this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2026
355 points (98.6% liked)

politics

27886 readers
2898 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Paywall removed:

Intelligence sources believe Epstein was running ‘the world’s largest honeytrap operation’ on behalf of the KGB when he procured women for his network of associates.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Jollyllama@lemmy.world 3 points 44 minutes ago

Is Trump owned by a foreign power? Maybe.

Is Trump owned by the billionaire class? Definitely.

This is a stupid article selling a sensationalist story when the truth is playing out everyday with shady crypto deals and ballroom "donations".

[–] Eddbopkins@lemmy.world 15 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

so not only is trump responsible for child abuse but it was a sanctioned KGB operation to put children in harms way and make them essentially into prostitutes. this world wasn't created by a god or any other supernatural being. You humans are evil filthy animals that need another extinction level event. but who knows the actual truth, you? me? definitely not anyone who can actually make things better.

[–] duelistsage@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 hours ago (3 children)

Future generations are laughing at how collectively stupid we are.

[–] zipzoopaboop@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 28 minutes ago

Jokes on them when we all die before they are born

[–] Typhoon@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 hour ago

The next few generations will, but then we'll forget our past again and repeat it.

[–] Eddbopkins@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

if there are people around to talk aboot it, with these people in charge i don't know if history will be written by them or there wont be anyone around able to tell the history.

[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 17 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

‘the world’s largest honeytrap operation’

So that's what we are calling sex trafficking children rings now?

It’s both, but the honey trap provides both motivation for the traffickers and it means everyone involved should be considered compromised by foreign states. If it were only a pedo ring, it would be bad but that’s pretty much where the conspiracy would stop.

But with a verified honey trap, it needs to be assumed that the named people are now (and have been) acting on behalf of a hostile foreign nation who has mountains of blackmail on them. And reframing those implicated peoples’ motivations from “they’re just seeking power for themselves” to “they’re aiding a hostile foreign nation” shifts things from “selfish and power-hungry” to outright “high treason”.

[–] DrivebyHaiku@lemmy.ca 15 points 3 hours ago

No, honeytrap operations are specifically a intelligence operation where assets (manipulatable agents in a target business or country) are obtained by gaining blackmail through documentation of embarrassing or illicit sexual encounters.

Sometimes a trafficking ring is just for pedos to have sex ...and while that is really fucking horrible it isn't a honeytrap.

[–] CreamyJalapenoSauce@piefed.social 50 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Some small part of me will be pissed for the rest of my life knowing Dale Gribble was absolutely right about everything.

[–] RustyShackleford@piefed.social 26 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

He’s a wise man and an excellent lover, or so I was told.

[–] in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social 4 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

Hey, you still bringin your macaroons to the gun club potluck Dale? It's this Sunday I called Nancy and she said she'd be at John Redcorns' and didn't know what your plans were.

I don’t know who Dale Gribble is, I don’t answer to that name, and frankly it sounds like the kind of identity the government invents so you’ll accidentally admit to owning a leaf blower.

Now purely for the sake of accuracy, if this so-called ‘Dale Gribble’ were bringing macaroons to the gun club potluck, which I am not confirming, then let’s get one thing straight: they are almond-extract macaroons, not vanilla. He switched after 2004. Anyone saying otherwise is either misinformed or working off outdated surveillance notes as we all know ovens run on government-calibrated thermostats.

As for the potluck itself—total psy-op. Food-based compliance exercise. Coconut is a known vector for trust-building. I’ve said this for years.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 119 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

We’ve known for about a decade.

Corporate news sewers sold us all out.

[–] Biffsbraincell@lemmy.zip 40 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

Almost like billionaire owned media won't tell the truth about billionaires.

[–] MooseWinooski@lemmy.ca 9 points 3 hours ago

If you press is free but it can be owned by a private coproration then it's not a free press.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 6 points 4 hours ago

Or the media wont tell the truth about the media

[–] crusa187@lemmy.ml 28 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

It’s Israel. Just because Epstein shared intel with Russia doesn’t make this a KGB operation. Wild how desperate the news media is to draw attention away from Israel and Mossad. They are very obviously still pulling the strings today.

[–] ragebutt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 32 minutes ago

Ghislaines dad was literally Mossad and the day it was revealed he was Mossad he died for some reason but yeah it’s spoooooky Russia and not the genocidal zionists that are destabilizing the world

[–] baka@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 5 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 16 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Why not both?

[–] wuffah@lemmy.world 40 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (3 children)

Weak damaged man, weak damaged president, weak damaged nation.

The office of the president is far too powerful, just as the anti-federalists feared:

Holly Brewer, the Burke Professor of American History at the University of Maryland and the brief's main author, told ABC News that historical writings from key figures, including Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and others as well as the records from the states as they ratified the Constitution explicitly show they were against "another runaway monarchy" after suffering under Great Britain's King George III.

And now, Putin is our defacto president. Disgusting.

