The Love of Money

 Since Trump infected our lives ten-some years ago, billionaires have come out of the woodwork. Not sure if they were always there or if they or if they were a result of all these bubbles of tech and dot.coms and whatever people who aren't me fall into. It seems like I hear about new ones every day and this is because they are all assholes who made easy money and now want to control the world. Well, here's the thing about that: None of these fucks are qualified to run the whole earth show, and they are all playing each other thinking that they are working together- with fucking Trump(!!)- to facilitate this. Did they not learn anything about people on their way up the ladder? Did they not learn about themselves? 

There was a guy in one of the bars I worked at, who was an alleged millionaire. I do not recall his name, what he looked like or what his business was. This is because he meant nothing to me. I didn't fucking like him. He was not friendly and he did not tip. I say "alleged millionaire" because he couldn't prove it by me. He didn't dress the part. This was a restaurant/bar below street level in my old town, so you couldn't look out the window and see an expensive sports car or Rolls Royce. He had none of the trappings of success other than people had heard he was a millionaire and repeated that. Nice work if you can get it. And he might have BEEN a millionaire. I don't know. All I knew was that salesmen, tradesmen and just regular guys actually tipped. The (alleged) millionaire didn't. He didn't even tip the waitresses that fawned over him (because they had been given the heads up, he was rich) and those girls admitted that, yet they still fawned. 

People do that about money. It's instant respect to be known as rich whether one earned it or the wealth was a result of old money and a trust fund. Regardless, you had it. Big fucking deal. I had tipping customers to take care of. Quit annoying me!

The Epstein class has exploded all over the world. What little we've seen of the files has revealed names of filthy rich men that most of us had never heard of until we found out they also liked to rape children. And that in its ugly self has given people pause to step back and ponder, "Wait a minute, this guy is very important. Maybe we should wait until all the facts come in about the accusations about kids..." 

And this re-reflection is coming from republicans who are otherwise constantly calling for the summary execution of pedophiles, every damn day on the internet. If you are a woke democrat online, you have been deemed a pedophile for simply believing that healthcare or a woman's bodily autonomy is a right. That's how it works online, but that's not how it should work in the real world. Once money is a factor, the rush to judgement slows dramatically in both worlds. 

It's not hard to equate obscene wealth with obscene morals these days. A book I read decades ago ("What Cops Know") written by a woman from a Chicago police family, told me that rich people get a little freaky once they have money. They want to indulge in things that mere mortals can't do. That might manifest in a high-powered CEO wearing women's underwear beneath his thousand-dollar suit, or it might get worse. Rich people indulge. No surprise there. The book covered anecdotal stories told in the cops' own words, off the record to a trusted family friend. It wasn't specifically about the rich, rather the overall Chicago cop experience with crime. Wish I still had it. 

The Epstein class we are reading about today highlights that the richest amongst us can be very sick people. The only difference between them and the usual suspect Catholic priests, Boy Scouts Leaders, funny uncles and church youth leaders is money, and lots of it. There is that undue respect for success again. It has even been suggested that a wholesale prosecution of all the men involved in The Epstein Files could ravage the economy. I don't know about that. If we've learned anything from the prosecution of criminal enterprises, it's that they do go on, just with different leaders who thank you for the opportunity to advance. Rich pedophiles didn't give up their predatory obsessions just because Jeffery Epstein was killed and his facilities closed. The demand was still there. You know that. Someone would supply. Three rich brothers were recently convicted of sex-trafficking in South Florida. They had ties to Trump and his best (only?) friend Epstein. Imagine that. I'm not overly familiar with their story and there is a lot going on in the world right now, but it should be a bigger story than it is, regardless. Pundits online predict Trump will sooner rather than later pardon them because game recognizes game and they can probably still afford to buy pardons. That's clearly how that works in this regime. 

What kind of a demented society protects pedophiles? Well, apparently, this one- but only if they have the bona fides of wealth. That's pretty sick too. The same people who want our thug murderers in prison to abuse the stepfathers who molest when they get convicted, want more deliberate due process when it comes to the rich, especially if they are of the same party, or important financial contributors of same. And, eh- that's republicans. I don't think a single democrat likes Bill Clinton enough to think for a second that he should get a pass because he's one of ours. Mind you, there is scant evidence that he partook in young girls, but I bet he knew what was going on. Likely the same with Noam Chomsky. But you never know what people you don't really know are capable of until it is proven beyond a reasonable doubt. I still believe in the law and due process, but that really seems to be getting away from us here in late-stage capitalism and democracy. It may be the way it works, but it is not the way it should work.