#unmaskthetruth

I have a friend named Don who is a Pharmacist in BC. He and I met through rugby, when his son played for me on Team Ontario. We have what I would deem is a casual friendship because we haven't been afforded the opportunity to spend quality time enhancing it ... read that as multiple beers on a deck or dock ... but it has featured the two of us penning thoughts to share with our friends. I feel that his posts are far better researched, well worded, and contemplative than mine. I look forward to reading them each day because his thoughts, and the articles he uses to support his assertions, reveal his thoughtful, honest and unbiased opinions. Refreshingly, he tells you when he is being biased.

He recently pointed the way toward an article written about QAnon followers and what author Amanda Marcotte promotes as, "Falsely attributing QAnon and other conspiracy theories to poor education has the potential to reinforce ugly, and often unfair, stereotypes of Democrats as a "liberal elite" that looks down its nose at ordinary Americans and even the working class." Interesting! Especially considering my biases based on limited understanding of this group.

Since watching the insanity that was the capital insurrection infused by QAnon vitriol, I have struggled mightily with the volcanic rise in publicly-voiced support of conspiracy theories purported by QAnon and their like. The previously mentioned article steers the discussion toward what it purports is a "lack of common sense" as the source that fuels such widespread support. I really can't say that I disagree with that notion, but Brian F Kelsey (@stateofthecity) Tweets a much better way to say it with, "It's not a war AGAINST reason; reason is simply being bypassed and outflanked. It is an affirmative war FOR stupidism, with the active, positive promotion of stupidity as a coherent governing ideology & a virtuous social lifestyle."

In a similar vein, Canadian news show W5 recently aired an episode (CLICK) titled Consumed by conspiracy: How so many fall down the rabbit hole examining the QAnon phenomenon. The article associated with the 3 episodes states, "... the term conspiracy has taken on new meaning in the age of social media. Despite what certain videos on YouTube and posts on Facebook would have you believe, there are not any mind-controlling nanomachines planted in the COVID-19 vaccine and no, Hollywood celebrities aren’t eating babies. These are all theories the conspiracy group QAnon pushes. Theories that legions of online followers accept as fact." 

Sitting in my recliner, in this day and age, at my present mental capacity, I am bewildered that any individual, devoid of mental illness or diminished mental faculty, could listen/read these postulations and determine they are based in sane, sound thinking. Later in the W5 article, it asserts, "There are no stereotypes. Education plays no role and neither does a person’s IQ. What most have in common, though, is the belief the world is made of villains and persecuted victims; they see themselves as the latter. Conspiracy theories fuel their sense of outrage and betrayal and give them a scapegoat for their grievances." As previously stated, there are 3 parts to the broadcast and there are links to the different parts on the web page referenced above.

Such are the times we live right now. Social Media has provided the misinformers with a tailor-made vehicle for disseminating a wide array of half truths, warped realities, and outright lies. I can partially relate to the notion of persecuted victims though, in that Joyce and I often discuss those very sentiments as we meander our way around Simcoe County on our daily outings. Maybe using the term victims isn't quite right ... we don't have a pervasive sense of dread ... but the confusion created by so much craziness happening, usually the whim of supposedly intelligent people who others have pledged allegiance to, is enough to make us question many of the mainstream media reports.

I'll be the first one to admit that I have fallen prey to the polished, sophisticated offerings of some misinformists, especially those that use the uncertainty of these times in attempt to steer the confused masses down a particular pathway while promoting a hidden agenda. Thankfully, as these times occur and I vet the truth, I become increasingly wary when confronted with troubling or perplexing articles/videos. 

In the end, being stung once truly does make me twice shy!
As the hashtag implores, #unmaskthetruth