'This Crap Means More to Him Than My Life': When QAnon Invades American Homes

[DemocratSinceBirth]

For months, Emily has been married to a ghost. The trouble began last summer, when her husband Peter, the man who once showered her with affection and doted on their kids, started to spend all of his free time online, watching videos and reading message boards. He skipped the family activities they had once enjoyed, like watching football and playing outdoor sports. The couple, she recalled, stopped laughing together; everything suddenly turned serious with him. The pandemic had forced Peter to work from home, but it didn’t feel like he was there.

Before long, there were further turns. Peter started saying things that bordered on “bigoted and xenophobic,” Emily told me. Most shocking to her, Peter made her feel like an enemy for disagreeing with him. When she pushed back on his new strange ideas, like Tom Hanks being a pedophile, he answered her with disdain and treated her as if she were stupid.

“I was told that I buried my head in the sand and couldn’t see the ‘real’ problems,” said Emily, who shared her story under the condition of anonymity because she fears Peter’s retaliation and feels disloyal for speaking up. (Emily and Peter are not their real names.) Sometimes he undermined her this way in front of their kids.


Emily knew her husband was wrapped up in something called “QAnon.” She had heard the term before—Peter, prior to his conversion, had once dismissed it as “nuts”—but she didn’t fully grasp what QAnon was until early October, when she watched a few of the videos Peter kept talking about. That was when she learned that her husband had been consumed by a complex and false conspiracy theory that accuses “deep state elites” of running a secret pedophile ring. By then, it was too late to pull him out.
...

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/02/19/qanon-conspiracy-theory-family-members-reddit-forum-469485

[UpInArms]

1. A national tragedy

Am certain Putin is rejoicing

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. Do you think the QAnon Shaman dresses like that to work?

[TNNurse]

11. Does he work????

Lives with mama, understood he was unemployed.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

39. Imagine bringing the QAnon Shaman home to meet the parents.

[TNNurse]

42. Imagine thinking there is anything appealing about him.

Under all that crap, he might be an attractive man, but it looks well hidden.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

43. If you look at the photo even his fellow insurrectionists think he's strange.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Wow, and he looks like such a catch any woman would love being with...

(Did I really need that? )

[Buns_of_Fire]

12. QBacca isn't her husband. He's still available, ladies! (In 10-to-20 years, anyway.)

And best of all -- he's organic!!!

(Now, now, there's plenty of him for everyone -- don't push!)

[not fooled]

26. Hahahahahahahahaha

So many jokes, crammed into a single post. Well done.

[Buns_of_Fire]

27. Thank you. My contract lets me do that once a year or so.

So that'll probably be it for the rest of the year. Shame it's only February. Premature jocularity, I guess.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

30. You're not suggesting his choice of couture makes it hard for him to find dates.

[lunasun]

4. rec-good read + mentions causalities forum which shows how bad it gets for many unfortunately

On r/QAnonCasualties forum, most of the post titles reflect the pain of the people behind them. “A little funny, a lot sad. Bye, dad,” “My mother kicked me out for calling Trump racist” and “Way worse than I thought” are all anecdotes of people failing to get through to their loved ones.

In late October, user acidalice posted “Another family wrecked...” and wrote about her partner of two decades. “He’s gone from the kindest, chilled man to constant anger and major depression. I’m at a loss, not so easy to walk away either - been together 20 years, married 14, 2 kids under 10, mortgage.”

[PatSeg]

45. Excellent, though disturbing article

So many heartbreaking stories.

[brush]

5. Q

Limbaugh/24/7 hate radio, FOX and PNAC, all in the '90s, led ultimately to a re-flowering of alt-right/white supremacy BS, trump and then QAnon, which considers him its central figure?

All of these entities and phenomena seem to share policies of white grievance, victimization and loss of status, jobs and opportunities which for generations were all but guaranteed to whites. This certainly seems possible as in all the images of Q-idiots one never sees Blacks or other POCs.

What's up with that? And is it mostly working-class whites, or are there some affluent whites believing this crap? And why, why are they vulnerable to these outrageous fantasies? I don't get it. Even though they feel their grievances are real, why the hell don't they know white privilege still exists in this society and is to their advantage?

This movement is gaining followers even and is just nuts. I hope the denouement of trump and him being revealed to be nothing but a sore loser will lead to a similar fate for this idiocy.

[handmade34]

6. please don't forget

Newt Gingrich...

all these people could have just as easily used their energy to work for the good of the whole... instead they all play the 'zero sum game' and that certainly isn't what life is (should be) about

[brush]

10. You're absolutely rignt. He was part of the Project for the New American Century.

He was one of the leading proponents of the PNAC.

[Turin_C3PO]

13. A study I saw on Qanon

seemed to suggest that the people in deep for Qanon are college educated, for the most part. Study said that working class tend to be exposed to the theory less.

[brush]

14. Really? From all the photos and videos from the insurrection...

those in Q-idiot garb seemed to be more working-class than college educated. But who knows, images can be deceptive.

