August 3, 2018Gronda Morin

What Is This QAnon Group All about?

Image result for PHOTOS OF QANON
FLORIDA TRUMP RALLY

On August 1, 2018, Justin Bank, Liam Stack and Daniel Victor of the New York Times penned the following report, “What Is QAnon: Explaining the Internet Conspiracy Theory That Showed Up at a Trump Rally” (“Do you remember Pizzagate? It’s a little like that: a web of baseless conspiracy theories. And its supporters were highly visible at an event for the president in Florida.”)

“Those watching President Trump’s rally in Tampa on Tuesday couldn’t help but be exposed to a fringe movement that discusses several loosely connected and vaguely defined — and baseless — conspiracy theories.”

Image result for PHOTOS OF QANON

“In one shot on Fox News, the president was partially obscured by a sign in the crowd reading “We Are Q.” In another shot during the president’s speech, a sign promoting the debunked Seth Rich conspiracy theory, with the hashtag #Qanon, came into focus in the center of the screen. Some attendees wore T-shirts with a blocky Q. Others held up signs with the letter.”

“They were all self-described “followers of Q,” an anonymous person or group of people who claim to be privy to government secrets. That supposedly classified information has been revealed on the 4chan and 8chan message boards and spread around mainstream internet platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Q has attracted people — the exact number is hard to know — eager to consume his “bread crumbs,” or new details in a sprawling web of conspiracy theories.”

“What is going on?”

Image result for PHOTOS OF QANON

Just give me the basics so I can minimally understand what’s going on

“Here is the short version: Q claims to be a government insider exposing an entrenched, international bureaucracy that is secretly plotting all sorts of nefarious schemes against the Trump administration and its supporters. The character uses lingo that implies that he or she has a military or intelligence background.”

“It’s a stew of various, but connecting, conspiracy theories that generally hold Mr. Trump as a conquistador battling a cabal of anti-American saboteurs who have taken over government, industry, media and various other institutions of public life in a plan to … well, the overarching goals of the nefarious actors are not clear.”

Image result for PHOTOS OF QANON

The slightly longer version

“A growing group of people (more on the scale and scope of that community below) are coalescing around a collection of theories and half-thoughts that they believe reveal an untold story of current world events. To decode what they believe is actually happening, followers of Q sift through the president’s tweets, government data sets or news articles.”

“Ben Decker, a research fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard, described followers of the QAnon narrative as “an interactive conspiracy community.”

Image result for PHOTOS OF QANON

“Sometimes followers of Q just look for signs that he exists. A popular Rosetta Stone they use is to look for uses of the number 17 (the letter Q’s placement in the alphabet). So when Alabama’s football team presented Mr. Trump with a jersey with the number 17, it was taken as coded signaling of Q’s influence. (The team was visiting the White House as the champions of the 2017 college football season and had presented President Barack Obama with a jersey bearing the number 15 when it visited after winning a championship in 2015.)”

“Q’s followers ascribe secret coordination and hidden motives to an endless parade of politicians, journalists, and leaders of industry and other institutions. Often, their theories are wildly at odds with reality.”

“The community uses the language of mind-bending pop culture alternate realities like “The Matrix” or “Alice in Wonderland.” It is common to tell stories of how followers have been “redpilled,” or have come to believe that observable reality is false and the QAnon narrative is real.”

“The shared rush to interpret clues from a “drop” of information from Q resembles something close to what video gamers call an MMO, or massive multiplayer online game.”

Related image

Link to entire article: What Is QAnon: Explaining the Internet Conspiracy Theory 

See: #QAnon, the pro-Trump conspiracy theory, explained – Vox

See: QAnon: latest Trump-linked conspiracy theory gains steam / The Guardian …

31 comments

  1. I kept hearing of this movement, if it can be called such, and dismissing it because I thought surely people were too smart to fall for such a ridiculous conspiracy theory. I forgot … some are ignorant enough to fall for Alex Jones and his ilk. Now, I suppose, we can no longer ignore this “Q”, for they seem determined to cause violence and bloodshed before the November elections. Sigh. Thank you for sharing this information, Gronda, and I shall now share it with my readers also.
    Hugs!!!

