game-changer for the election that is now just a short, three weeks away.

[Oct 17, 2016] Lead Lewinsky Scandal Reporter Says NBC Is Sitting On Devastating Tape With Juanita Broaddrick

Notable quotes:
"... Michael Isikoff, who was a leading reporter during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, said in a Thursday discussion that NBC should release a 17-year-old tape of an interview that it conducted with Broaddrick. ..."
"... Hillary Clinton was involved in quashing Broaddrick's rape claims. ..."
Oct 17, 2016 | www.zerohedge.com
From www .zerohedge .com - October 15, 7:53 PM
Michael Isikoff, who was a leading reporter during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, said in a Thursday discussion that NBC should release a 17-year-old tape of an interview that it conducted with Broaddrick.

Broaddrick has long claimed that the interview that NBC aired edited out her claim that Hillary Clinton was involved in quashing Broaddrick's rape claims.

[Oct 17, 2016] Broaddrick on evil Clinton rape I could never forgive them

Oct 17, 2016 | www.wnd.com

Warns Hillary presidency 'would be destructive to the United States' Published: 05/18/2016 at 9:56 PM >

[Editor's note: WND sent Candice Jackson, attorney and author of the acclaimed book "Their Lives: The Women Targeted by the Clinton Machine," to Arkansas to conduct a rare in-person interview with Juanita Broaddrick, who claims Bill Clinton raped her in 1978. Jackson's revealing, in-depth interview with Broaddrick is presented here for the first time. For those not familiar with the actual details of Clinton's alleged felonious sexual assault on Broaddrick, WND has published the entire Broaddrick rape narrative from "Their Lives" here.

What follows, as Jackson explains, poignantly and in detail, reveals for the first time how Broaddrick's life – like that of so many others – has been deeply and permanently scarred by her alleged unwanted sexual encounter with Bill Clinton. Broaddrick also details Hillary Clinton's "haunting" and intimidating interaction with her following the sexual assault.]

By Candice E. Jackson

Juanita Broaddrick first spoke publicly about her experience being raped by Bill Clinton in 1999. I met her while featuring her story in my book, "Their Lives: The Women Targeted By The Clinton Machine." She has largely stayed out of the public eye for the last decade, but she has spoken out during this 2016 election cycle to urge the American public to refuse to elect Hillary Clinton to the presidency. I was honored to meet with Juanita in her Van Buren, Arkansas, home to talk about the long-lasting impact the Clintons' abuse has had on her life.

The brutal sexual assault itself has been described in Juanita's own words in the Wall Street Journal , on NBC's "Dateline" with Lisa Myers , and in my book "Their Lives." This interview isn't about cheap headlines promising new revelations of details surrounding the rape itself. This is about sharing publicly new details of how the rape has affected Juanita over her lifetime. It's also about presenting Juanita's experience to a new generation, including millennials who may be more open-minded to hearing the truth about the Clintons now than their baby boomer parents were in the 1990s.

The rape is described by Juanita Broaddrick to Candice Jackson in gruesome detail here.

Juanita created a social media firestorm earlier this year by tweeting that she had been "dreading seeing my abuser on TV campaign trail for enabler wife but his physical appearance reflects ghosts of past are catching up." One of the many media figures who called her after this tweet was Andrea Mitchell of NBC. Because she'd had a positive experience with Lisa Myers with NBC back in 1999, Andrea Mitchell was one of the few calls Juanita returned in the aftermath of her trending tweets. Andrea Mitchell asked her just one question, listened to her answer, and told Juanita condescendingly, "We're not going to air anything with you because you have nothing new to add." Juanita felt bewildered by Andrea Mitchell's dismissive attitude.

Nothing new? Hardly. What happened to Juanita in that Little Rock hotel room at the hands of Bill Clinton in 1978 is "nothing new," and Hillary's inimical confrontation of Juanita weeks later, and Bill Clinton's much-delayed and dubious "apology" to Juanita years later are historical events that haven't changed for three decades. What's new is that Hillary Clinton has all but secured the Democratic Party's nomination for president, and Juanita Broaddrick is willing to bravely come forward to shed new light on the lifetime of pain Bill and Hillary Clinton have caused her (and so many women like her).

... ... ...

"Their Lives: The Women Targeted by the Clinton Machine" – available at the WND Superstore – is a wake-up call to Americans everywhere to re-evaluate this ruthless power couple and prevent Hillary Clinton from returning to the White House.

... ... ..

"I could actually have respected Hillary if she had divorced Bill in 1978. But I feel like she has always known about all of his dalliances and misdeeds either at the time or shortly after, and now we know their marriage is just an arrangement. I can't respect a woman like that." She pauses, reflecting, "I remember being shocked to hear that Hillary was pregnant. She'd been in Sweden or Switzerland or something like that when I heard it on the news. I was shocked because of what Bill had told me in that hotel room, you know, that I shouldn't worry about getting pregnant because he was sterile after having had the mumps."

... ... ...

The 'Stop Hillary' campaign is on fire! Join the surging response to this theme: 'Clinton for prosecution, not president'

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2016/05/broaddrick-on-evil-clinton-rape-i-could-never-forgive-them/#YSZ8w708aU2FKEkW.99

[Oct 11, 2016] Paul Krugman: Predators in Arms

Hillary advocates are in a typical situation "The pot calling the kettle black". Bill Clinton sexapades are much more serious that Trump said or ever attempted...
Notable quotes:
"... Krugman's hero, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is on the record for support Simpson-Bowles. Austerity and raising the Social Security age? What gives? ..."
"... I'd suggest, an underlying cynicism... We're talking about a party that has long exploited white backlash to mobilize working-class voters, while enacting policies that actually hurt those voters but benefit the wealthy. Anyone participating in that scam ... has to have the sense that politics is a sphere in which you can get away with a lot if you have the right connections ..."
"... There is also, I'd suggest, an underlying cynicism that pervades the Republican elite. We're talking about a party that has long exploited white backlash to mobilize working-class voters, while enacting policies that actually hurt those voters but benefit the wealthy. ..."
"... I agree, impugning the integrity of a large group of people is about as bad as calling a large group of people 'deplorables' or Romney's writing off 47% of the population. ..."
"... Unfortunately, history is clear that there is one group of people who routinely took sexual advantage of women: some of the rich and powerful. ..."
"... The main reason it was incomprehensible was that "Europe" practices the allegedly-French maxim "live and let live" in this regard - a considerable level of "benevolent" sin and debauchery will be tolerated and dutifully disregarded as long as it is properly hidden and orderly public perceptions are maintained (or if some of it gets out, at least a customary effort will have to have been made to keep it under wraps). I.e. if you make reasonable efforts to keep it private, it will be treated as private. But fail to make the effort or deliberately show off, then you will meet with scorn and resentment. ..."
"... Using positions of influence to actively take advantage or extract concessions, or abusive behavior of any kind, are not OK, and there is no presumption that it is a perk of power. ..."
"... And that it was viewed as extramarital relations was in good part because a lot of the media "coverage" concentrated on rehashing all the salacious "sexual" aspects in almost pornographic detail. If anybody defiled Ms. Lewinsky's virtue and reputation, it was the persecutors and the media. ..."
"... So why do the French tolerate behavior that would both shame and topple leaders in the U.S. or Britain? Because, despite French lip service to their revolution's promise of "egalite" for all citizens, voters still tend to defer to politicians as a class apart who enjoy entitlements once associated with royal courts. ..."
"... Italy was pretty tolerant of Berlusconi's behavior...until it was proven that he slept with an underage woman. ..."
"... Krugman's claim: "Yes, Bill Clinton had affairs; but there's a world of difference between consensual sex, however inappropriate, and abuse of power to force those less powerful to accept your urges." ..."
"... Wikipedia: "Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001), has been publicly accused by several women of sexual misconduct. Juanita Broaddrick has accused Clinton of rape; Kathleen Willey has accused Clinton of groping her without consent; and Paula Jones accuses Clinton of exposing himself and sexually harassing her." ..."
"... Sadly, Krugman is just spewing the usual partisan sanctimony ...being shocked--just shocked--at the behavior of the other side while showing a shocking lack of curiosity in the misbehavior of politicians on his side...or denying that it might have happened. ..."
"... Let's be clear...Trump's behavior was despicable. Any maybe, just maybe, Bill Clinton's behavior was somewhat less despicable. Still, we can agree that both behaved badly, taking advantage of their power and position to take advantage of others. ..."
"... Clintons have no convictions. And there is always a worse criminal to excuse them. ..."
"... According to sexual harassment guidelines issued by the Clinton administration, large imbalances of power made "consensual" very problematic. For you irony fans..... ..."
"... How can Democrats be shocked--just shocked!--at Trump's behavior, while they continue to cover up and minimize Bill Clinton's? Can Democrats legitimately claim that Bill Clinton was the lesser of two evils when it came to sexual predation? I don't think so. How many hairs do you want to split when it comes to sexual predation? ..."
"... Certainly, Hillary must find it hard to have stood by her man, despite his sexual predations, and then attack Trump for the same behavior. As a result, she leaves the attacks to her army of partisan hacks...like Krugman. ..."
"... Of course he was abusing his power. Being an apologist for Clinton exploiting his power to get sex is pathetic. Failing to recognize the significance of the power differential between Clinton and the women he screwed is pathetic. ..."
"... Predator talk angst on faux prudes is nothing to neocon predator plans on entire countries. It is alleged that Trump does women. Hillary would do Syria, ousting Assad is her goal much like her murder of Qaddafi and Libya. The bait and switch! ..."
Oct 11, 2016 | economistsview.typepad.com
"The Trump-Ailes axis of abuse":
Predators in Arms, by Paul Krugman, NY Times : As many people are pointing out, Republicans now trying to distance themselves from Donald Trump need to explain why The Tape was a breaking point, when so many previous incidents weren't. ...
Meanwhile, the Trump-Ailes axis of abuse raises another question: Is sexual predation by senior political figures - which Mr. Ailes certainly was, even if he pretended to be in the journalism business - a partisan phenomenon?
Just to be clear, I'm not talking about bad behavior in general... Yes, Bill Clinton had affairs; but there's a world of difference between consensual sex, however inappropriate, and abuse of power to force those less powerful to accept your urges. ...

... ... ...

Mr. Trump, in other words, isn't so much an anomaly as he is a pure distillation of his party's modern essence.
A Boy Named Sue -> Phil... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 09:46 PM
Krugman's hero, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is on the record for support Simpson-Bowles. Austerity and raising the Social Security age? What gives?
Mr. Bill -> anne... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 04:51 PM
"There is also, I'd suggest, an underlying cynicism... We're talking about a party that has long exploited white backlash to mobilize working-class voters, while enacting policies that actually hurt those voters but benefit the wealthy. Anyone participating in that scam ... has to have the sense that politics is a sphere in which you can get away with a lot if you have the right connections. ..."

Times are tough, our backs are against the wall. But, do Americans quit ? No.

Like when the Germans attacked Pearl Harbor ;-) ......

anne -> Mr. Bill... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 05:34 PM
There is also, I'd suggest, an underlying cynicism that pervades the Republican elite. We're talking about a party that has long exploited white backlash to mobilize working-class voters, while enacting policies that actually hurt those voters but benefit the wealthy.

Anyone participating in that scam - which is what it is - has to have the sense that politics is a sphere in which you can get away with a lot if you have the right connections. So in a way it's not surprising if a disproportionate number of major players feel empowered to abuse their position....

-- Paul Krugman

[ This is the rationale of the generalizing in the column, and possibly the rationale is correct as such and makes sense of the stereotyping of individuals in the Republican Party. I have no counter argument, though I feel I should have. ]

anne -> Mr. Bill... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 06:02 PM
Times are tough, our backs are against the wall. But, do Americans quit ? No....

[ I understand the analogy and sympathize completely. ]

JohnH -> anne... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 03:56 PM
I agree, impugning the integrity of a large group of people is about as bad as calling a large group of people 'deplorables' or Romney's writing off 47% of the population.

Unfortunately, history is clear that there is one group of people who routinely took sexual advantage of women: some of the rich and powerful.

The practice even has a name: Droit du seigneur, or droit du jambage, whereby a lord was entitled to deflower the bride of another man on her wedding night.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droit_du_seigneur

Though the Wikipedia entry casts some doubt on the practice, because there was no proof (there wasn't proof of much back then), it has been a recurring theme. Balzac and Dumas, fils wrote novels about very young women brought into wealthy households as playthings. Mario Vargas Llosa wrote a novel about the dictator Trujillo's practice of having virgins delivered to his palace during the 1950s. Amin Malouf wrote a similar novel about a local lord in Lebanon in the 19th century.

My guess is that the practice is alive and well. Many Europeans never understood why the Lewinsky affair became a scandal, because they assumed that such behavior was just a perk of the position. Certainly, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF Managing Director and a contender for the presidency of France, felt no compunction about sexually assaulting a maid in New York City in 2011.

Now I don't want to impugn the integrity of ALL people who are rich and/or powerful, but there is clearly a problem with some of them, regardless of nationality or political party.

anne -> JohnH... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 05:37 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Feast_of_the_Goat

The Feast of the Goat (Spanish: La fiesta del chivo, 2000) is a novel by the Peruvian Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Mario Vargas Llosa. The book is set in the Dominican Republic and portrays the assassination of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, and its aftermath, from two distinct standpoints a generation apart: during and immediately after the assassination itself, in May 1961; and thirty five years later, in 1996. Throughout, there is also extensive reflection on the heyday of the dictatorship, in the 1950s, and its significance for the island and its inhabitants.

The novel follows three interwoven storylines....

anne -> JohnH... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 05:42 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/25/books/generalissimo.html

November 25, 2001

Generalissimo
By WALTER KIRN

THE FEAST OF THE GOAT
By Mario Vargas Llosa.
Translated by Edith Grossman.

Sympathy, or at least empathy, for the Devil seldom fails as a novelistic formula. Virtue may inspire, but evil fascinates. Most fascinating of all, perhaps, is political evil -- the sort of programmatic perfidy that doesn't just harm individuals but roils the flow of history itself. For all its richness as a subject, such large-scale wrongdoing rarely gets much play in the work of North American writers, who tend to favor stories of private crime over tales of public villainy. Recent events may change this cultural emphasis, but for now one has to look abroad, to talents such as Mario Vargas Llosa, the prolific Peruvian essayist and novelist, for the lowdown on organized evil in high places....

JohnH -> anne... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 08:40 PM
Latin American literature is great...and it often deals with the abuses of the politically powerful...Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Carlos Fuentes and others. One of my favorites is 'El Otoño del Patriarca," a composite of many strongmen who ruled in Latin America.

The US once had great authors such as Steinbeck and Sinclair Lewis. Barbara Kingsolver's 'The Lacuna' is a really good story set in Mexico and The US in the 1930s and fascinating commentary on art and politics of the time.

anne -> JohnH... , Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 05:48 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/15/reviews/marque-autumn.html

October 31, 1976

A Stunning Portrait of a Monstrous Caribbean Tyrant
By WILLIAM KENNEDY

THE AUTUMN OF THE PATRIARCH
By Gabriel García Márquez.
Translated by Gregory Rabassa.

In 1968 when he began to write this majestic novel, Gabriel García Márquez told an interviewer that the only image he had of it for years was that of an incredibly old man walking through the huge, abandoned rooms of a palace full of animals. Some of his friends remember him saying as far back as 1958, when as a newsman he was witnessing the fall of Marcos Pérez Jiménez in Venezuela, that he would one day write a book about a dictator. He has since spoken of the influence of the life of the Venezuelan caudillo, Juan Vicente Gómez, on this book. He himself lived for years under the Rojas Pinilla dictatorship in his native Colombia. He covered the trial of a Batista butcher in the early days of Castro's Cuban takeover. He lived in Spain during the interminable rattlings of Franco's elusive death, when that country was a hospitable journey's end for deposed Latin dictators.

He has added to these times of his own life fragments from the long history of dictators--the deaths of Julius Caesar and Mussolini, the durability of Stroessner, the wife-worship of Perón, what seems to be a close study of the times of Trujillo and the United States and English gunboat-puppeteering of so many bestial morons into the dictator's palace. He has absorbed and re-imagined all this, and more, and emerged with a stunning portrait of the archetype: the pathological fascist tyrant.

García Márquez (his surname is García; Márquez is his mother's name) began this novel in 1968 and said in 1971 that it was finished. But he continued to embellish it until 1975 when he published it in Spain. Now Gregory Rabassa, who translated the author's last novel, "One Hundred Years of Solitude," and who on the basis of these two books alone stands as one of the best translators who ever drew breath, has given us the superb English equivalent of García Márquez's magisterial Spanish.

The book, as is to be expected from García Márquez, is mystical, surrealistic, Rabelaisian in its excesses, its distortions and its exotic language. But García Márquez' sense of life is that surreality is as much the norm as banality. "In Mexico surrealism runs through the streets,"he once said. And elsewhere: "The Latin American reality is totally Rabelaisian."

And so his patriarch, the unnamed General (his precise rank is General of the Universe) of an unnamed Caribbean nation, lives to be anywhere between 107 and 232 years old, sires 5,000 children, all runts, all born after seven-month gestations. He is a bird woman's bastard, conceived in a storm of bluebottle flies, born in a convent doorway, gifted at birth with huge, deformed feet and an enlarged testicle the size of a fig, which whistles a tune of pain to him every moment of his impossibly long life. The graffiti on the walls of the servants' toilet give him oracular insight into traitorous cohorts, one of whom he serves roasted for dinner to a gathering of his generals.

He has such power that when he orders the time of day changed from three to eight in the morning to deliver himself from darkness, the roses open two hours before dew time. His influence is so indelible that eventually his cows are born with his hereditary presidential brand. His venality such that he rigs the weekly lottery, using children under seven to draw the winning three numbers, and he always wins all three. To quiet the children about their enforced complicity, he imprisons them. When they number 2,000 and the Pope anguishes publicly over their disappearance and the League of Nations investigates it, he isolates the children in the wilderness after a Nazi-like deportation in boxcars, and finally drowns them at sea, denying they ever existed.

But his most fantastic depredation is the sale of the Caribbean Sea to the gringos who have kept him in power. The United States ambassador orders in giant suction dredges and nautical engineers, who carry off the sea "in numbered pieces to plant it far from the hurricanes in the blood-red dawns of Arizona, they took it away with everything it had inside general sir, with the reflection of our cities, our timid drowned people, our demented dragons," and they leave behind a torn crater, a deserted plain of harsh lunar dust. To replace the breezes that were lost when the sea went away, another U.S. ambassador gives the General a wind machine....

anne -> JohnH... , Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 05:50 AM
Latin American literature is great...and it often deals with the abuses of the politically powerful...Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Carlos Fuentes and others....

[ Surely so. ]

cm -> JohnH... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 11:09 PM
"Many Europeans never understood why the Lewinsky affair became a scandal, because they assumed that such behavior was just a perk of the position."

I disagree. I don't know any Europeans who think like that.

Extramarital affairs are not really uncommon, and not restricted to people of high social stature. The affair was viewed more as extramarital relations than (passively) taking advantage of somebody arguably in a position of occupational dependence, and the whole impeachment proceedings were recognized as a witch hunt by lecherous old bucks riding the well-worn Puritan mock adultery outrage theme. (And some of whom later turned out to have had affairs of their own going on.)

The main reason it was incomprehensible was that "Europe" practices the allegedly-French maxim "live and let live" in this regard - a considerable level of "benevolent" sin and debauchery will be tolerated and dutifully disregarded as long as it is properly hidden and orderly public perceptions are maintained (or if some of it gets out, at least a customary effort will have to have been made to keep it under wraps). I.e. if you make reasonable efforts to keep it private, it will be treated as private. But fail to make the effort or deliberately show off, then you will meet with scorn and resentment.

Using positions of influence to actively take advantage or extract concessions, or abusive behavior of any kind, are not OK, and there is no presumption that it is a perk of power.

cm -> cm... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 11:17 PM
And that it was viewed as extramarital relations was in good part because a lot of the media "coverage" concentrated on rehashing all the salacious "sexual" aspects in almost pornographic detail. If anybody defiled Ms. Lewinsky's virtue and reputation, it was the persecutors and the media.
JohnH -> cm... , Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 08:11 AM
"So why do the French tolerate behavior that would both shame and topple leaders in the U.S. or Britain? Because, despite French lip service to their revolution's promise of "egalite" for all citizens, voters still tend to defer to politicians as a class apart who enjoy entitlements once associated with royal courts."

http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1550022,00.html

Italy was pretty tolerant of Berlusconi's behavior...until it was proven that he slept with an underage woman.

JohnH : , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 02:52 PM
I thought that Thoma would be wise enough not to republish this Krugman column...but since he wasn't, here goes:

Krugman's claim: "Yes, Bill Clinton had affairs; but there's a world of difference between consensual sex, however inappropriate, and abuse of power to force those less powerful to accept your urges."

Wikipedia: "Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001), has been publicly accused by several women of sexual misconduct. Juanita Broaddrick has accused Clinton of rape; Kathleen Willey has accused Clinton of groping her without consent; and Paula Jones accuses Clinton of exposing himself and sexually harassing her."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton_sexual_misconduct_allegations

Sadly, Krugman is just spewing the usual partisan sanctimony ...being shocked--just shocked--at the behavior of the other side while showing a shocking lack of curiosity in the misbehavior of politicians on his side...or denying that it might have happened.

Let's be clear...Trump's behavior was despicable. Any maybe, just maybe, Bill Clinton's behavior was somewhat less despicable. Still, we can agree that both behaved badly, taking advantage of their power and position to take advantage of others.

I say, let's continue to expose the dirty laundry...all of it. Historically, the media has chosen to treat Presidents like royalty. But, as we know, the British royal family has its share of tawdry scandals.

The American people deserve to see what's behind the carefully fabricated public images of rich and powerful people who choose to be our leaders. A spotlight needs to be shown on powerful people who abuse their position both for personal gain as well as exploitation of the less powerful.

ken melvin -> JohnH... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 03:36 PM
What alternate universe do you live in? Bill Clinton - a bit old and decrepit - goes down as a good president, isn't running. We dems don't bring up GWB - a very bad president - in re Trump.
ilsm -> ken melvin... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 03:53 PM
The analogy to Clinton and Monika: there was evidence he did the deed; she was bullied, she was the underling, she was abused, and the process let Bill off. Why different standard for no evidence but braggadocio Trump?

The shady "process" that let H. Clinton off on security and federal records was not like the process Bill endured.

pgl -> ilsm... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 04:01 PM
Monica Lewinsky engaged in consensual sex. Something you would never understand.
JohnH -> pgl... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 04:08 PM
Juanita Broaddrick has accused Clinton of rape...but pgl takes the traditional male position of denying that it could ever have happened...
pgl -> JohnH... , Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 01:39 AM
What a load of garbage even for you. Juanita Broaddrick said under oath this did not happen. This is a fraud - just like you are.
JohnH -> pgl... , Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 08:30 AM
Of course, pgl provides no link and cherry picks the story:
http://www.npr.org/2016/10/09/497291071/a-brief-history-of-juanita-broaddrick-the-woman-accusing-bill-clinton-of-rape
ilsm -> pgl... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 04:30 PM
Yeah like the woman Petraeus engaged in.....

A 22 year intern is an equal to the predator pres?

Clintons have no convictions. And there is always a worse criminal to excuse them.

Tom aka Rusty -> pgl... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 05:20 PM
According to sexual harassment guidelines issued by the Clinton administration, large imbalances of power made "consensual" very problematic. For you irony fans.....
JohnH -> ken melvin... , Monday, October 10, 2016 at 04:05 PM
How can Democrats be shocked--just shocked!--at Trump's behavior, while they continue to cover up and minimize Bill Clinton's? Can Democrats legitimately claim that Bill Clinton was the lesser of two evils when it came to sexual predation? I don't think so. How many hairs do you want to split when it comes to sexual predation?

Certainly, Hillary must find it hard to have stood by her man, despite his sexual predations, and then attack Trump for the same behavior. As a result, she leaves the attacks to her army of partisan hacks...like Krugman.

Chris G -> JohnH... , Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 09:29 AM
> Krugman's claim: "Yes, Bill Clinton had affairs; but there's a world of difference between consensual sex, however inappropriate, and abuse of power to force those less powerful to accept your urges."

Wow. Show of hands: Who believes Bill Clinton was not using his power to 'encourage' less powerful people to accept his urges?

I can't keep a straight face with that. Of course he was abusing his power. Being an apologist for Clinton exploiting his power to get sex is pathetic. Failing to recognize the significance of the power differential between Clinton and the women he screwed is pathetic.

ilsm : , -1
Predator talk angst on faux prudes is nothing to neocon predator plans on entire countries. It is alleged that Trump does women. Hillary would do Syria, ousting Assad is her goal much like her murder of Qaddafi and Libya. The bait and switch!

[Sep 22, 2016] 6 Signs Your Spouse Has Checked Out Of Your Marriage Huffington Post

Notable quotes:
"... Will you get dinner and pick up the kids? Could you call the plumber about the kitchen sink?" ..."
"... everything - ..."
"... "I'll be in bed in a little bit" ..."
"... Do you want to be more mindful about eating healthy foods that'll keep your mind and body at their best? Sign up for our newsletter and join our Eat Well, Feel Great challenge to learn how to fuel your body in the healthiest way possible. We'll deliver tips, challenges and advice to your inbox every day. ..."
Mar 14, 2016 | www.huffingtonpost.com

When your spouse isn't interested in doing the "work" of marriage, it's easy to feel powerless. But all isn't lost, said Jeannie Ingram, a couples therapist based in Nashville, Tennessee.

