Former QAnon believer says following the conspiracy "was absolutely a drug"

[DonViejo]

BY JAKE ROSEN

FEBRUARY 12, 2021 / 7:45 AM / CBS NEWS

In 2017, after becoming enthralled with American politics while studying in the U.S., Australian Jitarth Jadeja fell under the influence of QAnon, a debunked and harmful online conspiracy theory. Jadeja said he was drawn into the web of its conspiracies when he started following fringe media figures like Alex Jones; online message boards like 4chan and 8chan further radicalized him.

"[QAnon is] just such a good story, you know, like this insider leaking secret government information," Jadeja told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett in this week's episode of "The Takeout" podcas

QAnon supporters vary in their beliefs, but the general conspiracy alleges former president Donald Trump is key to stopping a ring of Satan-worshipping pedophiles who run a child sex-trafficking operation. It centers around anonymous message board posts by "Q" — allegedly a government employee with a top-secret security clearance — and it ties in conspiracies involving President John F. Kennedy's assassination, school shootings, "Pizzagate" and the Mueller Report. And QAnon helped propagate former President Trump's so-called "Big Lie" — that the 2020 election was stolen from Mr. Trump.

Jadeja was a believer for two years, but has since disavowed the cult. He now moderates online forums for former QAnon supporters in search of help for themselves or loved ones who have become followers.

"It was absolutely a drug," Jadeja said of QAnon. "It just spirals out of control from there because like any drug, you need a bigger and bigger hit to get that high — which is why you need a bigger, more grandiose conspiracy theory."

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/qanon-conspiracy-believer-drug/

[msfiddlestix]

1. right. trying to squirm out of his own responsibility for the courts begging for leniency

[C_U_L8R]

2. Like sniffing glue

For people too dumb to figure out how to sniff glue.

[Boomerproud]

3. Why should I have empathy for someone with a sad, empty

life who made bad choices. Go away all of you idiots who can't contribute something positive to the world.