    Like

    • Dear Jill,

      It was Clint Watts and a local former US representative David Jolly who have started warning the public about this group that got my attention. This is a serious business that has the full stamp of approval by our president. This is so sick. Is this what fascism looks like? The answer is yes!

      Thanks a million for all of your support and for this reblog.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yes, this is definitely the face of fascism. Frankly, I am afraid of what the next 3 months are going to bring, for the divisiveness is only increased by b.s. like QAnon, Trump’s attack on the press, and the fools acting like school children at his rallies. It is a feeding frenzy and Trump is enjoying every minute of it. But I think lives are going to be lost before its over. 😥
        Hugs!!!

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Reblogged this on Filosofa's Word and commented:
    For a week or so, I have been seeing snippets about a new conspiracy theory and its followers, called QAnon, or simply ‘Q’ for short. I dismissed the group out of hand, for I see it as some ridiculous thing created by ignorant people who have nothing better to do with their meaningless little lives. I still see it that way, but can no longer simply ignore it, for like other conspiracy theories that have come before, there is a very real danger that it will lead to violence. Our friend Gronda has provided some excellent information about what Q is, so please take a few minutes to read her post. One phrase, in particular, caught my eye: “… have come to believe that observable reality is false and the QAnon narrative is real.” Sounds rather like Trump when he told his followers not to believe what they are seeing and hearing, but only to believe what he tells them is real. Up is down and hot is cold. The games people play. Thank you, Gronda, for helping us to understand a bit about this bunch of nuts!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Patty Richardson,

      It’s like the roaches which have come out from hiding and into the light. They’ve figured out there is no one to spray them back into their corners to hide.

      We are the spray if we get out to vote in huge numbers in November.

      Lets do them in.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Like

    • Dear Memoirs of a Husk,

      If you had foretold me this would be happening 10 years ago, I would have thought that this reality could not happen here in the USA. We have been humbled.

      I used to wonder how Nazi Germany could have occurred. Now I know.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Q Anon is fake news. Only fools believe in it. The REAL secret group to follow and trust is R Anon. R and his pals have all the real dirt on everything and everyone in the Deep State! Welp, gotta run. I’m late for my Deep State meeting and those bastards fine you 5 bucks for every minute you’re late. The cruelty!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Inspiredbythedivine1,

      You have a point. There are folks out there ready to fall for the latest conspiracy theory.

      It is also frightening. that groups like ISIS can do so much damage before they are forced to figure out that their belief system does not hold up. The frightening thought is that a group like this could be home grown.

      You would think a group like this would not be welcome guests at a presidential rally.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Horty,

      What’s truly frightening to me, is that a nutty group like this, could be welcome at a presidential rally to where they are granted a veil of normalcy.

      Thanks a million for all of your support and for this reblog.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 1 person

      • You are most welcome, dear one!! Anything about this ‘presidency’ is nutty … I can’t believe it. Never in my lifetime. Truly scary nad unbelievable!! Hugs!! ❤ …

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Gronda, as I mentioned in a comment, I find it interesting that the conspiracy believer would believe Q, who may not even be a real person and who has already been proven wrong on several predictions. Rather than believe credible intelligence that a man who has a history of lying is lying about his relationship with the Russian cyber attack effort. If these conspiracy thirst folks want one, there is a very credible one in the actions of Donald J. Trump.

    By the way, last night at his pep rally, when he contradicted his intelligence staff and said the Russia thing was a hoax, there was a noticeable absence of reaction. Just that day, his staff said otherwise.

    Keith

    Liked by 1 person

  8. In days gone by this would have been deemed ridiculous. These days it has all the hallmarks of the notorious ‘Protocols of Zion’. Dangerous times.

    Liked by 1 person

      • A quote from one version of the final warning words out of Brecht’s ‘The Resistable Rise of Aturo Ui’

        “Therefore learn how to see and not to gape.
        To act instead of talking all day long.
        The world was almost won by such an ape!
        The nations put him where his kind belong.
        But don’t rejoice too soon at your escape –
        The womb he crawled from is still going strong.”

