QAnon's true believers are devastated as the conspiracy theory goes down in flames

[workinclasszero]

QAnon's true believers are devastated as the conspiracy theory goes down in flames — and it won't end well

The Republican midterm loss and the firing of Jeff Sessions blew up the narrative of the QAnon conspiracy theory. Now its believers are at each others' throats.

By Matthew Chapman / AlterNet November 14, 2018, 3:55 PM GMT

The "QAnon" community is falling apart.

Perhaps no conspiracy theory has thrived more readily in the dark corners of the internet since it was first born last October on the infamous troll message board 4chan following President Donald Trump's vague remarks last year at a military dinner that it was the "calm before the storm."

An anonymous user claiming to be a high-level government informant and calling himself "Q" after the highest level of security clearance at the Energy Department, began leaving cryptic messages he called "crumbs" which were supposed to be hints as to a wide-scale government operation known as "The Storm" to take down government corruption and the new world order, with Trump at the center.

While the messages often had very specific dates, many aspects of them were purposefully vague, allowing believers in "QAnon" to use their imagination and fill in gaps.

But now, the ongoing failure of Q's predictions to come true has started to fragment the community, and two major events in particular smashed the credibility of the movement for many believers.

The first event was the result of the midterm elections, where Democrats decisively won control of the House. Q had previously assured supporters that, contrary to the polls, there was a "red wave" coming:

The second event was Trump's decision to fire Sessions, who in the QAnon narrative Trump was only pretending to hate, and was the mastermind behind all of the impending mass arrests that were supposed to be right around the corner.

https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/qanon-conspiracy-theory-devastated-midterms-jeff-sessions

[dawg day]

1. This was the theory about Trump and Mueller being allies?

It kept metastasizing as events made what they just said obviously stupid.

Just wait, they'll be saying that Sessions had to "pretend to be fired" so that he could go underground and spy on the Clintons.

[workinclasszero]

4. Right

This idiot right wing conspiracy theory had everything plus the kitchen sink thrown in!

[Champion Jack]

5. Isn't...

..."idiot right wing conspiracy theory" an oxymoron?

[workinclasszero]

7. Now that you mention it...yes!

[tblue37]

14. No, it's a redundancy. nt

[Wounded Bear]

28. A quadruple one, at that...

[JHan]

2. can't stop laffin

[JHan]

3. I'm a mess,, these fucking idiots... *collapses*

[Hortensis]

6. I read the presidential alert system was going to give

them their marching orders direct from Trump, when presumably they'd pour out of their bedrooms and basements and, confident in their enormous numbers, turn into Trump's own jackbooted Schutzstaffel.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

8. All those stupid t-shirts and hats people bought w their nazi red maga hats.....omg.

what a bunch of losers man. Hateful, ginned up LOSERS. AHhahahaha!!

[Va Lefty]

10. You can't fix stupid

[SWBTATTReg]

11. Great post! I miss the actor too! NT

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

12. Getting all weird eyed and hateful for the cameras to try to scare people and be creepy...

omg....HAhahahahahahaha. What a bunch of FOOLS. Omg.
Don't forget the trumpers who wore the "Fuck Your Feelings" Shirt. Hopefully we can remind them all of how good it is to have feelings.

[workinclasszero]

17. Love it!

[GoCubsGo]

37. Change that to "Alleged Billionaire Con Man", and it's spot-on.

I have long had my doubts that Trump is anything close to a billionaire.

[NBachers]

9. Their distress engorges me with joy.

[Afromania]

13. I understand reality is hard, but cmon, that stuff is bat shit to the nth.

[JDC]

15. The same F'in idiots discredit the Insider Anonymous NYT OpEd poster

"How can you trust an anonymous source! Fake News!" And out of the other side of their mouths praise "QAnon."

Get a brain morans.

[Ohioboy]

16. Good

Glad to know my vote for Democrats helped to bring down this goofy right-wing nonsense.

[shanny]

18. I still think QAnon was an epic false flag by lefties

to make the right look really, REALLY stupid and sow discord and despair.



Even if it wasn't, it is working.

[peggysue2]

19. The Left does not need to make . .

the right look stupid. They do a fine job on their own. The Trumpster is a primary source of all craziness--Cereal IDs; people changing disguises in their cars; blaming his absence at the military memorials to the rain, the Secret Service, his hapless courtiers; siding with the massive fires in California rather than its victims, etc. And, of course, that invading caravan of unarmed families, bringing disease and massive destruction to the US.

