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The Strange and Curious Cult of QAnon

Somerville

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Every day one may read a blog or news article discussing QAnon or perhaps one deliberately reads one of the webpages discussing the TRUTH of QAnon

The Strange and Curious Cult of QAnon

The conspiracy states that Trump’s tweets and other public communications contain coded messages to the faithful, which are interpreted by the prophet of the movement: an anonymous poster known as “Q” who first appeared on the message board 4chan. “Q” is supposedly a high-ranking government official, and in some interpretations, even Donald Trump himself.

Like*other conspiracy theories, QAnon is rife with contradictions and logical gaps. For example: if secrecy is essential and Heroic-Pedophile-Fighter-Trump can’t show his hand until the moment of victory,*why is he sending messages telling everyone what’s going on?*Surely an international ring of Satanic child traffickers could read Q’s posts for themselves and realize that he’s on to them.

But neither these gaps in logic nor the lack of evidence ultimately matter to QAnon faithful, because they’re not in it out of sincere concern for the truth. The conspiracy attracts them for baser emotional reasons: it gives them a sense of control in a chaotic world, the thrill of being among the privileged few who understand what’s really going on, and the comfort of believing that everything will work out for them in the end. And, like many true believers, defeat only gives them a sense of martyrdom and prods them to cling even harder to their delusions. Whether the good guys win or lose in November, the Republican party, and therefore the United States, will be dealing with the repercussions for a long time to come.
 
Every day one may read a blog or news article discussing QAnon or perhaps one deliberately reads one of the webpages discussing the TRUTH of QAnon

They aren't rioting and looting like the other side's base, so that is at least something.
 
They aren't rioting and looting like the other side's base, so that is at least something.

You may dismiss the links I'm providing because they are to the Washington (com)Post and other 'librul sites, but . . .

QAnon is a menace. Ignoring it isn’t an option.
What on earth is QAnon?

Unfortunately, this question isn’t so easy to answer. QAnon is a conspiracy theory involving a “deep state” of child molesters (and child-eaters) who worship the devil and run this country’s most powerful institutions. It originates with an anonymous persona called Q who claims to possess a top-level security clearance used to access government secrets about a vast left-wing plot against President Trump. Yet from there, the theory has sprawled across the Internet, offering various versions of differing degrees of bizarreness luring the susceptible reader down a rabbit hole — and tempting the outside observer to ignore the wackiness altogether. Except ignoring QAnon isn’t an option.

Not only has QAnon led to intense online harassment of innocent parties, and not only has it led to physical violence, but Americans also can’t ignore QAnon because adherents to some form of the theory may soon represent them in Congress. More than 60 candidates this fall have expressed their sympathies with the cause. Fourteen have clinched a place on the ballot.

Is QAnon the shape of the Republican backlash to come?

August 2019 - Trump’s Encouraging QAnon May Result in Violence—Just ask the FBI Newly revealed FBI memo warns about conspiracy theories' causal connection to extremist violence

Assessing the Threat of QAnon Violence

QAnon theories have inspired numerous violent acts and the group was reportedly identified as a domestic terrorism threat by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in an internal memo in May 2019. The FBI document cites a California man who was found with bomb-making materials in his car. He allegedly planned to bomb the Illinois capitol to “make Americans aware of Pizzagate and the New World Order, who were dismantling society.” Last February, a man plead guilty of terrorism charge after blocking Hoover Dam bridge with an armoured truck. Heavily armed, he demanded the public release of the US Inspector General’s report on Hilary Clinton’s emails – a popular request among QAnon supporters. Other adherents were linked to acts of murder, kidnapping and public disturbance. Although this violence seems to remain on the margins of the movement for now, several studies suggest that conspiracy theories may increase the probability of extremist behaviour. James Bartlett and Carl Miller argue that conspiracies are widespread among extremist groups and adhesion to such theories in contexts of extremism often serve as a radicalisation catalyst, bounding extremist groups together and sometimes pushing them towards violence. More recently, Joseph E. Ucinski and Joseph M. Parent conducted a study in the United States in which they assessed the level of adhesion to conspiracy theories among a broad sample of participants. They concluded that those inclined towards conspiracy beliefs were more likely to consider the use of violence as a legitimate way of expressing discontent with the government. Finally, Karen M. Douglas and Robbie M. Sutton show that believers in conspiracies demonstrate a willingness to conspire themselves. QAnon violence should therefore rise concerns as the spread of the movement’s theories has the potential to fuel more violent acts in the future.
 
