Hey all - I've just made it so comments are only available to paying subscribers, as I was getting a flurry of QAnon adherents / racists coming in and posting a lot of questionable / racist stuff.
I hope you understand - I want to keep discussions here pretty open, but I also don't want any of you having to read gross filth in the comments section. You can get that elsewhere!
here's what i think. over a considerable period of time, i've trained myself to not be scathing and dismissive of conspiracy theorists and their ilk. the reason is obvious. it comes from the question - do i want to make a difference or be right? well obviously i am desperate to be right but it has to take second place to making a difference.
so, i will swallow my anger, switch my bullshit-ometer to silent and engage in the closest i can get to civilised dialogue with them. that begins with the harmless(ish) end of believing in god and goes all the way to hillary being a sex trafficker.
we are in such a dangerous time. the culture we inhabit is showing terrible signs of strain and if we don't pull it together, the fractures will be bloody and destructive.
we have got to provide the bridge back from bullshittery for anyone who wants to take it. it requires us to be incredibly patient, logical, compassionate and willing to listen without harsh judgement.
i will engage jehovahs witnesses at my door and hold lively conversation with them that generally ends with them excusing themselves to be somewhere else, but it is done with humanity and openness.
Q-anon people are much harder, but the main issue they seem to have deep down is no sense of belonging to anything mainstream. the world has rejected them. we have to allow them to see that there is a place for them out in the world and they don't need to cling to their medieval beliefs.
i want a world that speaks the same language of humanity and decency and i can think of no better way to achieve that than to model those behaviours myself.
if this sounds utopian, it is. i can't possibly live up to my claimed standards. i am as dreadful as the next person, but i always have clear in my mind who i want to be.
i'm not sure any of this makes sense, but in the end, i feel we are in an existential struggle to preserve some kind of community and culture and we had better bring our A game to it or we will end up back in very dark times.
I'd argue we're already in those dark times. I admire you stance of trying to engage without anger. It's hard. Somehow, we have to gently talk people back into sanity. And just gently package these crazy ideas and explain them back. Just the fact Jamie Lee Ross is involved with Billy TK now: I think just raising Jamie Lee Ross with people can be powerful. Dude is objectively problematic. Pointing these little things out in a conversation can help, I think. Ask people if they really think an international assassin was let in NZ to kill Billy TK. It's all madness, and I think if we just talk it out with these people, there is some pushing through.
If you're the type of person who enjoys podcasts, I *highly* recommend the podcast, "You're Wrong About." It's hosted by two journalists who have set out to debunk commonly held beliefs about various topics/events/people. They have an episode about human trafficking misconceptions, and the moral panic surrounding human trafficking, and it's incredibly interesting and enlightening. Turns out, everything we think we know about what human trafficking is and how it happens is wrong. Even the statistics are misleading and/or are being used to mislead.
On a more personal note, last Sunday I went to a hobby store to look for cord to teach myself how to make cool macramé things, only to find the store was closed. Instead, what I came across was a group of protesters (none wearing masks) standing in front of the closed storefront, holding signs. As I got closer, they started yelling in my direction, and I decided to humor them. I listened to their spiel, and they even let me take photos of their signs, which I'll share with you here: https://imgur.com/a/QHpxiXX
I was in shock listening to them tell me about how Disney hides symbols for pedophilia in their films, about how Hollywood is the biggest consumer of human trafficking in the world, etc. I knew the QAnon people existed, but I didn't think they were in *my* city. But they are, and they're out there preying on innocent people who just want some macramé-making supplies on a nice Sunday afternoon.
Oof. Thanks for the photo. They appear to love having their photo taken! Those hashtags. Yikes.
I love with all these theories about their obsession with things being hidden in plain site. Like... why. It just makes no fucking sense at all. Infuriating! But again, it's them seeing the world as a "game" with "clues" everywhere. Which really, really isn't how the world works.
Anyway... you know this.
Thanks for the podcast recommend. Giant listener, hadn't heard of this one. Will give it a go.
Yes, they were absolutely psyched that I was humoring them, and seemed to be totally oblivious to my actual disposition. When I asked them if I could take photos of their signs "to share around," they were over the moon!
