Source: Semafor
by Ben Smith
“The strongest case for the Epstein obsession is that it’s a kind of a metaphor — that his circle reveals the inwardness and corruption of American elites. I imagine Epstein would love this. As a convincing New York Times investigation showed, the sex criminal was a Gatsby-esque con man, feeding his fame and fortune with an astute trade in money, status, and information. At some point, the public might want to accept that we’re the final victims of his con, elevating his status beyond his wildest imaginings. Or maybe the bots, trained on the humans of Reddit and other social media platforms, will prove me wrong and unearth the real Epstein conspiracy.” (01/31/26)