It seems kind of a double edged sword. It appears to have made scientology something of a laughing stock. It has allowed its absurd “secret knowledge” that use to take years of devotion, and tons of money, to be let in on, to become something that’s widely known. South Park had a hand in that too, I suppose. It seems to have hurt the Westboro Baptist church too, with younger members discovering the outside world and other ways of thinking. I’m not sure how it effects the more main stream Christian televangelist. It can quickly call them out if they get caught at something, but I’m not sure if, on the whole, it’s good for recruitment. The internet allowed Qanon to spread like wild fire, that’s for sure.
Any thoughts?
Double edge sword is right.
I find the internet interesting, entertaining, educational…and yes, sometimes “out there”. I don’t accept the claims on the internet anymore than I would a person “face to face” - so does anonymity creates a layer which can allow more honesty or deceptiveness or just plain old privacy concerns.
As far as conspiracy and those forms of ideas they existed long before the internet. “Secret societies” born out of intolerant societies, some which faded into oblivion. And the internet has afforded us exposure to lifting the veil of coverups and illegalities (which is part of the conspiracy definition).
This was born out of a voiceless middle class of blue-collar works, people by-and-large displaced or on the way to displacement because of globalization and technological advances in all areas. A scared group that has society moving too fast and a fear of what is being “lost”.
Regardless of the ridiculous unevidenced claims, cloak and dagger, unfulfilled promises and such offered up by Q…the reader or follower of this is, IMO, wanting some semblance of control over what they feel is overtaking their lives. Change.
Ever have the work environment change? New processes or policy? Humans by and large are highly resistant to changes, but accepting of it once it’s there.
That kind of reaction doesn’t need the Internet to drive it. Two hundred years ago we had Luddites smashing steam engines and mechanical looms, while the French saboteurs tried to stop machines by throwing wooden shoes (sabots) into them.
The danger is that fear is easily turned into power by those who know how to push the buttons, like Hitler and Mussolini. If mainstream politicians ignore the hopes and dreams and fears of the Archie Bunkers, someone else will exploit them.
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