[Turin_C3PO]

18. It was posted here, I believe.

I’ll try and dig up the article.

[Turin_C3PO]

19. Here's the article.

https://www.salon.com/2021/02/04/dont-blame-a-lack-of-education--qanon-proves-privileged-white-people-are-losing-their-minds-too/

[brush]

24. Thanks. I see what you mean. That makes the movement even more...

puzzling. I mean college-educated republicans believing Democrats are deep state, blood drinking, baby eating pedophiles is hard even to write. I know republicans are generally wired differently than Democrats, but, God...

[Hekate]

34. People at the 1/6 Insurrection dressed for the weather & activity, which gave them a similar look...

I think that and the rage behavior may have led to some mistaken notions about class. I mean for gods’ sake, there were a bunch of real estate agents who showed up. The initial arrests were very educational for me in that regard — a lot of people with white collar jobs got sucked into the vortex.

[Withywindle]

49. A lot of that redneck aesthetic fashion is really expensive

These are people who drive pickup trucks that cost $40,000.

All that military LARP gear, the armor and whatnot, hella pricy. These aren't poor people buying this stuff.

[uponit7771]

38. +1, Looks like white grievance is a another form of injustice collecting

[CaptainTruth]

7. QAnon is just one step away from the GOP.

A world view based on lies & fear/hatred of "others" who are demonized by believers.

[Caliman73]

28. I don't think that this gets said enough.

People talk about "sane" Republicans but the reality is that Republican ideology is based on conservative thought and conservative thought is based on the idea that people are inherently unequal and that a hierarchy exists "naturally" that should be maintained.

That hierarchy is based on gender, skin color, wealth, and often religion (though it is more a tool than a required feature). Conservatives rely on fear of chaos, fear of "others" taking what rightfully belongs to you, fear of violence, etc...

If left unchecked, Conservatism will eventually lead to authoritarian leaders like Trump, and to conspiracy theories like Q-Anon.

[brush]

46. Well said. I totally agree.

[Jon King]

8. My best 2 friends are lost....

Knew one since we were kids, so been buds for over 40 years, the other have known for almost 30 years. One went full Trump 5 years ago. The other I thought was okay until every text was suddenly about BLM and other conspiracy nonsense.

These guys were good guys for their entire lives until this convergence of Trump, Qanon, and pandemic took them out. The perfect storm took folks who could have stayed sane and drove them into madness.

[KT2000]

9. Our Nextdoor has turned into

a Qanon megaphone. They will post something insane and fellow Q people chime in with more crazy. They are in the know. If this does not get fixed, we are done as a country because there is no reasoning with them.

[BobTheSubgenius]

15. It's a slightly milder version of the Rage virus.

It takes a little more to wind them up than the victims of the virus in 28 Days Later, but they edge up to that when in large groups.

[oldsoftie]

16. I find it hard to believe that the govt cannot find out WHO "Q" really is.

And if it becomes known, I think everyone will be in for a surprise. I've long thought it is someone or a few people who are actually trolling the Trumpists. Because NOTHING major Q has predicted has ever come through. Wouldnt be surprised if it turns out to be someone like these guys, who are actually liberals, who make these fake news sites & troll the RWers to get them to repost ridiculous fake shit. All the while making money off each click. 60 Minutes even did a story on them.

[leftstreet]

22. Why would they do that?

It helps feed narratives that keep media getting clicks, and it keeps us peasants 'divided'

[brush]

47. Yes, and it contributed to the Jan. 6 insurrection so I doubt also...

any liberals would be involved.

[Glorfindel]

23. It's no mystery who "Q" is...

[oldsoftie]

29. Dammit I was expecting a revelation!!!

[JohnnyRingo]

17. Long but very interesting read

Offers great insight to what it's like when a loved one falls into the conspiracy pit.

I recommend it. Thanx for posting!

[Woodwizard]

20. I have been following the sub reddit Qanaon causalities for months

Incredible stuff, I know a few Qnuts but none are family or close friends.

[Major Nikon]

21. If you want to know just how deep the rabbit hole goes...

I had a co-worker tell me with a straight face he witnessed Tom Hanks being arrested at the Van Nuys airport 2 years ago and that Trump had him secretly executed and replaced with a body double.

From time to time you get reminders of just how many people manage to live and function on the lunatic fringe.

[Talitha]

25. My 73 year old brother, a retired teacher with 2 Masters degrees,

STILL believes President Obama wasn't born in the United States.

The stupid truly does run deep in some people.

[uponit7771]

40. Even after the verified birth certificate?! He might be guarding his mind

[Talitha]

44. No he's not losing his mind, he's still sharp as a tack.

He's always been an overbearing, bossy smart ass - which is why he fits right in with the Repugs and his FOX-addicted 'Karen' wife. I haven't talked to him since he said "Wow, they really brainwashed you!"