[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 11 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

They also fought tooth and nail against fiat currency/central banking...

So of course we have the FED, the king of all central banking!

They also fought tooth and nail against the federal government being a moral arbiter with too much power....

So of course we now have a goliath super surveillance state working hand in hand with megachurches and companies!

They also fought tooth and nail against military/police power abuse...

So of course now we now have asset forfeiture and immunity to prosecution!

etc., etc.

The problem with ignoring the constitution for decades is you can't decide it counts now and try to enforce it...

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 22 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

The office of the president is far too powerful

The office of the Republican president is far too powerful.

The office of the Democratic president is impotent and feeble.

Putin is our defacto president

It's so funny to see the US intelligence services working overtime for sixteen years to do regime change in Russia. And because they keep fucking it up, the presumption is that we're in Russia's thrall.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu takes flights out to DC every few years to give joint chamber speeches at our own capital building. He gives his minions in our legislature explicit marching orders, while his affiliates in AIPAC drop billions of dollars into primary and national congressional races, influence peddle to affect judicial appointments, and lobby states to outlaw criticism of the Israeli state, and we're just like "Oh yeah, this is normal, nothing to see here".

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 16 points 6 hours ago (8 children)

Trump didn't nail up a pic of him and natanyahu on the white house wall a few weeks ago, but he did putin. Besides they can all be in bed together, which is probably the most likely.

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] whereIsTamara@lemmy.org 1 points 4 hours ago

Are you willing to admit Trump is a pedophile yet?

[–] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 12 points 5 hours ago

I have heard from multiple cia people that Epstein was likely a recruit for the Israelis. That said it’s entirely plausible it was for the KGB as well as but based on recent events Israelis seems way more likely

[–] Strider@lemmy.world 58 points 7 hours ago (6 children)

Still nothing will happen.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 30 points 6 hours ago

RawStory: You're not going to guess who is REALLY behind THE PRESIDENT! And they're STILL using their WICKED INFLUENCES to CONTROL HIM!

American Pleb: Is it rich people? Specifically, wealthy overseas special interests with ties to the intelligence services?

RawStory: FUCK! We'll have to FIND SOMETHING even more EXPLOSIVE to try and SHOCK YOU MORE next TIME.

[–] athatet@lemmy.zip -1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

This comment has some very

Orange man bad updoots to the left

Kind of energy

[–] metallic_substance@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

This comment has some very

Reddit shithead who is desperate for attention

Kind of energy

[–] athatet@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 minute ago

I mean, it’s just a nothing comment. Like, what does it add to the discussion? It’s some defeatist bullshit that we really don’t need right now.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] damnedfurry@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

This article's source is the Daily Mail...

Is this what we've been reduced to? Soon as it says something you want to be true, now the Daily Mail is magically a bastion of journalistic integrity?

Holy confirmation bias.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 points 2 hours ago

It's not. Report it to the mods.

[–] foofiepie@lemmy.world 9 points 5 hours ago (3 children)

Not from the US: How reliable/credible is this publication? Rawstory?

Just checking sources don’t pounce on me.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

Daily Mail is trash

[–] Substance_P@lemmy.world 9 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Well if you look at the landscape of modern media, it’s pretty clear that the line between "just the facts" reporting and passionate activism has gotten really blurry. Sites like Raw Story tend to lean into the tabloid or "fast-paced" side of digital news for sure.

But when you talk about Thom Hartmann, you’re looking at a completely different animal. He isn't just a talking head; he’s a incredibly prolific author (American) who has spent decades building a reputation on "advocacy journalism"—which is basically reporting with a clear moral or political goal in mind.

[–] foofiepie@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Ok so the publication is mixed, but this particular author has integrity and established credibility.

[–] Substance_P@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago

That's the way I feel, although others might feel differently. However, from my point of view, if he's referencing this and putting it up there as journalism, then I would think it holds some weight.

[–] ryannathans@aussie.zone 7 points 5 hours ago

Probably more reliable than the government agencies sharing the Epstein documents with the public

[–] peopleproblems@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

Well fuck. That was a funny pickup line I used to use now it's not funny.

[–] Hayduke@lemmy.world 9 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Doesn’t matter. There is no longer any accountability in our government. It would take both Democrats controlling congress and getting their spineless shit together to start taking action. I could see the former happening, but I predict that they will pooch the latter, and most critical, step in the process because they are the reigning champions of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The US has failed. Even if the dems somehow manage to step up, the flaws in the system are terminal. The wealthy won. The blood spilled is of the 99.9% and not those who drove the country off the cliff.

[–] IAmYouButYouDontKnowYet@reddthat.com 5 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

There really isn't government anymore. It's completely clear that nations are just tools for more powerful entities to utilize. It's almost comical watching people still thinking everything is NOT completely outdated.

This woman digs into it pretty good. Takes a few minutes to get to it. https://youtu.be/0NMVKovsILo

load more comments
view more: next ›