The Conspiracy Theory thread

[basilio]

Are you oblivious to the effects of lockdowns on broader society?
Do you think people may just be angry because the government basically destroyed many businesses, education, mental health, rights, etc.

People are just angry and dislike totalitarianism.

Two quite separate issues here I think

Firstly there was the governments response to out of control COVID - general lockdowns. The absolute reality was that without any effective treatment of COVID the only response left to minimise infection was quarantine. Lockdown.

Across the world the degree of death and illness was directly related to the effectiveness of quarantine programs that minimised interaction. At the same time Governments to one degree or another tried to keep people housed and fed and financed through these lockdowns.

No one wanted to destroy businesses education etc through lockdowns But the sheer simple facts were that without such actions societies would be affected even more seriously with deaths and illnesses through COVID.

At this stage societies faced the lies, misinformation and denial of bad actors. "It's just a flu" "It doesn't affect healthy people " and so on. So we battled through lockdowns with health authorities overwhelmingly advising that lockdowns were the only effective way to bring the disease under control while a host of actors just demanded their freedom and undermined the dangers of this disease

In 2021 through amazing medical efforts scientists developed vaccines that largely protected people against the worst effects of COVID. So there was a light at the end of this tunnel.

But no. Let's back up here. Yep anti vaxxers, Q Anon and hosts of crazies found a multitude of reasons to terrify people out of using a life saving vaccine. "Vaccines were killing people like flies." "Vaccines were going to destroy your genes" "You don't need vaccines anyway - your strong enough to overpower COVID" and of course
"How DARE anyone tell you what to put in your sacred temple of a body ! "

Your quite right Moxjo. People are angry. They are furious with a range of actors who have undermined public health with an unceasing litany of lies and misinformation. And we are quietly furious that our friends and family have been sucked into this vortex of deceit that is undermining their lives as well as threatening the overall health of the community.

 

[moXJO]

Two quite separate issues here I think

Firstly there was the governments response to out of control COVID - general lockdowns. The absolute reality was that without any effective treatment of COVID the only response left to minimise infection was quarantine. Lockdown.

Across the world the degree of death and illness was directly related to the effectiveness of quarantine programs that minimised interaction. At the same time Governments to one degree or another tried to keep people housed and fed and financed through these lockdowns.

No one wanted to destroy businesses education etc through lockdowns But the sheer simple facts were that without such actions societies would be affected even more seriously with deaths and illnesses through COVID.

At this stage societies faced the lies, misinformation and denial of bad actors. "It's just a flu" "It doesn't affect healthy people " and so on. So we battled through lockdowns with health authorities overwhelmingly advising that lockdowns were the only effective way to bring the disease under control while a host of actors just demanded their freedom and undermined the dangers of this disease

In 2021 through amazing medical efforts scientists developed vaccines that largely protected people against the worst effects of COVID. So there was a light at the end of this tunnel.

But no. Let's back up here. Yep anti vaxxers, Q Anon and hosts of crazies found a multitude of reasons to terrify people out of using a life saving vaccine. "Vaccines were killing people like flies." "Vaccines were going to destroy your genes" "You don't need vaccines anyway - your strong enough to overpower COVID" and of course
"How DARE anyone tell you what to put in your sacred temple of a body ! "

Your quite right Moxjo. People are angry. They are furious with a range of actors who have undermined public health with an unceasing litany of lies and misinformation. And we are quietly furious that our friends and family have been sucked into this vortex of deceit that is undermining their lives as well as threatening the overall health of the community.

It's one issue. "Qanon" and "antivax" is the new "Nazi" bogeyman of the left. You are a prime culprit when it comes to those type of leading articles. From nazi, deniers, Trumpers to Boogaloo boy's you used every buzzword to ostracise those who went against a certain ethos.

And you have been caught out numerous times with the lefts version of "Qanon" with "TDS" articles. From Russiagate to sandman you promoted it all.

Australia went ridiculously hard over fear campaigns. Those not vaccinated are treated like lepers. The push reminds me of the over the top aids campaign of the 80s.

Oh it gets even better...
Which political group ran a scare campaign about AstraZeneca?
Why it was local Queensland idiot Ms Palaszczuk. She actually told a couple of fibs in conjunction (look it up). Premier of a state and her medical official. This did more damage to the vaccination program then overseas actors. Then we get a certain side of politics complaining that the rollout was slow. We then have that same side whinging now about restricting anti-vaxxers.

