Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

QAnon is conspiratorial, dangerous, and growing. And we're talking about it all wrong.
CNN Business ^ | 14 August 2020 | Brian Stelter

Posted on 08/14/2020 3:57:07 PM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

QAnon is a virtual cult that celebrates President Trump and casts Democratic politicians and other elites as evil child abusers. Aspects of the cult are downright delusional. Last year an FBI office warned that Q adherents are a domestic terrorism threat. Despite all of that, or maybe because of all that, this dangerous nonsense seems to be spreading. It is cropping up in congressional races and national news coverage. In recent weeks many observers of the online information ecosystem have written, with growing concern, about the mainstreaming of QAnon. Reporters like Kevin Roose of The New York Times and Ben Collins of NBC have said that the conspiracy theory is in much wider circulation than polite society wants to admit.

Much of the conspiracy conversation happens in the social media shadows, in private groups. Earlier this week NBC's Ari Sen and Brandy Zadrozny reported that "an internal investigation by Facebook has uncovered thousands of groups and pages, with millions of members and followers, that support the QAnon conspiracy theory." The source? Internal Facebook documents. The company is weighing taking action against its QAnon community. Twitter recently made similar moves.

SNIP

So I asked her to elaborate. Here's what she wrote to me: "QAnon offers its adherents an addictive alternative reality that requires their participation and, through this participation, draws them into the elaborate architecture of the conspiracy. It exploits the sense that something is broken in our society. But rather than focus on understanding these social fractures and healing them, QAnon instead fixates on the pursuit of enemies and villains described in such extreme terms that any action — either by adherents or by identified champions like President Trump —becomes justifiable. By drawing on the culture and value system, Q adherents have justified violent attacks."

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Conspiracy
KEYWORDS: blm; brianstelter; cnn; dangerous; qanon; stelter
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 141-142 next last
To: RKV
Uh ... Huh?

My question was why, all of a sudden, the mainstream media is taking such an interest in "Q," when they never bothered much before, not whether or not there's a conspiracy. That one's pretty obvious.

61 posted on 08/14/2020 5:25:40 PM PDT by JennysCool
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool

It’s because the MSM is finally waking up to the wisdom of grumpy old men on FR.


62 posted on 08/14/2020 5:31:01 PM PDT by bigbob (Trust Trump. Trust the Plan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Shut up COMMUNIST NEWS NETWORK.


63 posted on 08/14/2020 5:33:35 PM PDT by Truthoverpower (The guv-mint you get is the Trump winning express ! Yea haw ! Trump pence II!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool

They’re gonna use it to either:

A) Smear the President

B) Run a false flag operation against Biden/Harris

c) Ban a boatload of Trump supporters from social media.

Most likely...all of the above.


64 posted on 08/14/2020 5:35:05 PM PDT by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Wait...antifa is a baseless conspiracy theroy that doesn’t exist but qanon is a dangerous conspiracy cult that does exist?


65 posted on 08/14/2020 5:35:40 PM PDT by DouglasKC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MortMan; ransomnote; Steven W.; greeneyes; TEXOKIE; txhurl; saywhatagain; Swordmaker; ptsal; ...

Q has been operating below the radar since Oct 2017. It has gradually spread among those who are intellectually curious and open-minded. But since it is very rarely even mentioned in the MSM (and then only derisively), those who do not seek other news sources and who do not research on own have either never heard of it or have dismissed it as a crazy conspiracy theory.

IMO it is now time for Q to “come out of the closet”. In order to make the uncurious who rely on the MSM aware of Q, it is necessary to start dripping its existence into MSM coverage. This will be done derisively at first as we see here.

Remember a couple of years ago when the public began to be aware that there was something called the “Deep State”? Q will play out in a similar manner, IMO. First, the MSM was derisive. No such thing as the DS! Conspiracy theory! Then it was dismissed as some minor aberration. Definitely nothing to see here. Next, the MSM started to acknowledge that there was such a thing as the DS, but, hey, they are the good guys! (snort). Now nearly everyone discusses the DS very matter-of-factly.

