Post AwjQEDeoFhJW5dVF5s by RiaResists@mastodon.social
(DIR) More posts by RiaResists@mastodon.social
(DIR) Post #AwjFLXQe2dKTwRAHYW by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T14:38:32Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
In 2002 Maxwell contacted all of her partner's famous friends and asked them to write letters for his birthday. She got at least two US presidents and many other famous people to do this. Epstein cultivated a reputation as a "playboy," the "harmless" role assigned to such men, you know, who run modeling agencies and who "enjoy their social life"I don't understand why all those famous and powerful people would want to be in his birthday book.
(DIR) Post #AwjFfMr347hSwDyDq4 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T14:42:06Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
I say that I don't understand, but thinking about it again, maybe I do. It's not enough to exploit young people. It's not enough to have the power of a "star" so they will "let you do it." What good is all that power if no one knows that you have it?Trump also cultivated a "playboy" image. A playboy, a man who has never really grown up. He has all the fun he wants.If you want people to think you have that power you need to write birthday letter.
(DIR) Post #AwjFhUNW40VcqrAV8K by RowanH@infosec.exchange
2025-08-01T14:42:30Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Perhaps Ms. Maxwell didn’t tell them there would be a book, just that she wanted letters for his birthday?
(DIR) Post #AwjFqGcYaBm8n2OC6S by phryk@mastodon.social
2025-08-01T14:43:56Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Sorry if I missed some sarcasm in there, but for an explanation: Staying in Epsteins good graces for continued access to abusing his trafficking victims seems to be the obvious one.
(DIR) Post #AwjFs1p4ZZYLTQ5EFE by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T14:44:25Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
That's why Trump said he never had the *privilege* of going to Epstein's island. And why he was open about being invited and almost embarrassed to say he turned it down. "one of my very good moments"He also need us to know he could pardon her if he wants to. He *could* --
(DIR) Post #AwjG7aZ9gFCrZV3duS by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T14:47:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@phryk That's a very practical one. But you are giving up even more evidence. And I don't think there was that much tension, I think these people really cared what Epstein thought about them because they *admired* his lifestyle. And if you need to check the IDs of a girl to find out if you admire someone or not. Well then you have already have terrible judgement as far as I'm concerned.
(DIR) Post #AwjGNyUKVR2IOkc8Rc by jstatepost@mstdn.social
2025-08-01T14:50:07Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Are you trying to give us a reminder, myrmepropagandist, that not only is Trump all over the Epstein files, there wouldn't even BE Epstein files without Trump?#USPolitics #EpsteinFiles #Trump #SexTrafficking #Pedophilia #TuckersBalls
(DIR) Post #AwjGQZnMlovWgPl6y8 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T14:50:39Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@RowanH I don't think so? I think she mentioned who else was already writing a letter to make them worried they'd be left out. And maybe there was a party where they gave it to him and read them all and laughed about it. I could imagine that too.
(DIR) Post #AwjGuNwpNoXocuOlHc by phryk@mastodon.social
2025-08-01T14:56:00Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Yeah, I don't think it would've made much of a moral difference if the girls trafficked had all been 18 when it happened to them.I also don't buy that Epstein had so many rich and powerful visitors and none of them could figure out that something was deeply wrong there, independently of the girls ages.At least to me it looks like we're dealing with a class of people who legitimately believe they are above law and morals.
(DIR) Post #AwjHAApvtjjYb1hZxI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T14:58:52Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
I tend to assume that people have already seen every horrible Trump quote, but in case:"... historically, that's true with stars ... if you look over the last million years ... Unfortunately, or fortunately.""And you consider yourself to be a star?" Trump was asked."I think you can say that, yeah." The contempt in his voice at being asked to explain what he clearly saw as a law of nature haunts me.https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-deposition-doubles-access-hollywood-remarks-grabbing-women/story?id=99107636
(DIR) Post #AwjHUNtT3u4WspzavQ by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T15:02:32Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
Interesting to see the glaze of erudition he adopted in this answer, like he's teaching a philosophy course. He doesn't do that often when speaking to his base, but it's in there. The wise man of the world."The time has come,' the Walrus said, To talk of many things:Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax — Of cabbages — and kings —And why the sea is boiling hot — And whether pigs have wings.'"
(DIR) Post #AwjHVS8Imn9cJxRND6 by graydon@canada.masto.host
2025-08-01T15:02:40Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebird It's a political suicide pact.The participants know who they are and can rely on each other for cover. (Freedom of action is a lot larger when you've got a cooperating group.) They are ALSO highly vulnerable to anyone defecting or blackmail from the operators of the enterprise. So things like the birthday book are a sort of group cooperation signal that all is well with the pact.(Epstein wasn't the operator as such; someone supplied capital.)
(DIR) Post #AwjHaenD91Cj253agC by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T15:03:41Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@graydon So things like the birthday book are a sort of group cooperation signal that all is well with the pact.This makes sense since there were hints at that time of some of it all coming out. "Don't worry we all have each other's back."
(DIR) Post #AwjIGBGzHwRrdomiS8 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T15:11:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@phryk THISHe dazzled them with wealth, power, his famous friends: used that to control and degrade them. And I wonder sincerely if some of those involved, even now, understand *why* that is disgusting. Do they even see the crime at all? Or do they think it's all a technicality, and how it would be "misunderstood" by us the prudish and simple public who "don't know how things work?"