Oh, also the amount of protocols that had no scientific backing that was enforced was ridiculous. We were one of the W-O-R-S-T in the world for it. Is it not noticeable that those that had the most draconian measures have the loudest protesters?
Anything we can take away from that?

But sure. Let's simplify it down to Qanon. I know that creating a bogeyman on the right fits a certain group think narrative.

Molnupiravir is a thing. If anti-vaxxers refuse that then let them suffer the consequences.

My original issue was with that dumbsht article from an out and out commie.

 

[basilio]

Whatever Moxjo.

 

[moXJO]

Whatever Moxjo.

 

[basilio]

Q Anon has poisoned vast numbers of people with dangerous and seemingly ridiculous ideas and constructed a world of conspiracies that overwhelms people. Once down the rabbit hole finding an exit is hard work. Regardless of what Moxjo tries to say this organisation is powerful, effective and dangerous. One of it's most dangerous attributes is an ability to just create whole new conspiracies that tap peoples concerns.

Q Anon began as a secret Trump inspired organisation and has morphed into a creative catch all cult. Getting outof it is a challenge. The ABC story offers an insight.

There is an excellent overview of QAnon at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. Well worth a look IMV

Ideology​

At its core, QAnon holds that the world—and the United States—is controlled by a secretive, powerful group of pedophiles who worship Satan and control the Democratic party, the media, and Hollywood. President Trump won the 2016 election in order to fight the cabal, the theory proposes, and faked Russian election interference in order to collaborate with Robert Mueller against an imminent coup d’état led by prominent Democratic party officials. Relatedly, many QAnon followers also believe in Pizzagate—the more specific theory that argues Democrats are running sex-trafficking rings out of pizza parlors, especially Comet Ping Pong in northwest Washington, D.C. QAnon also prophesizes the downfall of the pedophilia ring through “the Storm,” during which members of the cabal will be arrested and shipped to Guantanamo Bay. Since its inception, QAnon has evolved to encompass a wide range of conspiracy theories, both recycling old theories—for instance, that 9/11 was an inside job—as well as amplifying novel theories, often in response to the news cycle—such as that the 2020 blast in Beirut was planned by the Rothschild family.

QAnon followers view themselves as part of an enlightened subgroup—they often implore outsiders to “do your own research” to stop being brainwashed by accepted narratives pushed by the media. Accordingly, the QAnon community is tight-knit, its followers regularly sharing the motto, “Where We Go One, We Go All” (often shortened to “WWG1WGA”). They see themselves as patriots working to protect the country from nefarious insiders, in turn echoing an age-old anti-Semitic trope claiming that Jewish interests are secretly controlling the country. Crucially, in their eyes, the theories cannot be disproved: as Travis View, an expert on conspiracy theories, writes, “Some QAnon followers even claim that failed predictions are irrelevant, because dates that pass without incident serve the purpose of tricking the evil ‘cabal’ they imagine they’re fighting.”

Examining Extremism: QAnon | Examining Extremism | CSIS

The first installment of the Transnational Threat Project’s Examining Extremism series provides an assessment of the QAnon movement’s history, ideology, and structure; the tactics and targets of QAnon extremists; and the threat they may pose in the future.

www.csis.org

'If this can be debunked, then that's it': Clambering out of the conspiracy rabbit hole

A growing number of people are abandoning their beliefs in conspiracy theories. It can be hard to let go, but here's how they did it.

www.abc.net.au

 

[orr]

There are few more than me who enjoy the plesasures of a deep massage to the perineum; possabily only Alex Jones.... So todays news of Alex Jones's uncomfortable deep probing & penetration by the Connecticut Courts into his ass---erssions about Sandy Hooke...??
What a wonderfullly soothing rubb..

Todays number is 17 and is brought to you'all by the letter Q.....

 

[moXJO]

Wokeism has poisoned vast numbers of people with dangerous and seemingly ridiculous ideas and constructed a world of conspiracies that overwhelms people. Once down the rabbit hole finding an exit is hard work. Regardless of what Moxjo tries to say this organisation is powerful, effective and dangerous. One of it's most dangerous attributes is an ability to just create whole new conspiracies that tap peoples concerns.

