9 Comments
User's avatar
TheBlues's avatar

Early in Trumps current term, the Kremlin sanctioned media inexplicably released naked pictures of Melania Trump to which many of us speculated that this is a warning and, 'there's more to come'. Do you believe that this photo release and recent Epstein furore are connected, along with an old chestnut from Donald Barr being back in circulation..."Space Relations"?

Expand full comment
jeremy f's avatar

If the theory is that Epstein was 1. Killed and 2. is a high level intelligence agent/asset being used to blackmail world leaders why wouldn't he have files released upon his death by a third party? After all, isn't the key to any blackmail operation "dont let anything happen to me, bc if it does everyone is gonna find out about x, y,z"?

Expand full comment
Jorge Clúni's avatar

Your logic is correct IF Mr. Epstein himself was the organizer of the scheme and the controller of the blackmailed. However, if Epstein was a mere agent of a group, then the blackmailed would not have him killed and he would not have prevention against that, as it would be the controlling group who killed him and wished to retain secrets with which to maintain leverage over those blackmailes.

Expand full comment
jeremy f's avatar

No. Bc even if he is not the controller/organizer, he'd have to be an absolute fool to not hedge his bets and protect himself through a 3rd party.

As I generally believe that intelligence agents/assets are fairly intelligent, I'd need convincing he was that foolish

Expand full comment
Jorge Clúni's avatar

Well by that logic, no intelligence agents ever would die early because their knowledge would then be leaked as a life-protection mechanism, so all wise intelligence agents have setup such defenses would and then be safe from elimination - and yet, killed they are, even by their own controllers.

Expand full comment
Nathan Woodard's avatar

Could you give us your quick take on the pros and cons of digital anonymity — and maybe say a few words about why it isn’t debated more vigorously? Is it a red herring, or one of the most important social and geopolitical questions of our time? It seems like we’ve achieved the worst of both worlds: everyone is tracked by power, but anyone — including state and rogue actors — can freely confuse and unhinge everyone else with no social or legal cost.

Expand full comment
MarbleCliffs's avatar

Could you recommend some books about the security state for those who are familiar with your work and classics like the Devil's Chessboard, Whitney Webb, etc. Thank you!

Expand full comment
Claudia von Ayres's avatar

Is the reason the Epstein's list doesn't exist now because it means the downfall of the Western World? Also, could it be that the list doesn't exist anymore because the list is still growing and there is another Epstein and more like him? If Epstein's list exists, so will the others in due course, so that's why it mustn't exist. Is the shutdown of Epstein's list a way to protect the current ones and the future ones?

Expand full comment
SC Kristin Maguire's avatar

Is there a way to reign in the "Illusory Truth Effect" as legacy media and social media knowingly and unknowingly repeat false information? Likewise, in this age of never being able to unring a bell, how important is it to protect unverified information included in a government investigation?

Expand full comment