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3 comments
QAnon is a conspiracy theory created by the far-right to enable their agenda and justify their fears about society.
In the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein case this sort of thing does become more plausible.
I'm personally of the opinion that wacky theories like this are deliberate smoke screens for something else that is going on.
Also I would critique one thing you said "nothing surrounding QAnon has been proven, which solidifies its status as a conspiracy theory,"
For something to be a conspiracy it doesn't mean it is untrue, only that it has been covered up. Various conspiracy theories have been later shown to be either partially or totally correct. What makes something a conspiracy is the fact that it is being hidden, not whether it is true or not.
QAnon is a [conspiracy theory] (https://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/conspiracy-theories) in that it is a proposed secret plot carried out by a subset of the powerful elite — which has no grounding in reality.
[QAnon] (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/53498434) is a popular theory that suggests that former President Trump is/was waging war on the secretly Satan-worshipping paedophiles who occupy high government positions. It was started by a user going by 'Q' who posted cryptic messages about the conspiracy theory on the server 4chan, starting in 2017. 'Q' claimed to have access to the highest possible level of US security clearance.
The specifics of what QAnon supporters believe is complicated and often pretty contradictory. But they frequently target Democratic leaders like Obama and Hillary Clinton in their accusations. Some also incorporate pseudoscientific 'evidence' to back up the claims, like numerology.
Followers of the QAnon conspiracy are very resolute in their beliefs. Whenever what 'Q' has said [has been disproved] (https://www.cnet.com/news/qanon-faq-who-is-q-and-what-you-should-know-about-this-pro-trump-conspiracy-theory/), they have tended to redirect their attention rather than discredit the movement's source. 'Q' was proven wrong when Biden's inauguration wasn't interrupted by a military takeover. And also when Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election didn't turn out to be a cover-up for an inquiry into paedophiles in government.
But despite all of this — the conspiracy theory continues to boast huge popularity. An NYT poll in August found that nearly 1 in 5 Americans believes in it to some degree. This makes it ["as popular in the US as some major religions."] (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/27/us/politics/qanon-republicans-trump.html)
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