QAnon simply amplifies the demented perspective rolling down and leaching from the manure heap formerly known as the White House.

The Squatter-in-Chief. Hear how he roars!

[calimary]

21. Squatter-in-Chief is a title that certainly does fit.

[shanny]

22. Obviously. They came up with pizzagate all on their own.

I still think it was weapons-grade trolling by our side or somebody, maybe in retaliation for pizzagate and all their other BS. Maybe someone just wanted to see how much BS they would lap up. Whatever the motivation, I've thought from the beginning that it was a hoax, and have enjoyed watching them chase it (sometimes I have to laugh to stop myself from crying).

[peggysue2]

23. Honestly? I don't know who started the QAnon craze.

Don't think anyone does at the moment. But every con needs a gullible mark. The weakness is obvious in Trump supporters. Like Mikey, they love/believe everything. Pizzagate is a perfect example.

Yesterday I watched a Jimmy Kimmel 'man-on-the-street' clip asking random people what they thought about the Trumpster's plan to send back the Statue of Liberty to France. The answers? Astounding. Number 1, they took the question seriously. Number 2, there were two women who said, "Well if that's what President Trump has decided, it must be the right decision."

Wut???? It's as if people have given up their ability to think, to consider anything beyond Trump said it, all's good.

Perfect marks for the con-artist/ demagogue.

That sort of cognitive vulnerability is a breeding ground for exploitation. So left or right? It's really sickening, painful to watch. And extremely dangerous.

[apkhgp]

20. This is it...coming to fruition

Members of this Qanon group stated that JFK Jr was still alive and fully supported everything 45 wants to do. I posted that that statement was a bastardization of JFK Jr's name. The very thought of connecting him to a criminal fraud like 45 makes me sick to this day.

The Democrat Midterm Election win in the upcoming House has highlighted the illegitimacy of this group and their theories.

They might as well sit around and talk about the loss the Right Wing is going to suffer in 2020.

[Silver Gaia]

24. Oh my...

[dae]

25. Poor pathetic peckerwoods.

[OAITW r.2.0]

26. Their first clue should have been....

did Sean Hannity, Laura Ingram, Carlson or Fox and Friends buy this bullshit? If not, why?

Sorry dupes, this was a fantasy that you needed to prove that you were relevant. Sorry, you aren't that intelligent....you got played by....who...Democrats? Roger Stone? You need to figure who is leading you by the nose ring.

[GopherGal]

30. Any theory that requires Trump to be a mastermind is suspect

... None of this "Trump is playing 3D chess" stuff. The "malignant narcissist who has gotten by despite being a moron because of his daddy's money" story fits observed reality much better.

Personally it reminds me of the X-Files fans who stuck with it years into the show expecting that there was some overarching explanation that would be revealed to tie together all the different weird-ass ideas about aliens that the writers came up with each week.

These guys are trying to come up with some narrative that ties together all these disparate absurd things spewed forth by Trump and co, which they have to purport to believe (because they stand for something! they're not just being gullible bigots!).

[OAITW r.2.0]

31. I never said that. I'd be the last person who said Trump plays 3D chess.

I doubt he could win at 2D checkers. I am saying that the morons who support him (that is you, Fox and Friends) will need to explain why you supported a criminal once he is under indictment. Will you argue that Mueller is a Democratic stooge when indictments some down? Can't wait to see how you play this.....morons.

[GopherGal]

35. I didn't mean to imply you believed that

I was referring to the QAnon'ers waiting for some great revelations that show how Trump is puppeteering the whole thing not Putin.

[ecstatic]

27. Wow. The crazy thing is

I feel that trump's criminal regime has pushed me close to the brink of insanity at times... For example, I really believed that he would be removed from office before the midterms, etc. etc.

The thing is, I know why I've been delusional at times, but what is their excuse for being so far removed from reality? Like Pres. Obama, said, they should be happy right now. Why are they still so angry and delusional?

[underpants]

29. Obviously a prank. I warned an old Army buddy about this on Facebook.

My simple question was (and I ask these a lot), "Have you considered that you are being lied to?"

[ooky]

32. The problem with conspiracy theories

is they are lies, usually incredibly obvious lies, and eventually lies catch up with you. So their idiot believers always end up disappointed.

[Celerity]

33. trumpy bear advert needs to be changed (The Storm is QAnon code asshattery)

lolololol

[JHan]

36. ...

[Initech]

34. Qanon and 4chan need to be flushed down the sewer from which they came.