"The relationship doesn't have to end," she told HuffPost. "The truth is, all relationships need tuning up from time to time."

Below, Ingram and other experts share the most common signs a spouse has checked out of a marriage - and what you can do to take matters into your own hands.

1. They spend a lot of time around you but not with you.

It doesn't count as quality time if one of you is distracted by your smartphone or checking work emails, said Aaron Anderson, a marriage and family therapist based in Denver, Colorado.

"If you and your spouse spend a lot of time in the same room but they never do things with you, they've likely disengaged from the relationship," he told us. "Nobody wants to spend the two hours after work browsing social media."

Try planning new, exciting things to do together so hopefully "your partner will want to shut down the computer and turn off their phone to be with you," Anderson said.

2. They never include you in their weekend or after-work plans.

Spending time apart (pursing your hobbies or seeing friends) is essential in a healthy marriage. It keeps the mystery alive. But spend too much time apart and you're well on your way to living separate lives, said Becky Whetstone, a marriage and family therapist who works in Little Rock, Arkansas.

"If your S.O feels disillusioned with the marriage, they might cope by distracting themselves with things they enjoy that that don't involve you," she said.

To figure out why they're disengaging, broach the conversation in a calm manner, at a time that works for the two of you, Whetstone said.

"Therapists call this 'coming toward your partner,'" she said. "Watch the tone of your voice and your body language and find the right time - not in the middle of something hectic. Ask, 'Hey, what's up? I've noticed you pulling away lately.'"

Most importantly, don't lash out if their answer upsets you. "Make it safe for them to reply or they're not likely to open up again after that," Whetstone said.

3. They never ask, "How was your day?"

If your conversations are limited to household logistics (" Will you get dinner and pick up the kids? Could you call the plumber about the kitchen sink?" ) and your S.O. seems disinterested in how you're doing, your marriage may be in trouble, Anderson said.

"When someone checks out of a relationship, they stop caring about their partner as much," he said. "They don't ask you how work is going, how your family is doing or even if you got that promotion you wanted."

To show that your marriage is still very much a priority - and that you, at least, care about them - make it a point to vocalize that.

"Just because they've checked out doesn't mean you have to," Anderson said, "And after they see how much you care, they might just start caring more, too."

4. They aren't interested in sex.

The thrill is gone - and your S.O. seems entirely OK with that. Why might that be the case? Oftentimes, partners avoid physical intimacy after they've been hurt emotionally, said Ingram.

"In the beginning, couples in love are so intoxicated with each other that they share everything - they allow themselves to be fully vulnerable," said Ingram.

But that same vulnerability also opens you up to hurt from your partner.

"If you're emotionally hurt, intimacy doesn't feel safe - it's just too vulnerable," Ingram said. "Couples need to become conscious of this and be willing to talk about why they avoid closeness, perhaps in the office of a qualified marriage therapist."

5. They're hyper-critical of your friends and family.

Your partner may not be as forgiving of your parents as you are, but they shouldn't take the liberty to rag on them any chance they get, Whetstone said.

"It shows disinterest but it's also unacceptable behavior," she said. "Set a boundary and say something like, 'Please, why so much venom? It hurts me when you throw so much negativity on to me and my friends and family. What's going on? Obviously you're unhappy about something. Please, let's talk about it.'"

6. They go to bed at different times.

"I'll be in bed in a little bit" is not as innocent a phrase as you might think, Ingram said.

"Commonly, couples fall prey to what I call 'functional exits," she said. "These are behaviors that are part of everyday life, but serve the dual purpose of avoiding intimacy. For example, work, hobbies, or when you regularly say or hear, 'You go on to bed; I'll be along later.'"

The good news? Mismatched bedtimes and similar problems are easily fixed if you and your partner are willing to make the effort.

"Exits like these are not necessarily a sign the relationship needs to end, but rather, an indication that it's time for some work," she reassured.

Do you want to be more mindful about eating healthy foods that'll keep your mind and body at their best? Sign up for our newsletter and join our Eat Well, Feel Great challenge to learn how to fuel your body in the healthiest way possible. We'll deliver tips, challenges and advice to your inbox every day.

[Sep 14, 2016] I wonder if Bill Clinton got AIDS

Sep 14, 2016 | www.zerohedge.com

Transformer Bunghole Sep 13, 2016 12:47 PM

Here's a good analysis of her condition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr1IDQ2V1eM

Lore rbg81 Sep 13, 2016 2:52 PM

Bill looks sick too. Notice the extreme thinness, and that red waxy pallor. I wonder if he's got AIDS. Serve the mass-murdering psychopathic SOB right.

J S Bach Four chan May 30, 2016 2:05 AM

Just sit right back

And you'll hear a tale

A tale of a sordid lot

Who started from this Florida port

Aboard this pervert yacht.

The mate was a sleazy Jewish boy

Both cocky and assured

Five pedophiles set sail that day

For an all-weekend splurge

An all-weekend splurge.

The pressure started heating up

The foul ship was tossed

If not for the cover of his corrupt tribe

Jeff Epstein would be lost

Jeff Epstein would be lost.

The ship touched ground

On the shore of this uncharted orgy isle

With Billy-Boy

Jeff Epstein too

The millionaires

Without their wives

The movie stars

Prince Andrew and Dershowitz

Here on Jeff Epstein's isle. conscious being J S Bach May 30, 2016 2:21 AM Fantastic. You could write for Hollyweird. .. On second thought, they might not appreciate your style.

Tarjan willwork4food May 30, 2016 12:56 PM If that was my wife I would divorce her and go get a real life. But what do I know about how psychopathic/pervert minds work?

~ Jeffersonian Liberal Richard Chesler May 30, 2016 12:45 PM Richard,

Did you miss the part about surveillance cameras being set up in key places around the compound to record people engaging in child rape so that it could be used for blackmail?

It may be PC to say one's sex life is personal and no one's business, but when you are a public servant (which is all these scum-fucking-bags are supposed to be, not elitist rulers), then the personal life becomes one of national importance.

If the sociopathic rug-muncher Shitlary manages to steal what the feminazis will rebrand as the "Ova Office," you can be damn sure that she is very vulnerable to being blackmailed for her scumbag husband's lifetime of rape.

She will give the blackmailers whatever the fuck they want because she'll want her term to be so many years of 'peace and prosperity,' the same lie the leftists used to rewrite the history of the 92-2000.

[Sep 13, 2016] Bill Clinton Was Here The Elite One-Percent's 'Orgy Island' Exposed Zero Hedge

Sep 13, 2016 | www.zerohedge.com

May 30, 2016

Submitted by Shepard Ambellas of IntellliHub

Bill Clinton made multiple trips to Epstein's private island, Little St James (pictured), between 2002 and 2005

However, the people attending the lavish residence are likely do not go there to discuss "cutting edge scientific and medical research" as the Epstein VI Foundation would like you to believe, but rather go there to experience full-on sexual encounters with underage girls as young as fourteen.

That's right, just like a scene out of the Hollywood blockbuster film Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise, from wild parties to prostitution, orgies and even underage sex, Little St. James reportedly has it all and is seemingly a gathering point frequented by prominent jet-setters, and it is all being exposed. The cat is out of the bag so to speak.

Back in 2005 police conducted an 11-month-long undercover investigation on Jeffery Epstein and his estate after the mother of a 14-year-old girl went to police after suspecting her daughter was paid $300 for at least one sexual act on the island in which she was ordered to strip, leaving on just her panties while giving Epstein a massage.

Although police found tons of photos of young women on the island and even interviewed eyewitnesses, Epstein was hit with a mere slap on the wrist after "pleading to a single charge of prostitution." Epstein later served 13-months of his 18-month service in jail.

In 2008 Epstein was hit again, this time with a $50 million civil suit after another victim, a woman, made a filing in a federal court claiming that she was "recruited" by Epstein to give him a "massage" but was essentially forced into having sexual intercourse with him for $200, which was payable upon completion.

Additionally it is important to point out that Bill Clinton has been mentioned by the press often over the years - and not just for his controversial relationship with Monica Lewinsky, but rather his friendship with Jeffery Epstein.

In fact, flight records indicate that ol' Billy-boy would frequent the island paradise around the 2002 and 2005 era, while Hillary, Bill's wife, was a Senator in New York.

The Daily Mail wrote about one woman's experience on the island:

'I remember asking Jeffrey what's Bill Clinton doing here kind of thing, and he laughed it off and said well he owes me a favor,' one unidentified woman said in the lawsuit, which was filed in Palm Beach Circuit Court.

The woman went on to say how orgies were a regular occurrence and she recalled two young girls from New York who were always seen around the five-house compound but their personal backstories were never revealed.

"At least one woman on the compound was there unwillingly" and was an actual sex slave, according to the Daily Mail.

The woman was allegedly forced to have sex with "politicians, businessmen, royalty, [and] academics" at the retreat and was just one of "more than 40 women" that have come forth with claims against Epstein, showing the vast scale of the man's dark operations, which aren't limited only to 'Orgy Island.'

Moreover Epstein was invited to Chelsea Clinton's wedding in 2010, amongst 400 other guests, demonstrating his close friendship with the Clinton family.

To top it all off "Prince Andrew was allegedly one of the house's visitors. On Friday, the Duke of York was named in a federal lawsuit filed against Epstein, whom the FBI once reportedly linked to 40 young women. Filed in 2008 in the Southern District of Florida, the $50 million lawsuit claimed Epstein had a "sexual preference and obsession for underage minor girls gained access to primarily economically disadvantaged minor girls in his home, sexually assaulted these girls", as reported by the Washington Post. Manthong bamawatson May 29, 2016 6:10 PM

Hey,

I thought that his personal life did not matter.

Damn, would I love to see one of those teeny boppers come forward and finger the former f'r-in-chief.

He was on Epstein's "Lolita Express" something like 26 times.

philipat Chris Dakota May 29, 2016 11:56 PM If Epstein needs to restock merchandise, ISIS now have a bargain line in sex slaves.

Anyone close to UK trade circles knows that Andrew is partial to a "massage" wherever he travels.....

Four chan philipat May 30, 2016 1:31 AM clinton foundation and child rape fund. has a nice ring to it.
jeff montanye Tall Tom May 30, 2016 7:48 AM possibly hillary could draw on her experience with the children's defense fund:

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/02/08/hillary-clintons-populist-charade/

RedDwarf MalteseFalcon May 31, 2016 10:42 AM Meh, tons of elites visited the island once or twice. He was a well connected billionaire, I'm sure he hosted plenty of events that were mostly above board to futher his connections and dealings. What matters are those who were regulars and went to the island time and time again. HowdyDoody Supernova Born May 29, 2016 7:51 PM There is also the UK Royal connection.

"Jeffrey Epstein breaks his silence over Prince Andrew 'sex slave' scandal"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2928650/Jeffrey-Epstein-breaks-s...

beemasters HowdyDoody May 30, 2016 7:03 AM "Little St. James Island appears to be somewhat of a gathering place and is a well desired hangout among key figureheads, actors and royalty to the likes of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey and even Prince Andrew"

Why, only three are highlighted??? Can we please have the complete list? Jeffersonian Liberal beemasters May 30, 2016 12:46 PM

Wait until the scumbag 'whose cultural identity must not be named' has another high-power orgy and then let the navy use it for target practice.

Crash Overide HowdyDoody May 30, 2016 7:15 PM Rumor is Epstein recorded a lot of the sexual acts without people knowledge.

Ut oh...!

[Sep 10, 2016] Surviving the Storm - Divorcing a Narcissist

May 02, 2016 | dalkeithpress.com

Dalkeith Press

You may have thought that living with your troubled spouse was hard. But now that you've reached the point of divorce, you probably already know that this can be ever harder. Narcissistic behavior can be labeled as borderline, sociopathic, narcissistic, or just intolerable, but it all derives from one fundamental driving force: narcissists can't tolerate criticism, especially public criticism. And divorcing them is about them most direct and public criticism you can make. You'll know you're there when your soon-to-be ex spouse begins a campaign of destruction against you. And if you don't know how to resond and deal with it, it can take a terrible toll.

Surviving the Storm offers practical strategies that can help you reach a settlement with your soon-to-be ex, in spite of his or her seeming determination to scorch the earth. The key is understanding that narcissists fear, above all, critical judgment by others. Your decision to divorce sets these fears in motion. To counter them, you need to know how to split the battlefield, offering on the one hand a safe alternative in which you get what you need, and on the other a continuing stream of criticism, judgment, and shame heaped on your soon-to-be ex. In essence, you trade the safety of silence for the things you need in the settlement.

Surviving the Storm also offers practical boundaries on what you can and can't expect to do. It explains the impact of divorcing a narcissist on your children, and offers strategies and tactics to help achieve a custody arrangement that is best for your kids. It explains what parental alienation is and where to get more help with it. It offers some reflection on the moral issues we face in divorce, including the Catholic Church's surprising position holding that marriage to a narcissist is a moral impossibility. Finally, it offers a perspective on healing and the need for new experiences to move on.

Richard has been helping people deal with the trauma and pain of abusive relationships for nearly ten years. His other books are Tears and Healing , Meaning from Madness , In Love and Loving It - Or Not! , Tears and Healing Reflections , and the Way of Respect If you've read them, you know his style, and this book is also short and to the point, giving you the information and insight you need without wading through hundreds of pages you don't need.

[Sep 09, 2016] The Secret Life of Bill Clinton The Unreported Stories

Notable quotes:
"... ...Bill Clinton was not just being entertained by prostitutes with his brother Roger ... he, Roger and Dan Lasater were partying with HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS when Clinton was a married governor in his early 30's. I don't know what the age of consent is in Arkansas, but Clinton and Co. were getting pretty damn close... ..."
"... The sleaziest pair to lie, cheat, and steal their way to political power. Sad to realize this country has turned stupid and apathetic while ignoring the current Bonnie and Clyde ruining our country. I approve of the Ceaucescu method of removing evil. ..."
"... And it's critical that ANYONE who votes in our next election read this book. Because Hillary Clinton is one of the most evil players on the world state today, and this book proves it. Just google 'mena arkansas clinton bush', or 'hillary rape lawyer'...there's so much info here in this book and on the web from court documents, newspaper reports that are never mentioned in the mainstream more than once (they got quashed), FOIA results. ..."
"... Wow. This book is just incredible. The Oklahoma City bombing, Waco, Vince Foster, Jerry Parks, Barry Seal, an international Cocaine trade, the airport at Mena - the list of Bill Clinton's acts of corruption and criminality goes on and on. ..."
"... And don't get the wrong idea: Ambrose Evans-Pritchard is not some tabloid sensationalist; he's a legitimate and well-respected journalist for London's Daily Telegraph and every charge here is substantiated by facts: photographs, declassified FBI documents, interviews with eyewitnesses, and so on and so on, an avalanche of facts. ..."
"... This book is best read in conjunction with Terry Reed's book " Compromised: Clinton, Bush and the CIA " to get the full picture of just how much Bill Clinton was willing to sell his soul for a shot at the White House. ..."
"... Here's this Brit's take on America's ruling class: "The American Elite, I am afraid to say, is almost beyond redemption. Moral relativism has set in so deeply that the gilded classes have become incapable of discerning right from wrong." That was back in 1997. It's only gotten worse since. The day the "almost" in that sentence disappears, that's the day a second American Revolution will start. And when it does, justice will finally catch up with Bill and Hillary. ..."
www.amazon.com

Robert P. Morrow, January 30, 2012

A Must Read book on the corruption/criminality of Bill Clinton - drugs, Jerry Parks, young girls, etc.

...Bill Clinton was not just being entertained by prostitutes with his brother Roger ... he, Roger and Dan Lasater were partying with HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS when Clinton was a married governor in his early 30's. I don't know what the age of consent is in Arkansas, but Clinton and Co. were getting pretty damn close...

ageshio, June 12, 2016

Perverts from start to finish. And I hope their finish is soon!

The sleaziest pair to lie, cheat, and steal their way to political power. Sad to realize this country has turned stupid and apathetic while ignoring the current Bonnie and Clyde ruining our country. I approve of the Ceaucescu method of removing evil.

Joseph H. Race VINE VOICE, May 30, 2016

NOTHING NEW HERE - JUST CLINTON BEHAVIOR

This one is dated but not the conduct of the Clintons. It seems whatever they do, nothing seems to stick. Both being lawyers, they know the law and politics and how to avoid arrest.

HeavyElectronicsBuyer, December 12, 2015

OMG. This book is eye-opening. I wouldn't believe it, but there's just too much proof in court docs, FOIA, first-hand, etc.

To say I loved this book would be completely amiss. I hated the info I read in this book, but I'm not that stupid that I would ignore it either. Because anyone who has done any research into these two characters, realizes that everything in this book is unfortunately, true.

And it's critical that ANYONE who votes in our next election read this book. Because Hillary Clinton is one of the most evil players on the world state today, and this book proves it. Just google 'mena arkansas clinton bush', or 'hillary rape lawyer'...there's so much info here in this book and on the web from court documents, newspaper reports that are never mentioned in the mainstream more than once (they got quashed), FOIA results.

Folks, we are in serious trouble if this woman gets elected. If you thought it was bad with George Bush 1 and 2, or Clinton 1. Just wait. Because if Hillary or Jeb get elected, you might as well get out of this country while you've got the chance. They will put the final nail in the coffin of what was the great United States of America.

Do something about it! Vote for ANYONE OTHER THAN DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN.

Agentgary7, August 12, 2012

Good Thing This Guy Never Got to Be President ... Oh, Wait ...

Wow. This book is just incredible. The Oklahoma City bombing, Waco, Vince Foster, Jerry Parks, Barry Seal, an international Cocaine trade, the airport at Mena - the list of Bill Clinton's acts of corruption and criminality goes on and on.

And don't get the wrong idea: Ambrose Evans-Pritchard is not some tabloid sensationalist; he's a legitimate and well-respected journalist for London's Daily Telegraph and every charge here is substantiated by facts: photographs, declassified FBI documents, interviews with eyewitnesses, and so on and so on, an avalanche of facts.

Ultimately, there is no smoking gun here. Evans-Pritchard got as close as he could with the available facts out there. The evidence here is mostly circumstantial. But circumstantial as it is, the cumulative effect is devastating. Yes, the federal government knew about the Oklahoma City Bombing in advance. Yes, Vince Foster was murdered and his body subsequently placed in Fort Marcy Park in an amateurish attempt to make it look like a suicide. Yes, Bill Clinton knew all about the international drug trade going on out of the airport in Mena, Arkanasas and looked the other way (for a price). And so on and so on.

This book is best read in conjunction with Terry Reed's book "Compromised: Clinton, Bush and the CIA" to get the full picture of just how much Bill Clinton was willing to sell his soul for a shot at the White House.

And one of the truly disquieting things this book drives home to the reader is that the very institutions we look to to prosecute crimes and expose injustices - the Department of Justice, the FBI, the mainstream media - seem all to have been co-opted long ago by the White House and corrupted in the process. Read this book and, at times, you'll think you're living in the old Soviet Union - and, in a sense, you are.

Here's this Brit's take on America's ruling class: "The American Elite, I am afraid to say, is almost beyond redemption. Moral relativism has set in so deeply that the gilded classes have become incapable of discerning right from wrong." That was back in 1997. It's only gotten worse since. The day the "almost" in that sentence disappears, that's the day a second American Revolution will start. And when it does, justice will finally catch up with Bill and Hillary.

[Aug 24, 2016] Hillary Clinton s Lesbian Past Is Exposed

Notable quotes:
"... Washington Times ..."
"... The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, And How Far She'll Go To Become President ..."
www.mrconservative.com

https://www.mrconservative.com/2014/10/51732-hillary-clintons-lesbian-past-is-exposed/

One of the worst kept secrets in Washington circles is that Hillary Clinton is a lesbian. Rumors have swirled in the past about the former First Lady's gay ways, and with a potential presidential run coming in 2016, they have come back to haunt her.

Back in 2004, a Washington Times columnist reviewing Bill Clinton's memoir My Life concluded that Hillary and Bill, "have had a pact for decades. Their sexy, sexy pact is this: "He gets to fool around with women and she gets to fool around with women (plus the occasional man) yes, she's bisexual."

hillary_clinton_bill_clinton

The lesbian rumors resurfaced a year later in Edward Klein's book The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, And How Far She'll Go To Become President. In it, Klein claimed that Hillary "wasn't maternal" "had no wifely instincts," and "many of her closest friends were lesbians."

Jemal Countess

Klein asserted that Hillary was obsessed with lesbianism, but not in a normal way. Instead, she was "much more interested in lesbianism as a political statement than a sexual practice Hillary talked about it a lot, read lesbian literature, and embraced it as a revolutionary concept."

In the end, Klein concluded that though she has experimented with lesbianism, Hillary is ultimately asexual.

Huma-Abedin-and-Hillary-Clinton

The rumors were fired up once again in 2007, when Huma Abedin, Hillary's top aide, stumbled into the national spotlight with her husband Anthony Wiener's sex scandal. Many accused Hillary and Huma of being lesbian lovers, with Hillary hiding her "in plain sight" by hiring her as her top aide.

The lesbian rumors got so bad that year that Hillary addressed them personally. "It's not true, but it is something that I have no control over. People will say what they want to say," she told top gay magazine Advocate.

In 2013, when Hillary came out as pro-gay to the country, American Family Association radio host Sandy Rios claimed to know for a fact that Hillary is a lesbian:

"[Hillary] has always, as far as I know back to college, endorsed and embraced all things lesbian and gay, that is her history on this so that shouldn't be too shocking. She has played the role of wife and cookie-making mother, I'm sorry but this is just the reality of things. We are being caught in this vortex of homosexual advocacy, it's just amazing."

Finally, Bill Clinton's former mistress Gennifer Flowers spoke out last year about the former first couple's sex life, and what she had to say was shocking.

Flowers claimed that Bill told her repeatedly that Hillary was "bisexual," and that he was fine with it. He also told her that Hillary had "eaten more p*ssy than he had," a statement which shocked the nation.

In the end, if God-forbid Hillary becomes President in 2016, she will not only be the first female President, but also the first gay President.

Is America really ready for a lesbian to be running the free world? What do you think about all this? Sound off in the comments below!

[Aug 12, 2016] Meet the Hookers for Hillary

I wonder for how many of them Slick Willie was a patron ;-).
Notable quotes:
"... According to the National Task Force on Prostitution , it's estimated that well over 1 million people in the U.S. have worked as prostitutes - or roughly 1 percent of American women. If this campaign is a success, that could translate into some serious voting power. ..."
The Daily Beast


"Everyday Americans need a champion," Hillary Clinton proclaimed in her YouTube video. "And I want to be that champion."

Yes, few were surprised when Hilary Clinton announced her campaign for the 2016 U.S. presidential race, but many were surprised by some of her early supporters. Since that announcement, the lovable ladies of Nevada's renowned Moonlite Bunny Ranch have come out in support of our former first lady in a serious, potentially large-scale campaign called "Hookers for Hillary." These Everyday Americans have chosen their candidate.

... ... ...

Bunny Ranch owner Dennis Hof agrees. "With Obamacare the girls were able to buy good health insurance and without it they weren't able to. Since Day One when I bought the brothel in 1992 no legal prostitute could get health insurance," says Hof.

According to the National Task Force on Prostitution, it's estimated that well over 1 million people in the U.S. have worked as prostitutes - or roughly 1 percent of American women. If this campaign is a success, that could translate into some serious voting power.

[Aug 05, 2016] Meet Neocon "Doughnut Dolly" Victoria Nuland by Wayne MADSEN

Notable quotes:
"... Nuland would survive the controversy over the October 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission/CIA facility in Benghazi, Libya. Initially, many conservative Republicans criticized Nuland for her role in providing ambassador to the UN Susan Rice with "talking points" explaining away the failure of the U.S. to protect the compound from an attack that killed U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. personnel. All it took was a tap on the shoulder from Nuland's husband Kagan and his influential friends in the neo-con hierarchy for the criticism of his wife to stop. And stop it did as Nuland was confirmed, without Republican opposition, to be the new Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, a portfolio that gave her a clear mandate to interfere in the domestic policies of Ukraine and other countries, including Russia itself. ..."
"... Although McCain was defeated by Obama in 2008, Kagan's influence was preserved when his wife became a top foreign policy adviser to Obama. The root of this control by neo-cons of the two major U.S. political parties is the powerful Israel Lobby and is the reason why in excess of 95 percent of neo-cons are also committed Zionists. ..."
"... Kagan's writings and pronouncements from Brookings have had a common thread: anti-Vladimir Putin rhetoric and a strong desire to see Ukraine and Georgia in NATO, Bashar al Assad falling in Syria and thus eliminating a Russian ally, no further expansion of Shanghai Cooperation Organization membership and the eventual collapse of the counter-NATO organization, and the destabilization of Russia's southern border region by radical Salafists and Wahhabists funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Qatar, not coincidentally, hosts a Brookings Institution office that advises the Qatari government. ..."
18.12.2013 | www.strategic-culture.org

Nuland would survive the controversy over the October 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission/CIA facility in Benghazi, Libya. Initially, many conservative Republicans criticized Nuland for her role in providing ambassador to the UN Susan Rice with "talking points" explaining away the failure of the U.S. to protect the compound from an attack that killed U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. personnel. All it took was a tap on the shoulder from Nuland's husband Kagan and his influential friends in the neo-con hierarchy for the criticism of his wife to stop. And stop it did as Nuland was confirmed, without Republican opposition, to be the new Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, a portfolio that gave her a clear mandate to interfere in the domestic policies of Ukraine and other countries, including Russia itself.

