A self-proclaimed conspiracy theory “balloon popper” tackles QAnon
| For the Victorville Daily Press
If you regularly read my scribbled musings, you know I suffer conspiracy theorists little. I like hard proof and hate rumor, innuendo and — most of all — using internet posts as a basis for serious thought.
Even as a child I found pleasure in popping a balloon with a sharp object. Somehow, seeing the air go out of a colorful, but essentially temporary, illusion was strangely satisfying.
Which brings me to a quest to satisfy my curiosity over the latest “big deal right-wing conspiracy” to which some are desperately trying to tie President Donald Trump and all Republicans and non-Progressives. Frankly, until a presidential news conference a week ago, I had never heard the term clearly identified.
I speak of QAnon.
If you don’t know this word, do not feel bad; Trump didn’t either. The reporter patiently explained to the president that it is a conspiracy theory that holds that he, Trump, and the U.S. Military are rooting out a huge number of powerful pedophiles and sex-traffickers that control the world’s government, media and entertainment businesses. The reporter wanted Trump to repudiate this idea in public. Trump’s comment was, “Well I never heard of that, but is that a bad thing or a good thing?”
What in the world is this all about? Does the president need to stand up and publicly disavow the zombie apocalypse, fake Moon landing and every wacko conspiracy theory tossed his way? Apparently, he had better or be branded a “believer.”
In 2017, a person who identified themselves as “Q” posted a long message entitled, “Calm Before the Storm,” which went on to reveal that the writer was deeply embedded in the security apparatus of America and had access to the world’s deepest, darkest secrets about a hidden cabal of Satanic pedophiles worldwide who controlled governments, media and entertainment. They were so threatened by the emergence of Trump as a disrupter to their hold on power that they would do anything to stop him.
This “Q” would leave cryptic and nonsensical “tips” on various hidden and hard-to-track internet platforms, which were and are, in turn, picked up and spread by acolytes through social media.
The Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issue a “Q” Clearance to anyone wishing access to secret material, past or present, dealing with those and other agencies. This little tidbit gives believers a grain of truth to hold in their quest for signs of an agent deep in the bowels of the conspirators.
The “Q Tips” as the posts are called, took on a life of their own and, like a looney wildfire, inspired others to tack on their favorite bits of nonsense. Naturally, other angry elements adapted the parts of the story to somehow label the Democratic Party as the home of the terrible, sex-crazed cabal of Satanists. This, in turn, got the attention of other hate groups, and the messages of the QAnon “followers” got uglier.
Somehow the press has failed to follow-up on the global aspect of this horror tale, preferring to dwell on potential crazy people here in the U.S. who profess belief in the QAnon conspiracy, and their ties to anything or anyone on the right side of the political spectrum.
In 2019, reportedly the FBI declared fringe conspiracy theories could be a domestic extremist threat. This report specifically mentioned the rhetoric coming out of QAnon messaging.
Here is a sample of what QAnon loyalists report as truth:
- Oprah Winfrey is under house arrest for child sex-trafficking.
- Internet furniture company Wayfair sells children in secret over the internet
- There will be a “storm” during which 100,000 politicians, celebrities and business leaders will be rounded up and punished for their Satanic activities
To be fair, Trump has not done himself any favors by retweeting messages he sees on the internet with QAnon identified buzz phrases in them — mainly because some of these messages attack the same people who daily attack him. He needs to be much more selective of his allies.
The other element of this conspiracy theory is that QAnon used a phrase in its earliest messaging that, whether intentional or by coincidence, has been picked up by Trump supporters. That phrase is “Deep State.”
The Deep State of powerful forces inside the U.S. Government aligned against all things Trump is another theory I do not believe. I will accept the fact that lifelong civil servants hate change and those higher on the salary and power scales want to keep their status and power. Democrats are favorites of unionized civil servants.
When Hillary Clinton failed to ascend to the throne, there were cries of agony and disbelief in every government agency. Cabinet posts would not be available to friends, career paths would be interrupted, jobs pushing nonessential papers by well-connected staff would have to be justified to a new administration of, oh God, businessmen. These guys might expect results rather than focus group studies. Yes, some seemed to act illegally to hurt the Trump presidency and if crimes are proven, they will suffer for their actions.
I can see and understand a reservoir of ill will in every agency, from the FBI to the IRS, who wished the Trump team would fail as they hit town. Frankly, Trump did not understand how disruptive his management style would be in the highly partisan and angry Washington D.C. until he started experiencing pushback from all quarters, even Republicans. How dare he demand results in a hurry! This is the government!
Lastly, Mr. Trump has and will take heat for supporting Georgia Congressional candidate Marjorie Green, who, in an old message said that in her opinion, “Q is a patriot,” referring to the mythical head and source of all secrets to QAnon believers.
She has attempted to distance herself from those remarks since the media wants to paint her as a conspiracy nut. Trump, already on record as not knowing what QAnon is or stands for, made the unpardonable political mistake of just wanting the seat to go Republican and not considering how his support would play in the national media. It is not the first time he has cared more about the result than the fallout, and it will not be the last.
So now you know all about QAnon. Pretty stupid controversy about a stupid theory, is it not?
Pat Orr can be reached at [email protected].