        Liked by 1 person

        • Dear Roger,

          Those are very true words and frightening.

          I have a favor to ask which is off topic.

          I’m taking the plunge to write my first book. I’ve been doing some research but I can’t tell with certainty if what I’m writing is accurate in part of the story. These’s a scene where my American character is traveling with 3 young men going from London to Edinburgh by train in 1985. I suspect that there were trains with compartments at that time but I can’t confirm this to my satisfaction from the side of the pond. My character has to make an emergency stop at New Castle. Was there such a stop?

          I’m hoping you might know this data from memory. Thanks for any help.

          Hugs, Gronda

          Liked by 1 person

        • Firstly congratulations on starting your book Gronda; someone taking the plunge into writing is to be celebrated!
          People whose hobby is railway history would have much fun with this one going into the small details. Basically by the late 1970s most passenger rail stock comprised of ‘open’ carriages, particularly on the main ‘inter-city’ lines. On a journey between those two principal locations it is likely the characters would be on the famous (in the UK) Inter-City 125 train:
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterCity_125
          However depending on the time of the journey it is possible the person could be riding in an empty carriage, or at one end which was deserted as the carriages were quite long, so could be in an isolated situation.
          The journey would have passed through a large railway station- Newcastle (one word) Station. Which is located in the North-Eastern city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (as opposed to Newcastle-Under-Lyme).
          Add: info- ‘Newcastle’ as it is general known is famed in the rest of the UK for its particular accent, ‘Geordie’ which can be incomprehensible to some. Basically it has similarities to Scots accent (but don’t say I said so!) only with more emphasis on the ‘aaa’ than the scots ‘arrrrr’.
          https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/geordie-words-phrases-sayings-newcastle-6466922
          Anyone getting into Newcastle in a hurry and uncertain state would be very confused when talking to folk.
          Other Info: Each city/town in the North-East of England is fiercely independent, and in nearby locations such as Middlesbrough calling someone ‘a geordie’ could cause you grief.
          I hope this info. will be of use. Anything else I can be of use with, if you want you can e-mail me on nnqp1863@yahoo.co.uk
          Best wishes
          Roger

          Liked by 1 person

        • Dear Roger,

          I love this information. It is very helpful. I didn’t know about this ‘Geordie’ accent. I find that interesting. The train info will definitely come in handy. Thanks a million for your e-mail address.

          I find that I’m enjoying this adventure even if nothing comes of it.

          Hugs, Gronda

          Liked by 1 person

        • Glad to help Gronda.
          The most important facet of writing is to put the words from head (and heart) to paper (or document on a computer).
          This is the best part of the adventure.
          All the best.
          Roger.

          Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Suzanne,

      I might have ignored these folks except two reliable sources are sounding the alarm on this folks. That this group would be welcomed by the Trump camp and granted the appearance of normalcy, frightens me.

      There’s an ex-FBI Counter-Terrorism Agent , Clint Watts who is sounding the alarm. As per Wikipedia, “Clinton “Clint” Watts is a senior fellow at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University and a Foreign Policy Research Institute fellow.

      The other gentleman is a local republican (a “Never Trumper”) who is a former US Congressional representative. I take his opinions seriously, and he is also sounding the alarm.

      Thanks a million for all of your support and for this reblog.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Like

  11. Qanon can qiss my donqey, but I doubt they would dare qross the border into Qanada. Meanwhile, l bet they have qoffee parties instead of tea parties.I hope they enjoy their qroissants.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Rawgod,

      The press is not doing an adequate job in covering just how dangerous this group can be. There are two credible sources that are getting the word out and the press is finally getting on the band wagon.

      I think you’re safe for now. LOL.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Like

    • Dear Calensariel,

      There is not a lot of thinking going on here, period. These folks are like lemmings, ready to follow President Trump off a cliff which hopefully will occur sooner, rather than later.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Like

Comments are closed.