Kagan began laying the groundwork for his wife's continued presence in a Democratic administration when, in 2007, he switched sides from the Republicans and aligned with the Democrats. This was in the waning days of the Bush administration and, true to form, neo-cons, who politically and family-wise hail from Trotskyite chameleons, saw the opportunity to continue their influence over U.S. foreign policy.

With the election of Obama in 2008, Kagan was able to maintain a PNAC presence, through his wife, inside the State Department. Kagan, a co-founder of PNAC, monitors his wife's activities from his perch at the influential Brookings Institution. And it was no surprise that McCain followed Nuland to Maidan Square. Kagan was one of McCain's top foreign policy advisers in the 2008 campaign, even though he publicly switched to the Democrats the year before. Kagan ensured that he kept a foot in both parties. Although McCain was defeated by Obama in 2008, Kagan's influence was preserved when his wife became a top foreign policy adviser to Obama. The root of this control by neo-cons of the two major U.S. political parties is the powerful Israel Lobby and is the reason why in excess of 95 percent of neo-cons are also committed Zionists.

Kagan's writings and pronouncements from Brookings have had a common thread: anti-Vladimir Putin rhetoric and a strong desire to see Ukraine and Georgia in NATO, Bashar al Assad falling in Syria and thus eliminating a Russian ally, no further expansion of Shanghai Cooperation Organization membership and the eventual collapse of the counter-NATO organization, and the destabilization of Russia's southern border region by radical Salafists and Wahhabists funded by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Qatar, not coincidentally, hosts a Brookings Institution office that advises the Qatari government.

But dominance of U.S. foreign policy does not end with Nuland and her husband. Kagan's brother, Fred Kagan, is another neo-con foreign policy launderer. Residing at the American Enterprise Institute, Fred Kagan was an "anti-corruption" adviser to General David Petraeus. Kagan held this job even as Petraeus was engaged in an extra-marital affair, which he corruptly covered up. Fred Kagan's wife is Kimberly Kagan. She has been involved in helping to formulate disastrous U.S. policies for the military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Fred and Kimberly have also worked on U.S. covert operations to overthrow the government of Iran. No family in the history of the United States, with the possible exception of John Foster and Allen Dulles, has had more blood on its hands than have the Kagans. And it is this family that is today helping to ratchet up the Cold War on the streets of Kyiv.

Victoria Nuland is, indeed, the proper "Doughnut Dolly" for the paid George Soros, U.S. Agency for International Development, National Endowment for Democracy, and Freedom House provocateurs on Maidan Square. Political prostitutes representing so many causes, from nationalistic Ukrainian fascists to pro-EU globalists, require a symbol. There is no better symbol for the foreign-made "Orange Revolution II" than the biscuit-distributing Victoria Nuland.

Her unleavened biscuits have found the hungry mouths of America's "Three Stooges" of ex-boxer and political opportunist Vitaly Klitschko, globalist Arseny Yatsenyuk, and neo-Nazi Oleg Tyagnibok.

Wayne MADSEN Investigative journalist, author and syndicated columnist. A member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the National Press Club

[Aug 05, 2016] Nuland is a Democrat? Boy they let anybody in

US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Vicrotia Nuland was appointed by Hillary nu the forigh policy is domain of the President, so she executed policy hatched by "Obama the neocon", who is great admirer of books by Robert Kagan...
Notable quotes:
"... Nuland is a Democrat? Boy they let anybody in. I only ask because she's supposed to be a Bush holdover but maybe worked for the Clintons before that? ..."
"... Nuland started out with Bill Clinton, then moved on to Dick Cheney . She certainly is nimble! ..."
"... Because of her marriage to Kagan, most Europeans believe she's a Republican, but her hawkish approach to Russia isn't entirely unique within the Obama administration. ..."
"... FP professionals don't need no stinkin' party affiliations. They are the other half of the "Double Government" that most voters have never heard of. You know, the half that makes sure foreign policy is consistent from one administration (and party) to the next. Works great! ..."
"... You start out wherever your opportunity lies. Once established you can follow your heart. Where does her heart lead her when Cheney leaves office? Drum roll… Why, it's Hillary! ..."
www.nakedcapitalism.com

Carolinian , August 4, 2016 at 2:43 pm

Paul Wolfowitz is leaning Clinton. Nuff said.

Lambert Strether Post author , August 4, 2016 at 2:50 pm

Following along with his good friend, Republican Robert Kagan (married, in good bipartisan power couple fashion, to Victoria Nuland, rumored to be inline for Clinton's Secretary of State, but I don't think so. Not even Clinton could be that crazy).

Carolinian , August 4, 2016 at 3:20 pm

Nuland is a Democrat? Boy they let anybody in. I only ask because she's supposed to be a Bush holdover but maybe worked for the Clintons before that?

Lambert Strether Post author , August 4, 2016 at 3:33 pm

Nuland started out with Bill Clinton, then moved on to Dick Cheney . She certainly is nimble!

I can't find a link that makes her party affiliation explicit. Foreign Policy :

Because of her marriage to Kagan, most Europeans believe she's a Republican, but her hawkish approach to Russia isn't entirely unique within the Obama administration.

But FP does not then go on to clarify. I assumed she was a Democrat because of the Clinton connection. My bad!

Carla , August 4, 2016 at 3:59 pm

FP professionals don't need no stinkin' party affiliations. They are the other half of the "Double Government" that most voters have never heard of. You know, the half that makes sure foreign policy is consistent from one administration (and party) to the next. Works great!

John k , August 4, 2016 at 4:14 pm

You start out wherever your opportunity lies. Once established you can follow your heart. Where does her heart lead her when Cheney leaves office? Drum roll… Why, it's Hillary!
Hugoodanode?

NotTimothyGeithner , August 4, 2016 at 4:45 pm

It's probably bias, but my sense is Republicans love to parade anyone who is Jewish or not white in front of cameras who can say, "im a Republican" without drooling or dying a little on the inside. Since Nuland is Jewish, the GOP would have her on their book tour if she was suspected Republican especially given the GOP obsession with winning Florida Jewish retirees.

If Nuland was a Republican, we would know.

[Aug 05, 2016] Obama's Failed Foreign Policy Change The American Conservative by Philip Giraldi

Notable quotes:
"... Interestingly, in a self-promoting recent review of Henry Kissinger's new book World Order, Clinton both defines her own Kissinger-esque foreign policy strategy and also concedes that it is more-or-less the same as Obama's. Clinton wrote that Kissinger's world view "largely fits with the broad strategy behind the Obama administration's effort over the past six years to build a global architecture of security and cooperation for the 21st century." ..."
"... Clinton inevitably confuses leadership with hegemony, clearly believing as one of her predecessors at State put it, that America is the "indispensable nation." Nor can she discern that few outside the beltway actually believe the hype. It would be difficult to make the case that the United States either stands for justice or is willing to tolerate any kind of international order that challenges American interests. ..."
"... Any plan to "destroy" ISIS without serious consideration of what that might entail means that the U.S. will inevitably assume the leadership role. Because air strikes cannot defeat any insurgency, and the moderate Syrian rebels waiting to be armed are a fiction, the Obama plan invites escalation and will make the Islamist group a poster child for those who want to see Washington fail yet again in the Middle East. ..."
"... Yanukovych, an admittedly corrupt autocrat, nevertheless became Prime Minister after a free election. Nuland, who is the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department, provided open support to the Maidan demonstrators opposed to Yanukovych's government, to include media friendly appearances passing out cookies on the square to encourage the protesters. ..."
"... The replacement of the government in Kiev was only the prelude to a sharp break and escalating conflict with Moscow over Russia's attempts to protect its own interests in Ukraine, most particularly in Crimea. ..."
"... And make no mistake about Nuland's broader intention to expand the conflict and directly confront Russia. In Senate testimony in May she cited how the administration is "providing support to other frontline states like Moldova and Georgia." Frontline? Last week Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel seemed to confirm that the continued expansion of NATO is indeed administration policy, saying that Georgia would be next to join in light of "Russia's blatant aggression in Ukraine." ..."
"... The president also reportedly is an admirer of her husband's articles and books which argue that the U.S. must maintain its military power to accommodate its "global responsibilities." So in response to the question "Why does Victoria Nuland still have her job?" the answer must surely be because the White House approves of what she has been doing, which should give everyone pause. ..."
www.theamericanconservative.com

A new administration only gave interventionism a confused, humanitarian face-lift.

President Barack Obama presents something of a dilemma. I voted for him twice in the belief that he was basically a cautious operator who would not rush into a new war in Asia, unlike his Republican opponents who virtually promised to attack Iran upon assuming office. Unfortunately, Obama's second term has revealed that his instinct nevertheless is to rely on America's ability to project military power overseas as either a complement to or a substitute for diplomacy that differs only from George W. Bush in its style and its emphasis on humanitarian objectives.

That the president is indeed cautious has made the actual process of engagement different, witness the ill-fated involvement in Libya and the impending war-without-calling-it-war in Syria and Iraq, both of which are framed as having limited objectives and manageable risk for Washington even when that is not the case. Obama's foreign and security policy is an incremental process mired in contradictions whereby the United States continues to involve itself in conflicts for which it has little understanding, seemingly doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past thirteen years but without the shock and awe.

Obama's actual intentions might most clearly be discerned by looking at his inner circle. Three women are prominent in decision making relating to foreign policy: Samantha Power at the United Nations, Susan Rice heading the National Security Council, and Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett in the White House. One might also add Hillary Clinton who, as Secretary of State, operated far more independently than her successor John Kerry, putting her own stamp on policy much more than he has been able to do. Where Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel fits into the decision making is unclear, but it is notable that both he and Kerry frequently appear to be somewhat out of sync with the White House.

What does the Obama team represent? Certain things are obvious. They are hesitant to involve the United States in long, drawn out military adventures like Iraq and Afghanistan but much more inclined to intervene than was George W. Bush when there is an apparent humanitarian crisis, operating under the principle of responsibility to protect or R2P. That R2P is often a pretext for intervention that actually is driven by other less altruistic motives is certainly a complication but it is nevertheless the public face of much of American foreign policy, as the nation is currently witnessing regarding ISIS.

Hillary Clinton has criticized Obama foreign policy because on her view he did not act soon enough on ISIS and "Great nations need organizing principles, and 'don't do stupid stuff' is not an organizing principle." Her criticism is odd as she was a formulator of much of what the president has been doing and one should perhaps assume that her distancing from it might have something to do with her presidential ambitions. Interestingly, in a self-promoting recent review of Henry Kissinger's new book World Order, Clinton both defines her own Kissinger-esque foreign policy strategy and also concedes that it is more-or-less the same as Obama's. Clinton wrote that Kissinger's world view "largely fits with the broad strategy behind the Obama administration's effort over the past six years to build a global architecture of security and cooperation for the 21st century."

Now if all of that is true, and it might just be putting lipstick on a pig to create an illusion of coherency where none exists, then the United States might just be engaging in a sensible reset of its foreign policy, something like the Nixon Doctrine of old. But the actual policy itself suggests otherwise, with the tendency to "do stupid stuff" prevailing, perhaps attributable to another Clinton book review assertion of "a belief in the indispensability of continued American leadership in service of a just and liberal order."

Clinton inevitably confuses leadership with hegemony, clearly believing as one of her predecessors at State put it, that America is the "indispensable nation." Nor can she discern that few outside the beltway actually believe the hype. It would be difficult to make the case that the United States either stands for justice or is willing to tolerate any kind of international order that challenges American interests.

And the arrogance that comes with power means that the country's leadership is not often able to explain what it is doing. Currently, the administration has failed to make any compelling case that the United States is actually threatened by ISIS beyond purely conjectural "what if" scenarios, suggesting that the policy is evolving in an ad hoc but risk-averse fashion to create the impression that something is actually being accomplished. Any plan to "destroy" ISIS without serious consideration of what that might entail means that the U.S. will inevitably assume the leadership role. Because air strikes cannot defeat any insurgency, and the moderate Syrian rebels waiting to be armed are a fiction, the Obama plan invites escalation and will make the Islamist group a poster child for those who want to see Washington fail yet again in the Middle East.

The tendency to act instead of think might be attributable to fear of appearing weak with midterm elections approaching, but it might also be due to the persistence of neoconservative national security views within the administration, which brings us to Victoria Nuland. Nuland, many will recall, was the driving force behind efforts to destabilize the Ukrainian government of President Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych, an admittedly corrupt autocrat, nevertheless became Prime Minister after a free election. Nuland, who is the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department, provided open support to the Maidan demonstrators opposed to Yanukovych's government, to include media friendly appearances passing out cookies on the square to encourage the protesters.

A Dick Cheney and Hillary Clinton protégé who is married to leading neocon Robert Kagan, Nuland openly sought regime change for Ukraine by brazenly supporting government opponents in spite of the fact that Washington and Kiev had ostensibly friendly relations. It is hard to imagine that any U.S. administration would tolerate a similar attempt by a foreign nation to interfere in U.S. domestic politics, particularly if it were backed by a $5 billion budget, but Washington has long believed in a global double standard for evaluating its own behavior.

Nuland is most famous for her foul language when referring to the potential European role in managing the unrest that she and the National Endowment for Democracy had helped create. To be sure, her aggressive guidance of U.S. policy in Eurasia is a lot more important than whatever plays out in Syria and Iraq over the remainder of Obama's time in office in terms of palpable threats to actual American interests. The replacement of the government in Kiev was only the prelude to a sharp break and escalating conflict with Moscow over Russia's attempts to protect its own interests in Ukraine, most particularly in Crimea.

Victoria Nuland is playing with fire. Russia, as the only nation with the military capability to destroy the U.S., is not a sideshow like Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Backing Moscow into a corner with no way out by using threats and sanctions is not good policy. Washington has many excellent reasons to maintain a stable relationship with Moscow, including counter-terrorism efforts, and little to gain from moving in the opposite direction. Russia is not about to reconstitute the Warsaw Pact and there is no compelling reason to return to a Cold War footing by either arming Ukraine or permitting it to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

And make no mistake about Nuland's broader intention to expand the conflict and directly confront Russia. In Senate testimony in May she cited how the administration is "providing support to other frontline states like Moldova and Georgia." Frontline? Last week Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel seemed to confirm that the continued expansion of NATO is indeed administration policy, saying that Georgia would be next to join in light of "Russia's blatant aggression in Ukraine."

In 2009 President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." In retrospect it was all hat and no cattle given the ongoing saga in Afghanistan, the reduction of a relatively stable Libya to chaos, meddling in Ukraine while simultaneously threatening Russia, failure to restrain Israel and the creation of an Islamic terror state in the Arab heartland. Not to mention "pivots" and additional developments in Africa and Asia. It is not a record to brag about and it certainly does not suggest that the administration is as strategically agile as Hillary Clinton would like to have one believe.

Victoria Nuland is a career civil servant and cannot easily be fired but she could be removed from her top-level policy position and sent downstairs to head the mailroom at the State Department. It would send the message that aggressive democracy promotion is not U.S. policy, but President Obama has kept her on the job. The president also reportedly is an admirer of her husband's articles and books which argue that the U.S. must maintain its military power to accommodate its "global responsibilities." So in response to the question "Why does Victoria Nuland still have her job?" the answer must surely be because the White House approves of what she has been doing, which should give everyone pause.

Philip Giraldi, a former CIA officer, is executive director of the Council for the National Interest.

[Aug 05, 2016] Clinton's Hawk-in-Waiting The American Conservative by Philip Giraldi

May 19, 2016 | www.theamericanconservative.com

If Hillary wins the White House, expect Victoria Nuland to be at her side.

The other day, a question popped up on a Facebook thread I was commenting on: "Where is Victoria Nuland?" The short answer, of course, is that she is still holding down her position as assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs.

But a related question begs for a more expansive response: Where will Victoria Nuland be after January? Nuland is one of Hillary Clinton's protégés at the State Department, and she is also greatly admired by hardline Republicans. This suggests she would be easily approved by Congress as secretary of state or maybe even national-security adviser-which in turn suggests that her foreign-policy views deserve a closer look.

Nuland comes from what might be called the First Family of Military Interventionists. Her husband, Robert Kagan, is a leading neoconservative who co-founded the Project for the New American Century in 1998 around a demand for "regime change" in Iraq. He is currently a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, an author, and a regular contributor to the op-ed pages of a number of national newspapers. He has already declared that he will be voting for Hillary Clinton in November, a shift away from the GOP that many have seen as a clever career-enhancing move for both him and his wife.

Robert's brother, Fred, is with the hawkish American Enterprise Institute, and his sister-in-law, Kimberly, is the head of the Institute for the Study of War, which is largely funded by defense contractors. The Kagans work to encourage military action, both through their positions in government and by influencing the public debate through think-tank reports and op-eds. It is a family enterprise that mirrors the military-industrial complex as a whole, with think tanks coming up with reasons to increase military spending and providing "expert" support for the government officials who actually promote and implement the policies. Defense contractors, meanwhile, benefit from the largesse and kick back some money to the think tanks, which then develop new reasons to spend still more on military procurement.

The Kagans' underlying belief is that the United States has both the power and the obligation to replace governments that are considered either uncooperative with Washington (the "Leader of the Free World") or hostile to American interests. American interests are, of course, mutable, and they include values like democracy and the rule of law as well as practical considerations such as economic and political competition. Given the elasticity of the interests, many countries can be and are considered potential targets for Washington's tender ministrations.

For what it's worth, President Obama is reportedly an admirer of Robert Kagan's books, which argue that the U.S. must maintain its military power to accommodate its "global responsibilities." The persistence of neoconservative foreign-policy views in the Obama administration has often been remarked upon, though Democrats and Republicans embrace military interventionism for different reasons. The GOP sees it as an international leadership imperative driven by American "exceptionalism," while the Dems romanticize "liberal intervention" as a sometimes-necessary evil undertaken most often for humanitarian reasons. But the result is the same, as no administration wants to be seen as weak when dealing with the outside world. George W. Bush's catastrophic failures in Afghanistan and Iraq continue to bear fruit under a Democratic administration, while Obama has added a string of additional "boots on the ground" interventions in Libya, Syria, Yemen, the Philippines, and Somalia.

And Nuland herself, many will recall, was the driving force behind efforts to destabilize the Ukrainian government of President Viktor Yanukovych in 2013-14. Yanukovych, admittedly a corrupt autocrat, nevertheless assumed office after a free election. In spite of the fact that Washington and Kiev ostensibly had friendly relations, Nuland provided open support for the Maidan Square demonstrators opposed to Yanukovych's government, passing out cookies to protesters on the square and holding photo ops with a beaming Sen. John McCain.

Nuland started her rapid rise as an adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. Subsequently, she was serially promoted by secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, attaining her current position in September 2013. But it was her behavior in Ukraine that made her a media figure. It is hard to imagine that any U.S. administration would tolerate a similar attempt by a foreign nation to interfere in domestic politics, particularly if it were backed by a $5 billion budget, but Washington has long adhered to a double standard when evaluating its own behavior.

Nuland is most famous for using foul language when referring to the potential European role in managing the unrest in Ukraine that she and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) had helped create. She even discussed with U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt who the new leader of Ukraine ought to be. "Yats is the guy" she said (referring to Arseniy Yatsenyuk), while pondering how she would "glue this thing" as Pyatt simultaneously considered how to "midwife" it. Their insecure phone call was intercepted and leaked, possibly by the Russian intelligence service, though anyone equipped with a scanner could have done the job.

The inevitable replacement of the government in Kiev, actually a coup but sold to the media as a triumph for "democracy," was only the prelude to a sharp break-and escalating conflict-with Moscow over Russia's attempts to protect its own interests in Ukraine. The new regime in Kiev, as corrupt as its predecessor and supported by neo-Nazis and ultra-nationalists, was consistently whitewashed in the Western media, and the conflict was depicted as "pro-democracy" forces resisting unprovoked "Russian aggression."

Indeed, the real objective of interfering in Ukraine was, right from the start, to install a regime hostile to Moscow. Carl Gershman, the head of the taxpayer-funded NED, called Ukraine "the biggest prize" in the effort to topple Russian President Vladimir Putin, who "may find himself on the losing end not just in the near abroad but within Russia itself." But Gershman and Nuland were playing with fire in their assessment, as Russia had vital interests at stake and is the only nation with the military capability to destroy the U.S.

And make no mistake about Nuland's clear intention to expand the conflict and directly confront Moscow. In Senate testimony in May of 2014, she noted how the Obama administration was "providing support to other frontline states like Moldova and Georgia."

Nuland and her neoconservative allies celebrated their "regime change" in Kiev oblivious to the fact that Putin would recognize the strategic threat to his own country and would react, particularly to protect the historic Russian naval base at Sevastopol in Crimea. Barack Obama responded predictably, initiating what soon became something like a new Cold War against Russia, risking escalation into a possible nuclear confrontation. It was a crisis that would not have existed but for Nuland and her allies.

Though there was no evidence that Putin had initiated the Ukraine crisis and much evidence to the contrary, the U.S. government propaganda machine rolled into action, claiming that Russia's measures in Ukraine would be the first step in an invasion of Eastern Europe. Former Secretary of State Clinton dutifully compared Putin to Adolf Hitler. And Robert Kagan provided the argument for more intervention, producing a lengthy essay in The New Republic entitled "Superpowers Don't Get to Retire," in which he criticized President Obama for failing to maintain American dominance in the world. The New York Times revealed that the essay was apparently part of a joint project in which Nuland regularly edited her husband's articles, even though this particular piece attacked the administration she worked for.

As the situation in Ukraine continued to deteriorate in 2014, Nuland exerted herself to scuttle several European attempts to arrange a ceasefire. When NATO Commander Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove was cited as being in favor of sending more weapons to the Ukrainian government to "raise the battlefield cost for Putin," Nuland commented, "I'd strongly urge you to use the phrase 'defensive systems' that we would deliver to oppose Putin's 'offensive systems.'"

To return to the initial question of where Victoria Nuland is, the long answer would be that while she is not much in the news, she is continuing to provide support for policies that the White House apparently approves of. Late last month, she was again in Kiev. She criticized Russia for its lack of press freedom and its "puppets" in the Donbas region while telling a Ukrainian audience about a "strong U.S. commitment to stand with Ukraine as it stays on the path of a clean, democratic, European future. … We remain committed to retaining sanctions that apply to the situation in Crimea until Crimea is returned to Ukraine." Before that, she was in Cyprus and France discussing "a range of regional and global issues with senior government officials."

But one has to suspect that, at this point, she is mainly waiting to see what happens in November. And wondering where she might be going in January.

Philip Giraldi, a former CIA officer, is executive director of the Council for the National Interest.

[Aug 01, 2016] Clinton, Trump, Epstein And The Lolita Express

Notable quotes:
"... The pedophile scandals among the U.K.'s elite and officialdom are now well know even among the snoozers and comatose. But the snoozers can't connect the dots that infestations of pedophiles and perverts in government is by design. A number of U.K. police investigators have been openly murdered over the years for stumbling onto high-level pedophiles. ..."
"... As I have often mentioned on these pages previously, I do believe pedophiles and various other perverts are actively recruited into positions of power so that they can be compromised and controlled by the criminal cabal. ..."
winteractionables.com

ProPeace | Jul 28, 2016 10:04:50 PM | 45

Did I already mention this?

Clinton, Trump, Epstein And The Lolita Express | Winter Watch

The case of well-connected Jewish billionaire Jeffrey Epstein made a splash about a year ago. Convicted of sex with under-aged girls, since then related news has been largely suppressed. Epstein is in a position to compromise high level people by providing under-aged girls for the likes of Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton. Dossiers and lewd photos with teenyboppers may be called upon as needed.

I actually believe these activities are a requirement for entrance into the Crime Syndicate inner circle. In fact, this goes along way in explaining how an obscure Arkansas governor who can't keep it in his pants can go on to become president of the United States and his wife the leading presidential candidate now. According to John Perkins in Confession of an Economic Hitman, the motives of psychopaths at the top of pyramid are sex, money and power.

Now it has been revealed that Bill Clinton was in reality a dedicated regular reveler on Epstein's jet, Lolita Express. The mainstream media has suddenly "discovered" that instead of being an infrequent "acquaintance" of Epstein, Clinton was listed on the flight logs 26 times in just three years. One wonders why such a story wasn't revealed much earlier?

Curiously, faux nationalist Donald Trump also has some Epstein involvement, including a rape accusation (at an Epstein party) that so far has gotten little Dominant Media (aka MSM) play. Trump's other friends were described here.

In addition, another one-two punch story is emerging of Clinton Foundation slush funds being used for "investments" with Bill's alleged mistress, and yet another member of the Tribe, Julia Tauber McMahon, known as "The Energizer." With the sleaze coming in all directions, is the takedown of the Clintons at hand; and if so, why and by whom? Is somebody else is in the wings to replace Hillary? Does the Epstein slime blob end up slurping Trump?

The pedophile scandals among the U.K.'s elite and officialdom are now well know even among the snoozers and comatose. But the snoozers can't connect the dots that infestations of pedophiles and perverts in government is by design. A number of U.K. police investigators have been openly murdered over the years for stumbling onto high-level pedophiles.

As I have often mentioned on these pages previously, I do believe pedophiles and various other perverts are actively recruited into positions of power so that they can be compromised and controlled by the criminal cabal. For more background on this general topic, see "Belgium's Dutoux Pedophile and Child Rape Case: A Road Map for Deep-State Criminality," "Crime Syndicate Sexual Entrapment Operations" and "Wikispooks: Covert Blackmail Ops."

