VDH on "the Epstein List"

Sounds plausible--but obviously there are other explanations.

I haven't really been that interested in this, and so haven't been following it closely or thinking much about it. But I'd already been wondering whether maybe the people visiting Epstein's island and riding on his plane weren't really involved in his perversions and sex crimes. That is, that maybe his sexual obsessions and his pursuit of famous acquaintances weren't largely--though perhaps not entirely--separate.

   One argument on the right is: if there are no clients, then why is Maxwell in jail?

   That seemed initially plausible to me...but, again, I didn't follow the case closely. When I looked it up, the argument lost its plausibility: Maxwell is in jail for abusing girls and trafficking them. Another cursory search seemed to indicate that trafficking is transporting. So was Maxwell convicted of transporting girls to be exploited by her and Epstein? If so, no clients are necessary.

   Anyway, I hadn't thought about the blackmail hypothesis...but that does seem plausible.

   Also anyway: many on the right seem to think that this is obviously a coverup--that there obviously were/are clients and almost certainly a list. And anyone who doesn't see that is just being stupidly naive.

   But I don't see it.

   I don't have any special knowledge or insight here. But that seems to be the position most of us are in most of the time with respect to these big, marquee questions/issues. Suspension of judgment seems to be my only real option here...well...other than actually learning something about the case...which honestly probably isn't going to happen.