Paranoia, racism: German killer drew on conspiracy tropes

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Paranoia, racism: German killer drew on conspiracy tropes

By LORI HINNANT and FRANK JORDANS
February 20, 2020

BERLIN (AP) — He mixed extreme paranoia about secret state surveillance with far-right conspiracy tropes, misogyny and racist vitriol.

The gunman who killed nine people in the Frankfurt suburb of Hanau left behind a 24-page rambling screed calling for the “complete extermination” of races he considered inferior; a video blending far-right diatribes, delusional musings and an infamous quote by Adolf Hitler; and an English-language video statement that echoes themes of child sacrifices and disdain for mainstream media found in the QAnon conspiracy theory.

-snip-

Identified as Tobias Rathjen, the gunman made no direct references to QAnon, far-right memes or other deadly attacks and their notorious perpetrators such as the killer in Christchurch or the gunman in the German city of Halle who killed two people outside a synagogue on Yom Kippur in October.

Germany’s federal prosecutor, Peter Frank, described the rant as stocked with “confused ideas and far-fetched conspiracy theories.” It was last modified on Jan. 22 and offered no indication he was planning an attack, according to Rita Katz of the SITE Intelligence Group. The English-language video was completed on Feb. 13, she said.

Despite his incoherence, the 43-year-old tapped into an increasingly widespread vein of conspiracy theories originating in the United States, including many by QAnon, and woven into other specifically German themes.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/22f46b2de06ebe04c59e0e9bff87850e

[gay texan]

1. I suppose the question has to be asked

.. and i don't mean to hijack this thread by any means, but how does one fall into the trap of believing this shit?

I've been an avid shortwave radio listener since i was a little kid. I watched a cool medium turn into a hangout for cranks, religious crackpots, and conspiracy peddlers.

In my 47 years of existence, i don't get how one falls prey to this. Is it because their life is so bad they are looking for someone to blame?

[Archae]

3. It can be from that.

It can also be from someone who has a decent life, but sees "the Other" or hears or reads about "the Other," the nameless, faceless people who want to take away their kids, their guns, their jobs, etc.

"The Jews" (My Father hated Jews his whole life)

"The Illuminati"

"The Illegals"

"The Deep State"

"The Masons"

"The Papists"

And so on, all imaginary, but fervently believed in.

[Blue_Tires]

2. How many more will there be??