Right, this hidden in plain sight idea is totally wild. That's one of the first things that struck me about Wayfair Gate: the absolutely bananas concept of human traffickers using the real names of the victims, and putting them up on the internet for everyone to see. You'd think they would *at least* be using the dark web. But everybody wants to be an internet sleuth!
Anyway, I saw on your Twitter that you shared my photos -- thanks for that! I'm glad that you're using your platform to dispel some of this nonsense, much to the chagrin of some (what seems to be the vast minority) of your followers!
I think you'll really enjoy You're Wrong About, they cover a variety of topics that are often both dark and enlightening in a very compelling way.
Why would you "humor yourself" on what others truly believe? You talk about them like they are so insane for caring about kids. I'm not a Q follower but you sound worse than them. "Preying on you"? You could've kept walking but YOU decided to stop, "humor them" take photos so you can come mock them actually. And you call yourself "innocent"? Patronizing them by pretending to be interested? And you are the innocent being preyed on? I'm not sure why you think so highly of yourself but you need to come down from your high horse. They didn't need you. I promise they aren't talking about you today. Sounds like you need a life other than mocking people and thinking your photos was their highlight. You are one tiny human in this great big world. Maybe you need to recognize that you obviously are so lame that you need them to give you something to talk about. 🤷🏽♀️
Thank you for focusing so much on conspiracy theories, and the dangers of being sucked into them. I found your interview with Travis to be brutally realistic, but also hopeful and enlightening. As an American, I’m more than alarmed when the current occupant of the White House is retweeting QAnon bullshit on a daily basis. Please keep writing about them - sunlight has always been the best disinfectant.
The fact the commander in chief is into this stuff is just... beyond. Thanks for the kind words. I will keep on wading through this mess and trying to write about it in a way that breaks apart the bs, just a little.
Social media is terrible and yet, just this morning I read a fantastic Twitter (I know, social media is a double edged sword) thread (it's on @catvalente 's timeline) about why conspiracy theories resonate with folks. She was a camp counselor and she told the kids under her care that the scars on her legs were the result of a shark attack, this came in useful when the kids were acting up as she would tell them additional stories about the attack provided they behaved themselves. When the camp season was over she told them the truth, that the scars were not from a shark attack, she had run through a plate glass door when she was ten. The children felt betrayed (as they should) and then asked for another shark attack story.
Catheryne's words: "In the end they liked the lie and wanted more of it because it spoke of a larger, dangerous, exciting world. They were willing to give up their anger & the moral high ground for more.
And when I see people preaching Q*non out there, I think about the shark that never bit me."
QAnon is the shark that never bit anyone but it's intersection with a bored and anxious populace that all secretly want to be superheroes is causing it to metastasize into something bigger and more dangerous.
Great example. Thanks for sharing. People do like locking on to a simple, exciting story. It's easier to understand. Unfortunately, not great when dealing with reality / truth of the world we live in, huh.
I loved this interview with Travis and honestly, this bit had me gagged:
"Every single true believing QAnon follower lacks the mental strength required to face the randomness and cruelty that are an inescapable part of being alive. Latching onto QAnon is an expression of weakness and a lack of self control"
He hit it on the head, didn't he? He spends so much time burrowing through this stuff it amazes me. And he's right - these people meet, like each other, believe each other - and on it goes. Sigh.
Another well-timed distraction from the fact that 150,000+ Americans have died in 6 months from a disease their dear leader has all but ignored & denied. His answer? "It is what it is." Yeah, that's the tone of someone who cares about children alright. Can't send them out the door to their potential deaths at school fast enough.
That's not even getting into the unmarked police vans kidnapping people in Portland, his multi-billion dollar bailout of corporations while letting the working class starve, etc. These little bursts of activism from the right wing are not mere conspiracies dropped by a random weirdo; they're coordinated & timed for maximum effect.
And no, my saying that does not imply support for Biden or the Democrats. It's common sense. All these moral panics are designed to do what the Wikileaks leaks did in 2016: drive votes to a stupid political party during an election year. It's offensive to actual survivors because it's as if the REAL problem of child trafficking & sexual abuse isn't entertaining enough for them. They have to add mysterious, supernatural elements to hold their attention. It's Satanic Panic 2.0.
