Behind the conspiracy, and why you should care
Pulling itself out of the depths of society’s darkest corners, a new conspiracy theory has arisen. QAnon is an Anti-semitic, Anti-Liberal, Pro-Trump conspiracy theory-perpetuated through online forums such as 4chan and 8chan, along with being pushed on other sites such as Facebook.
To put it simply, QAnon followers believe that all of society is run by a cabal of “elites.” This cabal features members from politics, to media, to business. Members have included the likes of Hillary Clinton (shocking I know), Barack Obama, Ellen Degeneres and Tom Hanks, with George Soros, The Rothschild Family and the House of Saud at it’s head. This cabal is involved in—among other things—sex trafficking, child sacrafice and cannibalism.
However, as QAnon theorists explain, this cabal is being taken down by a group of brave and patriotic Americans led by none other than our calculating and intelligent president, Donald J. Trump. I know what you’re thinking. Doesn’t Donald Trump have direct links to actual child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein? Well sheep, that’s exactly what the deep state wants you to think! You may also wonder why Donald Trump would appoint Alex Acosta as Labor Secretary, a man who gave Jeffrey Epstein a sweetheart plea deal when prosecuting him in Miami in 2007. Again, 3D chess, or maybe 12D chess.
You see dear reader, Donald Trump knew the media would be biased against him, and that the only way to make them cover the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein was to allow himself to be implicated with Epstein. This is why Donald Trump hung out with Epstein 20 years ago and why he appointed Alex Acosta as Labor Secretary. After all, President Trump is anything but short sighted. Q, the group which provides this information over 8Chan through so-called “drops” has also made countless false predictions about the supposed incoming arrests of the likes of Hillary Clinton, and that JFK Jr. (who died in a plane crash in 1999) will reveal himself to be aliv and be a member of the Anti-Cabal team with Donald Trump. In fact, one of these predictions claims that John F. Kennedy Jr. would unveil himself at a Dallas rally with President Trump and announce himself as his new running mate. I’m sure you’re not shocked to learn this didn’t happen.
So what’s the big deal? A bizarre conspiracy theory, with a few followers on the internet that most people with critical thinking (or googling) skills should be able to debunk in seconds.
Well here’s the big deal. For one, President Trump has actively promoted this conspiracy theory, saying the group simply “loves our country.” This man has a legion of followers, who have consistently put his word over that of any reputable news source. His tacit endorsement of this conspiracy theory will surely lead more and more of his followers falling down the QAnon rabbit hole. Even worse, these groups have clearly caught onto his framing. While researching this piece, I spent time on some easy-to-find QAnon websites. These sites frame themselves in the exact way the president did: as being patriotic Americans who are simply opposed to child sex trafficking. The President is and should be held directly responsible for normalizing and assisting this conspiracy group in its recruitment.
Next, the conspiracy perpetuates bigotry, specifically Anti-Semitism. There’s the obvious fact that George Soros and the Rothschilds are both Jewish, and constant targets of conspiracy theories. They have been called “puppet masters,” a blatant Anti-semitic trope that has been used in conspiracy theories for centuries. But a less overt reference is to the so-called “blood libel.” This conspiracy also goes back centuries, and claims that Jewish people were murdering Christian children to consume their blood. This follows conspiracies from QAnon to a T.
Finally, the group has been cited by the FBI as a potential threat for extremist violence . Just recently, two men with a QAnon sticker on their car were arrested on weapons charges after parking a Hummer filled with weapons outside of a ballot counting facility in Philadelphia. As if our current moment isn’t tense enough, also thanks to the president, the added factor of a group of delusional and cult-like believers in a bizarre conspiracy which preys on our natural inclination to defend children can only make the situation worse and more volatile.
Unfortunately, QAnon appears to be here to stay. This past election day, two candidates who’d promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory were elected to Congress. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado will be 2 of the 435 congresspeople legislating on behalf of our nation, and no doubt promoting more baseless nonsense. It should be noted that both Greene and Boebert have attempted to distance themselves from the QAnon theory.
Even worse, there has been some evidence that QAnon has even seeped its way into police forces. It’s bad enough to have random people following these conspiracies, but even worse when it is those with actual legal authority in our society.
Not to leave this article on a down note I will encourage anyone out there with relatives who may feel isolated, especially in the Covid era, to please reach out. These theories take a hold on people who are lonely, need community and common purpose. Don’t allow your uncle, or aunt, or even mother or father to go down these rabbit holes. Let them know that they are loved and cared for. Without human connection it’s easy to believe a baseless theory. However, once you’ve made that human connection it becomes difficult to call all liberals pedophiles, and all journalists cannibals.