Makes me wonder how much of the orange kool-aid he chugged.

[Warpy]

31. That's one of the saddest articles I've ever read.

It should be a national priority to find out who is and has been behind this bullshit.

My guess is that it was started by some overgrown middle aged punk who wants to see the world burn because he never got his pony. I'm sure it's spread out from there.

[SoonerPride]

32. My money would be on Russia

This is sophisticated psy-ops warfare against the American people.

The government should find the source and eradicate it.

[BeerBarrelPolka]

37. It make sense

First in the 2016 election, Russia convinced many Americans of all sorts of stuff for them to vote for Trump. To this day, basically none of them admit to being duped by Russia. Then to continue, they create Qanon to feed them even more lies and keep the con going.

[uponit7771]

41. +1, the MAGA Media network is a big time encouraging this shit too!!!

[Demovictory9]

33. sounds like scientology regarding its impact on marriages and relationships

[Demovictory9]

35. direct link to the QanonCasualites reddit thread... heart breaking

https://www.reddit.com/r/QAnonCasualties/

Marriage in process of destruction
although my spouse is not strictly q, she is very close in ideology. Nearly 20 years of marriage means little. For years we were close to agreement on nearly all topics. Then came trump.

I have a science backround and read carefully. I pointed out factual discrepancies to her daily until I was told "I can't talk to you" , "when did you become left wing?", "I'm a patriot". Anything bad that happens, becomes antifa's fault.

She's been a health care provider for 30 years, but now says she will never get the covid vaccine.

I just can't understand how this happens. It's like dealing with a drug addict.

I have never posted on any sort of forum like this before, but

I feel hopeless.

[Demovictory9]

36. heartbreaking story #2: "It started with the constant drone of Fox News in my parents house"

https://www.reddit.com/r/QAnonCasualties/comments/lnppat/i_just_didnt_know_how_common_this_was/

I just didn't know how common this was

It started with the constant drone of Fox News in my (34M) parents house anytime my wife and I were over. As time went on, my father slipped more and more into his iPad. It became nothing but a Facebook machine, the holding place for the echo chamber. Content systematically delivered to find into the fringe things he started digging into.

He's from a generation where the news was more trusted. Where not everything was a blatant opinion piece, doling out strictly partisan politics and us versus them ideologies.

As the 2016 election went on, he already was a pro Trump guy because... Well, his reasons were copy pasted from news sources. Crooked Hillary. Benghazi. She's a career politician and he's a billionaire business man.

Then he started pandering Sandy Hook conspiracies and I thought this guy is really going over the edge.

I remember the day he casually said, "One of the pages I follow on Facebook, this Q Anon person said...."

And I'm in my 30s, grew up on the internet and yeah even 4chan. I knew what it was. God, wasn't it obvious trolling and incitement? Wasn't it so clearly just bullshit?

I don't support either party. Nothing but crooks, too much money in politics. Class division is the true unfought fight in our world.

I tried to temper him, reading him Trump quotes out of context and watching his brain short circuit when I said, "That was Trump who said windmills cause cancer." He would huff off, knowing the jig was up but too much at battle with cognitive dissonance.

It got to the point where all he did was respond with Q talking points and corporate for-profit news bullshit. I could predict what he would say, because it was all that predictable and just utterly programmed.

I tried to tell him this and he told me I was brainwashed. Just like when I said I wasn't for Trump, he put it on me that I must have been for Hillary. He couldn't compute that I don't support any of this type of garbage. I watched him fall apart from a good man with a sharp mind into just another parroting qultist.

He started treating my wife poorly, despite her having no such interactions. She was guilty by association. In July 2019, my wife asked him to walk her down the aisle at our wedding, because her parents are not with us. We mutually cried and he accepted.

In August, he lost it. Told me I was brainwashed. Started treating her like shit. I told him we were done and that he would have to come before me like Christ himself to apologize to my wife for ruining our family and our wedding.

Nothing. We were pregnant at that time, and he didn't know. I shared the news months later. Nothing.

Our daughter turns 1 year old this weekend. I have not seen or heard from him since August of 2019. My parents, both alive and well, were not there for the birth of my daughter. They won't be there for her first birthday. They're nearing 70 and both smokers, so I don't know if I will ever see them again.

Maybe like others, I was foolishly hopeful that the election cycle would shake a lot of this off. But the truth is, we've been calling them cultists and the election cycle doesn't effect that. I have no doubt he would have traveled to DC on Jan 6 if he was physically able. I have no doubt he thinks Trump will just reappear in the Oval Office in March like these people are saying now.

I often say that the people in our lives will show us who we want to be.... And others will show us who we must not become. My only solace is the standards I have as a father and husband are informed by this.

Just another story, same as so many. Thanks for providing a place I could write it down.

I am here to support anyone going through this.

Edit: I want to thank everyone for their compassion. It's a huge comfort to hear from you all. I'll try to be a more active and helpful participant in the community.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

48. K&R