But what do you think?
What’s going to result from all the fallout?
Why do people latch on to conspiracy theories?
Has this or another conspiracy theory affected you or a loved one?
Biden inauguration leaves QAnon believers in disarray
I know next to nothing about QAnon or where it got started - other than what has been reported in the media.
I was posting in another thread about this topic, and it occurred to me that, throughout most of human history, people have lived under abusive, tyrannical regimes which denied people freedom or a voice in government, and are associated with some of the most horrific atrocities ever committed. Historically, this is what humans have grown accustomed to.
It's only been relatively recently (within the past few centuries) that ideas such as freedom and human rights have become the norm - and generally expected from our representative governments. And even then, that's only in certain parts of the world. Much of the world still remains under tyrannical and abusive governments.
Tragically, many of these abuses have been perpetrated on children. I've heard it was quite common in Ancient Rome. And even in more recent times, there have been huge scandals about child molestation and abuse by the clergy in the Catholic Church - covered up for decades, if not centuries.
That may be a contributory factor in why people might be inclined to believe such things about the ruling class - mainly due to historical track record of how people in power usually act. As the saying goes, "Power corrupts."
So, if someone hears the suggestion that someone in power may be corrupted, then they might say "It figures."
Because that's just how things have been for thousands of years of human history. It's in the nature of our species.
But some might argue that it's all different now, that we live under representative democratic governments which honor freedom and human rights above all else. But even then, our government and political leaders still can't seem to get it quite right.
The common thread I've seen in all conspiracy theories is partly in the belief that "power corrupts," but also a sense of cynicism and mistrust in the ideals of "freedom," "democracy," "human rights," "justice" - all of which our leaders claim to believe in. I'm not just talking about belief in election fraud, but a general sense of mistrust and a lack of faith in the system overall.
I can understand mistrust of the government and a general lack of faith in the system. As to why people might latch on to this conspiracy theory, I'm not too sure. I don't know if there's anything compelling about the way it's written; I haven't read any of their material directly, as I, too, am reluctant to go on a website like that.
There seem to be a lot of commonalities with what politicians, preachers, and salesmen do, but there are a number of people who have a certain savvy and skill set in which they find it easy to persuade others.
My answer to most conspiracy theories is: It doesn't matter. It doesn't really matter who killed JFK. It doesn't really matter if the Moon landings might have been hoaxed. It doesn't matter if 9/11 might have been an inside job. It doesn't matter what's going on in Area 51. That is, maybe they're true, maybe they're not, but if anyone is dissatisfied with the situation in this country or the government which rules over it, then they're still going to have to deal with the visible, official government one way or the other.
I don't know what possible shadow governments might exist behind the scenes, but frankly, I don't give a darn. The visible, official government has enough black marks against it based on known, provable events - at least enough for an anti-government cynic to sink one's teeth into.
I guess what tends to mystify me is that a lot of these people strike me as lower middle class, working stiffs, blue collar types - yet they somehow believe that socialism is some kind of "enemy." That seems to be the big fear among the pro-Trump supporters, particularly the more rabid ones who engaged in insurrection and called for overthrowing the government. They feared that the communists were taking over the government. I don't know where they came up with such a strange idea, since the Democrats are not socialists or communists.
I can't say that I was ever personally affected by any of these conspiracy theories. I've heard a lot of people say some pretty crazy stuff, although I can't discern how or why some conspiracy theories take hold and seem to spread like wildfire, while others might be lesser known or not readily believed.
I recall a while back - I don't remember when - there were some people who wanted to organize a mass protest at Area 51 and forcibly rush the facility and do whatever it took to get inside and see what the government is hiding. It never actually came off, thankfully.