In exploring sex offender Epstein's background story, what's particularly interesting is how out of the blue this former math teacher was given important positions in the organization of Jewish cabalist multi-billionaire Ace Greenberg during the 1970s and '80s. As you may recall, the Greenberg syndicate included Bear Stearns, the firm that nearly brought down the world economy. Greenberg was the plutocrat who took down Elliott Spitzer by way of a scandal. As the U.K.'s Independent reports:

Among [Epstein's] pupils was the son of Bear Stearns chairman Ace Greenberg. In 1976, after a few years teaching the children of the wealthy, he accepted a job offer from Mr. Greenberg that allowed him to oversee their money.

Four years later, he was made a partner, but by 1982 he had left to set up his own boutique investment company, J. Epstein and Co. He reportedly only accepted clients prepared to invest a minimum of $1 billion, though many profiles of Epstein admit a lack of hard, verifiable facts about his business have added to the air of mystery."

Epstein was not just a run-of-the-mill sex offender but someone with friends in high places that he liked to entertain in a certain manner and who shared his proclivities.

Also notable and named in a lawsuit involving Epstein is the well-known Zionist Israeli Hasbara mouthpiece and Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz, who represented Epstein in his 2007 sex-offender case.

The claim from Jane Doe No. 3 (who joined three others) alleges that Dershowitz himself participated in sex acts with underage girls. As Epstein's legal representation, Dershowitz then arranged a secret non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the federal government in the cases of JD No. 1 and No. 2. According to the complaint, Dershowitz managed to influence immunity from prosecution for all co-conspirators, including himself. Prince Andrew also attempted to influence the U.S. judicial process in the matter through lobbyist ties. Epstein served 13 months under State charges.

[Aug 01, 2016] Campaign Cover-Up? Hillary Clinton Facing 'Mounting Health Issues,' Political Insider Claims: 'Blinding Headaches,' Near-Fainting Fits Worse! by

radaronline.com

Among her issues are "blinding headaches" that have "frequently plagued her," he claimed. As Radar reported, other insiders have claimed she has had a series of strokes and may be suffering from MS.

In fact, the friend claimed, Clinton even turned to sleeping pills like Ambien and Lunesta in her desperation, but they offered no relief. Said the friend, "She said they made her less sharp the next day.

"There were incidents on the campaign trail when she felt faint and nearly swooned," he claimed. "Those incidents were kept secret."

[Jul 28, 2016] Cosmopolitan Magazine The Clintons Are "Good Marriage Role Models"

Notable quotes:
"... The Clintons and the Reality of a Long Marriage ..."
www.newsbusters.org
Only the sex-obsessed writers at Cosmopolitan could try that line out... In the article The Clintons and the Reality of a Long Marriage, the women's magazine attempts to make the case that the Clinton marriage is actually one that everyone should look up to. Apparently, hating philandering men is no longer a part of the feminist agenda. At least, as long as one's wife is running for president.

... ... ...

But virtuous Hillary Clinton stuck by her man! She "could have put her husband's recklessness behind her like a bad haircut and moved on to continue her change-making and achievements without him too. But she stayed." And now, the sweet old couple "get to be doting grandparents together, mutually supporting each other in their latest acts, and potentially becoming the first married to couple to ever both be President, which will make a good Christmas letter."

Hillary shouldn't be painted as "a doormat, a punching bag, a fool" for staying married to Bill. It's a sign of strength and nobility! Or a savvy politician who is trying to be elected President.

The writer's marital counseling goes on. "In the Clinton's marriage model, you screw up. You forgive. You grow. And you grow old, together, making new memories and celebrating old ones with the same person you've known since she was "a girl," someone you fell in love with many years ago in the spring."

As gag-inducing as this is, it can't be a surprise. A serial adulterer who's still a popular national figure and married? That's Cosmo's idea of a hero.

[Jul 25, 2016] Clinton left his secret service goons behind when he went on Lolita jet trips

www.theguardian.com
RecordStoreGuy , 2016-07-25 16:31:01
have to disagree with Bernie, DWS didn't do the right thing - she just got caught, the right thing would have been to put a stop to planted stories with no attribution and ensure a level playing field. Anyone US side want to tell me if the thing about Bill Clinton meeting Epstein on numerous occasions is actually true?
DrKropotkin -> RecordStoreGuy , 2016-07-25 16:43:39
It's true, they travelled in Epstein's private jet, which was called "Lolita" (not very subtle).

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/may/14/bill-clinton-ditched-secret-service-on-multiple-lo /

He also left his secret service goons behind when he went on these trips.

[Jul 03, 2016] Claims by bodyguard about Monica Lewinsky hurt Hillary Clintons White House bid

Notable quotes:
"... The U.S. Navy stewards who served as butlers at the White House were usually the first to discover physical evidence of Clinton's philandering, says Byrne. ..."
"... According to Byrne, the lipstick was clearly not the shade worn by Lewinsky or Hillary. He believed it belonged to a young White House receptionist who was also having an affair with Clinton. ..."
"... Identifying for the first time something he says was dubbed the 'jogging list', he recalls how, early in Clinton's first administration, women 'dressed as if they were going clubbing or working out' would wait by the White House south-east gate for him to take his daily exercise. ..."
"... His bodyguards would collect their names and carry out security checks on them. 'Agents . . . insinuated that this list was used by President Clinton to try to meet these women,' says Byrne. ..."
"... The account chimes with previous claims that the Clintons fought on at least one occasion over his affair with Lewinsky. Byrne gilds Mrs Clinton's aggressive image by recounting how - some years later - she and her husband visited the Secret Service's firing range. ..."
"... For Hillary - gaining in the polls over Donald Trump and potentially just months away from becoming America's first female President - 11th-hour revelations about how the Clintons behaved in the White House last time round may be enough to have her hurling more than vases and Bibles. ..."
Daily Mail Online

The U.S. Navy stewards who served as butlers at the White House were usually the first to discover physical evidence of Clinton's philandering, says Byrne.

One, who he names as Nel, shared that evidence with Byrne, revealing that over a period of time, he had been finding and secretly cleaning White House embossed towels stained with lipstick.

Anxious to protect the presidency from embarrassment, Nel was washing them by hand rather than sending them to the laundry.

According to Byrne, the lipstick was clearly not the shade worn by Lewinsky or Hillary. He believed it belonged to a young White House receptionist who was also having an affair with Clinton.

... ... ..

There were many other women besides Lewinsky, Eleanor Mondale and the unnamed receptionist, says Byrne.

Identifying for the first time something he says was dubbed the 'jogging list', he recalls how, early in Clinton's first administration, women 'dressed as if they were going clubbing or working out' would wait by the White House south-east gate for him to take his daily exercise.

His bodyguards would collect their names and carry out security checks on them. 'Agents . . . insinuated that this list was used by President Clinton to try to meet these women,' says Byrne.

He recalls an incident in December 1997 when he heard on his two-way radio that Monica Lewinsky was at one of the White House gates.

The guard had been instructed to delay her entrance . . . because Mr Clinton was already ensconced with Eleanor Mondale. Suspecting the truth, Lewinsky - according to Byrne - furiously gestured at herself and told the guard: 'What's he want with her when he has this?' (Mondale's affair with Clinton was strongly rumoured at the time although she denied it. She died of brain cancer in 2011.)

Was Hillary aware of his philandering? Byrne suspects that she knew about some of her husband's affairs but not Lewinsky, who, at 22, was young enough to be their daughter.

... ... ...

The account chimes with previous claims that the Clintons fought on at least one occasion over his affair with Lewinsky. Byrne gilds Mrs Clinton's aggressive image by recounting how - some years later - she and her husband visited the Secret Service's firing range.

Mrs Clinton chose an old Thompson sub-machine-gun and, 'smiling ear-to-ear' let rip, pumping bullets into the male target's crotch area. Witnesses laughed, looked away in embarrassment or glanced at the President, says Byrne.

Almost as ferocious as the Clintons' fight related by Byrne is the current battle between the Democrats and Republicans over this explosive book.

And it's not just historic allegations being thrown around. Even at 69, Mr Clinton's sex life is still proving controversial, with his charity foundation recently facing questions over a $2 million donation to a company partly owned by a woman alleged to be his mistress.

The Clinton camp has dismissed the memoir as 'fantasy' without addressing specific claims. Also, some media supporters have noted that some of Byrne's claims contradict what he told the 1998 official inquiry that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment.

(Others argue that Byrne, who clearly likes Mr Clinton much more than his wife, was lying to protect him at the time, but feels no such qualms about damaging Hillary).

Some former Secret Service agents allege Byrne was too low-ranking to see everything he claims, and accuse him of recycling old rumours.

Others, however, have rushed to his defence.

Dan Emmett, a respected former agent and Secret Service historian, says Byrne spent 'many hundreds of hours' just feet from the President, adding: 'He was without question in a position to see and hear at least some of the things he claims.'

For Hillary - gaining in the polls over Donald Trump and potentially just months away from becoming America's first female President - 11th-hour revelations about how the Clintons behaved in the White House last time round may be enough to have her hurling more than vases and Bibles.

[Jun 28, 2016] Republicans Are Pushing a New Clinton Sex Scandal

Notable quotes:
"... On Monday, Raffi Williams, deputy press secretary for the Republican Party, tweeted, "Woman Suing Jeffrey Epstein For Sexual Slavery Claimed Bill Clinton Must Have Known" and linked to a post that in turn referred to a Daily Mail story from 2011. The Drudge Report went for the more sensational "BUBBA AND THE PALM BEACH PEDOPHILE" and linked to the same story. Conservative viral news sites Twitchy and IJReview piled on, as did pundits at conservative websites, including Breitbart and the Blaze . ..."
"... But unsealed court documents revealed that he had been the subject of a much larger federal probe into alleged prostitution and could have faced 10 years in prison or more, if the case had gone forward. After his guilty plea, two of his alleged victims, who had were underage at the time of their encounter with Epstein, sued him in federal court, claiming that he had a "sexual preference and obsession for underage girls" and that he had sexually assaulted them (and many others). Epstein has consistently denied criminal wrongdoing and downplayed his 2008 conviction, telling the New York Post that he is " not a sexual predator ." ..."
"... Clinton's relationship with Epstein is old news. It's long been publicly known that Clinton and other notable figures hobnobbed with Epstein. Still, the new headlines the case has generated have given GOPers a fresh opportunity to try to link Clinton to a sex scandal. Williams, the GOP spokesman, was attempting to draw attention to a three-year-old story that does not implicate Clinton in any lawbreaking. That article, which relies on court documents, recounts the story of Virginia Roberts, who alleged that she became Epstein's sex slave at the age of 15 and that Clinton had once had dinner with Epstein and two girls whom she believed were underage (but she didn't know their ages). But, according to the Daily Mail, Roberts said that "as far as she knows, the ex-President did not take the bait." Roberts did say that she believed Clinton had to have been aware of Epstein's alleged illegal activities, but provided no evidence to support her assumption. ..."
Jan 07, 2015 | motherjones.com
Conservatives think they've found new ammunition for their campaign against the Clintons-a new Clinton sex scandal. Or sort of.

On Monday, Raffi Williams, deputy press secretary for the Republican Party, tweeted, "Woman Suing Jeffrey Epstein For Sexual Slavery Claimed Bill Clinton Must Have Known" and linked to a post that in turn referred to a Daily Mail story from 2011. The Drudge Report went for the more sensational "BUBBA AND THE PALM BEACH PEDOPHILE" and linked to the same story. Conservative viral news sites Twitchy and IJReview piled on, as did pundits at conservative websites, including Breitbart and the Blaze.

What has the right in a tizzy is a six-year-old lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein, a former Democratic donor who has been accused of luring underage girls to his island resort to give massages before ultimately sexually assaulting them. Epstein, a billionaire hedge fund manager, pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting an underage woman and served 13 months in prison. But unsealed court documents revealed that he had been the subject of a much larger federal probe into alleged prostitution and could have faced 10 years in prison or more, if the case had gone forward. After his guilty plea, two of his alleged victims, who had were underage at the time of their encounter with Epstein, sued him in federal court, claiming that he had a "sexual preference and obsession for underage girls" and that he had sexually assaulted them (and many others). Epstein has consistently denied criminal wrongdoing and downplayed his 2008 conviction, telling the New York Post that he is "not a sexual predator."

Last week a new anonymous allegation was introduced in the case, with a court filing charging that Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth's second son, had sexually abused an underage girl when he was a guest at Epstein's house in the US Virgin Islands. (Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.) And on Monday, The Smoking Gun resurfaced old court documents revealing that Epstein's phone book included telephone numbers and email addresses for Bill Clinton. ("Now that Prince Andrew has found himself ensnared in the sleazy sex slave story of wealthy degenerate Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Clinton can't be too far behind," the site declared.)

Clinton's relationship with Epstein is old news. It's long been publicly known that Clinton and other notable figures hobnobbed with Epstein. Still, the new headlines the case has generated have given GOPers a fresh opportunity to try to link Clinton to a sex scandal. Williams, the GOP spokesman, was attempting to draw attention to a three-year-old story that does not implicate Clinton in any lawbreaking. That article, which relies on court documents, recounts the story of Virginia Roberts, who alleged that she became Epstein's sex slave at the age of 15 and that Clinton had once had dinner with Epstein and two girls whom she believed were underage (but she didn't know their ages). But, according to the Daily Mail, Roberts said that "as far as she knows, the ex-President did not take the bait." Roberts did say that she believed Clinton had to have been aware of Epstein's alleged illegal activities, but provided no evidence to support her assumption.

Clinton and Epstein were indeed once close. The former president used Epstein's private jet. And the presence of numerous teenage girls on the financier's private island might have struck a visitor as unusual or even troublesome.

[Jun 25, 2016] Anthony Weiner's Dirty Business Reveals The Sad State Of Sanitized Sex

Notable quotes:
"... Make Love Not Porn: Technology's Hardcore Impact on Human Behavior ..."
July 30, 2013 | huffingtonpost.com

Most political sex scandals follow a predictable narrative: An illicit sexual encounter is followed by exposé, and then the inevitable apology and atonement.

From what we know about Anthony Weiner's transgressions, the mayoral candidate deviated from these stages in one key way: With copious use of the web, he appears to have satisfied his urges without actually having sex. The X-rated photos and explicit messages he exchanged with young women online don't appear to be a means to an end - no prelude to trysts in seedy hotel rooms or parked cars (offers of apartments aside) - but rather, they were the end.

Thanks to technology, it's a sex scandal without any sex.

Weiner's particular form of indiscretion - using websites to expose himself to more than a dozen different women - reveals how social networks have become portals to new kinds of sexual encounters while forging fresh forms of sexual transgression.

His online dalliances underscore a new age of sanitized sex, where sexual relationships have been reduced to their most abstract elements and all necessity for physical contact has been eliminated. In contrast to an earlier generation that experimented with spouse-swapping, group sex and free-love communes in the 1960s and '70s, today's online generation is embracing sex with no one. Flirtation, foreplay and consummation can be tidily reduced to a few typed sentences and graphic photos, or perhaps even a phone call, if a couple really wants to go the extra mile. To satisfy their desires, a growing number of people, like Weiner, don't need intercourse - they just need the Internet.

As Andrew Sullivan observed in 2011, when Weiner's racy pictures first surfaced, "The online world creates an outlet for the feelings that sexual adultery or sexual adventure create - but without actual sex, without actual intimacy, without our actual full selves."

Weiner, who seems to have sent at least one illicit photo to a woman without any encouragement whatsoever, seems to have a thing for exhibitionism. Some might see in his behavior the online equivalent to donning a raincoat in an alleyway and flashing women who walk by, but others suggest he represents something else: A man whose deviance could only exist in the online world, which makes spontaneous flashing possible without the effort involved in the more traditional variety. "I'd bet my whole Ph.D. that he wouldn't be standing on a corner doing that," notes Barry McCarthy, a sex and marital therapist, and professor of psychology at American University.

Instead, Weiner, like so many others online, has become accustomed to on-demand sexuality, where relationships with another person are convenient, controllable and entirely on his terms. We're adopting an Amazon.com or Seamless Web approach to our sex lives, expecting that sexual fulfillment can be ordered up over the Internet like sneakers or pad thai. And Carlos Danger's dalliances with people like Sydney Leathers suggest that, increasingly, they can be.

"He was never going to take this into the real world, but he wanted to express himself as a sexual being, and technology gave him the ability to do that," said Cindy Gallop, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn, a platform for "real-world" sex videos, and author of Make Love Not Porn: Technology's Hardcore Impact on Human Behavior. "[Sex] is like anything else on the Internet: It's very easy to get a quick hit everywhere."

It's especially easy to get a quick hit on one's own terms. Weiner minimized the risk of rejection by relying on social media to serve up the women to him - he generally approached women who'd followed or praised him on Twitter and Facebook. The web allowed him to form relationships with real women who were mostly fantasy, responsive avatars that wouldn't spoil the illusion with annoying habits, physical imperfections or emotional demands. The online nature of the affairs also allowed him to indulge these fantasies on his schedule, anywhere and anytime he pleased. And he operated in an atmosphere of unreal reality, just virtual enough to seem innocent and unreal, and just real enough to make the fantasy a fulfilling one.

These virtual affairs aren't only more convenient, but the crescendo of a sexual relationship - eliciting desire, stoking connection and eventually reaching orgasm - requires less participation from the people involved than ever before. There are no rendezvous in out-of-the-way motel rooms and no heavy petting. Only typing.

What we have seen of Weiner's trysts has revolved around a kind of "sex" that was clean, cold, practical and utterly efficient. The leaked transcripts of Weiner's chats with Leathers don't read like the torrid, passionate correspondence of star-crossed lovers separated by circumstance. They're transactional and to the point. Weiner seemed to indulge a fantasy, then quickly get back to planning his political comeback.

For a public struggling to make sense of Weiner's online affairs, the virtual element makes them appear dirtier, says Rachel Hills, author of a forthcoming book on sex and Generation Y. Yet Tinder, the online dating app wildly successful among college students and twenty-somethings, perfectly embodies the rise and appeal of Weiner's brand of sex-free sex: The app, which connects people who find each other mutually attractive, can make people feel wanted without ever requiring them to speak to another person directly. Feeling desirable is now achievable through an app. Lonely? Insecure? Just log on, rate a few faces and wait for someone to like you back.

Tinder, one Tufts University sophomore explained to me this past spring, is used "more as an ego boost-type situation than a dating situation or a way to connect with people." The same could be said of Weiner's activities online.

Though these online relationships may seem as two-dimensional as the sites on which they play out, their effortlessness and simplicity raise a key question: Will they make offline relationships seem more appealing, or less? Is the absence of a warm body a downside or more of a perk? A John Edwards type might have had to soothe his lover's feelings or explain why he had to leave in the middle of the night. When Weiner had had enough, he could just shut down his computer.

Except, of course, Weiner's disgrace delivers yet another reminder of another aspect of the online realm. Just as it beckons as a place full of seemingly unlimited encounters achievable at any moment, it also functions as the ultimate archive, a repository of every embarrassing exchange, accessible to anyone connected.

The medium that enabled sexless sex scandals will also preserve them forever.

[Jun 25, 2016] A French Point of View on Anthony Weiner's Sexting Scandal by Laurent-David Samama

Notable quotes:
"... Seen from a French point of view, I must say that this whole Weiner story illustrates to perfection what we can call the "American hypocrisy." On the one hand, you are offended by a man sending a few sextos (which is not a devious behavior!) and promoting virtue whenever you can but on the other hand, you're doing nothing to limit the influence of Hollywood-made erotic and pornographic production, you're watching Jerry Springer trash-talk on TV on a a daily basis and you're delighted to see what teenage icons such as Selena Gomez and Miley Cirus became (they went from being stupid and delicious products to being the latest, outrageous Madonnas with no talent...). ..."
Aug 1, 2013 | www.huffingtonpost.com

It surely is this summer's major headline! Former U.S. representative and NYC Mayor candidate Anthony Weiner has been caught sexting with young girls again and again despite the fact he his married to a caring and supporting woman. So what? Is this really a big deal? Does it really need to be the most commented subject across America at a time where Detroit is falling down and leaker Snowden is reminding us of some scary Cold War nightmares?

Seen from a French point of view, I must say that this whole Weiner story illustrates to perfection what we can call the "American hypocrisy." On the one hand, you are offended by a man sending a few sextos (which is not a devious behavior!) and promoting virtue whenever you can but on the other hand, you're doing nothing to limit the influence of Hollywood-made erotic and pornographic production, you're watching Jerry Springer trash-talk on TV on a a daily basis and you're delighted to see what teenage icons such as Selena Gomez and Miley Cirus became (they went from being stupid and delicious products to being the latest, outrageous Madonnas with no talent...).

This is pure nonsense!

There is something America must understand: you can cheat on your wife and still be a good politician. Remember JFK and Bill Clinton? They both had affairs while at the White House but in the meantime, they are unanimously considered as top of the notch U.S. presidents. Weiner, Clinton, JFK. These men illustrate the fact that politics is dirty and so is sex! (And so is 1 in 5 readers of this op-ed since 1 American out of 5 is said to sext on a regular basis!)

[Jun 20, 2016] The Gifts of Imperfection Let Go of Who You Think Youre Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are Brene Brown 9781592858491 A

www.amazon.com
Kristen B on March 6, 2012 A
Book that Changed My Life

I originally bought this book in May of 2011. I can't remember exactly why it spoke to me, but I know I was looking for self esteem boosting books. I think maybe the title resonated because I realized I was having some trouble with perfectionism. Accepting mistakes, compassion for myself, forgiving myself, but also pushing forward to being a better person, a better worker, friend, girlfriend, etc. It resonates today because I see how much of a perfectionist I can be, and how much trouble I am having forgiving myself for past mistakes, and trying not to label myself because of them. I am having trouble sufficiently feeling the guilt enough to change, letting that feeling in, but then forgiving myself, and not letting those behaviors define who I am as a person.

How did the book address this?

Where I still don't feel resolution:

I am still not sure how I am going to be able integrate this intellectual understanding into a daily practice. When I do something "wrong", especially something I have done wrong a hundred times before, will I be able to lean into the guilt, instead of the shame? Will I be able to lean into the vulnerability? Will I be able to be present to the vulnerability around me?

I know a big part of this is simply practice. And finding strategies that resonate. But the first step for me is an intellectual understanding, and this is certainly worth reading if that is something that is important to you.

Supplementary Materials:

[Jun 05, 2016] Stand By Your Man

[Jun 05, 2016] I Beg Your Pardon, I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

[May 25, 2016] Oscar Wilde on Love

[May 17, 2016] Hillary Clinton Unbelievably Nasty, Mean Enabler Of Pervy Prez Bill, Trump Slams

May 17, 2016 | radaronline.com

Hillary Clinton is an "unbelievably nasty, mean enabler," and Donald Trump isn't going to let her get away with it!

The presumptive GOP nominee went on a blistering Twitter rant Tuesday, after a Clinton Super Pac released its first attack aids aimed at him.

"Amazing that Crooked Hillary can do a hit ad on me concerning women when her husband was the WORST abuser of woman in U.S. political history," Trump wrote.

The presumptive GOP nominee was referring to Bill's numerous trysts with women over the years. Trump accused Hillary of being the reason for Bill's infidelities, and shamed her for mistreating the women Bill cheated with.

"And just remember this," Trump said. "She was an unbelievably nasty, mean enabler, and what she did to a lot of those women is disgraceful."

So what did Bill have to say about being called the WORST abuser of woman in U.S. political history? When MSNBC asked him for a comment during a campaign event in Puerto Rico, the former president smiled and at first declined to say anything. Then he sidestepped the issue.

"No I won't [comment]," Clinton said. "I think people are smart enough to figure this out without my help."

But that didn't stop the Trump tweets from firing! Later in the day, Trump lashed out again at the Clintons for their economic policies.

