The Untouchables: Ethics and the Smokescreen Covering the Epstein Files

On the 30th of January, 3 million pages of the Epstein files were released to the public. In them, thousands of accounts of sexual abuse, manipulation and heinous crimes spilled over each and every page. I scoured newspapers and social media searching for anything other than more scandalous photos of Prince Andrew. How about the President of the United States, who we know was a very close friend of Epstein? What about the countless millionaires, billionaires, politicians and A-list celebrities who partied with the convicted pedophile? Prince Andrew has been thrown onto the front page of every newspaper (not to say that this isn't deserved), almost as if he, Epstein and Maxwell are the only villains in this ground-breaking mess of vile corruption and immorality. 

In a BBC video titled ‘Why is no one being prosecuted over the Epstein files’, Gary O’Donoghue (the Chief North America correspondent) states that if you piled all of the documents released on top of one another, it would make up twice the size of the Eiffel Tower. Then why is it that only a handful of people have been charged and arrested? I cannot seem to find the answer anywhere. Of course, I understand that these things take time; hopefully, within the coming months and years, more arrests will ensue and justice will raise its gallant head. But something within me is sceptical. Remember when they first ‘released’ the files? When the so-called documents were covered with more redaction than actual information?

It's almost laughable how the government of the United States and the supporters of its cabinet have managed to gaslight an entire country, possibly the entire world, into thinking that this just isn’t a big deal. Looking back at scandals of the past, such as Watergate or the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, you can see the pure outrage that permeated the world, leaving leaders of influence ruined. It seems to me almost offensive to even refer to the Epstein files as a ‘scandal’, seeing as the word connotes whispering in an office or passing a note in a classroom. We shouldn’t be whispering, we should be screaming. But I suppose, who are we screaming at? Who will hear us? When most leaders seem embroiled in this hellscape, it almost seems as though our voices are being tossed into an empty void. Perhaps there is a chance the world is still in a stage of denial, where the respect for these people has died, and so we are left in a state of shock. But I wonder if there will ever be anger. And will we ever have to succumb to acceptance? 

I can’t help but think we are being systematically distracted. Whether intentional or not, the current climate in Iran, alongside the US-wide ICE raids, is bound to make people think about other things. Especially if you or your family are affected by what is going on, you’re due to put your personal life first before attempting to take on another horrific weight on your shoulders. With a leader who seems to have given up trying to explain and excuse whatever new mission he decides to pursue, perhaps it seems as though there is not much point in trying to chastise him, especially due to his immense power and a group of supporters who would most likely carry him on his golden throne right into a fallout shelter. At least Bush stuck to his justification of the Iraqi war. Trump, you can’t use the same excuse twice. Wait at least fifty years until people forget the other time a Middle Eastern country is accused of holding weapons of mass destruction. Yes, our attention spans have lowered, but not that much. 

When approaching the topic of morality and ethics, I see myself as a pragmatist, perhaps even a cynic. I don’t truly believe that there is one straight answer when it comes to the morality of humans, and if there is anything we can all agree on. But I used to think that there seemed to be a pretty universal stance on what is deemed truly wrong. Like pedophilia. Like sexual assault. Universally, we saw those who committed such acts or turned a blind eye to them as corrupt, as wrong. But now it seems there is no moral base. I hate to be a pessimist, but I’ve never felt so unsure

about ethics. As I sit hearing about the array of different ethical theories in my lectures, I can’t help but think it doesn’t matter, not in this world, not in the world we’re living in. I recognise I have a limited understanding of the world and of time, due to my age and experience; I did not live through some of the most awful times in history. I am privileged, of course. But there always seemed to be a light at the end. The abolition of slavery, the implementation of countless Human Rights acts, the defeat of the Nazis. In our modern day, we desperately cling to the idea that there are heroes and villains: the good, the bad and the ugly. But in an age where we know too much about everything, and too much about the higher-ups, it becomes increasingly difficult to know who to trust. 

So, ultimately, this whole situation faces us with a complex spiral of existential questions, as we not only search for justice, but also contemplate the fundamentals of ethics. Were we ever moral? Did we ever agree on one thing? Is this a worldwide form of manipulation that will indefinitely pull the wool over our eyes? I don’t know.

Words by Libby Stern, she/her