Afrasianet - Author: Nikki Reed - Jeffrey Epstein is not just an instrument of partisanship, it is a more grotesque embodiment of the essence of power in America.
Counterpunch publishes an op-ed that argues that sexual assault is about power, not pleasure, and links it to the legacy of conquest, colonialism, and hierarchical structures in the West. He cites Jeffrey Epstein's case as an example of institutional "rape culture," criticizing its transformation into a partisan weapon that empties it of meaning and marginalizes victims.
The following is the text of the article translated into Arabic:
Rapists do not seek sexual pleasure, but more horrific arousal: a sense of divinity that comes from the invasion of another human being as a third world country does. Child rapists are the ones who realize that these are the most controllable and easily controllable and crushed. Sexual abuse in the United States is shockingly common, and the typical perpetrator is not necessarily a pervert or psychopath. He is only a person who is allowed to do so.
Western culture is built on violent conquest and strict social hierarchies, so no one is surprised when most Western social structures turn into dens of child abuse. Simply put, when enormous power is concentrated in the hands of a select few, it gives them the ability to destroy lives as if it were a hobby, while an obedient society empowers them to do so. There is a term for this reality, "rape culture," a concept that is frequently circulated but rarely understood. It is not just feminist rhetoric, it is a toxic consequence of postcolonialism and the moral degeneration that fuels it. This culture of casual debauchery affects everyone, but its impact on marginalized groups is systematic and structural. The biggest victims of sexual assault in the United States are women and children, and the odds of being exposed increase fourfold whenever you add an additional adjective such as "black."
For this reason, feminism cannot be separated from anti-colonialism or the rights of young people, and every institution of power, from prisons to schools, must be confronted and dismantled. That is why the Epstein files should not be ridiculed and turned into a trivial partisan weapon in American politics.
I see this issue as an extension of the "MeToo" movement.
Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, and Bill Clinton are all part of the same culture: a culture of authoritarian violence. This is not a traditional left-wing or right-wing partisan problem, but much deeper and more comprehensive. Still, we allow Democrats and Republicans, elitist tribes teeming with predatory oligarchs, to dominate and empty Epstein's narrative of meaning, just as they did with the MeToo movement. In the midst of this partisan farce, the real victims are lost.
The hundreds of girls who have been sexually exploited and trafficked by Epstein and his friends are being used again, as faceless propaganda tools, by those who have previously exploited them themselves. This is disgusting. And for people like me, it's shocking and traumatic. But just because this decaying American oligarchy has turned the case into a farce doesn't mean that the case itself doesn't matter. On the contrary, we should turn off the television, put the phone down, and look carefully at what we know.
What we know about Jeffrey Epstein: He was an almost incompetent, uneducated person, yet he became a shadowy billionaire close to influential people. From 1994 to 2004 (and probably before and after), he ran a sex trafficking network of underage girls, supplied with wealthy clients in Manhattan and Palm Beach. To date, none of his clients have been held accountable, despite the government's acknowledgment of their existence.
What we know about Donald Trump: Since the 1970s, he has been accused of "sexual harassment" by more than 20 women, including those who accused him of rape. He was convicted of sexual assault in a civilian case, though he later denied and publicly boasted about his harassment of women. Trump was a close friend of Epstein's for 15 years, a period that overlaps with Epstein's well-known criminal activity. Epstein was a regular guest at Mar-a-Lago, where some victims were recruited to work there. He even introduced Trump to his current wife, one of his victims.
What I know about sexual abusers from experience and treatment: They often work as couples, supporting each other. They get to know each other easily. They enjoy each other's perversions and challenge each other to increase debauchery. They infiltrate influential institutions, because they take advantage of their dirty services and protect them.
Everybody should know what I know. Because that's the only way to stop this hell. That's the only way for things to really "get better." What we need today is not commissions of inquiry, special advisers, or partisan deals. What we need is full transparency. Publish all the files, with only the names of the victims hidden, and let people know what power looks like.
Jeffrey Epstein is not just an instrument of partisanship, he is a more egretical embodiment of the essence of power in America. He is a mirror that reveals its naked truth. Look at what he has done, you arrogant people, and lose hope.