National dis-Q-ification strategy

[Aimless]

I think there will eventually be a scholarly consensus around the status of QAnon as a cult, and I think it's fair to say the US has no recent experience with dealing with a cult of this sort, that is so widespread, under such unfavorable circumstances. There's an obvious societal interest in dealing with this movement—both from a security perspective as well as from the perspective of basic humanity, compassion for victims and their loved ones. At the same time, these interests directly conflict with vital safeguards of freedom, giving rise to obvious and legitimate concerns about the risk of tyrannical govt.-imposed right-think.

Do you believe the US needs a national strategy for dealing with QAnon? If so, how do you think they should approach the challenge? If not, what do you believe the coming years will look like, wrt QAnon-related events? Are there any ways to mitigate the problems that are likely to arise? Are there any ways to mitigate the problems that might arise from giving the govt. permission to tackle this challenge?

[Aimless]

Probably an incorrect understanding of this phenomenon:

Twitter Link

[Steely Glint]

Don't agree with the premise that QAnon is a new phenomena in the US, to be honest. QAnon's just the mutant spawn of US apocalyptic evangelicalism and white supremacist race war ideation* (the storm is basically just a repackaged 'day of the rope' from the turner diaries), and in that sense it has always been part of the US psyche, lurking under the surface and occasionally blowing up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

Thus, the specific form of it as QAnon is probably not a going concern; with no plan in evidence, no great awakening materializing and no further Q posts to drive engagement even those who are refusing to admit they were duped are going to lose interest pretty fast.

But at least some of them are just going to move onto something equally as venomous, if not more so. QAnon and its associated bullshit complex have always been pretty flexible about specific ideas, willing to remain on board as numerous q-dates come and go with absolutely nothing happening and able to adopt, change or drop aspects of the q lore as necessary or according to whim and so refactoring the q lore into another form of basically the same idea should be possible for them with the minimum of cognitive dissonance.

QAnon may fade away, but in the mind of the US conservative, they will always be persecuted underdogs fighting a spiritual war against nebulous forces of evil coming to destroy their way of life under the guise of social progress and forever awaiting a final, apocalyptic confrontation. This can take many forms: if it's not the gay agenda destroying family values in the name of tolerance, it's big government coming to take away their liberty in the name of socialism, or it's the UN coming to impose the new world order in the name of... something.

As to your question, I think rooting this mentality of the US is pretty much impossible.

* but I repeat myself, lol... I guess in this analogy it's their inbred son, and admittedly fairly epic 4chan shitposting was the mid-wife.

[GGT]

'Tis why I started that thread about "De-Programming".

Steely is right --- it's not just about QAnon, and it's not really a new US phenomenon. "Conservative" extremism and right-wing radicalism has grown, and poses more violent threats (domestic terrorism) than any foreign actor or group.

IMO the Republican Party is responsible for being irresponsible; not rooting out their own bigotry and White Nationalism, giving the bat-shit crazy conspiracy theorists a "home", then letting them run wild with disinformation/propaganda and BIG LIES (with help from MAGA Media and TrumpTV and social media, too.)

This has led to a Mass Delusion or Group Cognitive Dissonance. See Oregon's and Arizona's official Republican Party censures and proclamations for recent examples.

Also, Marjorie Taylor Greene

[Aimless]

Long thread with videos from the QAnon cult rally:

Twitter Link

I dunno if any of you have ever dealt with members of dangerous cults and sects but what we're seeing here is a real threat and the US is not ready for it.