Build a Socialist Feminist Fightback Against Misogyny and Abuse
The exposure of the Epstein files is like peeling back a bloody bandage to expose a wound that is somehow even more gaping and pus-ridden than you could have imagined. The infection here is a heinous ring of abuse, sex trafficking, mutual complicity, and personal favors among the global elite, particularly rich and powerful men. The deeper you go, the worse and more endemic the sickness seems to be — with over 1,000 victims, including girls as young as 13 years old.
The decades of heinous crimes committed by Epstein and countless co-conspirators — who participated in the abuse of women and children directly or worked for years to cover it up — is an incredible indictment of the entire capitalist system and its ruling class. International Socialist Alternative stands in solidarity with the women and girls who were trafficked and abused at the hands of Epstein and his collaborators, many of whom have courageously spoken out to bring this horrific reality into the open.
The recent release of over three million pages of documents and thousands of images and videos — reportedly only about half of the material — has further exposed the staggering reach of Epstein’s connections. From Britain to Norway to France to India to Slovakia to Israel, the release of just part of “the Epstein files” has sent shockwaves through the political establishment. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew before he was stripped of his titles, has now been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office because of his ties to Epstein, as has Britain’s until recently, Ambassador to the US, Mandelson.
Proud sexist and known abuser Donald Trump has tried to distance himself from Epstein despite their long history. Trump did everything in his power to keep the files locked away, but was forced to change course under the pressure of mass outrage in society, including from his own base. The real picture of what is revealed in these documents is only beginning to take shape and will continue to provoke convulsions that will shake the political establishment worldwide, not least the Trump regime.
The global phenomenon of the Epstein files has viscerally exposed, without question, the despicable reality that capitalism and its institutions will never protect poor and working-class women and girls from violent abuse — but will go to the ends of the earth to protect and reward the powerful men who perpetrate it. The anger and revulsion towards Epstein and his circle of billionaire predators and enablers needs to be channeled into building a socialist feminist movement to oppose all gender-based violence and abuse, and to attack this bankrupt system at its root.
It’s One Big Club
The latest round of documents is essentially a “who’s who” of ruling elites across the political spectrum. Bill Gates, the Clintons, Prince Andrew, Elon Musk, Howard Lutnick, Donald Trump, Mette-Marit the Crown Princess of Norway, and Larry Summers are all implicated, alongside many others. The close friendship between Labour Party heavyweight Peter Mandelson and Epstein has provoked a crisis in Britain, with serious pressure mounting on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who appointed Mandelson as ambassador to the US, to resign. One after another, high-profile figures seem to be reading from the same script, professing their lack of knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and their purely professional relationship. But the mountains of evidence show just how commonplace it was among the rich and powerful to rub elbows with Epstein or to look the other way. This continued for years after he was convicted in 2008 for soliciting sex from a 13-year-old child. For decades, Epstein functioned as a power-broker for the elite, facilitating business transactions side-by-side with sex crimes.
While this scandal has forced some resignations and firings of powerful figures worldwide, up until the arrest of Prince Andrew only Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s closest associate, sat behind bars (and potentially not for long). Despite mountains of evidence, the state is not even pursuing prosecution for the vast majority of those implicated. Donald Trump — the abuser-in-chief of the most powerful country in the world — has not felt the need to so much as apologize for his relationship with Epstein. Trump’s name appears tens of thousands of times in the files and according to a February YouGov/Economist poll, 50% of Americans think that Trump was involved in crimes committed by Epstein.
Coming Crises
While his seat in the Oval Office may seem secure for now, we should not think for one second that Trump will be spared a backlash for his involvement. He attempted to wriggle out of releasing the files for the past year, which provoked big debates within MAGA and a full-on rupture with Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Epstein scandal has opened up real fissures in the Republican Party which will continue to heat up along with other issues as we approach the midterm elections.
The economy, the key issue that brought Trump to power in 2024, is shaky at best. Trump’s approval rating on immigration has also been plummeting and the powerful resistance to his agenda in Minneapolis, including the citywide general strike, have forced him to backtrack and end the ICE operation there. The Trump regime has been conducting a widespread terror campaign against immigrants, claiming to be protecting women and children from rapists and pedophiles. It goes without saying that these claims could not be more false or hypocritical. The Epstein scandal is one of many problems for this regime, and we have only seen the start of political crises that can and will emerge in its wake.
