General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPSA: QANON is Back
Just a reminder that this is primarily what we're dealing with in fellow citizens right now sharing dangerous nonsense. Edit to add: It never left but it is out IN FORCE now. I realize I'm largely speaking to the choir here in what I share below, but I had to remind myself that what we're seeing is QANON, not the traditional nonsense from right-wingers.
QANON, the RW conspiracy cult, is very active now w/help from troll farms. MAGA = QANON now. There is also a horseshoe effect happening (left-wing extremists overlap with right-wing extremists). They're irrational and very dangerous, spreading disinformation amidst the fear and suffering in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
It's much more sinister than traditional partisan politics and it's easy to get swept up in their fear and hate mongering if you believe most viral memes right now. Please be extra cautious. Skepticism with a desire to learn the truth is healthy, imo. But facts do not matter to QANON. I haven't found any approach that stops someone from going down that path, since they seem predisposed to it because of their biases, but I had to remind myself that's what is happening again. It's a full-blown conspiracy cult actively working to make people hate and distrust anyone or anything remotely associated with "government" - other than Trump, of course. Whether it's vaccinations, "Dem elites creating hurricanes" (yes, really), the evils of immigrants, multiple lies about relief efforts in Western NC and more. It's no different from what we saw happen in Springfield, OH. One person posts something completely fabricated or containing a kernel of truth, and it's shared as a firsthand account, which it isn't, and it becomes a feeding frenzy. People believe it and create suffering on top of suffering.
It's demoralizing to those of us for whom facts matter to see so many seemingly reasonable people almost eagerly believe things just because it's posted on social media. They put all of us in danger. I don't know what to do about it other than try to keep in mind that that's what we're dealing with: a full-blown conspiracy cult with a nefarious agenda to destroy democracies, destroy diversity, destroy women's rights, and install white Christian nationalists into power.
I recognize that I may be the one who sounds a bit extreme saying this, but I, along with some of you reading, have been monitoring the evolution of what is now QANON as far back as the mid 2000s and saw it absolutely explode and go almost mainstream during the pandemic. It is nefarious for sure. I suppose we just have to keep sharing facts in the hope of preventing even one more person from falling prey. The one thing I know is that the cult leaders want us to feel despair and lose hope, so we can't let their agenda win.
I applaud all of the regular people and mutual aid networks and other organizations doing AMAZING work helping our neighbors hit by tragedy. That's the way it should be. That doesn't mean that I don't recognize the need for efficient aid from the governmental sector as well, local, state and federal, which went into action immediately here in NC. I applaud their efforts as well, because they're also humans, helping other humans, not a faceless entity.
Dennis Donovan
(25,004 posts)It's only being supercharged by Russia and other nefarious nations.
I'm still stunned by the gullibility of its adherents.
OneGrassRoot
(23,410 posts)Initech
(101,758 posts)Dennis Donovan
(25,004 posts)1 year ago U.S. News & Events
Trump is really leaning into the Qanon thing. His campaign has repeatedly played this Qanon anthem while he delivers his rambling speeches. But why is he doing that? Is he just desperate?
Ocelot II
(120,579 posts)Aren't Facebook and other channels great? We get to communicate easily with lots of people all over the world! So we thought then. Fast forward and the whole social media network has become a fucking plague. It's a vehicle for the worst people to propagate their worst ideas to encourage people to become like them, and damned if it doesn't work. Best propaganda tool ever devised.
Dennis Donovan
(25,004 posts)It's literally party of my psychological therapy. My therapist approves of my participation.
Response to OneGrassRoot (Original post)
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GP6971
(32,845 posts)Swede
(34,529 posts)nt
OneGrassRoot
(23,410 posts)I have a feeling that is a former disgruntled DUer who went down the anti-Dem QAnon path. I was hoping to find out which one...lol.
Response to OneGrassRoot (Reply #14)
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GP6971
(32,845 posts)TwilightZone
(28,833 posts)OneGrassRoot
(23,410 posts)I get the references. I can't place the "joy" and "water" clues in the two names you're using. I do live in NC and I am sharing tons of helpful references, just not here at DU. I don't interact here nearly as much as I used to.
I do NOT dispute the horrors about missing and sexually exploited children. It has always happened and is still happening and it's a neverending nightmare what humans do to one another.
What I DO dispute is how that horror became an antisemitic, anti-liberal screed talking about adenochrome and elites drinking the blood of children (only Dems, oddly enough), and so many other things that are obvious propaganda to get people to hate a certain segment of the population who also care and work against crimes against children.
Initech
(101,758 posts)ClimateHawk
(327 posts)Is that some Qanon BS?
OneGrassRoot
(23,410 posts)Yes, QAnon. It's an interesting rabbit hole to go down. It's how a lot of previously rational, progressive-leaning people got sucked into QAnon, because who doesn't want to save children? Vaccine skeptics were the other big group that got sucked into QAnon.
JCMach1
(28,032 posts)Especially on any social media related to the hurricane aftermath and the ILA Strike.
It is thick, thick, thick. All supporting DJT.
Intractable
(416 posts)Q has given them permission to be crazy.
I hate that guy.
andym
(5,671 posts)creating rabbit holes for the unwary to fall into.