I spoke with @davidklion.bsky.social about Epstein and the Jews and then Twitter vs. Bluesky.
Which part of the conversation will make people madder? Stay tuned!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
My first byline in @equatormag.bsky.social, part of a package of reactions to Trump's mad war on Iran.
I wrote about how the neocons have diverged into two camps over this, and how the scarier camp is winning.
„In this rhetorical world, Jews were at once the ultimate in-group and the ultimate outsiders; Epstein relied on the power of this bond to cultivate friends who at the very least overlooked and covered for his crimes, in some cases may have partaken themselves.“
jewishcurrents.org/the-line-bet...
That's me, a danger to myself and others
this is a brilliant piece by @davidklion.bsky.social. a real model for how to do careful and insightful analysis in areas where people easily slip into unhinged conspiracy theorizing or choose to ignore an entire range of phenomena. jewishcurrents.org/the-line-bet...
This is a pretty good illustration of how to talk about the "Jewishness" of Epstein and some of his network.
It's important to do this because antisemitism thrives on the claim that you "aren't allowed" to talk about when Jews in powerful positions commit crimes.
Room to go deeper on gender, tho.
Enjoyed chatting with @wajali.bsky.social about Epstein and the Jews and the nuances of talking about that without indulging in antisemitism davidklion.substack.com/publish/post...
Appreciate you both!
jewishcurrents.org/the-line-bet...
Interessante esse artigo (de um site judaico alinhado à esquerda) sobre o Epstein. Analisa como ele manipulou laços judaicos para se projetar em círculos de poder - o q virou um prato cheio pro conspiracionismo antissemita.
cc @nietzsche4speed.bsky.social
Ah sinon, il est tout à fait possible de parler d'Epstein, y compris de son instrumentalisation de son identité juive pour se constituer un réseau en partie communautaire, et de l'insérer dans l'histoire des Juifs aux Etats-unis, sans le moindre relent antisémite jewishcurrents.org/the-line-bet...
I hope someone is working on a big Madoff-Epstein project paralleling their path through the upper floors of American Jewry in the '90s and 2000s
Truly, truly outstanding piece by David Klion here.
Appreciate David for this but he’s a bit timid for my taste. Since I was a teenager it’s been clear to me that our defining ideologies, out dominant institutions, and our core rhetorics of peoplehood are deeply warped: we articulate ourselves in malign narcissistic delusion.
“There are lots of shocking revelations in the Epstein emails, but speaking as an American Jew myself, one of the most unsettling is just how familiar Epstein and his friends sometimes sound.” brilliant and important article by @davidklion.bsky.social in @jewishcurrents.bsky.social
I think I misunderstood your question! My answer should have just been “yes I do” but then you saw that anyway
I try to pick apart the nuances of that in the piece. There are some distinct features to the sheer scope of Jewish success from 1950 to present that we shouldn’t shy away from naming
I mean sure, happens. I didn’t see that, possibly because by the time Elon took over I had blocked literally thousands of Nazis
I don’t really think it’s appropriate for me to weigh in on other groups like I do here. But yes, I certainly think it can be contextualized, ideally by members of the group in question.
Good piece by @davidklion.bsky.social. As he notes, Epstein was an identity fraudster who ingratiated himself with rich alter kakers. But Epstein's inner circle included Prince Andrew, a sultan from Dubai, a former Norwegian premier, a Japanese American tech bro, and other non-Jews.
I have seen none of that whatsoever, nor have I seen the insane backlash it’s gotten in some quarters on here. I’ve seen lots of nice normal left wing people, many of them Jewish, complimenting me on writing a nuanced piece. Have seen that here too, coexisting with a panic
In general I am wary of concerns that readers cannot handle a nuanced look at prominent people whose behavior is embarrassing to their wider community, whatever it is, and of reflexive resistance to such pieces. I think it just looks like we’re trying to hide something. We can be real about this.
“I am happy you are back among the ‘free,’” the soon-to- retire TNR editor-in-chief Marty Peretz emailed Jeffrey Epstein in September 2010, weeks after the end of the house arrest part of Epstein’s 18-month sentence for procuring a teenage girl for prostitution
jewishcurrents.org/the-line-bet...
Right, like Wieseltier! I find that element so fascinating
I wouldn’t say “Judaism” which to me connotes a religion; I’d say something more like “secular networks of upwardly mobile 2nd or 3rd gen ashkenazim at the intersection of finance, philanthropy, and academia” but that’s cumbersome. But ditto re respecting your work!
I don’t really think “Jew” (really Ashkenazi) as an ethnic group with a particular history is the same thing as “Christian,” but when prominent Catholics or Mormons or evangelicals get caught up in crimes with coreligionists I would see no reason to dance around it.
Anyway as far as the vitriol, it has very little to do with the piece and everything to do with this site thinking I’m a literal Nazi because I haven’t quit Twitter.
I think that when a whole network of powerful Jews display these exact tendencies in plain view of the entire world, and public attention is rapt and antisemites are demagoging, our options are to pretend no one notices, or to try to make sense of why it's happening while rejecting antisemitism
It would take a very long time to list all of the (mostly anon) accounts whose reading skills seem lacking
