QAnon: Your latest online political conspiracy theories

Sunday, August 5, 2018

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COMMENTARY

Where to begin about QAnon?

If you’ve read or heard coverage of the QAnon conspiracy stuff this week, it may have been your introduction to it. “Welcome,” followers of Q might say. I might say the same thing, because it’s a very large rabbit hole you probably don’t want to find yourself down, and just comprehending the sheer scope is quite the task. I won’t get too much into what it entails, but to sum it up: Someone has been posting bits of vague information about political figures (wild things) on 4chan. Many people are believing the information and acting on it.

One thing I’ve seen very little talk about — and the one thing that sticks out to me the most after observing this for several months now — is how QAnon people treat this theory and how they get involved with it. It’s very clear to me that it’s a lot like LARPing, a game, but a comfortable space where you can speak with like-minded people and feel like you’re solving a puzzle. Now, I don’t think QAnon is as harmless as that because there are many who take this very seriously. Most of the time, however, it looks like people treat Q as a slightly-more-than-passing interest in the subjects they’re talking about.

How does this line up with President Donald Trump? He’s yelling about the same things they’re yelling about. Unfortunately for this theory and others, it will fade as time goes on and the predictions of Q continue to not come true. As with most conspiracy theories, the claims of evidence do not hold up to scrutiny, and many are not based in reality at all. Something else will rise in it’s place to be sure, because there are always going to be people who are not comfortable with the way the world is moving, and they need to feel control in some respect. I get it, but I don’t get it.

— Mike Allen