Whatever you do, don't Google "frazzledrip" unless you want to laugh your ass off at the absurdity.
I know this is completely unrelated, but why do Qanon people often use Nordic mythology? As someone born and raised in Scandinavia I’m forced to assume your man mentioning Valhalla is a conservative American who did a “MyHeritage” test and got back that he was 7% Nordic
Yeah - some really smart commentary here. And yes - it's all tied in with horrible racist shit. The man involved in the Christchurch terror attacks was steeped in this kind of talk:
"The man alleged to have killed 50 Muslim worshippers at two Christchurch mosques on March 15 appears to have dabbled in Odinist iconography.
On a message on a social media network, he wrote: "If I don't survive the attack, goodbye, god bless and I will see you all in Valhalla!"
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a hall of the dead, created by Odin for his most worthy warriors..."
Q at its heart is a racist, deeply hateful nightmare. Which is why it's so alarming new people are being dragged into it via this "Save Our Children" stuff.
If it wasn't so awful it would be ironic. White dude kills muslim people, to get into martyr Valhalla, because he is mad that 0,00001% muslim dudes kill people to get into martyr Jannah.
I'm frustrated that a part of "my" country's embarrassing history is suddenly being glorified by white supremacists and other homophobic/sexist/etc knobheads, but not even a little surprised.
I think it's just the white supremacist thing flooding into qanon looking to recruit since big sections are big on ultra Christianity and and traditional stuff.
Its a fair question, and something David might have looked at closer than I have. I think its the closest mythological association they to ascending to glory as a warrior of the truth where Valhalla is the place in Norse mythology heroes slain in battle are received and showered in glory. Essentially they are “warriors of God” in conservative America but without the far right religious association to try and reach a wider audience. Shockingly, its effective.
Ironic, that you are wearing a vikinghelmet in your photo ;) But yes, essentially I think you're right. It's odd isn't it. Having so little identity and so little history that comparing yourself to a group of people that murdered and raped, is a good thing?
I also think Americans are so desperate for any sense of identity, that they cling on to whatever they can find to reason with. For the same reasons there are so many devoted Irish-Americans, who claim to be more Irish than the Irish (I mean, how fucking American of them) and build their identity around it.
I could go on about this for a long time, I won't bore you with it, but it is interesting how a devoted Christian far-right conspiracy group has such a big interest in people, who lived over a thousand years ago, and are mainly known for raping and murdering 😌😌😌
This whole child trafficking theory reminds me in part of the whole ‘Monster rapist hiding in the bushes’ narrative, when in fact most rapists are people we know, and sometimes trust. Most children are trafficked by people they know/relatives, this is a hard to accept reality, when we would prefer to believe in the boogie man.
On a side note, remember the whole Satanic Panic phase? Innocent people went to jail, and that was in the pre internet era. Imagine the mess that would have caused if people were online then.
Yeah, social media certainly speeds these panics up. The Satanic Panic thing was so huge, wasn't it. There's an amazing book about how this factored into a really terrible case here in New Zealand (coincidentally involving allegations of pedophilia): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3510089-a-city-possessed
I remember the Civic Crèche Case well, as I’d just extricated myself from the clutches of a happy clappy church. They told me my panic attacks were demonic possession. That really didn’t help my anxiety.
I love your journalism immensely, David. I have been complaining about this #SavetheChildren conspiracy nonsense to a friend since the Wayfair debacle but I have felt like I have had to keep my discussion with that friend private to avoid being labeled as a pedophile-sympathiser.
Your writing is EXACTLY what I think people need to read about this topic.
Thanks Joel. It's my hope things like this get forwarded on a little, and perhaps gives people some tools / conversation starters when they are presented with this stuff. Cheers for the support.