Wokeism began as a secret Trump inspired organisation and has morphed into a creative catch all cult. Getting outof it is a challenge.

Mmmm I see your conspiracy theory and raise you a conspiracy theory.
Also I edited your post above, maybe you will see the irony.

First article written by think-tank csis:

A recent New York Times article (8/7/16) detailed, in often scathing terms, what many media critics already knew: that think tanks are frequently not objective, neutral arbiters of information, but corporate- and government-funded agenda-promoters with an academic veneer to give the appearance of impartiality.

One of the two think tanks the Times’ Eric Lipton and Brooke Williams raked over the coals was the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which published a report advocating the expansion of drone sales while being funded by drone makers, namely General Atomics (emphasis added):

Lobbyists making hay....

Second article:

While not much is known about these "exiters", online forums suggest he's not alone.

QAnonCasualties – a Reddit community for those impacted by QAnon and former believers — has grown to include 158,000 members since it was created in July 2019.

And ReQovery — another Reddit support group geared towards ex-QAnon followers — has attracted almost 9,300 members in less than a year.

Oh no not 9300 members in less than a year


less than 125,000 Muslims living in these combined countries would be prone to radicalization. Add that to the possible radical population across the rest of Europe and the sum is approximately 325,000 Muslims are at risk of becoming radical.
(Lower estimates from mainstream figures)

Oh no Muslims have an even larger number of radicals. Now everyone is going to start blowing up buildings and killing lizard people. Let's pre-emptive strike before it's too late.

It's fear mongering and I would argue the greater threat is leftist groupthink stupidity. It's cultish and oppressive. All to often moves beyond people's rights and the laws of the country through mob coercion.

There will always be a percentage of those that will be radicalised. But it's hardly a growing threat. NSW is the most right leaning state and has the highest vaccination

The threat simply lies in government overreach. And then governments disliking the peoples reaction. It boggles the mind that the same people that support "Your rights at work" don't support "your rights".

There is plenty of misinformation out there some trolling, a lot political. But all of it with an agenda.

I support vaccination based on the figures. I think you are at risk if you are over 35-40. Dont think I am anti vax.

NYT Reveals Think Tank It’s Cited for Years to Be Corrupt Arms Booster

The think tank industry, as the internal emails New York Times revealed make clear, is often based on laundering influence through ostensibly neutral-sounding “institutes” or “centers,” with the fact that the average media consumer won’t know who funds them being part of the service offered to...

fair.org

How many Muslim extremists are there? Just the facts, please.

Brigitte Gabriel claims the 15 to 25 percent of the world's Muslims are plotting attacks in the West. Why that number is inaccurate.

www.google.com.au

 

[basilio]

What delicious irony Moxjo. I use a conservative leaning think tank CSIS that offers an analysis of Q ANON and the dangers/challenges it represents in terms of extremist behaviour.

You on the other hand, ignore any discussion on the analysis and then use a left liberal think tank to point out that CSIS has serious establishment/big business money behind it. Frankly that analysis of Q Anon has been done a score of times and the message is much the same - it is a highly effective, organisation that has seriously warped many peoples minds.

You then try to divert attention from one form of radicalization to another. Yep there are serious problems with Muslim radicialisation . But finally authorities are realising that the right wing extremists across the US that have been bombing police stations, killing demonstraters and trying to overthrow the last US election with the overt blessing of Donald Trump are every but as dangerous.

 

[moXJO]

What delicious irony Moxjo. I use a conservative leaning think tank CSIS that offers an analysis of Q ANON and the dangers/challenges it represents in terms of extremist behaviour.

You on the other hand, ignore any discussion on the analysis and then use a left liberal think tank to point out that CSIS has serious establishment/big business money behind it. Frankly that analysis of Q Anon has been done a score of times and the message is much the same - it is a highly effective, organisation that has seriously warped many peoples minds.

You then try to divert attention from one form of radicalization to another. Yep there are serious problems with Muslim radicialisation . But finally authorities are realising that the right wing extremists across the US that have been bombing police stations, killing demonstraters and trying to overthrow the last US election with the overt blessing of Donald Trump are every but as dangerous.

