The Epstein Files Reveal Society's Systematic Blindness to Abuse of the Powerless
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/by/m-gessen. "Opinion | Gessen and Polgreen on Prince Andrew and the Epstein Files - The New York Times." February 20, 2026. www.nytimes.com
The Gist
The authors argue that the Epstein scandal isn't unusual - it's how our society normally works. We're so focused on watching powerful people that we ignore the victims, and this happens because American society has trained us all to look away from suffering that's right in front of us.
Conclusion
The Epstein scandal is not extraordinary lawlessness but ordinary lawlessness that reveals how American society is built on a foundation of systematically not seeing the suffering of victims, particularly women and girls
Premises
- Public discourse about the Epstein files focuses on powerful perpetrators and their networks while making victims invisible
- Most abuse of children and women goes unpunished, making association with abusers a low-risk calculation for the powerful
- The #MeToo movement failed to change power structures, as evidenced by continued association with Epstein during its peak years
- Patterns of accountability show American political leaders are nearly immune to consequences compared to leaders in other countries
- The defense of 'not seeing' abuse is credible because not seeing suffering is an essential survival skill in American society
- Society routinely practices willful blindness to suffering (homelessness, housing insecurity) as a structural feature of how we operate
Assumptions
- Transparency and public disclosure of files is inherently valuable
- Structural change requires focusing on victims rather than perpetrators
- The ability to 'not see' suffering is learned and socially conditioned
- Power structures protect abusers through networks of mutual benefit and willful ignorance
- American society is uniquely structured around avoiding confrontation with systemic suffering