Expose the Truth, Justice for Survivors
The release of any Epstein files up to now has only happened because of the pressure from courageous survivors speaking out alongside the outrage in society as a whole. However, only about half of the materials have been released and the Department of Justice (DOJ) has continued to redact the identities of well-known, powerful men who would be implicated for their connections to Epstein. Meanwhile, Trump’s DOJ has released files with names and even some photos of victims unredacted, exposing their identities and violating their privacy. US Attorney General Pam Bondi has given a full-throated and unhinged defense of the DOJ’s handling of the release in her testimony in front of Congress. Representative Ro Khanna later gave a speech to Congress naming redacted figures including former Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner and Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, but this is far from enough.
Time and time again, it’s been shown that the courts and the Democrats won’t bring real justice for survivors. The so-called justice system has never worked in the interests of workers or oppressed people. Immigrants and protesters are being literally hunted down in the streets, while only Ghislaine Maxwell has been convicted. In her deposition, she pleaded the fifth amendment and refused to answer any questions, while her lawyer implied that an “exoneration” of Trump and Bill Clinton could be negotiated in exchange for Maxwell’s release. It’s clear that the “justice system,” to the rich and powerful, is merely a game to be played and won.
Without a clear left-wing alternative pointing to what will be necessary to win real justice and accountability, the horror working people feel at everything related to the Epstein files can fuel right-wing conspiracy theories and build the far right. While Trump’s DOJ is at the wheel, the decades-long cover-up of Epstein and his crimes was a bipartisan effort. We need a new party, independent of the Democrats, the Republicans, and the corporate elites they represent, that fights for a working-class, socialist feminist program.
No one involved or connected to Epstein’s crimes, including Trump, should be protected. All the files should be released with victims’ names redacted and all other names unredacted. There must be a genuine, independent investigation that involves the victims and grassroots organizations that campaign against sexism and support survivors of abuse — an investigation completely separate from Trump’s corrupt DOJ. Everyone involved should be fully investigated, charged, and convicted. All victims should be offered financial support, free mental health care, and more.
Build A Socialist Feminist Fightback
Epstein’s treatment of poor and working-class women and girls as disposable has understandably provoked feelings of total disgust and horror among ordinary people, especially working-class women. Recent years have seen a serious backlash against the #MeToo movement and an onslaught of sexist and reactionary ideas being ramped up in society by ruling classes globally. Their empty words condemning Epstein and his actions are merely an attempt at damage control. The most reactionary wing is leading the charge in a war against the gains of movements for gender equality, pushing a return to “traditional family values” and leaning on the nuclear family as a key unit to maintain their rule.
But the mass reaction against Epstein and his gang shows that despite the offensive against #MeToo, the steps forward made in society’s rejection of sexism and abuse have not been lost. Even in the absence of large-scale feminist movements or struggles in most countries, this is still a massive issue that is provoking a deep-seated rage among huge sections of people. We need to turn this passive anger into an active struggle to take down this rotten system.
While it is consciously fostered by the ruling class, sexist violence and abuse is of course not isolated to the elites. We need to oppose it in all its forms including in our workplaces, schools and in our homes. We need to build a multi-gender, working-class movement against misogyny and abuse forged through genuine solidarity. This means taking on the conditions that leave working-class women and girls vulnerable and desperate: fighting for universal healthcare including free and accessible abortions, protections from workplace violence, good union jobs and an end to the gender pay gap, affordable housing and rent control, and protections from gender-based discrimination. To win things like this, our movements need to use working-class methods like mass protests, walkouts, civil disobedience, and strikes to force the hand of those at the top.
Jeffrey Epstein stands out as a depraved monster, but he is not an aberration. Capitalism is a system built on patriarchal violence and oppression. The deeper you dig, the more the rot of the system is exposed — it can’t be reformed. The only way to uproot this type of systemic patriarchal abuse is to take the ruling capitalist elites out of power. We need to build a socialist feminist movement that doesn’t just tweak capitalism, but fights for a fundamental transformation which can lay the basis for the elimination of sexist violence and abuse for good.