Maybe you missed the point. The numbers are insignificant.
Or perhaps you actually believe "Qanon" is a serious threat due to a bubble.

One question. Remember the hundreds of pages of lies typed throughout the Trump thread?

How many Biden pages have been filled by the "qanon" influenced here?
And lets face it realistically Biden's term is one of the worst and barely a peep from anyone.
In fact I think the Trump thread has had more hits.

I'd take a serious look at who is influencing who.

 

[basilio]

The mob is still camping outside Parliament and the hard core activists are abusing police, politicians and reporters without mercy.

There is an excellent analysis in The Guardian on the balance the proposed legislation is offering between unfettered Government control and external checks and balances.

What took my eye however was a couple of analysis made in the comments below the story.

GazzaFromGrongGrong
6 hours ago

Guardian Pick
13
It is indeed strange, but not really surprising. It seems reasonable to suspect that (leaving aside for the moment the far-right extremists who are exploiting the issue) many of those protesting simply don’t understand the fact that the pandemic management legislation being debated “offers some of the strongest civil liberty protections of any in the nation”. It may not be perfect, and the process has certainly seemed rushed and rather short on appropriate consultation, but it is a distinct improvement on what currently exists.

However when politicians and tabloid headline-writers see an opening, they charge right through it. Thus we have seen some Victorian Liberal MPs (and Craig Kelly) out and about at the protests, while “Dictator Dan” has blared from conservative media outlets. And it is those headlines that drive people onto the streets with their placards and slogans. The finer detail of the bill is swamped by over-the-top hysteria.

The situation is inflamed further by the deranged anti-everything crowd who will turn up to any protest with the sole aim of causing as much trouble as they can, and they’ve been very much in evidence this time round. They’re a small group, but growing in size as their paranoia infects some of those who are there for legitimate reasons. And that’s a real danger. Because, in a highly charged, emotional atmosphere like this, people can be vulnerable to subversive persuasion. Especially when, despite heated denials, the Prime Minister appears to be giving a quiet nod to the protesters.

Yes, the anti-terrorism laws were largely ignored because they only applied to “terrorists”, but the pandemic laws are immediate, real, and they affect everyone, so identifying with them is not a problem. But they need perspective, common sense, and much more understanding than a lot of people have been prepared to give them. If further improvements to the bill can be made, well and good, but Victoria has to have something in place by December 15 or the resultant lack of regulation could pose serious problems for community health.

Meanwhile this contentious legislation has achieved at least one thing…with the nooses, gallows, and threats against MPs, it has exposed yet again the ugly underbelly of society, a threat that will need to be contained. Quite probably, and ironically, with more laws.

thufir112
5 hours ago

Guardian Pick
8
It seems the protests are about more than just the Bill in question here. There has been an itchy trigger-finger for protest in Melbourne for a while now - but really, are they just looking for a reason to protest about anything? There is a a powder-keg waiting to go off, fed by certain sections of the media, political Opposition and ideological groups, targeted directly at the Andrew Govt.

It is a fascinating mixture of motives and agendas at play here - From the Opposition politicians looking to stoke the spectacle and frame it as widespread citizen discontent, an 'overthrowing of an oppressive Govt' if you like - it fits a shock-and-awe tactic they haven't had the opportunity to test and signals how desperate the pathetic tactics and basement-level strategies of the Guy opposition have become - feigning to sympathise with a vocal mob for the imagery of widespread citizen discontent with governance. It is a dangerous and irresponsible act to tap into anger like this, and frame condemnation of extremism in the way they have - that being, addressing the crowd and saying that the Andrews Govt is branding them all as far-right extremists.

It empowers the Anti-Vax/Anti-Lockdown mob an opportunity to vent their frustrations and anger at what they perceive was an entirely unnecessary lockdown.

It enables the Far-Right to pursue and enflame an agenda of social chaos, leading to their ultimately authoritarian ends, with a veiled and seemingly tacit support of Govt (implicit through the weakness and failure of Leadership to condemn their actions in line with the condemnations the Govt target at other groups/causes), leading the Far-Right to believe that they will thrive under Authoritarian conditions with a supportive Authority, like the LNP, in charge.

It enables those who are just purely angry, for whatever reason, to join with a mob and simply break xhit. Break the social license we agree to by living in a community; break any trust in decisions being made (like Lockdown to protect from Pandemic) for the common good; break the peace and stability of community rules and obligations.

With all these different motives aligned on framing Daniel Andrews as a focal point, it can't possibly end well. If Law Enforcement do just that and enforce, then it feeds into the narrative of a 'Dictatorship'. If they don't enforce law, the embolden the forces at play here. The ultimate outcome will be violence. And once that violence has happened, all these different motives will scatter, and the finger-pointing will start as to who is really to blame here.

All the while, the media pokes the now very awake bear, the dirty politicians trying to play their dirty little games stoke the flames, and the vested ideological interest align their own objectives and fixate on a common target - and will all throw up their hands afterwards and say 'it wasn't us! We didn't perform acts of violence!' - no, but they will have sat on the edge of the arena watching the violence unfold, nudging it along that path until it reaches the violent conclusion.

This is not an expression of civil liberties. This is a capitulation to a twisted concept of 'the rights of the individual' which has contorted truth and personal accountability into dark versions of themselves - the truth I choose, and the accountability to my own impulses. And anyone who stands in the way of that is an enemy. Welcome to the United States of Australia.

The pandemic illustrates how precious and fragile our civil liberties are | Pauline Wright

It’s strange that a bill that would actually improve accountability in Victoria is being met by protests

www.theguardian.com

 

[The Triangle]

The lizard people win again! The ruling elite were also starting to get worried about the peasants rising in up Europe and poor capital returns this month so they Introduce mad panic coordinated by all the MSM yesterday about a variant with virtually no science to back it up and short the market?

And the racist governments around the world managed to shut down flights from Africa again... can't let those in the Dark Continent out can we? Travel is only for the wealthy, athletes, politicians, and businessmen, and Hollywood. What happened to living with Covid? Thought this is why these experimental mRNA vaccines were so good - you know - handle the variants? Why the panic? Why are all media outlets pushing this covid panic pr0n?

 

[bellenuit]

 

[basilio]

Let's get a sense of perspective about Conspiracy theories in Australia please. This is what a survey of people in North Macedonia believe.

Two-thirds in North Macedonia believe COVID was created to control humans: study​

Comments

Nearly two-thirds of citizens in North Macedonia believe that coronavirus was created to control humans, a new study has revealed.

Around 65% of respondents said they supported the unfounded theory that COVID-19 was artificially created in a lab, according to the poll.

Meanwhile, a large proportion of citizens in North Macedonia also believed other baseless theories related to the pandemic.

Around 46% of those surveyed said the virus was being sprayed in the air using aeroplanes.

And 44% think that their health ministry has inflated the number of COVID-19 victims because they are receiving money.

....Around 29% of respondents said they did not believe in climate change at all, while 46% said they thought climate change is controlled by certain satellites or radars.

A majority 72% also believe that a handful of powerful families control the world, the study found.

Most in North Macedonia think COVID was made to control humans: poll

The poll also found that 46% of citizens in North Macedonia believe the virus is being sprayed by aeroplanes. #TheCube

www.euronews.com

The poll surveyed 1,000 citizens aged over 18 across North Macedonia and was conducted in Macedonian, Albanian, and English.

 

[basilio]

Interesting analysis on the impact of conspiracy theories around the world. Also tries to discuss how the media needs to get on top of the problem.
Jack Marley is quite young.

Why conspiracies are delaying our ability to solve the climate crisis

To many of us, conspiracy theories seem implausible, but millions of people still read and share them every day.

www.euronews.com

 

[mullokintyre]

One of the great conspiracy theories was about Big Brother watching and analysing your every move.
It has become real in places like China, but an article by Robert Gotliebsen raises an Interesting question.
His take is that there will be no more lockdowns because of the the anti lockdown protests.
From Todays Australian

But Saturday and Sunday, November 20 and 21, were different. The professional protesters were missing and so media coverage was down. I now realise similar groups appeared in most states but it was in Melbourne where the largest numbers massed on the streets. I wrote about the event because I believed I was watching middle Australia go to the streets — something they rarely do. The largest protests were on the Sunday where in Melbourne almost certainly 200,000 walked through streets in an orderly fashion.
Morgan chose to research the Saturday crowd which was about 20,000. To determine who these people were, and where they came from, Morgan ‘geo-fenced’ the area in front of Victoria’s Parliament House from 11am to 2.30pm.

The mobile devices that were seen in this area during the protest time period were then profiled by Helix group to produce a ‘Heat Map’ showing where the protesters had come from.

Missing were the normal protest groups from inner-city areas. They were replaced by people who had come from the outer suburban areas that ring Melbourne. Some even came from regional centres like Ballarat, Geelong, Ocean Grove, Torquay, Wallan, Warragul, Hastings, Traralgon and Wonthaggi.
By examining the population compositions of the suburban and regional areas who dominated the protest Morgan determined that they were mainly two groups of Australians:

• The so called “contented Australians” who embrace conventional family life. They are perennial home improvers, they see their homes as an expression of their status and achievements.

• Those further down the socio-economic ladder who are struggling to make ends meet and looking for a better deal in life. They tend to be cynical and pessimistic about their situation and authority figures generally.

Protesters gather on the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne last weekend. Picture: Getty Images
These two very different groups united. Both were hit by the lockdowns and are very unhappy with the Victorian premier. The anecdotal evidence indicates similar groups attended the Sydney protests albeit on a smaller scale.

Any state government that inflicts another lockdown on these two groups can forget about being elected at their next election.

In its voter base, the ALP has a large slice of the battlers, but both parties need votes from ‘contented’ Australians who normally do not protest unless they are greatly aroused. Another lockdown in NSW or Victoria will likely see voters surge to the opposition.

Around the world opinion polls on political issues are proving inaccurate. Australia’s opinion poll record is superior to most countries but given there is turmoil in outer suburban land, opinion polling can be wrong.
While the greatest turmoil is in Victoria, it is also evident in NSW and other states. It does not appear to show up in many opinion polls so we have to wonder whether the pollsters have maintained their accuracy.
Meanwhile the economic figures that came out of the lockdowns in Victoria and NSW were stark.
Australian household spending fell by 4.8 per cent in the September quarter.
Spending on discretionary or non-essential goods and services accounted for between 80 and 90 per cent of the fall in consumption for NSW and Victoria. Spending has now bounced back very strongly and we are set for a great Christmas.
But middle Australia has spoken and both the Victorian and NSW Premiers will have got the message, which is great news for business.

It does not surprise me that the opinion polls are skewed, they have been wrong for some time.
What i found interesting was the way Morgans went about it, ring fencing a geographical are and looking at the mobile phone uasage in that area and finding out where its owners came from.
if Helix and Morgan can do it, so can anybody else, including governments.
So if there was an "illegal" march or protest, the government could track all the attendees by their phone and issue fines without having to do much work. they could also do it for all the attendees to illegal drag meetings, or burnout competitions.
Given the propensity of successive Victorian governments to create extremely harsh penalties for all sorts of things, it would be a nice little earner for them.
The greatest conspiracy of all, "Big Brother is Watching", maybe coming to fruiton after all.
Mick

 

[DB008]

Yesterday The Atlantic put out an article claiming child trafficking was a “fake” epidemic.

Here's a photo of the owner of the Atlantic Laurene Powell getting cozy with Ghislaine Maxwell!

.​

 

[bellenuit]

DB008, a link to the article would be nice. I checked and it is not like how you make it out to be and that photo meme that you posted is being disseminated by, guess who, read and find out.

First thing. The Atlantic didn't say that child sex trafficking (specifically referring to the US) doesn't exist. It says it is not an epidemic as the Trumpers are spouting and claiming a host of Democrats are behind it.

All over the country, well-meaning Americans are convinced that human trafficking—and specifically child sex trafficking—is happening right in their backyard, or at any rate no farther away than the nearest mall parking lot. A 2020 survey by the political scientists Joseph Uscinski and Adam Enders found that 35 percent of Americans think the number of children who are victims of trafficking each year is about 300,000 or higher; 24 percent think it is “much higher.” Online, people read that trafficking is a problem nobody else is willing to discuss: The city they live in is a “hot spot,” their state one of the worst in the country. Despite what the mainstream media are saying, this is “the real pandemic.”

I let you read the full article yourself (do you actually read the background to anything you post or just regurgitate right wing conspiracies?)