[May 17, 2016] 6 Warning Signs Youre Dating a Narcissist

Notable quotes:
"... By Nancy Kay from DivorcedMoms.com ..."
Jan 17, 2015 | www.huffingtonpost.com

By Nancy Kay from DivorcedMoms.com Could you be dating a narcissist and not even know it? After starting to date again after divorce , I often found myself drawn toward highly successful professional men who are competitive in business and strongly determined to continue to build their own financial empire. Their determined, confident attitudes and visible business successes appealed to my strong desires for security and stability. A recent first date I went on was with this type of guy. My date with a dentist turned into a three-hour marathon of misery for me when he insisted that we sit in a back booth that he had reserved in advance with the hostess by visiting the restaurant the night before and then he told our server that he would leave an extra generous tip if she served our meals at a very leisurely pace. Right away he launched into a one-sided brag fest about how he got elected president of his college fraternity and why he easily scored highest in his graduating class on the dental board exam. He then dropped names of all the famous people he knows who live in our city and then went on to reveal the names of all the famous people his dad knows too. By the time the pasta finally arrived, I wanted to collapse into my plate from sheer boredom and exhaustion. After that mind-numbing experience, I ran to my car and swore off dating for several months. Unfortunately this was just one more very disillusioning date with a narcissistic man . I had already experienced many others. Several times I dated a man exclusively for three to six months, expecting things to become more serious over time, only to have them abruptly break things off with very little explanation or distance themselves with vague excuses about why they couldn't continue to spend time with me. After spending many frustrating weeks trying to figure out how to get each of these men I had dated exclusively to connect with me on an emotional level so that our relationship could continue to grow, I finally discovered that there was a big disconnect between the type of relationship I was expecting to unfold and what these narcissistic men were able to contribute in terms of intimacy, emotional connection and respectful two-way communications. I discovered that I was living on crumbs and pretending it was a whole nutritious meal. Are you dating a narcissist? Here are six warning signs: 1. He is pre-occupied with how things around him appear and how he is perceived by others. He aggressively pursues financial success and is not content with what he already has acquired or achieved. He has a strong craving for admiration, praise and his home, car, clothes and high status are a direct measurement of how successful he appears to others. 2. He exploits or takes advantage of others to get what he wants. Narcissists are highly skilled at using others' talents; taking advantage of their desire to avoid conflicts and their good natured helpfulness as a means to an end to achieve their own goals. 3. He does not appreciate or even see your unique abilities and natural gifts. Highly self-absorbed, narcissists are so driven by how they can use others to benefit themselves that your own individual strengths, abilities and achievements are often ignored or dismissed as inconsequential. 4. He resents authority and despises correction or being told what to do. He is reluctant to accept any blame or criticism and strongly prefers to be in control of things and those around him at all times. Having his faults pointed out to him or even having to admit that he made a mistake can set him off into a fit of rage. 5. Petty arguments often erupt into power struggles. The narcissistic man thrives on being right so disputes are rarely resolved. Mediation and counseling rarely helps to improve communications with a narcissist because this type of person sees themselves as under attack and can't stand for their actions to be subject to the opinions of others and held up to the light. 6. He disregards your healthy needs for attention and affection. Since narcissistic men often lack empathy and the self-examination necessary to create an intimate relationship, you'll often find yourself running on empty. Attempts to get more affection from him often leads to him creating a secret life to run to and evading your questions about what is really happening or not happening in your relationship. If you recognize these signs in a man that you are dating, it is helpful to remember that narcissists have very rigid expectations (especially for themselves) and so this type of man rarely changes his ways. Understanding or experiencing intimacy and love within the context of a balanced and healthy relationship is not on the agenda of a narcissist. Unfortunately, many times we keep trying to change a narcissistic man into who we'd like them to become or the reverse - trying to twist ourselves like pretzels into a perfect version of what he wants instead of cutting our losses. Recognizing the traits of a narcissistic man and realizing how deeply rooted they are is critical so that we can begin taking back control of our own life and start to move forward in a healthier direction.

[May 17, 2016] Are You Dating a Narcissist

www.huffingtonpost.com

< Have you ever had a situation that goes something like this?: You meet someone and it feels like the stars align. This person is so into you and lavishes you with attention, romance and gifts. The relationship moves very quickly and it feels like you have met "the one." Months down the road when things have settled in comfortably, things start to change. The person who used to adore and worship you now fluctuates between needing you desperately and devaluing you. Perhaps as time goes on, the person who you thought cared so much becomes more emotionally unavailable, distant and cruel. The "Jekyll" part of the personality starts to overtake the "Hyde." How did this person who used to be so wonderful and made such an effort to be with you all of the sudden turn out to be so opposite than what you thought? This can leave someone confused, hurt, angry and depressed. If this situation sounds similar to something you have experienced, you may be or may have dated someone with narcissistic tendencies. Here are some of the warning signs:

1. They are madly in love with you right off the bat and the relationship moves very quickly: People with narcissistic tendencies use fantasy like projections when picking a mate. Usually it takes a certain amount of time to fall in love with someone. Sure, you can feel chemistry and a connection with someone but to fall in love with who a person truly is (flaws and all) takes some time. A person with narcissistic tendencies loves the intense feelings and the attention. Sadly, their intense interest in you is more so about them and their needs than it is about you.

2. They fluctuate between adoring you and devaluing you: People with narcissistic tendencies are very hot and cold. They can be mean and critical one second and then sweet and loving the next. This becomes very confusing because you are still seeing glimpses of the wonderful person you first fell in love with but you are also getting to see another side that makes you feel bad about yourself.

3. They have little ability to empathize and everything is on their terms: Someone with narcissistic tendencies doesn't really see things from your world or from your point of view. Everything is about them and what they want. They ignore your needs in the relationship and only focus on getting what they want or what works best for them. They will always be their number one priority and everyone else will always come after that.

4. They cheat, lie or manipulate and don't feel remorse: Narcissists don't really empathize so when they do something to hurt you, they don't really feel remorseful. This can actually be the most hurtful part because it may make you feel like they never cared about you at all. Moving on can be very hard because a lot of people feel that they need closure or apologies that they will never get from narcissistic people.

5. When it's all over, it's like you never mattered: A classic case narcissist mostly uses people for their own gain and has very little emotional connection to those that are in their lives. Because of this, they discard people in their lives very easily. I recently watched an episode of the new HBO show Girls and in this particular episode, one of the characters who had broken up with her serious long-term boyfriend 2 weeks prior now finds he already has a new girlfriend. Shocked that he could move on so quickly from something so serious she exclaims. "you're a sociopath!!" and walks away. Even though she was the one who broke up with him, she is shocked that it feels like their relationship meant nothing to him at the end of the day and that she was easily replaceable. People recovering from narcissistic relationships are often in shock that someone who once claimed to love them so much has moved on so quickly and without any sense of remorse.

How to spot a narcissist:

I always tell my clients to take the time to really get to know the people they are dating before getting too emotionally invested or putting all their eggs in one basket. There are definitely fairy tale stories out there of two people falling madly in love with each other right at the get go and spending their lives happily ever after, but that is generally not the norm. Keep your guard up the more intensely the person is into you and the earlier on it occurs. Past relationship patterns are also very important to look at. As mentioned above, people who are narcissistic are intense very quickly and end up leaving a trail of shattered relationships and people who are left to pick up the pieces (and often need quite a bit of therapy after being in the destructive path of a narcissist). If you get an idea of the dating history of someone and it follows a certain pattern, pay attention to that. Yes, people can change, but past relationship patterns can raise a lot of red flags. The reason people have a hard time of extricating themselves from a narcissistic relationship is because it is hard to get past the fact that someone who used to be so wonderful and loving can turn so cold, hateful and lacking in remorse. These people hang on because of the glimpses they get of the good side and hold out the hope that if they were only "good enough" or "better", or unconditionally accepted and loved this person then they could get the nice and kind person back.

It turns into a vicious cycle and the more you get into a relationship, the harder it is to get out of. Being in a relationship with a narcissist will make you feel crazy and most narcissists actually don't actively leave relationships; they wait to be left first. It can be really hard to get out of a relationship like this and if you have never been in one, it's hard to know how. If someone makes you feel worthless or crazy and you know they are not treating you with respect, or empathizing with you, that might be hard to change. Learning to spot negative patterns early and having the strength to know what you deserve in a relationship is one of the best things to do if you find yourself involved with one of these people.

Recovery after a narcissistic relationship:

Recovery after a narcissistic relationship can be very difficult. Many people are driven to therapy because they have been left completely shattered and fragile after a relationship with a narcissist. The most important thing to remember is that it's not about YOU. This has everything to do with the flaws of the narcissist and their inability to make real, meaningful connections with others. What they have done to you is what they have done and will continue to do in all their relationships unless they recognize this within themselves and get help. The problem is, most narcissistic people never recognize that they need to change. Remember that you deserve a relationship that builds you up, that makes you feel safe, and that brings you happiness and warmth. A person who is narcissistic cannot give this to you, simply because they are not capable of it.

**This article originally appeared on Pamela's Punch

[May 17, 2016] 10 Signs Youre In Love With A Narcopath

Notable quotes:
"... "You're the prettiest. The sexiest. The skinniest. The best mom. The funniest." ..."
"... "You have such a sexy voice. Not too high, nor too low; it's just perfect. My friend Courtney's voice is super high-pitched and she has this weird way of talking through her teeth. Annoying." ..."
"... "You have a great body. I guess I'm used to having more to hug with my ex!" ..."
www.huffingtonpost.com
What do you get when you cross a sociopath with a narcissist? The least funny joke and the worst kind of hybrid: a narcissistic sociopath, narcopath for short. Both a narcissist and sociopath have an inflated sense of how important they are, as well as a constant need for praise and admiration. One commonality between the two is their ability to fool others in order to get what they want, without remorse. But what sets them apart is that a narcopath is unable to handle criticism or be viewed in a negative light, whereas a sociopath couldn't care less who thinks what or how they're perceived. When you hear the word narcopath you may picture a deranged, knife-wielding lunatic - at least that's what I pictured before I met my own. Unfortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth. Narcopaths are boogie men in disguise and wolves in sheep's clothing. Their abuse is sometimes so subtle that you don't see it until the curtain closes and your world is torn apart. Still unsure if you're in a relationship with a narcopath? Here are ten telltale signs that you might be.

1. Things move from zero to one hundred in seconds.

From the beginning, nothing is normal with a narcopath. Things progress at warp speed, hop-scotching over the usual stages of a relationship. Instead of slowly getting to know one another, you go from the first date to planning your future together within weeks of meeting. And when your gut warns you things are moving too fast, you tell it to shut up because you've finally found your soulmate.

2. They're a broken record of compliments.

A narcopath will sweep you off your feet, place you on a pedestal, then worship you from down below. They'll tell you the things you've always wanted to hear, saying them over and over and over again. But listen closely and you'll notice there's not much variation in these love monologues, and their sweet-nothings sound more like a script than anything from the heart. "You're the prettiest. The sexiest. The skinniest. The best mom. The funniest." If everything feels staged and too good to be true, it probably is.

3. They flatter you with comparisons.

There's no period at the end of a compliment. Instead, a narcopath compliments you by comparing you to someone else in their life. In my case, he'd say things like, "You have such a sexy voice. Not too high, nor too low; it's just perfect. My friend Courtney's voice is super high-pitched and she has this weird way of talking through her teeth. Annoying." Or, "You have a great body. I guess I'm used to having more to hug with my ex!" Praising you by putting down others is a huge red flag, not to mention incredibly distasteful. And while it's no doubt flattering to hear these praises, keep in mind that one day they'll be offering them to someone else and using your name to fill the second blank.

4. Your chemistry between the sheets is off the charts.

You've never felt this much passion with anyone else. Pushing all the right buttons in just the right ways, it's like they're reading your mind and its desires. The reason sex is so mind-blowing, at least in the beginning, isn't because they know what to do with their hands; they know what to do with your mind . They'll make you feel like you're the only one who's ever existed to them. Yes, narcopaths are indeed that great - at acting, that is. By mirroring your every emotion they're able to make their own emotions seem genuine and fool you into thinking yours are real.

5. Their eyes are windows to nothingness.

My Narc-in-a-Box would stare at me with such intensity I'd become nervous, fidget, and quickly turn away. Speaking directly into my eyes with a deadpan and unwavering stare, I don't think he blinked once during our four months together. At times his gaze was so piercing that his pupils practically vanished. But sadly, behind all that intensity lied a vast amount of dark nothingness. I turned away from that stare because it made me feel uneasy in all the wrong ways.

6. They always lead the conversation back to themselves.

On the surface, a narcopath seems hyper-focused on you and genuinely interested in learning all there is to know. Yet the moment you begin divulging this information, they quickly interrupt with a story of their own. It's like a revolving door: They ask you a question to gain the opportunity to talk about themselves. They're quick to interject with their thoughts and opinions, and always have a similar experience to share with you. Experiences that, once dissected, are nothing more than sweetly camouflaged one-uppers and indirect ways to let you know that they know better.

7. They have a checkered relationship history.

I've never met anyone with such an odd and storied relationship history. He traveled to Texas after meeting a girl online, then met his ex-wife online, and later flew in another girl he met online (through a quiz website!) all the way from Europe, before finally meeting me online. Narcopaths often leave long trails of broken relationships behind them, but of course they were never the ones responsible for breaking them. And no matter how long ago it ended, they'll claim all their former flames still burn strongly for them from afar.

8. They use big words that have little substance.

Have you ever read something that initially seems incredibly deep and profound, until you reach the end and realize it's nothing but a nonsensical jumble of fancy words? A narcopath craves superiority and thrives on being smarter than everyone in the room. The only the problem is that often times they're not, forcing them to fake it and pray no one catches on. On the surface, a narcopath seems highly intelligent and cultured, but dig deeper and you'll discover it's nothing but fluff.

9. They give because it makes them look better.

Give and you shall receive. Or, in the narcopath's case, give and tell everyone within a thousand mile radius who you gave to and exactly how much. A narcopath doesn't give because it makes them feel good on the inside; rather, they give because it makes them look good from the outside. No kind deed goes unnoticed, because they'd never allow it. Whether it's helping an old lady cross the street, giving a homeless person a buck, or donating to their children's PTA, they'll make sure someone knows about their generosity.

10. They're no stranger to the silent treatment.

Narcopaths love to dish it out. You may see glimpses of this passive-aggressive form of punishment early on in the relationship, or it might come on suddenly out of left field. Either way, the silent treatment is without a doubt the most vile and abusive trait that narcopaths possess. Like a child, anytime they can't get their way or feel threatened, they stomp away with their arms crossed and punish you with a deafening silence. The harder you reach out, the more you cry, and the angrier you become, the better they feel. It's normal for your partner to get angry, sulk, or brood sometimes. What isn't normal is using silence as a weapon to punish and control you, then sitting back and gaining pleasure from your pain.

This article originally appeared on YourTango .

[May 17, 2016] 7 Strategies for Dealing With the Narcissist You Love

Notable quotes:
"... Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline . ..."
Jun 23, 2014 www.huffingtonpost.com

Late last year, I wrote a piece where I shared a perspective, based on growing research , that narcissism isn't simply a stubborn trait, but a style of coping. The seeds of that idea turned into a book , scheduled for release in spring next year. Since I promised a follow up, I'm taking a brief break from the larger project to deliver on my promise. Here's a glimpse at what's to come. If you think your partner's a narcissist , you might want to try these seven strategies. Check For Abuse : None of what I'm about to suggest is likely to help if the person you love is physically or emotionally abusive. Not all narcissists, even those diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) , resort to abuse. But some do - and if you're on the receiving end, your first step should be to explore what makes it hard for you to leave . If you're facing abuse, it doesn't matter whether it's driven by your partner's narcissism, chronic pain, or drug addiction - the problem is the abuse, plain and simple. And the abuser is 100 percent responsible for his or her choice. Until that changes, you probably won't feel safe enough - nor should you - to take the kinds of risks I'm recommending here. Check for Denial: Most people recognize denial when they see it. It's easily the most famous of all the defense mechanisms. The alcoholic who protests, "I just enjoy the taste of fine wine!"; the terminally ill patient who assures everyone, "It's just a cough"; and the narcissist who, despite having alienated all her friends and lost her job, proclaims, "I'm just fine" - all are exhibiting denial. The more denial a narcissist displays, the less hopeful you should feel about change. How bad is denial? In adolescents , it predicts some of the most ruthless, demanding forms of narcissism - adults who happily admit "I find it easy to manipulate people." Make sure your partner can admit something's wrong, even if it's as simple as saying, "my life isn't where I hoped it would be." Contrary to what you might think, some narcissists do seek therapy . Which kinds? The "vulnerable" ones, riddled with shame and fear; they freely admit they have problems instead of burying them beneath near-delusional denial. In fact, they're also more likely to stick with treatment once they start. Beware the Manipulator : Across studies , narcissists who score high on measures of entitlement and exploitation (or, EE, as researchers call it) have the highest levels of aggression, a strong impulse to cheat, and even, when angered, a penchant for stealing or sabotaging property at work. In fact, EE singlehandedly accounts for most of the worst behaviors a narcissist can display. Manipulative narcissists are also more likely to score higher on measures of Psychopathy and Machiavellianism. The former is a cold callous personality linked to criminal behaviors, while the latter, as you can guess from the name, describes a cutthroat, "do whatever it takes" personality. Along with narcissism, these two traits comprise personality's dark triad . Not all narcissists are cold and manipulative. But the ones who are pose the greatest threat because they're so practiced at play-acting and deceit you'll have a hard time separating fact from fiction. Check Their Willingness to Change: This one might seem obvious, but it's crucial enough that it bears mentioning. The easiest way to test a partner's capacity to change is to seek help from a couples therapist - or any therapist for that matter. Even people who aren't narcissists can be leery of therapy, so this one shouldn't be considered a litmus test. If your partner's willing to work with you, though, your odds at improving the relationship have probably jumped by an order of magnitude. Check Your Anger: "You've always been the paranoid, jealous type," sneers your partner after you openly wonder about the amount of time he's spending with his attractive coworker. Our natural tendency, when faced with such shocking indifference to our fear of losing love or needing more closeness and comfort, is to protect ourselves. For many people, this means donning battle armor and launching an attack. "You're the most selfish person I know! I don't know why I'm with you!" As understandable as the protective measures are, they cut us off from crucial information: Can our partners hear our sadness and fear and feel moved? If there's any way at all to reach through the detachment, it's by sharing our feelings at a more vulnerable level. Try this: "You mean so much to me; I hear you talking to her and I'm scared I'm not enough for you." Or, "Your opinion means the world to me; when I hear you talk to me that way I feel so small and worthless in your eyes." Most partners, if they can feel anything at all, will melt when they hear comments like this. They don't just convey your pain with greater clarity; they remind your partner why the behavior hurts - because it comes from the one person who matters most. How effective is this kind of communication? Across decades of studies, 90 percent of couples who learned to share the sadness and fear beneath the anger, healed their broken bond and enjoyed happy, closer relationships. Likewise, in multiple recent studies , narcissists who focused on caring and closeness ("communal behavior") actually scored lower over time on several measures of narcissism; those who saw their partners as communal (compared to those who didn't) even said they'd be less likely to cheat . Check Your Silence: Say you come home from a hard day at work, and your boyfriend, grumbling about the weekend plans being up in the air, starts lecturing you about how indecisive you are. "You sure take a long time to make decisions, don't you?" Condescending remarks like this don't always enrage us. When our self-esteem is already crumbling, they often shut us down completely; we crawl away, crestfallen, or slip into hours of silence. But we have to find a voice again if we want things to get better. Research suggests that silent withdrawal is just another way of coping with feeling sad or fearful about our connection with people we love; your best bet, as with anger, is to go beneath the impulse to shut down and share the upset. "I'm feeling so put down right now I'm afraid you've stopped caring about me altogether." Why is this so important? Though they appear to be universal ways of coping with fears about the people we love, anger and withdrawal also ramp up our partners' insecurities . The result? Our loved ones fall back on their usual way of protecting themselves - like criticism or indifference - instead of hearing our pain. If they're narcissists, that means they resort to their favorite MO - narcissism. Be Honest with Yourself: If you've tried a more loving approach to sharing what hurts in your relationship, and the narcissist in your life still won't soften, you truly have done everything you can. This might be the only hope for change. Those of you who wrote in to say you already tried this and it didn't work have made a valiant effort; you may have exhausted your supply of empathy from working so hard. If so, my heart goes out to you. But staying in an unhappy relationship comes at a steep price, including your self-esteem. Ask yourself, honestly - are you staying because your partner's doing his best to change - or because it feels too hard to leave? Even if the people we love want to change, none of us should be expected to endure the same hurts over and over. Narcissistic arrogance and hostility elicit our worst behaviors ; they get beneath our skin, working away like a thousand needles. The natural response is to pull away or lash back; but if you do your best to share the pain openly, letting your loved ones see your softer feelings, you're giving them their best - and only shot - at hearing you. If they can't understand your pain then, perhaps they never will. As sad and difficult as it feels, you might need to take care of yourself by leaving. Because regardless of which habit steals their attention away from genuine love and intimacy, if our loved ones can't risk change, their problems are here to stay. Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline . If you like my posts, let me know! Let's connect on facebook and twitter. And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, for more tips and advice, as well as information on my forthcoming book , about understanding and coping with narcissism in all its forms, in our friends, lovers, colleagues-and even ourselves. HARPERWAVE AND HARPER UK, SPRING 2015

Follow Dr. Craig Malkin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DrCraigMalkin

[May 17, 2016] Emotion-phobia by Dr. Craig Malkin

The overall pattern of narcissistic behavior is emotional instability and aggressive behavior caused by insecurity and weakness rather than any real feelings of confidence or self-esteem. One very interesting and revealing feature of a narcissist (as well as several other types of psychopaths) is emotion-phobia
Notable quotes:
"... Narcissists abhor feeling influenced in any significant way. It challenges their sense of perfect autonomy; to admit to a feeling of any kind suggests they can be affected by someone or something outside of them. So they often change the subject when feelings come up, especially their own, and as quick as they might be to anger, it's often like pulling teeth to get them to admit that they've reached the boiling point - even when they're in the midst of the most terrifying tirade. ..."
www.huffingtonpost.com

Emotion-phobia: Feelings are a natural consequence of being human, and we tend to have lots of them in the course of normal interactions. But the very fact of having a feeling in the presence of another person suggests you can be touched emotionally by friends, family, partners, and even the occasional tragedy or failure. Narcissists abhor feeling influenced in any significant way. It challenges their sense of perfect autonomy; to admit to a feeling of any kind suggests they can be affected by someone or something outside of them. So they often change the subject when feelings come up, especially their own, and as quick as they might be to anger, it's often like pulling teeth to get them to admit that they've reached the boiling point - even when they're in the midst of the most terrifying tirade.

[May 16, 2016] Stockholm Syndrome The Psychological Mystery of Loving an Abuser, Page 1

Notable quotes:
"... In the final analysis, emotionally bonding with an abuser is actually a strategy for survival for victims of abuse and intimidation. The "Stockholm Syndrome" reaction in hostage and/or abuse situations is so well recognized at this time that police hostage negotiators no longer view it as unusual. ..."
"... Stockholm Syndrome (SS) can also be found in family, romantic, and interpersonal relationships. The abuser may be a husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, father or mother, or any other role in which the abuser is in a position of control or authority. ..."
"... In relationships with abusers, a birthday card, a gift (usually provided after a period of abuse), or a special treat are interpreted as not only positive, but evidence that the abuser is not "all bad" and may at some time correct his/her behavior. Abusers and controllers are often given positive credit for not abusing their partner, when the partner would have normally been subjected to verbal or physical abuse in a certain situation. An aggressive and jealous partner may normally become intimidating or abusive in certain social situations, as when an opposite-sex coworker waves in a crowd. After seeing the wave, the victim expects to be verbally battered and when it doesn't happen, that "small kindness" is interpreted as a positive sign. ..."
"... During the relationship, the abuser/controller may share information about their past - how they were mistreated, abused, neglected, or wronged. ..."
"... Sympathy may develop toward the abuser and we often hear the victim of Stockholm Syndrome defending their abuser with "I know he fractured my jaw and ribs…but he's troubled. He had a rough childhood!" ..."
"... Keep in mind: once you become hardened to the "sad stories", they will simply try another approach. I know of no victim of abuse or crime who has heard their abuser say "I'm beating (robbing, mugging, etc.) you because my Mom hated me!" ..."
"... In abusive and controlling relationships, the victim has the sense they are always "walking on eggshells" - fearful of saying or doing anything that might prompt a violent/intimidating outburst. For their survival, they begin to see the world through the abuser's perspective. They begin to fix things that might prompt an outburst, act in ways they know makes the abuser happy, or avoid aspects of their own life that may prompt a problem. If we only have a dollar in our pocket, then most of our decisions become financial decisions. If our partner is an abuser or controller, then the majority of our decisions are based on our perception of the abuser's potential reaction. We become preoccupied with the needs, desires, and habits of the abuser/controller. ..."
"... Controlling partners have increased the financial obligations/debt in the relationship to the point that neither partner can financially survive on their own. ..."
"... The legal ending of a relationship, especially a marital relationship, often creates significant problems. ..."
"... The Controller often uses extreme threats including threatening to take the children out of state, threatening to quit their job/business rather than pay alimony/support, threatening public exposure of the victim's personal issues, or assuring the victim they will never have a peaceful life due to nonstop harassment. ..."
counsellingresource.com
While the psychological condition in hostage situations became known as "Stockholm Syndrome" due to the publicity, the emotional "bonding" with captors was a familiar story in psychology. It had been recognized many years before and was found in studies of other hostage, prisoner, or abusive situations such as:

In the final analysis, emotionally bonding with an abuser is actually a strategy for survival for victims of abuse and intimidation. The "Stockholm Syndrome" reaction in hostage and/or abuse situations is so well recognized at this time that police hostage negotiators no longer view it as unusual. In fact, it is often encouraged in crime situations as it improves the chances for survival of the hostages. On the down side, it also assures that the hostages experiencing "Stockholm Syndrome" will not be very cooperative during rescue or criminal prosecution. Local law enforcement personnel have long recognized this syndrome with battered women who fail to press charges, bail their battering husband/boyfriend out of jail, and even physically attack police officers when they arrive to rescue them from a violent assault.

Stockholm Syndrome (SS) can also be found in family, romantic, and interpersonal relationships. The abuser may be a husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, father or mother, or any other role in which the abuser is in a position of control or authority.

It's important to understand the components of Stockholm Syndrome as they relate to abusive and controlling relationships. Once the syndrome is understood, it's easier to understand why victims support, love, and even defend their abusers and controllers.

Every syndrome has symptoms or behaviors, and Stockholm Syndrome is no exception. While a clear-cut list has not been established due to varying opinions by researchers and experts, several of these features will be present:

Stockholm Syndrome doesn't occur in every hostage or abusive situation. In another bank robbery involving hostages, after terrorizing patrons and employees for many hours, a police sharpshooter shot and wounded the terrorizing bank robber. After he hit the floor, two women picked him up and physically held him up to the window for another shot. As you can see, the length of time one is exposed to abuse/control and other factors are certainly involved.