Hi David, thanks so much for this piece and all your others. I look forward to reading your email every day. It feels like you bring back a degree of sanity in a sea of nonsense. I repeatedly find myself agreeing with you word-for-word and thinking that I could not have said it better myself (well that's certainly a fact). So many times you have articulated and crystallised the thoughts I have had but have not been able to coherently put them together. Please know that what you do is so immensely valuable. I was also very impressed with the thoughts from Travis. Made me stop and think and question the anger that arises when hearing some of these conspiracy theorists. His approach is so much more helpful. Keep up the excellent work and keep seeking out people like Travis who bring hope to what often feels hopeless. Coming from a science background, this sentence particularly resonated with me: "Even setting aside the virtue of truth seeking, I think there is a lot of joy and relief that comes with empirical and critical thinking".
Cheers Graham. I do feel bogged down in this stuff sometimes so it's nice to get this response. And honestly, even just reading the general discussion that goes on under these posts gives me hope. It's sane, it's polite, it's smart. I find myself learning more, too. Thanks for the support.
Thanks JJ. Trying. Team Webworm is just me, but maybe one day I will be able to expand and get some other beautiful humans writing. I feel really good about the community here. And want to serve it well. Many kudos and thanks!
I was kind of including the little community of subscribers in the “team” too, but of course I understand this is all your own work and it’s much appreciated believe me!
Echoing some others in the comments: It would be cool to see you try out a podcast on Substack just to see if you enjoy turning some of these interviews and conspiracy theory debunking into another product. Even if it ends up being a bother in the end, it might be cool to try and hear from some of these experts in a longer format. Loving the work you're doing, and the way it feels like a dispatch from a friend who has gone down all the internet holes.
Oh, and can't forget that Trumpf wished an actual convicted child trafficker "well" on public TV recently. Methinks that has the most to do with this particular conspiracy. There's no defending that with actual facts or reason--they have to create fanciful stories to deflect. Pathetic.
Also, side note, it's really frustrating to be a smart person who reads up on stuff/can identify the B.S. while a lot of other people just don't have common sense/believe whatever they read on Facebook/Twitter. I feel like Facebook is especially bad with weeding out fake articles/conspiracy related stuff. Anyway, I'll quit rambling. Have a nice week, David and Webworm World!
Facebook is the worst of them all. Zuckerberg gives zero fucks. It's utter trash. It's rotting people's brains. Also - thanks. You have a good week, too. :)
The first and only thing you’ve said I agree with. I guess when you’ve had 8 years invested into this instead of just stepping in at 2019 we can talk more. You’ll regret writing this article before too long. Because you seem intelligent and intelligent people hate to be wrong
When people with no interest in conspiracies knows what qanon is I wonder how saturated society is with it.
Ive seen loads of them discussing qanon stuff to people not into it without mentioning it (pre-bans) and I think that's much worse. That it's being spread so quickly in wellness circles really freaks me out. They're already primed for no-proof stuff and they know how to market hard.
Wellness is FULLY entrenched in to this stuff, huh. I suppose they are people looking for easy answers, in a way. Ways to understand the world and make themselves feel better. I was developing a series idea our the wellness industry in LA which is just so fully of wild people - and just gets so, so cult like. You've reminded me to dust of that notebook again....
I would read or watch anything about garden variety gurus - sorry i mean 'lifestyle coaches'. They freak me right out but i can't look away.
I can't remember if you were the one that spoke about tesla plates/tags/stickers? Absolutely incredible merchandise. Amazing what a spray painted bit of metal can't do!
Hey all - I've just made it so comments are only available to paying subscribers, as I was getting a flurry of QAnon adherents / racists coming in and posting a lot of questionable / racist stuff.
I hope you understand - I want to keep discussions here pretty open, but I also don't want any of you having to read gross filth in the comments section. You can get that elsewhere!
David.
♥️
here's what i think. over a considerable period of time, i've trained myself to not be scathing and dismissive of conspiracy theorists and their ilk. the reason is obvious. it comes from the question - do i want to make a difference or be right? well obviously i am desperate to be right but it has to take second place to making a difference.
so, i will swallow my anger, switch my bullshit-ometer to silent and engage in the closest i can get to civilised dialogue with them. that begins with the harmless(ish) end of believing in god and goes all the way to hillary being a sex trafficker.
we are in such a dangerous time. the culture we inhabit is showing terrible signs of strain and if we don't pull it together, the fractures will be bloody and destructive.
we have got to provide the bridge back from bullshittery for anyone who wants to take it. it requires us to be incredibly patient, logical, compassionate and willing to listen without harsh judgement.
i will engage jehovahs witnesses at my door and hold lively conversation with them that generally ends with them excusing themselves to be somewhere else, but it is done with humanity and openness.
