The Epstein Horror, &c.

On a case not closed; portents of a post-American era; the scourge of sports gambling; the joys of language; and more

The island in the Caribbean—notorious through no fault of its own—owned by Jeffrey Epstein (Photo by Navin75)

You are perhaps Epstein’d out, and if you are, I don’t blame you. I myself have written relatively little about the Jeffrey Epstein matter over the years. First, there are other people who are genuine students of the case, and they can say the necessary. Second, the subject is repulsive.

But subjects must not be ignored for their repulsiveness. The repulsers benefit from the ignoring.

Personally, I have been a little surprised that MAGA has been so hot to get to the bottom of the Epstein matter. I realize they want Democrats incriminated. But have they seen all the photos of Epstein and Donald Trump, partying together? Are they familiar with what Trump told New York magazine, for a 2002 profile of Epstein?

“I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it—Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”

As I said when addressing this subject last May, “That whole atmosphere is repulsive. Makes my blood boil.”

(I wrote about Epstein and his circle after one of their victims, Virginia Giuffre, killed herself at 41.)

Evidently, Trump is now crossways with his base—crossways with MAGA, on the Epstein question. This is an interesting turn. Only once, so far as I can remember, has Trump been crossways with his base.

That was on the subject of the pandemic and vaccination.

Here is a headline from August 2021: “Trump booed at Alabama rally after telling supporters to get vaccinated.” (Article here.) Here is another headline from three months later: “Trump reveals he got COVID-19 booster shot; crowd boos him.”

The article quotes Trump as saying, “Look, we did something that was historic,” meaning, drive the development of vaccines. The ex-president, and future president, continued,

We saved tens of millions of lives worldwide. We together, all of us—not me, we—we got a vaccine done, three vaccines done, and tremendous therapeutics. This was going to ravage the country far beyond what it is right now. Take credit for it. Take credit for it.

They never did. And now, in the second Trump term, the secretary of health and human services is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

What will MAGA, broadly speaking, do about Epstein? Drop the matter, at Trump’s behest, or pursue? I would bet on the former. But I have lost bets before.

***

Some of us fear that we are entering a post-American era. Some of us hope that we are. Either way, many people think that we are.

“Post-American era”? In short, an era without American leadership in the world.

This headline is a portent, possibly: “U.K. and France Sign First Nuclear Pact to Fend Off Threat to Europe.” (For that article, go here.)

Earlier this year, I traveled to Denmark, to report on how that country is adjusting to changing times. The Danes are rearming with alacrity. Their minds have been concentrated by two things—two men, really: Trump and Putin.

To read my report, go here.

Did you see this, from a couple of weeks ago? “Denmark Begins Drafting Women as Russian Threat Looms.” (The article is here.) That is serious.

So are the times.

***

Gambling is a scourge, and sports gambling is a rising scourge. Gambling in general is a ruiner of lives; sports gambling in particular is a ruiner of lives. And the inducements for it—the advertisements for it—are everywhere.

Do I know that some people gamble, on any number of things, without doing themselves or others much harm, or any harm? I do know that, yes.

Moving on . . .

I salute Bob Costas, the veteran sports announcer, for speaking out against sports gambling. To read about this, go here. Costas has a personal relation to this issue: His father was a sports-gambling addict. Costas himself, when calling Major League Baseball games, refused to read gambling promos.

“I just couldn’t in good conscience,” he says.

You’ve heard of Costa Brava? (Gorgeous stretch of the world.) Well, bravo, Costas.

***

In my column of July 7, I noted a case that many of us found particularly egregious. I’ll quote an Associated Press report (as I did in that column):

Mandonna “Donna” Kashanian lived in the United States for 47 years, married a U.S. citizen, and raised their daughter. She was gardening in the yard of her New Orleans home when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers handcuffed her and took her away.

A subsequent AP report begins,

An Iranian mother detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers has been released this week following advocacy from Republican House majority leader Steve Scalise.

Well and good. Scalise is from New Orleans. He is a powerful politician. But there are other people like Donna Kashanian. GOP bigwigs can’t run interference for all of them.

You know what I mean? (I know you do.)

***

Clay Kershaw is one of my favorite athletes. He is a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He grew up with—and played on teams with—another of my favorite athletes: Matthew Stafford, the quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams. “MattStaff” was long the QB for my own Detroit Lions.

Kershaw and Stafford, by the way, grew up in Dallas.

A recent article tells us,

Clayton Kershaw has been an All-Star 10 times before.

But no selection surprised him quite like this year’s.

Included on the National League All-Star team as a “Legend Pick” by Commissioner Rob Manfred in recognition of his career accomplishments, Kershaw did not get any advance warning from Manfred or anyone in the league office that he would be in the “Midsummer Classic.”

Let me pause for a language note: How do you feel about “advance warning”? Kosher or un-? (I lean toward un-.)

Further on in the article, we read,

“You never take for granted getting to go to an All-Star Game, regardless of the circumstances,” Kershaw said. “At the end of the day, it’s weird but cool, so I’m just going to enjoy it.”

“Weird but cool”—I got a kick out of that phrase.

***

As longtime readers know, I am interested in names. A few days ago, via Zoom, I met the U.S. correspondent of El País, the Spanish daily. (We discussed the Nobel Peace Prize, and President Trump’s oft-proclaimed desire for it.) The correspondent is Iker Seisdedos García.

“Iker” is a Basque name, I learned—nothing to do with Spanish at all. “Seisdedos,” in Spanish, means “six fingers.” But it could also have the sense of “six by two.” Could some ancestor have felled six foes with two blows or sallies?

An excellent, flavorful name, “Iker Seisdedos García.” Not something you run into every day.

***

When it comes to eateries in New York, I have a new favorite name: “Gnocchi on Ninth.” Good, too. (If you know that gnocchi, strictly speaking, are not a pasta, you deserve extra credit.)

***

A clerk in a shoestore had been dealing with me for 20 minutes or so. Before we parted, she said, “What’s your name again?” We had not introduced ourselves. I told her my name, she told me hers.

Isn’t that a wonderful American locution? (Perhaps it is a general English-language one, I don’t know.) “What’s your name again?” We say it knowing full well that no name has been given. We say “again” anyway. It’s ingrained on our tongue, in our culture.

***

For the New York Times, Clyde Haberman, the veteran reporter, has written an excellent obit of David Gergen, the longtime politico and journalist. Just now, I would like to make simply a language note (another one).

Haberman writes, “Mr. Clinton hired him in 1993 to help righten a White House weakened after a series of political missteps.”

In all my days, I don’t think I had seen the word “righten.” It seems like a common word. It rings like a common word. But I believe it is new to me.

***

Can you stand one more language note? In an article about Bond movies, we have this passage: “Walken certainly seems to relish in the violence of the massacre. ‘I just let him go,’ says Glen about Walken’s machine-gun performance.”

Forget the carnage, think about English. You can revel in something or relish it—but not relish in it.

***

I am from the Great Lakes State, but I must admit, a pond in Central Park is okay too:

You think New York has a pigeon problem?

Who dis? Not the guy from Sesame Street, right? A cousin?

Thank you for joining me today, my friends, for this odd jumble of subjects. Hope you’ve had a beautiful weekend.