It has been found that four situations or conditions are present that serve as a foundation for the development of Stockholm Syndrome. These four situations can be found in hostage, severe abuse, and abusive relationships:

By considering each situation we can understand how Stockholm Syndrome develops in romantic relationships as well as criminal/hostage situations. Looking at each situation:

Perceived Threat to One's Physical/Psychological Survival

The perception of threat can be formed by direct, indirect, or witnessed methods. Criminal or antisocial partners can directly threaten your life or the life of friends and family. Their history of violence leads us to believe that the captor/controller will carry out the threat in a direct manner if we fail to comply with their demands. The abuser assures us that only our cooperation keeps our loved ones safe.

Indirectly, the abuser/controller offers subtle threats that you will never leave them or have another partner, reminding you that people in the past have paid dearly for not following their wishes. Hints are often offered such as "I know people who can make others disappear". Indirect threats also come from the stories told by the abuser or controller - how they obtained revenge on those who have crossed them in the past. These stories of revenge are told to remind the victim that revenge is possible if they leave.

Witnessing violence or aggression is also a perceived threat. Witnessing a violent temper directed at a television set, others on the highway, or a third party clearly sends us the message that we could be the next target for violence. Witnessing the thoughts and attitudes of the abuser/controller is threatening and intimidating, knowing that we will be the target of those thoughts in the future.

The "Small Kindness" Perception

In threatening and survival situations, we look for evidence of hope - a small sign that the situation may improve. When an abuser/controller shows the victim some small kindness, even though it is to the abuser's benefit as well, the victim interprets that small kindness as a positive trait of the captor. In criminal/war hostage situations, letting the victim live is often enough. Small behaviors, such as allowing a bathroom visit or providing food/water, are enough to strengthen the Stockholm Syndrome in criminal hostage events.

In relationships with abusers, a birthday card, a gift (usually provided after a period of abuse), or a special treat are interpreted as not only positive, but evidence that the abuser is not "all bad" and may at some time correct his/her behavior. Abusers and controllers are often given positive credit for not abusing their partner, when the partner would have normally been subjected to verbal or physical abuse in a certain situation. An aggressive and jealous partner may normally become intimidating or abusive in certain social situations, as when an opposite-sex coworker waves in a crowd. After seeing the wave, the victim expects to be verbally battered and when it doesn't happen, that "small kindness" is interpreted as a positive sign.

Similar to the small kindness perception is the perception of a "soft side". During the relationship, the abuser/controller may share information about their past - how they were mistreated, abused, neglected, or wronged. The victim begins to feel the abuser/controller may be capable of fixing their behavior or worse yet, that they (abuser) may also be a "victim". Sympathy may develop toward the abuser and we often hear the victim of Stockholm Syndrome defending their abuser with "I know he fractured my jaw and ribs…but he's troubled. He had a rough childhood!"

Losers and abusers may admit they need psychiatric help or acknowledge they are mentally disturbed; however, it's almost always after they have already abused or intimidated the victim. The admission is a way of denying responsibility for the abuse. In truth, personality disorders and criminals have learned over the years that personal responsibility for their violent/abusive behaviors can be minimized and even denied by blaming their bad upbringing, abuse as a child, and now even video games. One murderer blamed his crime on eating too much junk food - now known as the "Twinkie Defense". While it may be true that the abuser/controller had a difficult upbringing, showing sympathy for his/her history produces no change in their behavior and in fact, prolongs the length of time you will be abused. While "sad stories" are always included in their apologies - after the abusive/controlling event - their behavior never changes! Keep in mind: once you become hardened to the "sad stories", they will simply try another approach. I know of no victim of abuse or crime who has heard their abuser say "I'm beating (robbing, mugging, etc.) you because my Mom hated me!"

Isolation from Perspectives Other than those of the Captor

In abusive and controlling relationships, the victim has the sense they are always "walking on eggshells" - fearful of saying or doing anything that might prompt a violent/intimidating outburst. For their survival, they begin to see the world through the abuser's perspective. They begin to fix things that might prompt an outburst, act in ways they know makes the abuser happy, or avoid aspects of their own life that may prompt a problem. If we only have a dollar in our pocket, then most of our decisions become financial decisions. If our partner is an abuser or controller, then the majority of our decisions are based on our perception of the abuser's potential reaction. We become preoccupied with the needs, desires, and habits of the abuser/controller.

Taking the abuser's perspective as a survival technique can become so intense that the victim actually develops anger toward those trying to help them. The abuser is already angry and resentful toward anyone who would provide the victim support, typically using multiple methods and manipulations to isolate the victim from others. Any contact the victim has with supportive people in the community is met with accusations, threats, and/or violent outbursts. Victims then turn on their family - fearing family contact will cause additional violence and abuse in the home. At this point, victims curse their parents and friends, tell them not to call and to stop interfering, and break off communication with others. Agreeing with the abuser/controller, supportive others are now viewed as "causing trouble" and must be avoided. Many victims threaten their family and friends with restraining orders if they continue to "interfere" or try to help the victim in their situation. On the surface it would appear that they have sided with the abuser/controller. In truth, they are trying to minimize contact with situations that might make them a target of additional verbal abuse or intimidation. If a casual phone call from Mom prompts a two-hour temper outburst with threats and accusations - the victim quickly realizes it's safer if Mom stops calling. If simply telling Mom to stop calling doesn't work, for his or her own safety the victim may accuse Mom of attempting to ruin the relationship and demand that she stop calling.

In severe cases of Stockholm Syndrome in relationships, the victim may have difficulty leaving the abuser and may actually feel the abusive situation is their fault. In law enforcement situations, the victim may actually feel the arrest of their partner for physical abuse or battering is their fault. Some women will allow their children to be removed by child protective agencies rather than give up the relationship with their abuser. As they take the perspective of the abuser, the children are at fault - they complained about the situation, they brought the attention of authorities to the home, and they put the adult relationship at risk. Sadly, the children have now become a danger to the victim's safety. For those with Stockholm Syndrome, allowing the children to be removed from the home decreases their victim stress while providing an emotionally and physically safer environment for the children.

Perceived Inability to Escape

As a hostage in a bank robbery, threatened by criminals with guns, it's easy to understand the perceived inability to escape. In romantic relationships, the belief that one can't escape is also very common. Many abusive/controlling relationships feel like till-death-do-us-part relationships - locked together by mutual financial issues/assets, mutual intimate knowledge, or legal situations. Here are some common situations:

In unhealthy relationships and definitely in Stockholm Syndrome there is a daily preoccupation with "trouble". Trouble is any individual, group, situation, comment, casual glance, or cold meal that may produce a temper tantrum or verbal abuse from the controller or abuser. To survive, "trouble" is to be avoided at all costs. The victim must control situations that produce trouble. That may include avoiding family, friends, co-workers, and anyone who may create "trouble" in the abusive relationship. The victim does not hate family and friends; they are only avoiding "trouble"! The victim also cleans the house, calms the children, scans the mail, avoids certain topics, and anticipates every issue of the controller or abuse in an effort to avoid "trouble". In this situation, children who are noisy become "trouble". Loved ones and friends are sources of "trouble" for the victim who is attempting to avoid verbal or physical aggression.

Stockholm Syndrome in relationships is not uncommon. Law enforcement professionals are painfully aware of the situation - making a domestic dispute one of the high-risk calls during work hours. Called by neighbors during a spousal abuse incident, the abuser is passive upon arrival of the police, only to find the abused spouse upset and threatening the officers if their abusive partner is arrested for domestic violence. In truth, the victim knows the abuser/controller will retaliate against him/her if 1) they encourage an arrest, 2) they offer statements about the abuse/fight that are deemed disloyal by the abuser, 3) they don't bail them out of jail as quickly as possible, and 4) they don't personally apologize for the situation - as though it was their fault.

Stockholm Syndrome produces an unhealthy bond with the controller and abuser. It is the reason many victims continue to support an abuser after the relationship is over. It's also the reason they continue to see "the good side" of an abusive individual and appear sympathetic to someone who has mentally and sometimes physically abused them.

Is There Something Else Involved?

In a short response - Yes! Throughout history, people have found themselves supporting and participating in life situations that range from abusive to bizarre. In talking to these active and willing participants in bad and bizarre situations, it is clear they have developed feelings and attitudes that support their participation. One way these feelings and thoughts are developed is known as "cognitive dissonance". As you can tell, psychologists have large words and phrases for just about everything.

"Cognitive Dissonance" explains how and why people change their ideas and opinions to support situations that do not appear to be healthy, positive, or normal. In the theory, an individual seeks to reduce information or opinions that make him or her uncomfortable. When we have two sets of cognitions (knowledge, opinion, feelings, input from others, etc.) that are the opposite, the situation becomes emotionally uncomfortable. Even though we might find ourselves in a foolish or difficult situation - few want to admit that fact. Instead, we attempt to reduce the dissonance - the fact that our cognitions don't match, agree, or make sense when combined. "Cognitive Dissonance" can be reduced by adding new cognitions - adding new thoughts and attitudes. Some examples:

Leon Festinger first coined the term "Cognitive Dissonance". He had observed a cult (1956) in which members gave up their homes, incomes, and jobs to work for the cult. This cult believed in messages from outer space that predicted the day the world would end by a flood. As cult members and firm believers, they believed they would be saved by flying saucers at the appointed time. As they gathered and waited to be taken by flying saucers at the specified time, the end-of-the-world came and went. No flood and no flying saucer! Rather than believing they were foolish after all that personal and emotional investment - they decided their beliefs had actually saved the world from the flood and they became firmer in their beliefs after the failure of the prophecy. The moral: the more you invest (income, job, home, time, effort, etc.) the stronger your need to justify your position. If we invest $5.00 in a raffle ticket, we justify losing with "I'll get them next time". If you invest everything you have, it requires an almost unreasoning belief and unusual attitude to support and justify that investment.

Studies tell us we are more loyal and committed to something that is difficult, uncomfortable, and even humiliating. The initiation rituals of college fraternities, Marine boot camp, and graduate school all produce loyal and committed individuals. Almost any ordeal creates a bonding experience. Every couple, no matter how mismatched, falls in love in the movies after going through a terrorist takeover, being stalked by a killer, being stranded on an island, or being involved in an alien abduction. Investment and an ordeal are ingredients for a strong bonding - even if the bonding is unhealthy. No one bonds or falls in love by being a member of the Automobile Club or a music CD club. Struggling to survive on a deserted island - you bet!

Abusive relationships produce a great amount on unhealthy investment in both parties. In many cases we tend to remain and support the abusive relationship due to our investment in the relationship. Try telling a new Marine that since he or she has survived boot camp, they should now enroll in the National Guard! Several types of investments keep us in the bad relationship:

Emotional Investment
We've invested so many emotions, cried so much, and worried so much that we feel we must see the relationship through to the finish.
Social Investment
We've got our pride! To avoid social embarrassment and uncomfortable social situations, we remain in the relationship.
Family Investments
If children are present in the relationship, decisions regarding the relationship are clouded by the status and needs of the children.
Financial Investment
In many cases, the controlling and abusive partner has created a complex financial situation. Many victims remain in a bad relationship, waiting for a better financial situation to develop that would make their departure and detachment easier.
Lifestyle Investment
Many controlling/abusive partners use money or a lifestyle as an investment. Victims in this situation may not want to lose their current lifestyle.
Intimacy Investment
We often invest emotional and sexual intimacy. Some victims have experienced a destruction of their emotional and/or sexual self-esteem in the unhealthy relationship. The abusing partner may threaten to spread rumors or tell intimate details or secrets. A type of blackmail using intimacy is often found in these situations.

In many cases, it's not simply our feelings for an individual that keep us in an unhealthy relationship - it's often the amount of investment. Relationships are complex and we often only see the tip of the iceberg in public. For this reason, the most common phrase offered by the victim in defense of their unhealthy relationship is "You just don't understand!"

Combining Two Unhealthy Conditions

The combination of "Stockholm Syndrome" and "cognitive dissonance" produces a victim who firmly believes the relationship is not only acceptable, but also desperately needed for their survival. The victim feels they would mentally collapse if the relationship ended. In long-term relationships, the victims have invested everything and placed "all their eggs in one basket". The relationship now decides their level of self-esteem, self-worth, and emotional health.

For reasons described above, the victim feels family and friends are a threat to the relationship and eventually to their personal health and existence. The more family/friends protest the controlling and abusive nature of the relationship, the more the victim develops cognitive dissonance and becomes defensive. At this point, family and friends become victims of the abusive and controlling individual.

Importantly, both Stockholm Syndrome and cognitive dissonance develop on an involuntary basis. The victim does not purposely invent this attitude. Both develop as an attempt to exist and survive in a threatening and controlling environment and relationship. Despite what we might think, our loved one is not in the unhealthy relationship to irritate us, embarrass us, or drive us to drink. What might have begun as a normal relationship has turned into a controlling and abusive situation. They are trying to survive. Their personality is developing the feelings and thoughts needed to survive the situation and lower their emotional and physical risks. All of us have developed attitudes and feelings that help us accept and survive situations. We have these attitudes/feelings about our jobs, our community, and other aspects of our life. As we have found throughout history, the more dysfunctional the situation, the more dysfunctional our adaptation and thoughts to survive. The victim is engaged in an attempt to survive and make a relationship work. Once they decide it doesn't work and can't be fixed, they will need our support as we patiently await their decision to return to a healthy and positive lifestyle.

Family and Friends of the Victim

When a family is confronted with a loved one involved with a 'Loser' or controlling/abusive individual, the situation becomes emotionally painful and socially difficult for the family. (See " Are You Dating a Loser? Identifying Losers, Controllers and Abusers ".) While each situation is different, some general guidelines to consider are:

Final Thoughts

You may be the victim of a controlling and abusive partner, seeking an understanding of your feelings and attitudes. You may have a son, daughter, or friend currently involved with a controlling and abusive partner, looking for ways to understand and help.

If a loved one is involved with a Loser, a controlling and abusing partner, the long-term outcome is difficult to determine due to the many factors involved. If their relationship is in the "dating" phase, they may end the relationship on their own. If the relationship has continued for over a year, they may require support and an exit plan before ending the relationship. Marriage and children further complicate their ability to leave the situation. When the victim decides to end the unhappy relationship, it's important that they view loved ones as supportive, loving, and understanding - not as a source of pressure, guilt, or aggression.

This article is an attempt to understand the complex feelings and attitudes that are as puzzling to the victim as they are to family and friends. Separately, I've outlined recommendations for detaching from a Loser or controlling/abusive individual, but clearly, there are more victims in this situation. (See " Are You Dating a Loser? Identifying Losers, Controllers and Abusers ".) It is hoped this article is helpful to family and friends who worry, cry, and have difficulty understanding the situation of their loved one. It has been said that knowledge is power. Hopefully this knowledge will prove helpful and powerful to victims and their loved ones.

Please consider this article as a general guideline. Some recommendations may be appropriate and helpful while some may not apply to a specific situation. In many cases, we may need additional professional help of a mental health or legal nature.

[Apr 13, 2016] Gone Girl

Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry Amazon Digital Services LLC
Gone Girl is best watched for two of its two and a half hours.
Notable quotes:
"... The dialogue is snappy and razor-sharp. The acting is awesome, from the main characters all the way down to minor roles. ..."
"... A movie about passion, lies, obsession, the death of love, and living with sociopaths, this is a remarkable movie. It also reinforces my belief that I never ever want to get married ..."
"... Ben Affleck, a capable actor and a fine director, knows what is to be caught in the media's unforgiving line of fire and has earned poor reviews in the past for exuding a certain bordering-on-self-parody, macho-man overconfidence and self-satisfaction, so he is an ideal choice to play the husband, an individual who is either a decent man in over his head or a chiseled sociopath who can barely hide his smile in front of the cameras. ..."
"... My favorite films of his are still Zodiac and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but this plants its flag close to the top. ..."
"... Tyler Perry plays a jovial, smirky Johnny Cochran-type lawyer, who makes huge amounts of money defending men accused of killing their wives ..."
"... The Gone Girl screenplay had plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. In fairness, it was well acted and it started off well enough, shining a light on the deterioration of a marriage, how the media picks and chooses its heroes and villains for ratings, and just how easy it is to manipulate a public that thinks appearing on The Bachelor will lead to true romance. The send up of Nancy Grace and her ilk alone is worth sitting through. ..."
"... More than that, I perceive it as a condemnation of marriage, romantic relationships, and the (alleged) fakery of them. ..."
"... It is also a blatant commentary on sensational media and public hysteria/groupthink (I.e., "sheeple" and witch hunts). There is also a strange comment on parenting, if you compare nick's mother to his father and Amy's parents. ..."
"... There's another part of the movie, much smaller than what was advertised, which was why I wanted to see the movie in the first place. The role the media plays in these kind of situations. I was led to believe that it was an examination of the subject. It's not. ..."
"... Ben Affleck does a fantastic job playing Nick Dunne, a somewhat employed writer married to the no-so-right-in-the-head Amy (Rosalund Pike). The one thing Amy can do well is mess with your life. She messes with Nick's to the point the world believes Nick has killed her and he has to hire high profile attorney Tanner Bolt, played extremely well by Tyler Perry. ..."
"... Gone Girl is best watched for two of its two and a half hours. ..."
"... Great for 1.5 hours and the rest was trash. ..."
"... Gone Girl is brilliant, for 3/4 of the movie. The rest, of the story falls off the tracks and then struggles to reach the end...struggles, because it pushes the boundaries of weakness of Nick(Affleck). ..."
"... It sparks questions in you as you watch, as to just how well do you know your spouse? How well do they know you? ..."
"... It's a cast of talent with Ben Affleck Neil Patrick Harris, Carrie Coone, Rosamun Pike, Tyler Perry and others that highlights every angle of this demented story. ..."
"... There were parts that dragged on somewhat. The movie has a longer running time than most. ..."
"... Gone Girl is directed by the same man who brought you Fight Club, Social Network (the Facebook movie), and Se7en. ..."
"... In many instances, the film was making a statement (an unbiased one at that) on everything wrong with modern-day media, law enforcement, marriages, and the image of gender roles in society. Tough stuff! The only complaint I can make about the film is how it is not really all that cinematic and the film's uncertain ending. But then again, the ending can be seen both ways either as a metaphor about reality's way of saying no one is either good or bad or an attack on the senses with a strange turnaround for a particular character. ..."
Amazon.com
Paul Donovan TOP 1000 REVIEWER on October 12, 2014 Format: Amazon Video
A twisty and twisted new classic Nine Things About the Movie "Gone Girl" (USA, 2014)

1. One of the best movies of 2014, this multi-layered, wickedly brilliant film is a great adaptation of the 2012 novel.

2. It was directed by David Fincher. He collaborated with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross again for the smoothly foreboding soundtrack. Fincher has developed a unique cinematic style, and this movie is a showcase of it.

3. The heart of the movie is a mystery - a wife disappears from her home on the morning of her anniversary. But not only do we not know who did it, we don't even really know what happened.

4. The movie flips back and forth between the husband's perspective and the wife's, slowly unfolding its secrets like a black, poisonous flower.

5. Besides the core mystery, the movie is also a commentary on media hype, along with trial by popularity. Nancy Grace probably wishes she could sue somebody for this movie.

6. Perhaps more chilling than the mystery is the depiction of what has to be the most dysfunctional marriage in cinematic history.

7. The movie is almost 3 hours long, but it doesn't feel like it. The plot is tight - no scene is wasted. The dialogue is snappy and razor-sharp. The acting is awesome, from the main characters all the way down to minor roles.

8. Part of the reason the movie works so well is that the author of the book, Gillian Flynn, also wrote the screenplay. It's set in Missouri and feels pretty authentic, probably because the author is from Kansas City.

9. A movie about passion, lies, obsession, the death of love, and living with sociopaths, this is a remarkable movie. It also reinforces my belief that I never ever want to get married. 23 Comments

CMM, December 10, 2014 Format: Blu-ray
Gone Girl is the Complete Package. Gone Girl took the world by storm. And I'm not just talking about the film. The book (I highly recommend this read) by Gillian Flynn quickly became one of the bestselling novels of 2012. Through word of mouth, people left and right were finding out about this tale of a dark and twisted marriage. It was seen almost everywhere, so I was no surprise that the rights would be snatched up (by Reese Witherspoon, nonetheless). And the stage was quickly set for David Fincher to work his dark directing magic.

The story tells of a married couple, Nick and Amy Dunne, on their fifth wedding anniversary. That morning, Amy mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind a rather suspicious trail of evidence.The authorities and the media quickly swoop down on Nick, who seems nice enough, but is oddly evasive and may not be telling the whole truth. As events unfold, you will be left wondering how well you truly know the person you love.

With jaw-dropping performances from Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, Carrie Coon, Neil Patrick Harris, and Patrick Fugit, you will be in for a treat. These actors portray their respective roles with such power and perfection, and I was pleasantly surprised. I think you will be as well. I expect to see award nominations for these players within the coming weeks. If not, I will riot.

Not only is the acting fantastic, but the score paints a beautiful picture as well. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (who scored Fincher's last two films--The Social Network and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) have returned to deliver an astounding and haunting score that perfectly suits the story. Equally peaceful and disturbing, it mirrors the characters' behaviours as their secrets are unveiled.

Gone Girl is the complete package. Creepy, witty, breathtaking, you will finish this movie with your jaw open. I guarantee it. Truly beautiful, Fincher has outdone himself. I recommend purchasing this at your earliest opportunity.

D. H., October 4, 2014 Format: Amazon Video

I have not read the Gillian Flynn novel Gone Girl. Not out of any particular aversion. I just never found my way around to it. So I entered this film adaptation by premiere stylist and suspense conjurer David Fincher quote-unquote blind beyond a general knowledge of the story involving a suburban Missouri man who becomes a suspect in his wife's mysterious vanishing. And beat by beat, scene by scene, twist by twist, the film blew me away. It is an airtight and atmospheric blend of the hilarious, the macabre, and the romantic. It satisfies first as a crime mystery. With a perverse, yet playful hand, it transforms the essential and inevitable questions of the genre (who is who? who is where? who has done what? who is alive? who is dead?) into delightful webs of opaque morality and disturbing brutality. There are other concerns and components, too, and this joins such films as Sweet Smell of Success and To Die For among the best indictments of media sensationalism and the way it can bastardize humanity. It achieves this via acidic and vivid (and therefore highly enjoyable) illustration of its points rather than didactic condemnation.

The film is buoyed by spot-on casting decisions. In a strange way which pays enormous dividends, many of the stars seem to be chosen based on their undesirable traits. Ben Affleck, a capable actor and a fine director, knows what is to be caught in the media's unforgiving line of fire and has earned poor reviews in the past for exuding a certain bordering-on-self-parody, macho-man overconfidence and self-satisfaction, so he is an ideal choice to play the husband, an individual who is either a decent man in over his head or a chiseled sociopath who can barely hide his smile in front of the cameras.

And the beautiful Rosamund Pike can seem distant on screen, a type of icy English rose to be admired and never touched, and she is therefore ideal as a so-picture-perfect-as-to-be-unknowable wife pushed to unusual and dangerous places. Hers is a particularly alarming and inspired turn (the actress' best since the undervalued Barney's Version), and it would be a shame if she were not recognized by the Academy with her first nomination early next year.

This line of casting thought extends to other plays in the substantial ensemble. Why not, for example, hire Tyler Perry, who has turned himself in a household name with outsize charisma and a self-forged aura of spiritual authority, to play a showboating A-list lawyer? Throughout Gone Girl, the roles fit so very snugly.

And behind the camera, Fincher is in as fine a form as ever. My favorite films of his are still Zodiac and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but this plants its flag close to the top. His antiseptic, meticulous, and perfectionist shot compositions turn the banal suburban environments into under-lit and malevolence-infused spaces, and every scene (whether overtly suspenseful and violent or of a quieter domestic variety) has an incisive and taut quality. This is a long film at 148 minutes, but never an overweight or ponderous one. It holds viewers' heads and hearts with vice-grip intensity from frame one onward and leaves us (or me, at least) at once amused, energized, and despairing.

David R. Eastwood, March 29, 2015 Format: DVD

THOROUGHLY NASTY, REPULSIVE, & SMARMY ... BUT WITH A VERY CUTE LITTLE ORANGE KITTY

The plot of David Fincher's film GONE GIRL (2014) is one more variation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's old Sherlock Holmes story "The Problem of Thor Bridge." One among many ... and perhaps the nastiest.

As all the blurbs reveal, Ben Affleck plays a husband named Nick Dunne, who is suspected of killing his wife Amy, played by Rosamund Pike, when she mysteriously disappears under highly suspicious circumstances.

Although the cast is uniformly talented, nearly all of the characters are unlikeable ... and several of them are downright repulsive. Tyler Perry plays a jovial, smirky Johnny Cochran-type lawyer, who makes huge amounts of money defending men accused of killing their wives

... the shark-like, frenzied TV scandal-mongers are totally disgusting ... and the couple who are the parents of Amy (the missing wife) are blood-sucking horrors who have used their daughter for their own financial benefit for years.

Only two of the main characters are "normal" and basically "neutral" in their presentation: Margo Dunne, the sister of Ben Affleck's character, played by Carrie Coon, and Rhonda Boney (!?), the female detective who is in charge of the investigation, played by Kim Dickens. The only wholly likeable character is the little orange cat of Nick and Amy, which only has about 5 minutes of on-screen time.

The solution to Amy Dunne's disappearance gradually comes to light over the next TWO AND A HALF HOURS, and without giving any spoilers here, I will assert that it is a repulsive conclusion to the film.

I viewed the film with a small group of adults (approximately 55 people), and especially during the final 45 minutes some parts of the film caused nearly the whole audience to laugh at the preposterous events and new revelations. The scenes with Neil Patrick Harris seemed to get the highest number of unintended laughs.

