QAnon Corner -- Where one goes bonkers, we all go bonkers

[Innula Zenovka]

Arrgh... QAnon has now absorbed a faction of alt-right "Traditional Catholic" crackpottery:

How QAnon and Trumpism Have Revealed a Deep Church Schism Among Catholics

Catholicism’s increasingly powerful political right reflects fringe America, fueled by paranoia, conspiracy, racism, and the threat of apocalypse.

www.vanityfair.com

Evernote link because paywall

Thread

 

[Ranma Tardis]

Thread

I always thought Jesus taught people to feed the hungry, heal the sick, house the homeless, clothe the naked.....

 

[Jolene Benoir]

Thread

I've mentioned this before, but prior to the 2016 election, I had a friend, a catholic friend, who based her entire vote upon the false news put upon FB that the pope supported Trump. I'm sure she voted for him again, this time. I think that her environment, Louisiana, probably has more to do with her vote than any other factor.

People are going to see in the pope what they want to see. I. personally, think that we may well see a resurgence of anti-catholic sentiment, in particular among evangelicals. I can say that the feeling of this catholic is very much reciprocated toward them. They apparently don't even know that the New Testament exists.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I've mentioned this before, but prior to the 2016 election, I had a friend, a catholic friend, who based her entire vote upon the false news put upon FB that the pope supported Trump. I'm sure she voted for him again, this time. I think that her environment, Louisiana, probably has more to do with her vote than any other factor.

People are going to see in the pope what they want to see. I. personally, think that we may well see a resurgence of anti-catholic sentiment, in particular among evangelicals. I can say that the feeling of this catholic is very much reciprocated toward them. They apparently don't even know that the New Testament exists.

I'm not a believer, but Catholic atheists are a thing, and I'm sufficiently grounded in Catholic theology to find US Evangelicals deeply and weirdly heretical, on top of all my other objections to them.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

I'm not a believer, but Catholic atheists are a thing, and I'm sufficiently grounded in Catholic theology to find US Evangelicals deeply and weirdly heretical, on top of all my other objections to them.

I'll take a wild guess that our experiences match. Where it's less likely that a modern Catholic will take great offense with a former believer morphing into a friendly atheist than an Evangelical might.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

This thread is relevant


NB She stresses she's talking about the hierarchy and institution of the Catholic church in Poland, in which public confidence is apparently collapsing because of its involvement in pro-government politics.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

I always thought Jesus taught people to feed the hungry, heal the sick, house the homeless, clothe the naked.....

I read a conservative website once that seemed to be dedicated to making the case that everything Jesus said about being kind to even your enemies and helping the poor was "inserted" into the Bible by Renaissance-era SJWs.

 

[Free]

I read a conservative website once that seemed to be dedicated to making the case that everything Jesus said about being kind to even your enemies and helping the poor was "inserted" into the Bible by Renaissance-era SJWs.

That is when SJW's started the war.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

So hey just a heads up for you guys!

SOME of QAnon has pivoted away from Messiah Trump to an anti-Biden conspiracy theory they're calling "The Great Reset".

Objectively, "The Great Reset" was the name given last summer at the World Economic Forum to the future eventual jumpstarting and ramping back up of the coronavirus-impacted economies of the world's countries, with some suggesting that the more powerful nations could take the opportunity to make some new rules with the aim of making capitalism less dickish. Things like more taxes on the wealthy, and some other New Green Deal-esque measures were suggested. Of course this is just sort of like a geopolitical convention and the World Economic Forum doesn't have any kind of authority over any country; it's simply an exchange of ideas and countries are free to take or leave the suggestions as they see fit.

Conservative conspiracy theorists, however, have decided that The Great Reset is the initiative that "the Globalists" - by which they mean, "the Jews" - have finally launched to take over the world and impose a hegemonic government. As president, Biden is supposed to impose a bunch of draconian ultra-Leftist directives, ban all religion, steal guns and property from white peopleAmerican Citizens and redistribute it to gay commie feminists, imprison dissenters in prison camps (the ones reserved by Trump for immigrants maybe?), and finally, ultimately, abdicate American sovereignty to the new Jewish One-World Government.

Basically, it's the same thing they said Obama was getting ready to do during his entire presidency but of course never did, except back then they called it Agenda 21 - a name taken from a UN proposal that FWIW also didn't really have anything to do with a Jewish world takeover except in their heads.

So anyway, if you're out and about on the internet and hear somebody scaremongering or asking leading questions about "The Great Reset", that's what they're talking about. It's more QAnonsense.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Conservative conspiracy theorists, however, have decided that The Great Reset is the initiative that "the Globalists" - by which they mean, "the Jews" - have finally launched to take over the world and impose a hegemonic government. As president, Biden is supposed to impose a bunch of draconian ultra-Leftist directives, ban all religion, steal guns and property from white peopleAmerican Citizens and redistribute it to gay commie feminists, imprison dissenters in prison camps (the ones reserved by Trump for immigrants maybe?), and finally, ultimately, abdicate American sovereignty to the new Jewish One-World Government.

Again?

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I'll take a wild guess that our experiences match. Where it's less likely that a modern Catholic will take great offense with a former believer morphing into a friendly atheist than an Evangelical might.

