Noam Chomsky's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein...

[noname223]

I hope free speech laws of the US will protect me posting this. Lol. But it seems to be true.

I met Jeffrey Epstein half a dozen years ago. We have been in regular contact since, with many long and often in-depth discussions about a very wide range of topics, including our own specialties and professional work, but a host of others where we have shared interests. It has been a most valuable experience for me.

In the area of his own direct engagements, I have learned a great deal from him about the intricacies of the global financial system, about complex technical issues that arise in the often arcane world of finance, and about specific cases in which I have a particular interest, such as the financial situation in Saudi Arabia and current economic planning and prospects there. Jeffrey invariably turns out to be a highly reliable source, with intimate knowledge and perceptive analysis, commonly going well beyond what I can find in the business press and professional journals.

Turning to my own special interests in linguistics, cognitive science, and philosophy of language and mind, Jeffrey constantly raises searching questions and puts forth provocative ideas, which have repeatedly led me to rethink crucial issues.

We have also had (for me) very rewarding discussions on many other topics, for example the prospects for Artificial Intelligence, deep learning, multi-layered neural nets, automation and robotics, singularity, and related matters, exploring the claims and predictions and looking closely at the results that have been achieved, their intellectual contributions and social import. We have also discussed many other issues, ranging from intellectual history, to world affairs and contemporary geopolitics, to foundations of mathematics, to such matters as recent discoveries about communication in the plant world. He has also tried, so far with limited success, to carry forward my wife Valeria's efforts to introduce me to the world of jazz and its wonders. Whatever comes up, Jeffrey not only has a lively interest but also unconventional and challenging ideas and thoughtful suggestions.

Given the range and depth of his concerns, I suppose I should not have been surprised to discover that Jeffrey has repeatedly been able to arrange, sometimes on the spot, very productive meetings with leading figures in the sciences and mathematics, and global politics, people whose work and activities I had looked into though I had never expected to meet them. Once, when we were discussing the Oslo agreements, Jeffrey picked up the phone and called the Norwegian diplomat who supervised them, leading to a lively interchange. On another occasion, Jeffrey arranged a meeting with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, whose record I had studied carefully and written about. We have our disagreements, but had a very fruitful discussion about a number of controversial matters, including one that was of particular interest to me: the Taba negotiations of January 2001, in the framework of President Clinton's "parameters," events that remain obscure and controversial because the diplomatic record is still mostly secret. Barak's discussion of the background was illuminating, also surprising in some ways. In very different areas, much the same was true in meetings Jeffrey arranged with evolutionary biologists, neuroscientists, mathematicians and computer scientists, several of them engaged in exciting work at the limits of understanding in their fields, sometimes with perspectives quite different from mine. More lively interchanges, in which Jeffrey was once again an active participant, often an effective gadfly.

The impact of Jeffrey's limitless curiosity, extensive knowledge, penetrating insights, and thoughtful appraisals is only heightened by his easy informality, without a trace of pretentiousness. He quickly became a highly valued friend and regular source of intellectual exchange and stimulation.

Noam Chomsky

 

[asaṅkhata]

Rare Chomsky W.

 

[NormallyNeurotic]

Rare Chomsky W.

 

[X-sanguinate86]

I lost interest in chomsky decades ago and was further disappointed when he started insulting people who questioned certain official narratives. He comes off as a gatekeeper now so I'm not even surprised he is a member of the Epstein pedotrafficking blackmail club.

 

[Hvergelmir]

Are there reasons to not take things at face value? Is it far fetched to think that Epstein indeed offered intellectual insight, worthwhile discussions, and valuable connections?

I think it's a mistake to assume that anyone and everything Epstein was involved with, centered around trafficking and exploitation.

 

[Dejected 55]

Are there reasons to not take things at face value? Is it far fetched to think that Epstein indeed offered intellectual insight, worthwhile discussions, and valuable connections?

I think it's a mistake to assume that anyone and everything Epstein was involved with, centered around trafficking and exploitation.

I don't think that's the question. I think the question is... why would someone who isn't part of the bad stuff want to at all hang around or associate with a man so clearly into the bad stuff? I mean, if you had a friend that you liked talking to and he gave you good advice on business BUT you found out he was being charged with child sexual abuse and human trafficking... are you still going to be friends with that dude?

The company you keep says something about you. IF you truly aren't part of the abuse ring, but you know about it, why wouldn't you kick that dude to the curb?

I don't care how good a friend is to me and what I get from that friendship... *I* find out dude is involved in this kind of shit, that dude is history to me and I'm going to make that shit crystal clear he isn't welcome in my life.

 

[Hvergelmir]

I don't think that's the question.

I might get the timeline wrong, but considering that the guy got locked up and then killed (whether suicide or not), I've been assuming that most friendships that surfaced were from before the convictions.

 

[noname223]

I might get the timeline wrong, but considering that the guy got locked up and then killed (whether suicide or not), I've been assuming that most friendships that surfaced were from before the convictions.

This text by Chomsky was writen from what I have heard after the charges and convictions...I think Glenn Greenwald even says this in the linked video.

 

[Dejected 55]

I might get the timeline wrong, but considering that the guy got locked up and then killed (whether suicide or not), I've been assuming that most friendships that surfaced were from before the convictions.

This text by Chomsky was writen from what I have heard after the charges and convictions...I think Glenn Greenwald even says this in the linked video.

Honestly, anyone who knew Epstein had to at least have a hint of what he was into... he clearly wasn't shy about talking to people about what he was doing. And Epstein was first officially investigated in 2006 I believe... and initially charged in 2008, but he got away with those early charges. It was the second time he was charged and jailed around 2019 or so that he killed himself while in prison.

Bottom line, nobody who claims to have a close relationship with Epstein could have been oblivious to what he was doing... and further, nobody appears to be distancing themselves from Epstein even since his charges. For the most part people have stayed silent, probably because they either know they are guilty as well OR are afraid they will be implicated... so a whole lot of powerful folks are trying to stay super-quiet and hope this all goes away before they are entangled in it.

Kind of like Weinstein and his shit, and countless others who get caught at bad/horrible shit but have a lot of folks helping them cover it up.

And, technically speaking... Epstein was never convicted of anything. His first charges were dismissed or he got away with it... the later ones were dropped after he died in prison.

 

[JealousOfTheElderly]

Files get released today... we'll see what they say.

 

[Dejected 55]

Files get released today... we'll see what they say.

They may vote on releasing them... but they won't be released today... and even if the "files" get released, they will be heavily redacted and will not be "the files" in totality. We are never going to know everything, not until long long after everyone who could be implicated has died.

 

[JealousOfTheElderly]

They may vote on releasing them... but they won't be released today... and even if the "files" get released, they will be heavily redacted and will not be "the files" in totality. We are never going to know everything, not until long long after everyone who could be implicated has died.

My mistake, you are correct. And yes, you are also 100% spot on.

 

[Dejected 55]

I was a bit surprised that both the House and Senate voted on this today, then put it on Trump's desk. Haven't seen anything since that happened, though. But I'm not at all optimistic that we ever get the entire scoop on this. It seems like it is too far reaching and there are people in positions of power in both major parties as well as around the world who could be brought down if the whole truth got out.