Watch for a similar progression with Q. We’ll go from crazy conspiracy cult, to minor thing, to major movement that all but the ostriches know about. Hopefully by election day.

But don’t take my word for it. Investigate for yourself. Think for yourself.


66 posted on 08/14/2020 5:40:51 PM PDT by generally ( Don't be stupid. We have politicians for that.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: virgil

I give a fig about the destructive rioters!!
Q has created no such destruction and riots

This is quite amusing to me


67 posted on 08/14/2020 5:49:41 PM PDT by AllAmericanGirl44
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Who did he molest and when did it hapoen?


68 posted on 08/14/2020 5:54:53 PM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '16)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

It’s interesting and this sounds mean but it’s pretty simple, you tell socially/intellectually inferior people what the “real truth” is like their in on a secret that also fits their political leanings and worldview and they buy it. And the frustrating part is when they are told “maybe that’s not true” they call YOU the gullible one

Someone mentioned that on FB they noticed it’s always the dumbest people you went to school with spreading this stuff, it’s sad but pretty accurate (and they usually misspell half of it). Same people that want you to join their get rich quick pyramid scheme etc

And I guess now that it’s changing politics and becoming more mainstream people are concerned. I kind of feel like it’s always been a thing just different forms and maybe just more noticeable because of the internet


69 posted on 08/14/2020 5:58:24 PM PDT by Nomad577
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: generally

The actions of your enemy tell you what they fear.


70 posted on 08/14/2020 6:01:44 PM PDT by MortMan (Shouldn't "palindrome" read the same forward and backward?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: pbear8

“As I said, I wonder what gives.
Perhaps they want to raise awareness and then send out a mass shooter who will have invented ties to QAnon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BINGO!

I think that is why the reporter asked Trump about Qanon today - to trap him into saying something favorable about him before they do a False Flag operation and blame it on Q - then, they could say, “See, Trump supports this radical and dangerous cult.”

They are pure evil.


71 posted on 08/14/2020 6:04:16 PM PDT by alicewonders
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Pfffft Certainly not as dangerous as CNN!!!


72 posted on 08/14/2020 6:06:23 PM PDT by Irenic (The pencil sharpener and Elmer's glue is put away-- we've lost the red wheelbarrow)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin









Nothing can stop what is coming.


WRWY



73 posted on 08/14/2020 6:07:22 PM PDT by foldspace (Hillary is still not a >convicted< criminal...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

Anything that Brian from CNN is against must have some good.

CNN describes riots and burning up buildings as “mostly peaceful protests”.

And they describe keyboard warriors who research to try and find out what the Fake News is not telling them—but that is some how violent.

Next they will tell you down is up, the sky is green, and the grass is red.

Any real editor dedicated to the truth, would tear this story up and fire the writer.


74 posted on 08/14/2020 6:08:40 PM PDT by greeneyes ( Moderation In Pursuit of Justice is NO Virtue--LET FREEDOM RING)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool

It’s called an election.


75 posted on 08/14/2020 6:09:34 PM PDT by ripnbang ("An armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man, a subject.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Nomad577

So you are saying that those that agree with CNN on this issue are socially/intellectually superior?


76 posted on 08/14/2020 6:10:25 PM PDT by TruthWillWin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: JennysCool

It’s called four more years.


77 posted on 08/14/2020 6:11:04 PM PDT by ripnbang ("An armed man is a citizen, an unarmed man, a subject.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

I don’t know who or what he is talking about but it certainly isn’t Qanan. Heck, I’m not even a follower but I know that this article is total b.s. Sounds as if they have Q and BLM confused.


78 posted on 08/14/2020 6:12:10 PM PDT by CFW
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MeneMeneTekelUpharsin

I thought the same thing. It’s a perfect description of blm.


79 posted on 08/14/2020 6:14:50 PM PDT by DeplorableGirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tinyowl

Except they know exactly what they are doing.


80 posted on 08/14/2020 6:27:34 PM PDT by dubyagee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 141-142 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson