#1371 Why Even Seemingly Normal People Are Falling for the QAnon Conspiracy Cult
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 1 October 2020
⏱️ 65 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 10/1/2020
Today we take a look at the phenomenon of pro-Trump conspiracy cult: QAnon, what it is and why so many people are getting sucked into it.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: QANON Is Antisemitism Hiding In Dangerous Conspiracy Theory? - Thom Hartmann - Air Date 9-15-20
What would happen if a far-right Nazi cult gained power in the United States, infecting your neighbors, friends, family and even your elected officials. Thom Hartmann exposes QANON.
Ch. 2: Team Human with Douglas Rushkoff - You Are Not So Smart with David McRaney - Air Date 1-13-19
Douglas Rushkoff explains why we should revolt against the algorithms so we can get back to our essential human messiness.
Ch. 3: QAnon is totally true - The Topical, The Onion - Air Date 9-29-20
Turns out, QAnon is totally true and backed up by evidence (if you read between the lines).
Ch. 4: QAnon Makes Human Trafficking Worse feat Michael Hobbes - QAnon Anonymous - Air Date 9-15-20
The 1980's Satanic Panic has many similarities to the 2020 "Save the children" QAnon movement. We explore how these religious freakouts and conspiracy theories harm efforts to combat trafficking.
Ch. 5: Mothers For QAnon w: Annie Kelly - QAnon Anonymous - Air Date 9-23-20
Women tied to the QAnon movement have recently achieved sizable electoral victories. Our UK Correspondent (Doctor) Annie Kelly (PhD) drops by to expand on her recent piece for the New York Times. We examine how the movement has made such inroads online.
Ch. 6: QAnon News - The Last Post - Air Date 9-22-20
Don't care when your child goes to bed? More concerned when they will wake the f--k up? Wil Anderson - the Don ADman of the advertising world - has spotted a synergy in the QAnon hashtag #savethechildren, and taking children's savings: kids toys.
Ch. 7: Reformed Neo-Nazi Explains How People Fall Prey to QAnon Online - MSNBC - Air Date 9-6-20
Shannon Foley-Martinez, a former violent white supremacist now working to extract others from extremist groups, says QAnon attracts people looking for a meaningful connection and a way to navigate a world that feels unsafe.
Ch. 8: In Search Of A Flat Earth - Folding Ideas - Air Date 9-11-20
QAnon supporters, like flat-earthers, are looking for a way to dramatically simplify a terrifyingly complex world.
Members' Bonus Clips:
Ch. 1*: Is QAnon the Future of the Republican Party? - Deconstructed with Mehdi Hasan - Air Date 8-28-20
QAnon is a far-ranging conspiracy theory that alleges, among other things, that a patriotic Trump supporter (or supporters) embedded in the highest levels of the U.S. government has been using internet forums to send coded messages to the American public.
Ch. 9: Conspiracy Theories - Power Corrupts - Air Date 5-1-19
We speak to a diehard believer in the bogus QAnon conspiracy
Ch. 10: The Rise of "Conspirituality" - On the Media - Air Date 9-25-20
In this moment of growth, one community, in particular, has found itself prey to QAnon: the yoga, wellness, and spirituality world, where skepticism about vaccines has intersected with the rapid spread of disinformation online to create a toxic stew known as "conspirituality."
VOICEDMAILS™
Ch. 11: Re: Episode on Post Office and Census - Scott
Ch. 12: Biden vs Howie Hawkins - Lars from Brooklyn
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 13: Final comments on why Democracy is built on a foundation of human perception rather than laws. Also, resources to keep you away from conspiratorial and magical thinking
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions):
- Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr
- Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent
- Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to this episode of the award winning best of left podcast in which we shall learn |
| 0:07.4 | about the phenomenon of the pro-Trump conspiracy cult, QAnon, what it is, and why so many people |
| 0:15.3 | are getting sucked into it, not just the people you'd expect. |
| 0:19.2 | Quips today are from deconstructed Tom Hurtman, you are not so smart, the topical from the |
| 0:26.0 | Onion, QAnon Anonymous, the last post, MSNBC, folding ideas on YouTube, power corrupts |
| 0:35.8 | and on the media, be warned today's episode contains satire, and unfortunately we live |
| 0:42.1 | in a world in which that needs to be made explicit because reality has a way of catching |
| 0:47.0 | up with even the most outland satire. |
| 0:56.0 | I have some familiarity with the Nazis, having known real Nazis and having been there. |
| 1:03.9 | One of the things that consistently in talking with people that I knew who were Nazis or |
| 1:09.8 | who had been Nazis, I'm talking real German Nazis now. |
| 1:14.5 | This was back in the 80s, these people were in their 60s then. |
| 1:20.7 | One of the things that I know is that one of their major influences was a booklet that |
| 1:27.5 | was published in 1902 in Russia. |
| 1:31.5 | It was written by the Russian secret police on behalf of Tsar Nicholas II because Nicholas |
| 1:39.7 | was of the opinion, Nicholas wasn't a particularly good Tsar king of Russia and he was a club |
| 1:47.3 | to crowd. He wanted everything. |
| 1:51.5 | Some of the institutions of Russia, particularly the banking institutions, were pushing back on |
| 1:56.3 | some of the things he was doing. |
| 1:58.5 | He had this thing draft, it was called the protocols of the elders of Zion, that said that Jews |
| 2:05.9 | were trying to undermine and destroy Russia from within and that what they did on the |
| 2:14.4 | high Jewish holy holidays and were heading toward one right now was that they would literally |
... |
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