In my judgment, this film is quite smarmy and a huge waste of one's time. Not even the sweetness of the little orange cat can compensate for the general nastiness of the characters and their actions.

KTFaye, February 14, 2015 Format: Amazon Video

Like the marriage in the movie, it starts well, then completely falls apart

The Gone Girl screenplay had plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. In fairness, it was well acted and it started off well enough, shining a light on the deterioration of a marriage, how the media picks and chooses its heroes and villains for ratings, and just how easy it is to manipulate a public that thinks appearing on The Bachelor will lead to true romance. The send up of Nancy Grace and her ilk alone is worth sitting through.

But then it all falls apart. I won't spoil it for those who haven't yet seen it, but the complete unraveling of film after the "twist" actually became laughable with such huge gaps in common sense, implausible occurrences, security camera footage that not a single cop decided to look at, and just plain linear storytelling of getting from A to B that it's actually boggling. It wasn't the twist itself, that was actually pretty clever, it was all the lapses that came after.

Even in a work of fiction there logic rules that need to be followed, and therein lies my issue with Gone Girl. It's difficult to elaborate on everything that's wrong with the last third without revealing what happens after the so-called big twist. (Just google Gone Girl plot holes and you'll find plenty of examples). But the film ends with an eye roll instead of a bang. There's suspending disbelief, which I'm happy to do if there is other convincing evidence, and then there's beating disbelief to death with a tire iron--which is what Gone Girl gives you in the end.

I understand that Gillian Flynn translated her book to screen and reworked the whole last third, which is exactly where it all falls apart. Perhaps being a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly for 20 years -- where the emphasis is clearly on get it out fast rather than get it out right -- dulled her logic and skills! Either way, while some Oscar snubs are occasionally puzzling, I'm not in the least surprised that there were none for this screenplay.

Ripley7700 on March 5, 2015 Format: Amazon Video | Verified Purchase

Split on this one...

At the end of this movie, I found myself very confused. Not about the mystery but whether I liked the movie. It wasn't because the characters were so complex or multi-layered that they pushed my perceptions of "good" and "evil." In fact, I found Amy and Nick strangely two-dimensional.

I was so mystified by my mystification that I did a first: I read a bunch of professional reviews to see if that would help me put my finger on it. I was further surprised to see a common theme among them: is this movie misogynist, misandrist, or misanthropic? If it is any of these, I think it is the latter.

More than that, I perceive it as a condemnation of marriage, romantic relationships, and the (alleged) fakery of them. In that vein, I found it spiteful rather than satiric. It is also a blatant commentary on sensational media and public hysteria/groupthink (I.e., "sheeple" and witch hunts). There is also a strange comment on parenting, if you compare nick's mother to his father and Amy's parents. That one was a bit lost on me, and perphaps it is clearer in the book where there is more detail on that (note: I haven't read the book).

At this point, I'm still baffled by my reaction to this movie, and the best way I can rationalize it is that I think this is a solid suspense/murder mystery but I didn't buy the "psychological" part of this psychological thriller.

That part seemed forced to the point that it detracted from the good things. I admit that I liked Basic Instinct more (maybe I'm just getting old and need to rewatch that one).

Some positives: I thought the casting was superb and the directing was also very strong. I thought the actress who played the twin sister was particularly good. On a final note, I found the end rather abrupt. Don't know if this will help people who haven't watched it yet, but maybe this will help validate other viewers who wish they could have "cracked open" their own skulls at the end of this movie.

Buddhasmom, March 4, 2015 Format: Amazon Video | Verified Purchase

Don't see it alone

This movie isn't anything you'd expect. I think that's why my review is mixed. I liked that it was not what you expected, I guess. I think I was irritated at the female character. All of them really, but the wife really annoyed me. It was kind of sick and really twisted. I kept saying to myself, "okay well lets appreciate it for what it is and keep an open mind." That was really difficult. This isn't an easy movie for me to pin down for you. Especially because I don't want to give anything away and to really give you a mental picture, I almost have to give stuff away. I'm going to try to stretch my creative muscle here, though, and give you some kind of perspective.

One half of the picture is the hero and he screws up bad, but the punishment is horrific compared to the crime. I'm not crazy about those type of movies. The kind of movie where the hero just keeps getting hit with new bad stuff. Too much like my life, I guess.

The other half of the movie is a revenge thriller. You want to get behind it, because you kind of think, "well, they deserve it.' But it's not that cut and dry. You want to get behind it but it's hard because the way the revenge is executed is so sick and twisted and over-the-top. It comes so close to the edge of being completely unbelievable and so sick that the sympathy you once held is lost completely. But a part of you still wants the revenge taker to succeed and wants to be on their side, moreover, there are a lot of folks out there that didn't lose their sympathy at all, which says a lot about society in general and ones friends in particular.

There's another part of the movie, much smaller than what was advertised, which was why I wanted to see the movie in the first place. The role the media plays in these kind of situations. I was led to believe that it was an examination of the subject. It's not.

So look, I don't know that I would recommend renting it 100%. I am very much on the fence about this movie. I'm sorry. I would suggest watching it with a bunch of your friends. It's one of those movies that you go to with those friends who like to talk about movies. You'll have so much to talk about so you don't want to see it all alone.

CJs Pirate, December 7, 2015 Format: Amazon Video

Gone Girl is Best Watched for Two of its Two and a Half Hours

Wanna watch a great movie? Quit this one 2/3rds of the way through. Wanna watch something turn from very good to stupid? Watch this all the way.

Ben Affleck does a fantastic job playing Nick Dunne, a somewhat employed writer married to the no-so-right-in-the-head Amy (Rosalund Pike). The one thing Amy can do well is mess with your life. She messes with Nick's to the point the world believes Nick has killed her and he has to hire high profile attorney Tanner Bolt, played extremely well by Tyler Perry.

The acting is quite good, with the exception of Neil Patrick Harris, who just seemed miscast as Amy's high school friend Desi Collins to whom she turns for "help". Here's the part where everything turns weird. Shortly after her time with Desi is the best time to stop the movie and enjoy what had been made. Any further, and I'm not spoiling anything here, the movie hits a wall.

Gone Girl is best watched for two of its two and a half hours.

SpaxyDaxy, January 28, 2015 Format: Amazon Video | Verified Purchase

Rosamund Pike carries it...

I really like David Fincher movies. They always have a lot of action, a little suspense, and a sense of humor. And this one is no different. I was confused by some parts of the movie, and displease with other parts, mainly the ending. It was a book before it was a movie, so that's no ones fault who were involved in the production of the movie. But I can see how in a novel the ending would've been handled in a better way. In a novel there's more character development, so you get to see the motivation behind each decision that a character makes. Any movie you only really see what the director wants you to see, and what the actors are capable of portraying. Ben Affleck was out of his league with that powerhouse of a actress Rosamund Pike. If she doesn't get at least a nomination, the whole system is flawed. Had the movie been handled with a bit more care, it probably would have been one of the greatest movies I've ever seen... that's saying a lot because I really don't like Ben Affleck and he's on screen 80% of the movie. He does add a snarky lightness that's needed in such a heavy movie. It's a solid 3.5 stars. Definitely must see for originality.

Amazon Customer, March 6, 2015 Format: Amazon Video | Verified Purchase

Great for 1.5 hours and the rest was trash.

Ok you want an honest review. Here goes. Well acted, excellent plot...up to a point, then it falls apart. The twists no longer are logical, they are just dark and twisted, taking you on a journey that has lost its way, but determined to land you at the end, an end already prepared. So it gets there, but by the time you get there, you wonder, what happened? That's because you are waiting for it to take a right, on to the road of plausibility. Gone Girl is brilliant, for 3/4 of the movie. The rest, of the story falls off the tracks and then struggles to reach the end...struggles, because it pushes the boundaries of weakness of Nick(Affleck).

So my rating is 3 stars. I walk away feeling like I wasted the last 45 mins on junk. Prior to that, it was fascinating. The high rating is what's wrong with people today...everyone runs in packs and no one, no one dares to be honest, less they are an outcast. Go see it for yourself and then dare to put an honest review here.

TeaRose, March 9, 2015 Format: Amazon Video | Verified Purchase

Review form Book Reader

As someone who has read the book prior to seeing this film, I may have a slightly different take on the movie then others. I found it difficult to decide how many stars it deserved. The first act and most of the second act are well edited from the book. The changes that are made make sense in order to condense a complicated story into a film. But somewhere in 2nd and totally the 3rd act the motivations for the characters gets muddled. The book spends a lot of time letting you read what Nick and Amy are thinking. The movie. though it tries at first, seems to give up on that element. But it is a crucial element in understanding the ending at the very least. Nick is self-centered and deeply flawed in the book. Amy is, a sociopath. The depth of her manipulation, cruelty and insane notion of punishment and justice is not explored near enough in the film. Her crazy and expert manipulation is intense in the book. Nick never really worries what happened to her when she vanishes and hates her. I wish the movie was able to flesh out more of these massive personality flaws. Without this the movie in the end falls flat. However, I don't have a good idea as to how the movie might have done this given the time restrictions.

Julee M on May 16, 2015 Format: Amazon Video | Verified Purchase

Intense, Dark, Cast of Talent...Must See

My husband and I heard so much about this movie. I am very fond of true crime and we both like drama movies. We gave it a go.

It is dark. It is twisted.

A marriage of hope, happiness and on the fifth wedding anniversary it all vanishes. Hope, sorrow, and mystery. Amy Dunne is missing the trail of evidence leads to suspicions of her husband Nick Dunne.

It sparks questions in you as you watch, as to just how well do you know your spouse? How well do they know you?

It's a cast of talent with Ben Affleck Neil Patrick Harris, Carrie Coone, Rosamun Pike, Tyler Perry and others that highlights every angle of this demented story.

There were parts that dragged on somewhat. The movie has a longer running time than most. My husband wasn't impressed--until the ending. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time saying, "you've got to be kidding!"....it was intense. it was well executed. It was dark. It was great!

Visual Bureau, October 24, 2014 Format: Amazon Video

Although feels like a TV movie, its performances, look into media and the law, and unbiased analysis on a marriage is sharp!

"Did he or not kill his wife? Is this all a set-up? More questions can be unraveled in one of the most surprisingly complex yet straightforward mystery-thrillers of the year. Bear in mind, I was never anticipating to see this film just by chance after some friends brought me.

Gone Girl is directed by the same man who brought you Fight Club, Social Network (the Facebook movie), and Se7en. A purveyor for dark, brooding films, Gone Girl is no stranger to this with a knack for complexity and disturbing emotions channeling through the central performances by Ben Affleck (whose career escalated to much more respectable degrees after State of Play and Argo) and Rosamund Pike (an up-and-coming British actress) playing two conflicted souls frustrated over their relationship only to then, days on end, leave a field of investigation and suspicion into the lives of Affleck's character whether he or not had any part into the disappearance of his wife?

While the premise sounds absurdly ordinary and entirely like something from Lifetime but unlike some of Lifetime's corny products, this film feels more uncertain and depressing in tone and is more graphic in content. However, any comparisons to Lifetime can be set aside with the film's surprisingly self-aware nature and persistent dark humour, which albeit odd for a film of this calibre, works in some ways to break the tension and melodrama.

Using Neil Patrick Harris from "How I Met Your Mother", the model from the Robin Thicke "Blurred Lines" music video, and Tyler Perry from the "Madea" films maybe the most bizarre choices for a high-stakes drama but it works in a surreal way.

In many instances, the film was making a statement (an unbiased one at that) on everything wrong with modern-day media, law enforcement, marriages, and the image of gender roles in society. Tough stuff! The only complaint I can make about the film is how it is not really all that cinematic and the film's uncertain ending. But then again, the ending can be seen both ways either as a metaphor about reality's way of saying no one is either good or bad or an attack on the senses with a strange turnaround for a particular character.

Without giving much away, Gone Girl is aimed at the more ambitious viewer and for anyone who likes their Lifetime or Investigation Discovery TV shows with a bit more class, acting skill, and raw spirit. It sure knows how to be pessimistic and insightful without remorse. And the message is relevant and important too with a nice look into how marriage and relationships just aren't a realistic goal in today's society which I wholeheartedly promote."

[Apr 13, 2016] What an adulterous spouse needs to do to restore his or her marriage

March 15, 2016

Bibliophile, March 15, 2016

The author is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. After 22 years of counseling, she wrote this book to "identify certain behaviors on the part of unfaithful partners that tend to determine the success or failure of their efforts to save their marriages, post-affair" (p. 9).

These behaviors include:

Origins of Marital Infidelity

The following marital conflicts contribute to a vulnerability to marital infidelity.

A number of chapters on this website address these specific conflicts and hopefully will be helpful to you.

Prevalence of infidelity

Research studies demonstrate that the majority of married couples are faithful and loyal. Marital infidelity with another person is not as common as some believe. However, a major factor in the growth in infidelity is the use of internet pornography.

Mistakes made after infidelity

A number of serious mistakes can be made after marital infidelity including,

Acute stress disorder in the victim spouse

The victim spouse not infrequently develops a group of symptoms that constitute an acute stress disorder. These symptoms include anxiety, dissociative and other symptoms that occurs within one month after exposure to extremely traumatic stress including:

An acute stress disorder can lead over time to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder in which one obsesses about the past betrayal, has great difficulty in trusting and at times feels intense betrayal anger.

Post traumatic stress disorder

Marital infidelity is one of the most traumatic life experiences leaving spouses stunned, dazed and profoundly wounded. The proverb, no wound worse than the wound of the heart is applicable. The infidelity profound wounds the ability to trust and can lead to the anxiety disorder of a post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Effective marital therapy that incorporates a faith component can often diminish the severity of this conflict. However, the wound is so severe that painful memories associated with profound sadness, mistrust, anxiety and intense anger can be recurrent under various types of stresses for many years or even decades. Offending spouses need to understand this and they attempt to rebuild the marital trust.

When obsessional thinking about the betrayal memories occur in association with intense anxiety, medication such as a serotonin reuptake inhibitor can be helpful as a chemical crutch while the trust is being rebuilt.

The four phases of healing

The healing process includes first uncovering the extent and the causes of the infidelity, next making a decision about addressing what has been uncovered and third doing the hard work of resolving conflicts and anger and of building trust. The final phase is accepting the trauma and believing that some good can come from it.

Uncovering phase

In this phase it is important to identify the state of the marriage before the infidelity, particularly in regard to the ability of each spouse to give to the marital friendship, to romantic love and to betrothed love, which includes but is more than sexual intimacy. During this phase it can be helpful to complete checklists the evaluate self-giving, trust, selfishness, anger and parental legacies.

The most common resistance we find in this phase is in men whose infidelity is the result of weak male confidence due to the a weak father-son attachment in the husband (with his father.) These men tend to misdirect their anger and deep unhappiness from their father relationship onto their wives. The confidence of many husbands may also have suffered because they did not experience success in team sports as boys and teenagers that, unfortunately, can leave a lasting wound in the male psyche.

We ask spouses to complete the confidence checklist in the evaluate your marital friendship chapter. This checklist attempts to reveal the many problematic behaviors and emotional responses that develop in an unconscious attempt to escape from the pain of having a weak male or female identity.

The second most common conflict we find here is in women with controlling tendencies and secondary disrespectful behaviors toward their husbands as a result of the failure to have a trusting relationship with their fathers. These wives also misdirect anger meant for their fathers at their husbands.

The third conflict that is difficult to face is loneliness for comforting parental love which contributes to infidelity. Spousal love is very powerful and comforting but it cannot resolve the wounds of loneliness from childhood and adolescence. This childhood loneliness leads spouses to engage in numerous harmful behaviors in an unconscious attempt to escape from this intense pain including:

Finally, selfishness, the major enemy of marital love, can be difficult to face but, it is a leading cause of marital infidelity.

We regularly reading the chapters on this website which discuss the treatment of controlling behaviors, the parental legacy of weakness in male confidence, loneliness/sadness and selfishness and anxiety/mistrust.

Decision phase

This is a very difficult phase of treatment for the victim spouse who has been so wounded that he/she fears becoming vulnerable again. Also, the rage toward the unfaithful spouse can be so strong that what is desired is distance from the spouse rather than a commitment to work on the marriage. For Catholics the sacrament of reconciliation can be helpful in diminishing this intense anger.

The decision to work on the healing of the infidelity trauma in the sad, angry and fearful victim spouse can be motivated by the desire to protect children from the trauma of separation and divorce, by a compassion for wounded child within the perpetrator, and by the belief that it is God's will to strengthen the marriage.

Fortunately, most unfaithful spouses are open to try to understand and address their conflicts with the exception of those who are overly proud, selfish or controlling.

During this phase of therapy we present our own positive views about the possibility of resolving the conflicts that cause infidelity. Also, we cite the work of Dr. Linda Waite on the benefits from persevering to resolve phases of marital unhappiness.

Her research was based on analysis of data from the National Survey of Family and Households. It measured both personal and marital happiness of 5,232 married adults during the late 1980s; 645 or 12.3% reported being unhappily married. They were re-interviewed in the mid 1990s. Some of the findings of the University of Chicago analysis were:

Dr. Waite stated, "Results like these suggest the benefits of divorce have been oversold."

Work phase

Full disclosure

The early steps in the work phase include being assured that extramarital relationship has ended and that their will be no further contact. Also, there should be full disclosure of the entire history of the adulterous relationship including examining phone records and text messages. Then, the perpetrator should understand the depth of the wound to the marital covenant and request forgiveness of God and of the spouse. In addition there should be a strong commitment to self-knowledge, a willingness to change and to practice fidelity. Each spouse should be able to discuss any weaknesses in their personal lives or in their marital friendship.

The offending spouse needs to be open to discuss the affair on a regular basis in order to resolve mistrust and anger symptoms in the victim. However, prudence is required in regard to amount of time discussing the affair.

Anger resolution

In this phase the first issue most often addressed is the sadness, mistrust and anger in the victim. When the process of understanding and forgiving the offending spouse, who is motivated to change, does not diminish the level of anger, this reaction is often the result of the fear of trusting and becoming vulnerable to the spouse again with an associated concern of further betrayal. Those with faith can be helped by meditating, "Lord take my anger and sadness and help me to grow in trust."

Unfaithful spouses often discover within themselves intense guilt for the harm they have inflicted upon loved ones. They often recognize, too, they fail to address weaknesses within themselves or within the marriage such as a lack of balance or lack of healthy self-giving to the marital friendship.

Also, the offended spouses can have sudden flashbacks to the emotional trauma as do those with posttraumatic stress disorders. At these times the betrayal anger can return with such a great intensity as though the marital betrayal had just occurred. Many spouses report that the only approach which is effective dealing with such anger attacks is spiritual forgiveness, that is, giving their justifiable anger to God.

As they come to understand themselves more unfaithful spouses may discover strong resentment within them toward parents who spoiled them or were insensitive to them or toward a spouse who was controlling, emotionally distant or manipulative. Then they recognize that the process of forgiveness is essential in resolving this strong anger and in purifying the memories of the past.

Building trust

Marital infidelity severely damages a spouse's ability to trust. The restoration of trust is essential since it is the foundation for loving. One simply cannot be open to give and to receive love unless one feels safe with one's spouse. Understanding and forgiving the offending spouse not only diminishes anger but it also diminishes fear. However, it is not enough.

The full restoration of trust is nothing short of miraculous. That's right, we need a miracle to restore trust so that a betrayed spouse can open his/her heart to the offending spouse. The wounded heart of the offended spouse screams out, "Protect yourself, put up a wall!" The wounded spouse needs to feel that his/her spouse truly appreciates the depth of the wound and is sincerely motivated to understand and to resolve the conflicts present.

Addressing loneliness

Marital loneliness can also play a role in infidelity. The major causes of this pain from the marital relationships are emotionally distant behaviors, lack of balance with failure to attend to the marital friendships, selfishness, mistrust and anger, controlling behaviors and a lack of faith. While most adults who struggle with significant loneliness and unhappiness tend to blame spouses, it is possible that a degree of marital loneliness can also arise from unresolved childhood sadness in relationships with parents, siblings or friends. In many marriages the loneliness that leads to vulnerability to infidelity arises from both marital stress and unresolved childhood loneliness.

We have worked with a number of couples in which the major conflict was the result of each spouse being in different rooms in the evening with one watching TV and the other reading or working on his/her laptop. A sense of feeling isolated and alone develops and husbands, in particular can became involved in internet pornography and then may develop an affair with someone whom they met on the internet.

Addressing family of origin sadness

Unresolved childhood loneliness can be a significant source of unhappiness, irritability and criticism in married life, as well as in priesthood and in religious life. This emotional pain can lie dormant for many years of decades and then emerge later under various types of stresses.

A major mistake many spouses make is the result of the belief that a loving, giving marital relationship should protect one from unhappiness and anger. Although spousal love is very powerful and comforting, it has limitations and cannot enter an earlier life period and resolve childhood or adolescent loneliness and sadness that is encapsulated by anger as a result of having an emotionally distant or angry father, mother or sibling.

Spouses regularly become angry with their mate because of their sadness and look for ways to blame them for it. The lonely spouse's anger grows and trust diminishes. The loyal, faithful spouse then becomes the scapegoat for unresolved childhood anger that intensifies over time along with the sadness. He or she is no longer treated as a special gift from God and as one's best friend, but, instead, as an enemy who has inflicted great pain upon them. Unconscious hatred of a parent's behaviors deeply wounds the sacred union.

Also, as the anger drives the couple apart, intensifies in the lonely spouse who may attempt to remain loyal to the marriage for a time by engaging in numerous feel-good behaviors in a futile attempt to escape from the childhood pain. When these behaviors fail to bring freedom from the wound of loneliness, comfort and love may then be sought outside the marriage.

Men with rejection and pain in the father relationship usually turn unconsciously to women for comfort although a small percentage will turn to other males, particularly those who were also rejected in childhood by a brother or same sex peers. Women with the father disorder or brother rejection will turn to other men for love. Some women who did not experience comforting love with their mothers will be unfaithful with a woman in an unconscious attempt to fill an emotional emptiness in their lives.

Spouses are encouraged to grow in self-knowledge and to examine honestly their parental and sibling relationships in order to determine if a degree of their loneliness and irritability may be locked-in from childhood. The most common sadness that emerges in our experience is due to an emotionally distant, unaffirming or angry father. However, we have been seeing increasing number of young adults bring into their marriages sadness with their mothers whom they viewed as being turned in upon themselves because of selfishness.

When disappointments are identified, then an attempt is made to understand and to forgive the offending parent. Since anger is strongly related to sadness and in our view in a sense encapsulates resentment, the resolution of this powerful emotion is essential so that spouses do not remain, in John Paul II's words, "prisoners of their past." This forgiveness process is demanding because of the degree and intensity of the resentment that has been denied. It is described in the angry spouse chapter on this site.

The role of faith becomes helpful, if not essential, in addressing the childhood loneliness. The chapter on the lonely, depressed spouse on this site discusses its benefits in the healing process.

Strengthening confidence

Male confidence is essential to being a loving spouse and protective parent. The cultural view of masculinity differs radically from the Christian perspective in that it focuses on success in sports, on a muscular physique, on sexual conquests and on financial success. The Christian view is that male strength comes from the pursuit of a life of virtues in which the goal is to become another Christ to one's wife, children, family, friends and colleagues.

Some men initially pursue the path of virtue, yet fall into marital infidelity because of their failure to address their emotional conflicts. Weaknesses in male confidence from unresolved conflicts with fathers, male siblings and male peers are major reasons for such behavior. While a wife's love is wonderful and strong, however, it cannot enter into the childhood and adolescent stage of development when the damage to male confidence occurred and heal the male identity wound.

Catholic husbands and fathers rely particularly on the theological virtues of faith, hope and love and upon graces received from the sacraments.

The Father Wound

We have worked with many marriages in which they husband can at some stage of the marriage experienced deep unhappiness and irritability because of the emergence of an unresolved father wound with a failure to identify and address it. They then blame their wives for their unhappiness, misdirect anger at them and engage in pornography or in adulterous behaviors in an unconscious attempt to escape from their pain.

I discussed the father wound in an interview on the Fathers For Good website, www.fathersforgood.org/ffg/en/month/index.html.

The path of healing involves admitting disappointments in the father relationship, understanding the father's childhood and then working at forgiving him. This forgiveness process is arduous but essential because without it the husband can remain, in the words of John Paul II, a prisoner of his past for the rest of his life.

Other strategies in healing the father wound include:

A regular reflection upon what Catholic authors influenced by St. John Paul II refer to as the male genius can also be beneficial.

This includes:

Peer, Sports Wound

Peer acceptance is a major factor in the development of healthy self-esteem. Unfortunately, many gifted males experience significant emotional pain due to lack of eye-hand coordination. They may be ridiculed because of their weaknesses in throwing a baseball, kicking a soccer ball, shooting a basketball or passing a football or hurt regularly being chosen last on a pick up game. This peer rejection can result in a strong weakness in male identity and in deep sadness.

The healing of such peer/sports wounds can occur by resolving anger with offenders through a process of forgiveness, identifying and being thankful for positive male gifts/strength, reflecting that male confidence is not determined by sports or body image, engaging in some type of athletic activity weekly that does not require eye-hand coordination such as swimming, hiking, weight lifting, etc, working on healthy male friendships, and for Christian husbands meditating upon the Lord being one's best friend and as being present during painful memories during recess, on athletic fields, etc. in childhood.

When the weaknesses in male confidence are resolved, husbands regularly seek forgiveness from their wives and from God for misdirecting them anger meant for fathers, male peers and others and no longer blame them for their insecurities and associated sadness.