I watched the rest of the video a few minutes later, on my own phone. “We are digital soldiers, fighting the greatest war the world has never seen,” the voice-over explained. The bad guys: Barack Obama, Ellen DeGeneres, Lady Gaga, Chuck Schumer, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton. The good guys, a much smaller team: Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, Barron Trump, Jesus, and an unidentified soldier holding a baby swaddled in an American flag. And, by implication, me, the viewer. “Our weapon is truth,” the voice-over continued as music swelled in the background. “We’ll never give up, even if we have to shake everyone awake one by one.”

.....

The provenance of the video was unclear—it was not affiliated with Operation Underground Railroad and bore no resemblance to the official materials its volunteers had been handing out—but the term digital soldier rang a bell. It was a reference to a QAnon conspiracy theory that emerged in 2017 on an out-of-the-way message board and describes Donald Trump as a lone hero waging war against a “deep state” and a cabal of elites who are pedophiles and child murderers; these conspirators will soon be exposed—and perhaps brutally executed—during a promised “storm.” Notably, the video isn’t asking for money, and isn’t presenting an argument. It’s more like a daily devotional for people who already believe in its premise, or something like it.

The Great (Fake) Child-Sex-Trafficking Epidemic

Dispatches from a moral panic

www.theatlantic.com

 

[moXJO]

DB008, a link to the article would be nice. I checked and it is not like how you make it out to be and that photo meme that you posted is being disseminated by, guess who, read and find out.

First thing. The Atlantic didn't say that child sex trafficking (specifically referring to the US) doesn't exist. It says it is not an epidemic as the Trumpers are spouting and claiming a host of Democrats are behind it.

All over the country, well-meaning Americans are convinced that human trafficking—and specifically child sex trafficking—is happening right in their backyard, or at any rate no farther away than the nearest mall parking lot. A 2020 survey by the political scientists Joseph Uscinski and Adam Enders found that 35 percent of Americans think the number of children who are victims of trafficking each year is about 300,000 or higher; 24 percent think it is “much higher.” Online, people read that trafficking is a problem nobody else is willing to discuss: The city they live in is a “hot spot,” their state one of the worst in the country. Despite what the mainstream media are saying, this is “the real pandemic.”

I let you read the full article yourself (do you actually read the background to anything you post or just regurgitate right wing conspiracies?)

I watched the rest of the video a few minutes later, on my own phone. “We are digital soldiers, fighting the greatest war the world has never seen,” the voice-over explained. The bad guys: Barack Obama, Ellen DeGeneres, Lady Gaga, Chuck Schumer, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton. The good guys, a much smaller team: Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, Barron Trump, Jesus, and an unidentified soldier holding a baby swaddled in an American flag. And, by implication, me, the viewer. “Our weapon is truth,” the voice-over continued as music swelled in the background. “We’ll never give up, even if we have to shake everyone awake one by one.”

.....

The provenance of the video was unclear—it was not affiliated with Operation Underground Railroad and bore no resemblance to the official materials its volunteers had been handing out—but the term digital soldier rang a bell. It was a reference to a QAnon conspiracy theory that emerged in 2017 on an out-of-the-way message board and describes Donald Trump as a lone hero waging war against a “deep state” and a cabal of elites who are pedophiles and child murderers; these conspirators will soon be exposed—and perhaps brutally executed—during a promised “storm.” Notably, the video isn’t asking for money, and isn’t presenting an argument. It’s more like a daily devotional for people who already believe in its premise, or something like it.

The Great (Fake) Child-Sex-Trafficking Epidemic

Dispatches from a moral panic

www.theatlantic.com

Whoa.
Child sex trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world.
Pedophile rings have actually been exposed in elitist groups.
The greatest way to stifle growth in this insidious industry is to maintain awareness.

The Atlantic meanwhile attempts to protect its own through linking "Qanon conspiracies".

Na it's a problem and Laurene Powell looks even more suss along with the Atlantic.
This paper was caught out making stuff up in the past.

 

[SirRumpole]

Pedophile rings have actually been exposed in elitist groups.
The greatest way to stifle growth in this insidious industry is to maintain awareness.

I totally agree as long as it's based on facts not some weirdo conspiracy theory.

 

[DB008]

What's the title of this thread?

If it's fact, it ain't a conspiracy....