My late father, when I was a teenager, recommended Portrait of the Artist by James Joyce to me, in particular

—Then, said Cranly, you do not intend to become a protestant?

—I said that I had lost the faith, Stephen answered, but not that I had lost selfrespect. What kind of liberation would that be to forsake an absurdity which is logical and coherent and to embrace one which is illogical and incoherent?

In later years, my mother often said he'd seen himself in Stephen, in so many ways.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Again?

If at first you don't suck seed, try drier grain.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Conservative conspiracy theorists, however, have decided that The Great Reset is the initiative that "the Globalists" - by which they mean, "the Jews" - have finally launched to take over the world and impose a hegemonic government. As president, Biden is supposed to impose a bunch of draconian ultra-Leftist directives, ban all religion, steal guns and property from white peopleAmerican Citizens and redistribute it to gay commie feminists, imprison dissenters in prison camps (the ones reserved by Trump for immigrants maybe?), and finally, ultimately, abdicate American sovereignty to the new Jewish One-World Government.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The GOP’s QAnon Faction Is Waging War on Republicans

It’s the conspiracy theories versus those who want to keep a toe, at least, in the world of the real.

www.thedailybeast.com

[Lin] Wood’s ambitions to shake up the GOP—or at least pressure it into meeting his demands—could extend for years. At one point in the rally, Wood donned a “FLYNN” cap, a reference to former Trump national security adviser and central QAnon protagonist Michael Flynn.

“How about Sidney Powell and Mike Flynn in 2024?” Wood said, floating the QAnon dream ticket.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

The GOP’s QAnon Faction Is Waging War on Republicans

It’s the conspiracy theories versus those who want to keep a toe, at least, in the world of the real.

www.thedailybeast.com

A traitor and a nutcase? We've already tried that, have we not?

 

[Beebo Brink]

“How about Sidney Powell and Mike Flynn in 2024?” Wood said, floating the QAnon dream ticket.

I was about to say "Great idea, if they run they'll split the Republican vote!" Then I remembered Trump won in 2016, that we've proved there is no crazy too crazy to win, and I bit my lip.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I was about to say "Great idea, if they run they'll split the Republican vote!" Then I remembered Trump won in 2016, that we've proved there is no crazy too crazy to win, and I bit my lip.

I recently read Republic of Lies by Anna Merlan, which shows both why conspiracism is so attractive -- after all, there are plenty of real examples of conspiracies and cover-ups by bad actors in government, the security services, law enforcement, the media and business -- and how conspiracism, from birtherism, to Russiagate and the deep state and the mainstream liberal media being out to get him, and Soros and globalists, and now QAnon, have been integral to Trump's political career. He's also deeply into medical conspiracism, of course.

One encouraging observation in the book -- and maybe we're seeing an example now -- is how, while conspiracy theories are self-sustaining, since anything can be woven into the conspiracy, they're self-destructive, precisely because they contain so many conflicting elements, and so many of their promoters are grifters, monetising the whole thing, so contradictions become false flag operations, directed by the same sinister forces in charge of the conspiracy in the first place, and anyone who believes the elements that threaten your narrative must be one of the deep state.

In this case, the revolution doesn't so much eat its young but, after reaching a certain size, starts eating itself.

Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power: Merlan, Anna: 9781250159052: Amazon.com: Books

Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power [Merlan, Anna] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power

www.amazon.com

 

[Beebo Brink]

Faced with Trump's defeat, the far right is cracking up

QAnon, the Proud Boys and white nationalist groups flail around helplessly as twilight falls on the Trump era

www.salon.com

I love this quote:

So, as often happens with marginal subcultures full of deeply unpleasant people, the Proud Boys are breaking apart, torn asunder by infighting.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

Proud Boys seemed pretty united when they were getting into street fights in Washington D.C. I do know that they are splintering into two different groups at the moment; one that wants to pretend they're not racist and the other who wants to wear it on their sleeve proudly.

Article about an ex-member

He's an ex-Proud Boy. Here's what he says happens within the group's ranks

Russell Schultz is a former member of the Proud Boys who offers some insight into why men would want to join the group and what happens inside of it. But while Schultz has quit the group, he hasn't quit the mindset.

www.cnn.com

Why do men join the Proud Boys? "Most of it is just to fight," Schultz said. "They want to join a gang. So they can go fight antifa and hurt people that they don't like, and feel justified in doing it."

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Proud Boys seemed pretty united when they were getting into street fights in Washington D.C. I do know that they are splintering into two different groups at the moment; one that wants to pretend they're not racist and the other who wants to wear it on their sleeve proudly.

Article about an ex-member

He's an ex-Proud Boy. Here's what he says happens within the group's ranks

Russell Schultz is a former member of the Proud Boys who offers some insight into why men would want to join the group and what happens inside of it. But while Schultz has quit the group, he hasn't quit the mindset.

www.cnn.com

I've not yet read either article, but I certainly had read earlier of a spit in the Proud Boys between those with less extreme racial views and the explicit white supremacists and (especially) antisemites, which apparently led to the more extreme racists either leaving or being expelled to form the Proud Goys (honestly), though I don't know what relations between the two might be.

After all, back when I was a student, the various leftist groups all hated each other (and they all hated Labour supporters like me) but they and we all got together in particular demonstrations and political actions, so it probably works the same way with the far right.