In this healing process some husbands discover anger with God for allowing them to have such a heavy cross as a lack of eye-hand coordination in childhood. Some husbands report benefit from taking their deeply seated resentment into the sacrament of reconciliation.

Acceptance

Acceptance of the pain and reality of marital infidelity is very difficult, however, it is essential to the healing process. Some spouses try to believe that good can come from the terrible trauma. However, those victimized by adultery can struggle with profound mistrust and rage which is difficult to resolve. This severe betrayal pain has been shown to respond to low doses of serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as paxil or zoloft, and we recommend their use for severe rage and mistrust in the victim spouse. Also, we have observed this pain diminish in Christians by uniting their suffering to that of Christ on the cross. In addition, spiritual direction can be helpful also in coming to acceptance of this trauma.

Facing the guilt

Human nature desires the honesty that looks squarely at the sinful situation, acknowledges it for what it is, and recognizes oneself as being in need. As Psalm 32:5 reminds us, "Then I declared my sin to you; my guilt I did not hide. I said, 'I confess my faults to the Lord,' and you took away the guilt of my sin" and "If you, O Lord, laid bare our guilt, who could endure it? But with you is found forgiveness; for this we revere you," Psalm 130. For Catholics the sacrament of reconciliation can be helpful in overcoming this guilt.

Communication about the healing process

A discussion of the process of the healing of the emotional, personality and spiritual conflicts which contributed to the infidelity should be discussed several times per week. Such communication is essential so that the victim spouse can be reassured that intense work is being done to protect the marriage and the family.

Rebuilding the marital friendship

After working on identifying the origins of the infidelity and the diminishing anger, then it is important to work on rebuilding the marital friendship. In this vital process it is important that the perpetrator should have constant availability by phone and check in regularly. Also, it is important to work on the marital friendship by improving the marital communication and time together in the evening while at the same time improving both the romantic & intimate aspect of the marriage. Finally, couples report benefits from daily entrusting their marriage to God and from daily committing to trust one's spouse.

Recognizing the benefits of monogamy

Dr. Brad Wilcox, the director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, wrote, "Monogamous, married sex is more likely to deliver long-lasting satisfaction than the quick thrill offered by infidelity, According to the renowned University of Chicago Sex Survey, a monogamous sexual partnership embedded in a formal marriage evidently produces the greatest satisfaction and pleasure. This study found that both women and men like the emotional security that fidelity affords, and are more likely to report that they are anxious, scared and guilty when they have had sex with multiple partners in the last year."

Freedom and loyalty

While some claim that it is not reasonable or possible to expect spouses to be loyal over the many years of marriage, John Paul II has described the many benefits of loyalty to one's spouse in The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World. He wrote, "The institution of marriage is not an undue interference by society or authority, nor the extrinsic imposition of a form. Rather it is an interior requirement of the covenant of conjugal love which is publicly affirmed as unique and exclusive, in order to live in complete fidelity to the plan of God, the Creator. A person's freedom, far from being restricted by this fidelity, is secured against every form of subjectivism or relativism and is made a sharer in creative Wisdom," n. 11.

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings, and marital stress

J.R.R. Tolkien has written about marital fidelity, "Faithfulness in Christian marriage entails great mortification. For a Christian man there is no escape. Marriage may help to sanctify and direct to its proper object his sexual desires; its grace may help him in the struggle; but the struggle remains. It will not satisfy him--as hunger may be kept off by regular meals. It will offer as many difficulties to the purity proper to that state, as it provides easements. No man, however truly he loved his betrothed and bride as a young man, has lived faithful to her as a wife in mind and body without deliberate conscious exercise of the will, without self-denial."

"Those who see marriage as nothing more than the arena of ecstatic and romantic love will be disappointed, When the glamour wears off, or merely works a bit thin, they think they have made a mistake, and that the real soul-mate is still to be found. The real soul-mate too often proves to be the next sexually attractive person that comes along."

The Role of Faith and Infidelity

The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains a great deal of wisdom on marriage. Here are some powerful statements on infidelity.

"Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in his commitment. He undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which it is based. He compromises the good of human generation and the welfare of children who need their parents' stable union," Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2381.

"By its very nature conjugal love requires the inviolable fidelity of the spouses. This is the consequence of the gift of fidelity of the spouses. This is the consequence of the gift of themselves which they make to each other. Love seeks to be definitive; it cannot be an arrangement "until further notice." The "intimate union of marriage, as a mutual giving of two persons, and the good of the children, demand total fidelity from the spouses and require an unbreakable union between them," Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1646.

"The consent by which the spouses mutually give and receive one another is sealed by God himself. From their covenant arises 'an institution, confirmed by the divine law..' The covenant between the spouses is integrated into God's covenant with man: 'Authentic married love is caught up into divine love,'" (CCC, n. 1639).

"The twofold communion with God and with one another is inseparable. Wherever communion with God, which is communion with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit is destroyed, the root and source of our communion with one another are destroyed. And wherever we do not live communion among ourselves, communion with the Trinitarian God is not alive and true either." Pope Benedict XVI, 2008, (Jesus, The Apostles, and the Early Church, p. 18).

"We can realize how important prayer is with families and for families, in particular for those threatened by division. We need to pray that married couples will love their vocation, even when the road becomes difficult, or the paths become narrow, uphill and seemingly insuperable," (John Paul II, Letter to Families).

Finally, a number of believing couples report benefit from asking the Lord to deepen their trust in Him and in each other; to help them grow in self-giving and love, that is, to truly wish for the good of one's spouse; to heal the sadness and anxiety and to strengthen the marital communication and friendship. Also, Catholic couples report being helped by going to the Eucharist more often and by saying a rosary together for the healing of their marriage

Conclusion

We believe that in the majority of marriages the severe wound of infidelity can be resolved and divorce can be prevented.

Our webinar on divorce prevention has helped many couples in their struggle to heal the wound of marital infidelity,, Divorce Prevention.

Research studies demonstrate that couples in troubled marriages who commit themselves to improve them are often happier five years later than couples who divorce. The process of healing deep emotional wounds of mistrust, betrayal, sadness, loss of confidence is arduous but worth the effort. Also, the role of faith can be particularly helpful in the process rebuilding marital affection and the marital friendship.

MommyReviewer, February 26, 2014

Blames the victim

To be fair this book probably isn't intended to blame the victim. But it manages to come across that way just the same. It is very much written to make it palatable to the cheater, to stop them throwing it across the room in defiance. And there's a place for that. But probably that's best done by a therapist face to face so that they can pre-empt the derision and the blameshifting that goes with it. A book is too remote for that unless it is very lucky and very well written.

I much prefer Janis Spring's book "How can I forgive you?" which has no overtones of blaming the victim, and which completely lets us off the hook from forgiveness-pressure. The fact that she wrote both suggests that this book had better intentions than it realizes in the execution. But nevertheless it does more harm than good.

I would recommend "How Can I Forgive you" a hundred times over this.

Mike Radu, October 16, 2013

Too much blame-sharing for my taste - no one forces you to have an affair! - Have the decenty to pack your s***t and go!

This book is clearly for those who intend to save their relationship after an affair. I cannot imagine how you can live life knowing that the person you loved and trusted has betrayed you in the worst possible way.

The first half of the book is useful, as it provides reassurance that what you are going through is normal.

The second half is total crap, as it tries to convince you that the fault of the affair lays with both spouses. I can't possibly wrap my head around that! Having a relationship and having issues to be resolved in that relationship/ marriage is one thing. CHEATING is an entirely different thing that has NOTHING to do with ANY problems.

If you don't like the relationship you're having, pack your stuff and head for as many other people as you please. If you stick around, then keep your pants/ skirt on!

I wouldn't waste your money to just read about feelings you are already experiencing, cause you know, no matter who says what, what YOU are feeling is something NO ONE in this world should feel, it's worst than torture and only a LOSER can cause that to another human being.

And you know what? If you're feeling something that no one else felt, it's your damn right to feel as angry and as upset as you do - because the other party didn't give a rats about how you would feel. They deserve nothing but the door!

[Apr 13, 2016] After the Affair, Updated Second Edition Healing the Pain and Rebuilding Trust When a Partner Has Been Unfaithful

M. Lentz on November 17, 2015

Worth a Read - Gives Hope

Amazing book - helping my husband and I work through a recent devastating discovery of his infidelity.

I went to therapy after the revealation and she actually recommended that we both read this book.

I bought it immediately, within days of finding out, and I can't tell you how much it helped me (and him). I was feeling so lost... unsure if I would be an idiot to take him back... and this book provided me with the light I needed.

It put so many things into words that I was having trouble with. My husband now understands how I'm feeling and what I'm thinking better than he ever could have without this book.

And I'm gaining a better understanding of his frame of mind as well. I've always been someone to say "if he cheats, I'm done"... but trust me, if you think there's a chance you could work through it, give it a chance!

It never hurts to try and although I don't know if he and I will make it, I am hopeful. Worth reading FOR SURE.

I Love You But I Don't Trust You The Complete Guide to Restoring Trust in Your Relationship by Mira Kirshenba

California Mom, January 6, 2013

I purchased this book after reading reviews which portrayed this book as helpful in healing work after a betrayal. I found this book to be nothing close to the reviews. This book appears short on both empathy and any real insight - the book approaches affairs using the attitude of blame the betrayed spouse. The book repeatedly suggests that betrayals happen only after a spouse has been trying and trying to reach the other spouse who is unable or unwilling to be empathetic or nurturing. There are copious examples. One example is Ryan, who hadn't been looking for an affair but three years into his marriage he was "ripe for the plucking by any woman who showed the promise of affection."

Dawn, Ryan's spouse was supposed to be a fun loving take it easy kind of gal but she turned out to be "ambitious, hard working highly organized person". As Ryan had "never seen this side of her" he discovered that Dawn has turned into "a tough taskmaster". Obviously the author feels strongly that Ryan was entitled - even thought the author herself states that Dawn never tried to hide her personality. Really?? Wow how sadly vested is the author in excusing infidelity and hide Ryan's ownership of his own behavior. Obviously in the author's opinion, Dawn fell down on the job and Ryan had every right to have an affair in reaction to his unmet needs (instead of communicating them to his spouse).

I finally put this book down when I reached the section entitled "The Top Six Solutions that Prevent Betrayal".

Ms. Kirshbaum glosses over the devastation of betrayals, states that blame is not useful and then goes on to spread blame on the spouse. While a marriage has two sides and break downs in communications are typically shared, if someone cheats or lies that is a choice that is made by that person. Stating that there are ways to prevent someone else's choices, including betrayal is simply NOT a reasonable statement and it is highly inappropriate and inflammatory to suggest that the betrayed spouse has some kind of role in `causing' betrayal.

Restoring trust in relationships after betrayal takes serious work- honesty, transparency and building a new foundation. A cornerstone of this work must involve owning behavior and, if needed, making amends and understanding upset. Blaming and excusing behavior does not provide helpful guidance but continues to obfuscate the situation and prevent healing.

I strongly recommend skipping this book. There are many wonderful books on healing and re-building trust.
This is NOT one of them.

[Apr 13, 2016] The Monogamy Myth A Personal Handbook for Recovering from Affairs - Kindle edition by Peggy Vaughan. Health, Fitness & Dieting

A Customer on April 30, 2002

More good sense, less pretense to

Peggy Vaughan is no marriage counselor (or psychotherapist) and it shows--she actually makes sense.

Ms. Vaughan has drawn insightfully from her extensive work with her Beyond Affairs Network. Unlike many self-styled or state-sanctioned (i.e., licensed mental health) experts, Ms. Vaughan actually uses more reality than dogma to inform her advice. For instance, her research shows that the leading variable in managing to stay together well after an affair is the willingness and ability to talk (and talk and talk and talk) about the affair for as long as needed to detoxify and demystify it. (Her research also shows that most people trying to deal with the aftermath of an affair find mental health types considerably les than informed or helpful, despite their beliefs in their great expertise. As a trained and experienced psychotherapist, and a well-respected scholar, I can tell you that the mainstream training and professional literature--not to mention self-help--on infidelity is mostly just dogma that mental health types have concocted out of thin air, not anything anyone has actually discovered through research.)

I do find a one thing a bit troubling. As I see it, she does not give due weight to issues of individual moral responsibility. There are two sides to this. First, she generally denies that adultery reflects personal failings, placing far more emphasis on social factors to explain why adultery takes place. She does not produce an argument, so far as I can see, against the idea of personal failings; rather she poses an alternative to that idea. But to pose an alternative to an idea is not to show the idea wrong.

Second, while she is surely right that our culture has come to glamorize affairs rather than condemn them, and while she is certainly right to place more emphasis on this than conventional "wisdom" allows, it is not all that clear just what causal role social factors play, or which is the chicken and which is the egg.

  1. The same social forces act on ALL of us, but only SOME of us cheat. Thus, the social forces cannot explain why cheaters cheat. Differentiating cheaters from others requires looking at variables on which they differ from others, not on forces common to all.
  2. Ms. Vaughan's "evidence" that adultery has increased significantly in the last few decades, when sex has become more public and less closeted, depends to a great extent on generally-unrespected researchers like Shere Hite. Her figures on the rate of adultery are higher than others I've seen (and I've read a lot on this subject). So far as I can tell, we do not really know that there has been a meaningful rise in adultery to accompany the rise in glamorized sexuality (including glamorized icons of adultery).
  3. Even if there is a rising rate of adultery, and even if it correlates the social forces Ms. Vaughan mentions and a rising rate of adultery, it does not follow that one causes the other. Alternative hypotheses can explain both. One such alternative would be that both are results of increasing egoism and hedonism, which could result from any of a number of factors--consumerism, the decline of Heaven-oriented religious belief, decline of community life, commodity-centered views of the person growing out of capitalist ideology, etc. Another might be that both reflect the decline of patriarchal social structures. Surely others could be framed. The point is that we just don't know.

I nonetheless think that, on balance, she is the wisest person writing on the subject. Ms. Vaughan possesses good data on the effects of adultery, and she possesses good sense. She also possesses a crusader's heart. If, maybe, she goes a bit overboard, as compared to us academic types--well, there never was a successful crusade led by timid generals.
I want to add that several months after I read this book and wrote the first version of this review, I called upon Ms. Vaughan for help in dealing with my own situation in dealing with my wife's adultery with my "best friend" of thirty years. Quite honestly, I believe she saved my marriage. My gratitude to her is beyond words.

And by bizarre coincidences, it turns out that we grew up in the same place, her dad and mine were fishing buddies, I used to buy gasoline at her dad's service station, my dad preached her dad's funeral, and our lives have run eerily parallel courses.

As a result, as you can imagine, I thought about removing from this review any criticism whatsoever. But I decided not to do so. I hope my heartfelt endorsement of this book means all the more precisely because I don't simply find it ratifying my own beliefs.

I am altogether certain that this book and Ms. Vaughan's counsel did more to save my marriage than all the dozens of other things I read in recovering from the most horrific devastation of my life.

[Jul 14, 2015] Underaged sex with Alan Dershowitz and Prince Andrew...and Bill Clinton...? (If the claims are true, Hillary is OVER.)

Cannonfire

Wow.

A court filing in a civil case in Florida last week included new allegations against Jeffrey E. Epstein, a businessman who pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution, and two other high-profile men: a member of the British Royal family and an American lawyer.

The motion filed in United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida alleges that Mr. Epstein forced a teenage girl to have sexual relations with several men, including Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth's second son, and Alan M. Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School. Both men have denied the allegations.

Jeffrey Epstein is not just a businessman. He's a billionaire, and he has already been convicted of soliciting underaged prostitution.

About the royal: Some of you may argue that if there was an encounter, the Prince may have been unaware of the girl's age. He has people. People who make arrangements for him. One can see how such a fellow might hear the same knock on the door that Neil Bush once heard. Perhaps, upon opening the door, his first reaction was something other than "May I see your ID, Miss?"

That scenario seems plausible. However, as we shall see, that scenario is not what has been alleged.

We will get to the Prince in a bit. For now, let's focus on Dershowitz.

On Saturday, Mr. Dershowitz said he "categorically and unequivocally" denied all of the allegations. He said he would file disbarment proceedings against the lawyers who filed the motion, Bradley J. Edwards, a lawyer in Florida, and Paul G. Cassell, a former federal judge and a law professor at the University of Utah.

"They are lying deliberately, and I will not stop until they're disbarred," Mr. Dershowitz said in a phone interview.

The very predictability of that furious reaction means that no lawyer would have filed such charges against Dershowitz frivolously. Cassell has an impressive resume. He's not a young go-getter out to make a name for himself.

I understand that there are a lot of women who have made iffy claims against famous people. But this case seems different. Epstein has already pled guilty. Moreover, Dershowitz was part of Epstein's legal team.

The full court filing was published on Mondoweiss a couple of days ago. We learn that the complainant, Jane Doe #3, was 15 years of age,and that she was recruited by an Epstein associate named Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of Robert Maxwell (the late news tycoon and known Mossad asset). The photo to the left shows the Prince with the girl who seems to have been Jane Doe #3. Allegedly, the shot was taken by Epstein. (Note: In what follows, the term NPA refers to non-prosecution agreement.)
Epstein then became enamored with Jane Doe #3, and with the assistance of Maxwell converted her into what is commonly referred to as a "sex slave." Epstein kept Jane Doe #3 as his sex slave from about 1999 through 2002, when she managed to escape to a foreign country and hide out from Epstein and his co-conspirators for years. From 1999 and 2002, Epstein frequently sexually abused Jane Doe #3, not only in West Palm Beach but also in New York, New Mexico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, in international airspace on Epstein's private planes, and elsewhere.

Epstein also sexually trafficked the then-minor Jane Doe, making her available for sex to politically-connected and financially-powerful people. Epstein's purposes in "lending" Jane Doe (along with other young girls) to such powerful people were to ingratiate himself with them for business, personal, political and financial gain, as well as to obtain potential blackmail information.

One such powerful individual that Epstein forced then-minor Jane Doe #3 to have sexual relations with was former Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, a close friend of Epstein's and well-known defense attorney. Epstein required Jane Doe #3 to have sexual relations with Dershowiz on numerous occasions while she was a minor, not only in Flroida but also on private planes, in New York, New Mexico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to being a participant in the abuse of Jane Doe #3 and other minors, Dershowitz was an eye-witness to the sexual abuse of many other minors by Epstein and several of Epstein's co-conspirators. Dershowitz would later play a significant role in negotiating the NPA on Esptein's behalf. Indeed, Dershowitz helped negotiate an agreement that provided immunity from federal prosecution in the Southern District of Florida not only to Epstein, but also to "any potential co-conspirators of Epstein." NPA at 5. Thus, Dershowitz helped negotiate an agreement with a provision that provided protection for himself against criminal prosecution in Florida for sexually abusing Jane Doe #3. Because this broad immunity would have been controversial if disclosed, Dershowitz (along with other memebers of Epstein's defense team) and the Government tried to keep the immunity provision secret from all of Epstein's victims and the general public, even though such secrecy violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act.

There's a third named participant in these doings, one Jean Luc Brunel, a close Epstein friend and a scout for various modelling agencies.
He would bring young girls (ranging from ages as young as twelve) to the United States for sexual purposes and farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein. Brunel would offer the girls "modeling" jobs. Many of the girls came from poor countries or impoverished backgrounds, and he lured them in with a promise of making good money.
The Government was well aware of Jane Doe #3 when it was negotiating the NPA, as it listed her as a victim in the attachment to the NPA. Moreover, even a rudimentary investigation of Jane Doe #3's relationship with Epstein would have revealed the fact that she had been trafficked throughout the United States and internationally for sexual purposes. Nonetheless, the Government secretly negotiated a non-prosecution agreement with Epstein precluding any Federal prosecution in the Southern District of Florida of Epstein and his co-conspirators. As with Jane Doe #1 and Jane Doe #2, the Government concealed the non-prosecution agreement from Jane Doe #3 -- all in violation of her rights under the CVRA -- to avoid Jane Doe #3 from raising powerful objections to the NPA that would have shed tremendous light on Epstein and other powerful individuals that would likely have prevented it from being conlcuded in the secretive manner in which it was.
The document also mentions a Jane Doe #4, an impoverished sixteen year old who was told that she could make $300 by giving a "massage" to an old man in Palm Beach.

This matter seems very serious. We have too many details, too many corroborating witnesses (in the form of four Jane Does). We have a photo. We have reports of the existence of many, many more photos. The hugger-mugger involving the NPA seems downright ghastly -- yet all too credible.

Frankly, I would not rule out the possibility that Epstein was working for an intelligence agency -- either Mossad or one of our own. The Maxwell connection points to Mossad.

This whole business has "honeytrap" written all over it.

The Clinton connection.

The Daily Mail discloses that one of Epstein's, er, protegees was a woman named Johanna Sjoberg. Since the story links her to Prince Andrew, it is tempting suppose that she is the aforementioned Jane Doe #3. However, British newspapers have named another young woman, Virginia Roberts.
Miss Sjoberg worked for Epstein for four years, often massaging him as he lay on a couch in his giant bathroom making phone calls to friends such as Bill Clinton and Cate Blanchett.

He kept a little black book, containing the numbers of all his masseuses by a phone in the bathroom, she said. She left after he started becoming 'more aggressive' in his demands that she 'do sexual things to him'.

She said she was aware that the girls recruited by Epstein and his acolytes were not paid just for massages but for 'sexual favours'.

Virginia Roberts revealed that as a 17-year-old 'erotic masseuse', she was flown by Epstein to London to meet Prince Andrew,

Miss Sjoberg said: 'I'm not surprised he was sending girls abroad. I just did not think they were so young.'

The Prince strongly denies any claim of impropriety, of course.

What about Epstein and Clinton? Obviously, there is nothing wrong in taking a man's phone call, even a call from someone like Epstein. However...

Bill Clinton was also named dozens of times in lawsuits against Epstein and was alleged to have flown on his private jet more than 10 times.

Flight logs in lawsuits detailed that between 2002 and 2005 the former US President traveled around the world courtesy of his friend and stopped at Epstein's Caribbean island Little St James where young girls were supposedly kept as sex slaves.

Clinton was deemed to be so close to Epstein that he was nearly deposed during the investigation into his paedophilia.

Before he was jailed Epstein's other acquaintances are said to have been former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak; former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson; and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

Let's make the obvious point. If there is any evidence of wrongdoing against Bill Clinton, then Hillary's chances at the nomination are over. A candidacy can withstand many things, but a statutory rape scandal involving one's spouse? No.

More on the Clinton link here:

Over the years, the casually-dressed, globe-trotting financier, who was said to log more than 600 flying hours a year, has been linked with Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, Chris Tucker and Manhattan-London society figure Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of the late media titan Robert Maxwell.

Epstein reportedly flew Tucker and Spacey to Africa on his private jet as part of a charitable endeavour. Clinton, meanwhile, flew on multiple occasions in the same plane to Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little St James, between 2002 and 2005 as he developed his philanthropic post-presidential career. It would later be alleged in court that Epstein organised orgies on that same private island in the US Virgin Islands.

Reports in the US media say many of the A-list names broke off any links with the former maths teacher after his arrest and conviction in 2008 of having sex with an underage girl whom he had solicited. His arrest followed an 11-month undercover investigation at a mansion in Florida's Palm Beach that Epstein owned.

In 2008, he pleaded guilty to a single charge of soliciting prostitution and was handed a 18-month jail sentence. He served 13 months in jail and was obliged to register as a sex offender. A 2011 report in the New York Post said that he celebrated his release from jail and his return to a property he maintains in New York – a 45,000-sq-foot eight-storey mansion on East 71st Street – with Prince Andrew.

The story goes on to give much useful information about Epstein's business dealings.

More here:

The financier, who was jailed for 18 months in 2008 after pleading guilty to solicitation for prostitution, kept a sickening stash of images on a computer seized at his Palm Beach mansion in 2006.
The six-year-old papers, seen by the Sunday People, state: "Some of the photographs in the defendant's possession were taken with hidden cameras set up in [Epstein's] home in Palm Beach.

"On the Day of his arrest, police found two hidden cameras and photographs of ­underage girls on a computer in the defendant's home.

"[He] may have taken lewd ­photographs of Jane Doe 102 with his hidden cameras and transported [them] to his other residences and elsewhere."

Court papers also allege that Maxwell presented nude pictures of her she had taken herself to Epstein as a birthday present.

They add that Roberts' claims that she was forced to tell Epstein all about her sexual encounters so he could use the information to "blackmail" the royal.

She further claims she was sex-trafficked to "many other powerful men, including numerous prominent American politicians, powerful business executives, foreign presidents, a well known Prime Minister, and other world leaders".

And now let's play our game: Who was that Prime Minister?

To-neeeeee...! If that's you, you're gonna have to say so many rosaries that even the Virgin Mary will get sick of hearing your voice.

This scandal places our right-wing media in a bind. Obviously, the right-wingers will want to leap on anything that dirties the Clinton name. On the other hand, anything that reeks of Mossad involvement is untouchable.

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[Dec 06, 2020] Bill Clinton Couldn t Stay Away From Jeffrey Epstein, Visited Pedo Island According To Former Chief Aide Published on Dec 04, 2020 | www.zerohedge.com

[Jul 25, 2019] The Epstein Case Is A Rare Opportunity To Focus On The Depraved Nature Of America s Elite Published on Jul 25, 2019 | www.zerohedge.com

[Jul 21, 2019] Breaking: Clinton Just Got Devastating News Published on Aug 12, 2016 | beforeitsnews.com

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