Q-anon people are much harder, but the main issue they seem to have deep down is no sense of belonging to anything mainstream. the world has rejected them. we have to allow them to see that there is a place for them out in the world and they don't need to cling to their medieval beliefs.
i want a world that speaks the same language of humanity and decency and i can think of no better way to achieve that than to model those behaviours myself.
if this sounds utopian, it is. i can't possibly live up to my claimed standards. i am as dreadful as the next person, but i always have clear in my mind who i want to be.
i'm not sure any of this makes sense, but in the end, i feel we are in an existential struggle to preserve some kind of community and culture and we had better bring our A game to it or we will end up back in very dark times.
I'd argue we're already in those dark times. I admire you stance of trying to engage without anger. It's hard. Somehow, we have to gently talk people back into sanity. And just gently package these crazy ideas and explain them back. Just the fact Jamie Lee Ross is involved with Billy TK now: I think just raising Jamie Lee Ross with people can be powerful. Dude is objectively problematic. Pointing these little things out in a conversation can help, I think. Ask people if they really think an international assassin was let in NZ to kill Billy TK. It's all madness, and I think if we just talk it out with these people, there is some pushing through.
Maybe.
If you're the type of person who enjoys podcasts, I *highly* recommend the podcast, "You're Wrong About." It's hosted by two journalists who have set out to debunk commonly held beliefs about various topics/events/people. They have an episode about human trafficking misconceptions, and the moral panic surrounding human trafficking, and it's incredibly interesting and enlightening. Turns out, everything we think we know about what human trafficking is and how it happens is wrong. Even the statistics are misleading and/or are being used to mislead.
https://frontpageconfidential.com/youre-wrong-about-podcast-takes-aim-at-human-trafficking/
On a more personal note, last Sunday I went to a hobby store to look for cord to teach myself how to make cool macramé things, only to find the store was closed. Instead, what I came across was a group of protesters (none wearing masks) standing in front of the closed storefront, holding signs. As I got closer, they started yelling in my direction, and I decided to humor them. I listened to their spiel, and they even let me take photos of their signs, which I'll share with you here: https://imgur.com/a/QHpxiXX
I was in shock listening to them tell me about how Disney hides symbols for pedophilia in their films, about how Hollywood is the biggest consumer of human trafficking in the world, etc. I knew the QAnon people existed, but I didn't think they were in *my* city. But they are, and they're out there preying on innocent people who just want some macramé-making supplies on a nice Sunday afternoon.
Oof. Thanks for the photo. They appear to love having their photo taken! Those hashtags. Yikes.
I love with all these theories about their obsession with things being hidden in plain site. Like... why. It just makes no fucking sense at all. Infuriating! But again, it's them seeing the world as a "game" with "clues" everywhere. Which really, really isn't how the world works.
Anyway... you know this.
Thanks for the podcast recommend. Giant listener, hadn't heard of this one. Will give it a go.
Yes, they were absolutely psyched that I was humoring them, and seemed to be totally oblivious to my actual disposition. When I asked them if I could take photos of their signs "to share around," they were over the moon!
Right, this hidden in plain sight idea is totally wild. That's one of the first things that struck me about Wayfair Gate: the absolutely bananas concept of human traffickers using the real names of the victims, and putting them up on the internet for everyone to see. You'd think they would *at least* be using the dark web. But everybody wants to be an internet sleuth!
Anyway, I saw on your Twitter that you shared my photos -- thanks for that! I'm glad that you're using your platform to dispel some of this nonsense, much to the chagrin of some (what seems to be the vast minority) of your followers!
I think you'll really enjoy You're Wrong About, they cover a variety of topics that are often both dark and enlightening in a very compelling way.
