Are dark forces really to blame? So many people believing in conspiracy theories like QAnon reveals a sad truth about the West
7 Sep, 2020 18:02
We need to talk about these lunatic claims that see sinister hands at work everywhere. Not because they're true, but because of what they demonstrate about our society and the quest for meaning in the age of Covid.
It’s easy to simply dismiss QAnon as deranged. It began in 2017, on the notoriously foul online message board 4chan, when an anonymous user, ‘Q’, posted that Hillary Clinton was about to be arrested. What prompted ‘Q’s’ post was a quip President Donald Trump made during a press conference about a “calm before the storm.” Q’s theory was that a cabal of Satan-worshiping, child-trafficking pedophiles and cannibals, led by Hillary Clinton and others, sought to dominate the world and were plotting against President Trump. ‘Q’ claimed that Trump’s press conference revealed that, at some appointed time in the near future, Trump would unleash ‘The Storm’, destroy the conspiracy, and thus restore America to greatness.
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Covid and QAnon conspiracy theorists are deluded, dangerous and dumb BUT they're created by governments acting conspiratoriallyCovid and QAnon conspiracy theorists are deluded, dangerous and dumb BUT they're created by governments acting conspiratorially
Undaunted by the notable absence of Trump’s ‘Storm’, ‘Q’, and many others have built upon this ridiculousness, which has morphed into an “uber-conspiracy” theory related to Trump and the elections. The posts, which have moved from 4chan on to numerous social media platforms, have attracted thousands of followers.
But it has not been confined simply to those social media platforms. Some QAnon believers have led coordinated harassment campaigns against journalists, rival online communities, celebrities, and liberal politicians. Others have shown up at Trump rallies wearing ‘Q’-themed merchandise. The president has retweeted Twitter accounts related to ‘Q’ or conspiracy theories dozens of times. How aware Trump is of what ‘Q’ is, beyond a movement that supports his presidency on the internet, is unknown.
But its presence on- and off-line has become more and more apparent. The New York Times reports that there have been multiple incidents of real-life violence linked to QAnon supporters. Controversial polls suggest there is a difference in the numbers of Republicans and Democrats who believe in QAnon’s claims. How accurate or otherwise these polls are is open to debate. But what is not in debate is the winning of the Republican congressional primary run-off in Georgia, in a strong Republican district, by Marjorie Taylor Greene, an openly avowed believer in QAnon. She will almost certainly be elected to the House of Representatives in November.
Greene’s victory is just the latest expression of how QAnon is becoming mainstream. The use of the internet and social media platforms explains how the message has spread. But the more important question is, why?
Historically, conspiracy theories were mostly influential on the margins of society. However, since the turn of the 21st century, conspiratorial thinking has gone mainstream. The idea that “something fishy” is going on, that we are being manipulated by some unseen force, now transcends the political divide. Whether it’s the Iraq War, vaccinations, child abuse or other moral panics, the idea that dark forces behind the scenes are at play has become accepted as an incontrovertible truth by both left and right.
The questioning of governments and experts is an inherently good thing. It is the bedrock of accountability and an aspiration for better outcomes. But the rise of conspiratorial thinking, particularly around Covid-19, which QAnon has thrived upon, suggests that a lack of trust in officialdom and expertise – indeed, in the authority of science and knowledge – is now endemic in society.
https://www.rt.com/op-ed/500086-conspiracy-qanon-covid-truth/