Well, a couple of straws in the wind indicating that, while we probably won't catch up with you UK folks real soon, we may at least start moving in the right direction.
Today both CNN and the New York Times have multiple front page articles on the Epstein saga. I'd like to think they've decided there's blood in the water and (to horribly mix the metaphor) they don't want to miss the boat. I'd like to think that we're close to shifting from "slowly" to "and then all at once" -- or at least an approximation of the latter.
2026-02-10 15:51:45
Not “you are a loser for having been fooled by those guys,” but “ick, those guys are all gross and pathetic pedos, do you really want to give them your support?”
I'd go even further. Just strip it down to "Ick, those guys are all gross and pathetic pedos!" Once they've gotten themselves that far, they can take the next step themselves. And get that nice feeling of agency for doing so -- people like to feel in charge, especially when they are feeling like helpless victims so much.
One feature of that first step is it doesn't get reflexive defensiveness, because it's not, at least overtly, about them. Their standards for gross and for pathetic are, in the abstract, pretty much like ours. It's just a matter of getting them to apply those standards to Trump et al, without references to anything resembling politics or culture or other devisive stuff.
2026-02-08 17:25:08
I would guess it has no impact on the special relationship. Or what's left of it these days.
Trump has no loyalty to others, so the fact that, in the UK , other Epstein buddies are getting taken down? Not going to matter much.
Provided they don't say anything bad about him. Anyone who does that is beyond the pale. If it's a UK media, he'll maybe trash them. But if it's anyone in government, the UK joins his enemies list.
Well, a couple of straws in the wind indicating that, while we probably won't catch up with you UK folks real soon, we may at least start moving in the right direction.
Today both CNN and the New York Times have multiple front page articles on the Epstein saga. I'd like to think they've decided there's blood in the water and (to horribly mix the metaphor) they don't want to miss the boat. I'd like to think that we're close to shifting from "slowly" to "and then all at once" -- or at least an approximation of the latter.
I'd go even further. Just strip it down to "Ick, those guys are all gross and pathetic pedos!" Once they've gotten themselves that far, they can take the next step themselves. And get that nice feeling of agency for doing so -- people like to feel in charge, especially when they are feeling like helpless victims so much.
One feature of that first step is it doesn't get reflexive defensiveness, because it's not, at least overtly, about them. Their standards for gross and for pathetic are, in the abstract, pretty much like ours. It's just a matter of getting them to apply those standards to Trump et al, without references to anything resembling politics or culture or other devisive stuff.
I would guess it has no impact on the special relationship. Or what's left of it these days.
Trump has no loyalty to others, so the fact that, in the UK , other Epstein buddies are getting taken down? Not going to matter much.
Provided they don't say anything bad about him. Anyone who does that is beyond the pale. If it's a UK media, he'll maybe trash them. But if it's anyone in government, the UK joins his enemies list.