You're Wrong About is fantastic, so well researched and such important work.
Sold.
Oooh, I know I just wrote this, but You're Wrong About literally *just* posted a new episode today on Wayfair and human trafficking statistics!
That podcast is great!
Why would you "humor yourself" on what others truly believe? You talk about them like they are so insane for caring about kids. I'm not a Q follower but you sound worse than them. "Preying on you"? You could've kept walking but YOU decided to stop, "humor them" take photos so you can come mock them actually. And you call yourself "innocent"? Patronizing them by pretending to be interested? And you are the innocent being preyed on? I'm not sure why you think so highly of yourself but you need to come down from your high horse. They didn't need you. I promise they aren't talking about you today. Sounds like you need a life other than mocking people and thinking your photos was their highlight. You are one tiny human in this great big world. Maybe you need to recognize that you obviously are so lame that you need them to give you something to talk about. 🤷🏽♀️
They were protesting in a public place and were happy for their photos to be taken.
I think Mikaela was incredibly kind in all this - measured, and certainly nothing she said above was cruel in any way.
Certainly very different to the way you are talking in your comments.
And assuming you read my piece, I hope you understand why the message they are sending is dangerous.
Deep breaths, Lucy.
Thank you for focusing so much on conspiracy theories, and the dangers of being sucked into them. I found your interview with Travis to be brutally realistic, but also hopeful and enlightening. As an American, I’m more than alarmed when the current occupant of the White House is retweeting QAnon bullshit on a daily basis. Please keep writing about them - sunlight has always been the best disinfectant.
The fact the commander in chief is into this stuff is just... beyond. Thanks for the kind words. I will keep on wading through this mess and trying to write about it in a way that breaks apart the bs, just a little.
Hope it's okay if I put a link to my write-up on why *trump himself* shares QAnon memes.
It's to take the heat off himself.
https://lettersofthetimes.substack.com/p/pizzagateqanon-conspiracy-protects
Thank you, Clara.
Social media is terrible and yet, just this morning I read a fantastic Twitter (I know, social media is a double edged sword) thread (it's on @catvalente 's timeline) about why conspiracy theories resonate with folks. She was a camp counselor and she told the kids under her care that the scars on her legs were the result of a shark attack, this came in useful when the kids were acting up as she would tell them additional stories about the attack provided they behaved themselves. When the camp season was over she told them the truth, that the scars were not from a shark attack, she had run through a plate glass door when she was ten. The children felt betrayed (as they should) and then asked for another shark attack story.
Catheryne's words: "In the end they liked the lie and wanted more of it because it spoke of a larger, dangerous, exciting world. They were willing to give up their anger & the moral high ground for more.
And when I see people preaching Q*non out there, I think about the shark that never bit me."
QAnon is the shark that never bit anyone but it's intersection with a bored and anxious populace that all secretly want to be superheroes is causing it to metastasize into something bigger and more dangerous.
Great example. Thanks for sharing. People do like locking on to a simple, exciting story. It's easier to understand. Unfortunately, not great when dealing with reality / truth of the world we live in, huh.
I loved this interview with Travis and honestly, this bit had me gagged:
"Every single true believing QAnon follower lacks the mental strength required to face the randomness and cruelty that are an inescapable part of being alive. Latching onto QAnon is an expression of weakness and a lack of self control"
THAT'S THE TEA and I'm very much here for it!
He hit it on the head, didn't he? He spends so much time burrowing through this stuff it amazes me. And he's right - these people meet, like each other, believe each other - and on it goes. Sigh.
Another well-timed distraction from the fact that 150,000+ Americans have died in 6 months from a disease their dear leader has all but ignored & denied. His answer? "It is what it is." Yeah, that's the tone of someone who cares about children alright. Can't send them out the door to their potential deaths at school fast enough.
That's not even getting into the unmarked police vans kidnapping people in Portland, his multi-billion dollar bailout of corporations while letting the working class starve, etc. These little bursts of activism from the right wing are not mere conspiracies dropped by a random weirdo; they're coordinated & timed for maximum effect.