You may dismiss the links I'm providing because they are to the Washington (com)Post and other 'librul sites, but . . .



Is QAnon the shape of the Republican backlash to come?

August 2019 - Trump’s Encouraging QAnon May Result in Violence—Just ask the FBI Newly revealed FBI memo warns about conspiracy theories' causal connection to extremist violence

I agree that q anon is a menace...but no more so than biased, slanted, or outright dishonest journalism.
 
You may dismiss the links I'm providing because they are to the Washington (com)Post and other 'librul sites, but . . .



Is QAnon the shape of the Republican backlash to come?

August 2019 - Trump’s Encouraging QAnon May Result in Violence—Just ask the FBI Newly revealed FBI memo warns about conspiracy theories' causal connection to extremist violence

I don't ignore links I cannot access because of the garden wall they have built around their floundering sites and there won't be a backlash as Biden t'aint winning.
 
I don't ignore links I cannot access because of the garden wall they have built around their floundering sites and there won't be a backlash as Biden t'aint winning.

Hey - just because you hate the (com)Post doesn't mean it is "floundering" - last available date (2018) showed more than 2 million subscribers, which just about tied with the Wall Street Journal and 1.2 million fewer than the NY Slimes.
 
Hey - just because you hate the (com)Post doesn't mean it is "floundering" - last available date (2018) showed more than 2 million subscribers, which just about tied with the Wall Street Journal and 1.2 million fewer than the NY Slimes.

I have seen reports that all those digital subscriptions don't even cover the cost of their reporters salaries. Bezos is propping them up.
 
I have seen reports that all those digital subscriptions don't even cover the cost of their reporters salaries. Bezos is propping them up.

and the Murdochs are propping up the WSJ reporters? Provide a link to support your claim or just fade away
 
and the Murdochs are propping up the WSJ reporters? Provide a link to support your claim or just fade away

I didn't say a thing about the WSJ or the Murdochs, strawpuppy.
 
Every day one may read a blog or news article discussing QAnon or perhaps one deliberately reads one of the webpages discussing the TRUTH of QAnon

Qanon more resembles a religion than a political ideology
 
They aren't rioting and looting like the other side's base, so that is at least something.

Get used to making excuses for them because the R's have invited the residents to take over the asylum. Should be fun to watch.
 
Get used to making excuses for them because the R's have invited the residents to take over the asylum. Should be fun to watch.

This is what happens to people to abandon reason for love of Limbaugh and Jones.
 
Funny the trump Party is similar.

On some level, I feel bad for these people, the world has moved on without them and the US is changing from primarily rural people to urban people as demographics shift over time. But I also don't because their refusal to update their world view in the face of new realities and instead preferring nonsense like QANON believes over personal strength.

They had the dominant culture for a while, but all cultures wane over time and it seems that this culture was hiding a lot of weak and broken people.
 
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Only when mom tells them to go outside and get some fresh air and play for awhile.

Sorry, I didn't know that you knew all of them well enough to know their daily routine.
 
I dont know anything about the 'Q Anon' movement, but 4 years ago I doubt anyone would have given credence to Harvey Weinstein screwing half of Hollywood. Similarly, I cant imagine 4 years ago Jeffrey Epstein's exploits would be so ignored...just as they are today. With all the furor over Epstein, his girlfriend, and their child victims, there has been hardly any interest at all in determining who his co-conspirators are. So maybe this is the stuff that Q is made of.
 
I dont know anything about the 'Q Anon' movement, but 4 years ago I doubt anyone would have given credence to Harvey Weinstein screwing half of Hollywood. Similarly, I cant imagine 4 years ago Jeffrey Epstein's exploits would be so ignored...just as they are today. With all the furor over Epstein, his girlfriend, and their child victims, there has been hardly any interest at all in determining who his co-conspirators are. So maybe this is the stuff that Q is made of.

Do you think Bush 41 and McCain were executed by military tribunals, the moon landing was a hoax and Michelle Obama is a man? That's some of the crap QAnon is pushing.
 
Do you think Bush 41 and McCain were executed by military tribunals, the moon landing was a hoax and Michelle Obama is a man? That's some of the crap QAnon is pushing.

Even the New York Times is correct on some of its stories.
 
prove me wrong ! Q 2024 they were both executed by the military tribunal and Michelle is a man! Q 2024
 
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