(DIR) Post #AwjJ4ylLYqoVbsCvSq by phryk@mastodon.social
2025-08-01T15:20:12Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and assume that it's the latter for at least a sizable chunk of the people who were involved with Epstein.As far as I can tell, rich and powerful people virtually always have a completely warped sense of self-esteem, with many of them seeming to think they're damn near gods, i.e. inherently better than us plebians.
(DIR) Post #AwjJUrInvAe408CIIy by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T15:25:02Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@phryk I had a friend* once who invited me to some parties and after one, I made some comments about how I was uncomfortable with one of the guys there, hitting on younger women, making crude jokes. Unfathomably she really liked this guy and kept saying he was "so amazing" I wanted to know *why* she admired him. He just seemed like a creep."can't you just be fun?" she said to me. And I didn't hang out with her again. I'm no fun.
(DIR) Post #AwjJjpXQlJkKsEB4wS by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T15:27:45Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@phryk I was in my early 20s then and looking back I think she brought me in (she was in her 30s) because they just tried to get as many young people as they could at those parties, which it turned out this guy paid for: they were at really cool locations like the historic basement of a building with antique decor. The creep was a casting director. I don't know what happened to him. But I recognize a pattern. Or maybe I'm no fun.
(DIR) Post #AwjK1DJtazRrYQ8UVc by phryk@mastodon.social
2025-08-01T15:30:52Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebird Yeah, this is the sort of thing why I'm allergic to idolizing people – not just myself, but when I see others doing it, too.It's why Jacob Applebaum could be a rapey asshole for years on end before enough people finally spoke out and he was kicked out of the community – he was culturally entrenched because so many people idolized him…
(DIR) Post #AwjK3Xbb95Af31Wf5s by phryk@mastodon.social
2025-08-01T15:31:17Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Yeah no, you were definitely not the problem there, that sounds hella predatory.
(DIR) Post #AwjNnXKanUHzNeCBaS by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T16:13:14Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Here is some more info on who is in the book. Some of the people listed have confirmed that it is real. Others say they don't remember. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/epstein-birthday-book-clinton-trump-black-dershowitz-wang.html
(DIR) Post #AwjO7IzNpXn8gthYjw by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T16:16:48Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@graydon I think that "roasts" also function this way. The concept of having a roast for someone always confused me. I can't think of that many terrible things to say about any of my friends. On the occasions I've encountered people doing a roast it often seemed like between them they had a lot of things they needed to keep quiet about each other. There is something sinister about all of this chummy BS often enough.
(DIR) Post #AwjOJVmS68FBq0TQBM by i_give_u_worms@mastodon.cloud
2025-08-01T16:18:59Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird before I read the article, is it because Epstein and Ghoslsine Maxwell's business involved working with Mossad for blackmail?
(DIR) Post #AwjORuHcsg9g9H3ey0 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T16:20:32Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@i_give_u_worms It doesn't say anything about that. Just who contributed to the book and what "funny" message they put in it. They are all along similar themes, like a roast. Ha ha all in good fun. ugh.
(DIR) Post #AwjPw4ZxGZyWinZyq0 by edgeofeurope@mastodon.social
2025-08-01T16:37:09Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Different times. Success (for a man) meant yachts, cars, villas, beautiful women. For a woman it meant being one of the beautiful women.
(DIR) Post #AwjQEDeoFhJW5dVF5s by RiaResists@mastodon.social
2025-08-01T16:40:22Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @phryk Lots of women who seem to play along w creepy guys like that have been molested. It can feel normal & safe. So sad.
(DIR) Post #AwjQTDtVeXf7AXX77g by ColesStreetPothole@weatherishappening.network
2025-08-01T16:43:07Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @phryk Back in the mid-1990s, a coworker of mine was talking about a dinner she went to with Trump where models were made to walk on a table and guests were looking of their dresses, making crude comments, etc. It was polarizing—my coworker thought it was gross and degrading, but other guests thought it good fun. Oh, and on the birthday book, I think that was partly Maxwell gathering kompromat.
(DIR) Post #AwjQVHNLgFzYXrTElU by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T16:43:34Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@phryk I also remember feeling so luck and cool going around the back of this big lovely building under renovation and going past the velvet rope with my smart and cool (so I thought) friend from work who knew about the good parties. It seemed very glamorous.
(DIR) Post #AwjQwwaQZETcB3mOki by ramsey@phpc.social
2025-08-01T16:46:28Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@phryk @futurebird Does wealth and power do something to the brain that makes them this way, or does wealth and power attract people who are already predisposed to this way of thinking?
(DIR) Post #AwjQwxQBSnsQlZzjQO by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T16:48:30Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@ramsey @phryk I think anyone can get suck in, but maybe one needs to be broken to help run it and working to keep it alive like Maxwell did. Everyone said that she worked so hard to "keep Jeffery happy"why.why?She was from a rich family. She must have enjoyed the power trip, or the people who think it's an intelligence conspiracy might be right. Working so hard just to make something seedy and ugly.
(DIR) Post #AwlV6KRE2rjatI7rNI by jmcrookston@mastodon.social
2025-08-02T16:44:27Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Agree. It shows they don't (didn't) care.