And no, my saying that does not imply support for Biden or the Democrats. It's common sense. All these moral panics are designed to do what the Wikileaks leaks did in 2016: drive votes to a stupid political party during an election year. It's offensive to actual survivors because it's as if the REAL problem of child trafficking & sexual abuse isn't entertaining enough for them. They have to add mysterious, supernatural elements to hold their attention. It's Satanic Panic 2.0.
Whatever you do, don't Google "frazzledrip" unless you want to laugh your ass off at the absurdity.
I know this is completely unrelated, but why do Qanon people often use Nordic mythology? As someone born and raised in Scandinavia I’m forced to assume your man mentioning Valhalla is a conservative American who did a “MyHeritage” test and got back that he was 7% Nordic
Yeah - some really smart commentary here. And yes - it's all tied in with horrible racist shit. The man involved in the Christchurch terror attacks was steeped in this kind of talk:
"The man alleged to have killed 50 Muslim worshippers at two Christchurch mosques on March 15 appears to have dabbled in Odinist iconography.
On a message on a social media network, he wrote: "If I don't survive the attack, goodbye, god bless and I will see you all in Valhalla!"
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a hall of the dead, created by Odin for his most worthy warriors..."
(https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/111537465/group-interested-survival-ethnic-european-folk)
Q at its heart is a racist, deeply hateful nightmare. Which is why it's so alarming new people are being dragged into it via this "Save Our Children" stuff.
If it wasn't so awful it would be ironic. White dude kills muslim people, to get into martyr Valhalla, because he is mad that 0,00001% muslim dudes kill people to get into martyr Jannah.
I'm frustrated that a part of "my" country's embarrassing history is suddenly being glorified by white supremacists and other homophobic/sexist/etc knobheads, but not even a little surprised.
I think it's just the white supremacist thing flooding into qanon looking to recruit since big sections are big on ultra Christianity and and traditional stuff.
Its a fair question, and something David might have looked at closer than I have. I think its the closest mythological association they to ascending to glory as a warrior of the truth where Valhalla is the place in Norse mythology heroes slain in battle are received and showered in glory. Essentially they are “warriors of God” in conservative America but without the far right religious association to try and reach a wider audience. Shockingly, its effective.
Ironic, that you are wearing a vikinghelmet in your photo ;) But yes, essentially I think you're right. It's odd isn't it. Having so little identity and so little history that comparing yourself to a group of people that murdered and raped, is a good thing?
I also think Americans are so desperate for any sense of identity, that they cling on to whatever they can find to reason with. For the same reasons there are so many devoted Irish-Americans, who claim to be more Irish than the Irish (I mean, how fucking American of them) and build their identity around it.
I could go on about this for a long time, I won't bore you with it, but it is interesting how a devoted Christian far-right conspiracy group has such a big interest in people, who lived over a thousand years ago, and are mainly known for raping and murdering 😌😌😌
This whole child trafficking theory reminds me in part of the whole ‘Monster rapist hiding in the bushes’ narrative, when in fact most rapists are people we know, and sometimes trust. Most children are trafficked by people they know/relatives, this is a hard to accept reality, when we would prefer to believe in the boogie man.
On a side note, remember the whole Satanic Panic phase? Innocent people went to jail, and that was in the pre internet era. Imagine the mess that would have caused if people were online then.
Yeah, social media certainly speeds these panics up. The Satanic Panic thing was so huge, wasn't it. There's an amazing book about how this factored into a really terrible case here in New Zealand (coincidentally involving allegations of pedophilia): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3510089-a-city-possessed
Amazingly well researched book.
I remember the Civic Crèche Case well, as I’d just extricated myself from the clutches of a happy clappy church. They told me my panic attacks were demonic possession. That really didn’t help my anxiety.
I love your journalism immensely, David. I have been complaining about this #SavetheChildren conspiracy nonsense to a friend since the Wayfair debacle but I have felt like I have had to keep my discussion with that friend private to avoid being labeled as a pedophile-sympathiser.
Your writing is EXACTLY what I think people need to read about this topic.
Thanks Joel. It's my hope things like this get forwarded on a little, and perhaps gives people some tools / conversation starters when they are presented with this stuff. Cheers for the support.
Hi David, thanks so much for this piece and all your others. I look forward to reading your email every day. It feels like you bring back a degree of sanity in a sea of nonsense. I repeatedly find myself agreeing with you word-for-word and thinking that I could not have said it better myself (well that's certainly a fact). So many times you have articulated and crystallised the thoughts I have had but have not been able to coherently put them together. Please know that what you do is so immensely valuable. I was also very impressed with the thoughts from Travis. Made me stop and think and question the anger that arises when hearing some of these conspiracy theorists. His approach is so much more helpful. Keep up the excellent work and keep seeking out people like Travis who bring hope to what often feels hopeless. Coming from a science background, this sentence particularly resonated with me: "Even setting aside the virtue of truth seeking, I think there is a lot of joy and relief that comes with empirical and critical thinking".
Cheers Graham. I do feel bogged down in this stuff sometimes so it's nice to get this response. And honestly, even just reading the general discussion that goes on under these posts gives me hope. It's sane, it's polite, it's smart. I find myself learning more, too. Thanks for the support.
Well said, Graham! :]
Great read! Thanks David, and team Webworm you’re an oasis of sanity.
Thanks JJ. Trying. Team Webworm is just me, but maybe one day I will be able to expand and get some other beautiful humans writing. I feel really good about the community here. And want to serve it well. Many kudos and thanks!
I was kind of including the little community of subscribers in the “team” too, but of course I understand this is all your own work and it’s much appreciated believe me!
That is a definition of team that I like!
Echoing some others in the comments: It would be cool to see you try out a podcast on Substack just to see if you enjoy turning some of these interviews and conspiracy theory debunking into another product. Even if it ends up being a bother in the end, it might be cool to try and hear from some of these experts in a longer format. Loving the work you're doing, and the way it feels like a dispatch from a friend who has gone down all the internet holes.
Thanks Haley. I really am thinking about this one a lot, especially after talking to Steven Adams and Travis View etc. Noted!
Oh, and can't forget that Trumpf wished an actual convicted child trafficker "well" on public TV recently. Methinks that has the most to do with this particular conspiracy. There's no defending that with actual facts or reason--they have to create fanciful stories to deflect. Pathetic.
Agreed - I think that statement he made about Maxwell said it *all*
Also, side note, it's really frustrating to be a smart person who reads up on stuff/can identify the B.S. while a lot of other people just don't have common sense/believe whatever they read on Facebook/Twitter. I feel like Facebook is especially bad with weeding out fake articles/conspiracy related stuff. Anyway, I'll quit rambling. Have a nice week, David and Webworm World!
Facebook is the worst of them all. Zuckerberg gives zero fucks. It's utter trash. It's rotting people's brains. Also - thanks. You have a good week, too. :)
The first and only thing you’ve said I agree with. I guess when you’ve had 8 years invested into this instead of just stepping in at 2019 we can talk more. You’ll regret writing this article before too long. Because you seem intelligent and intelligent people hate to be wrong
(Brandon is banned for racist comments regarding BML in another thread)
I know smart people who follow this shit. It's more driven by their world view and mistrust of general humanity.
Yeah, fear is a big motivator to step into stupidity too, eh.
When people with no interest in conspiracies knows what qanon is I wonder how saturated society is with it.
Ive seen loads of them discussing qanon stuff to people not into it without mentioning it (pre-bans) and I think that's much worse. That it's being spread so quickly in wellness circles really freaks me out. They're already primed for no-proof stuff and they know how to market hard.
Wellness is FULLY entrenched in to this stuff, huh. I suppose they are people looking for easy answers, in a way. Ways to understand the world and make themselves feel better. I was developing a series idea our the wellness industry in LA which is just so fully of wild people - and just gets so, so cult like. You've reminded me to dust of that notebook again....
Please do!
I would read or watch anything about garden variety gurus - sorry i mean 'lifestyle coaches'. They freak me right out but i can't look away.
I can't remember if you were the one that spoke about tesla plates/tags/stickers? Absolutely incredible merchandise. Amazing what a spray painted bit of metal can't do!