Cult-Like Online Conspiracy Theory Groups

Dr. Janja Lalich explains the cult-like nature of many online conspiracy theory groups, how people get caught up in them, and what can be done to help those who have fallen into them. A Wired video.

Related:

“Why people believe Covid conspiracy theories: could folklore hold the answer?” Anna Leach and Miles Probyn, The Guardian

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Pro-Virus Protesters Infested DC Last Weekend

Thousands of disgruntled and unvaccinated citizens descended on Washington DC last Sunday to defend their right to infect fellow Amercans with the COVID-19 virus. Anti-vaccine protesters and other members of the pro-death movement included the usual quacks and wingnuts, but also their strange bedfellow Robert Kennedy Jr., who compared vaccine mandates to Dr. Mengeles’ experiments at Auschwitz.

The District of Columbia has vaccine and mask mandates for indoor dining, so naturally the wrathful anti-vax throngs took their anger out on DC’s restaurant waitstaff.

Update:

“RFK Jr. apologizes after condemnation for Anne Frank comment,” Michelle R. Smith, Associated Press

More:

“Thousands march on Washington, D.C., in rally against vaccine mandates,” Daniel Uria, UPI

“Anti-vaccine activists march in D.C. — a city that mandates coronavirus vaccination — to protest mandates,” Katie Mettler, Lizzie Johnson, Justin Wm. Moyer, et al., Washington Post

“Anti-Vaccine Mandate Rally Draws Misinformation, RFK Jr., and Comparisons to Nazi Germany,” Eli Weiner, Washington City Paper

“‘Defeat The Mandates’ Rally Against Covid-19 Precautions Held During Omicron Surge,” Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes

Related:

“5 Republican Politicians Freaking Out About DC’s Vaccine Mandates,” Jessica Sidman, Washingtonian

“Omicron Cases Appear to Peak in U.S., but Deaths Continue to Rise,” Mitch Smith, Julie Bosman and Tracey Tully, New York Times

“The Anti-vaccine Right Brought Human Sacrifice to America,” Kurt Andersen, The Atlantic

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Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Gaetz Ex-Girlfriend Talks to Federal Grand Jury

The ex-girlfiend of Florida Man and well-known congressional sleazebag Matt Gaetz (R, FL-1) testified to a federal grand jury investigating him on underage sex-trafficking and other charges. The young woman has been in talks for months with prosecutors about an immunity deal, NBC reports, hoping to avoid prosecution for obstruction of justice in return for testifying as to whether Gaetz paid a 17-year-old female for sex and violated a federal law prohibiting people for paying for prostitutes overseas. This testimony is seen as a sign that the grand jury is moving closer to indicting Trump idolator Gaetz.

More:

“Matt Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend testifies to grand jury in sex trafficking probe,” Marc Caputo, NBC News

Update:

“Matt Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend granted immunity before testifying in sex trafficking probe,” Michael Kaplan, CBS News

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Image (based on Gaetz podcast logo) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Rudy Lost His Law License

“Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor, has been suspended from practicing law in New York state for spreading lies about the election as a lawyer for former president Donald Trump.

In an order suspending Giuliani on Thursday, the appellate division of the New York Supreme Court that covers Manhattan wrote that it found ‘uncontroverted evidence’ that Giuliani ‘communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large’ to suggest that ‘victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client.’”

— “Rudy Giuliani Has Been Suspended From Practicing Law In New York”, Sarah Mimms, BuzzFeed News

More:

“Rudy Giuliani barred from practicing law in New York over election lies,” Sarah Betancourt, The Guardian

“Rudy Giuliani suspended from practicing law in New York,” Zachary Basu, Axios

“Americans Shocked to Learn That Giuliani Had Law License,” Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker

Updates:

“Rudy Giuliani Is Still a Member of the DC Bar,” Marisa M. Kashino, Washingtonian

“The Ruling Suspending Giuliani’s Law License Is Kind of Hilarious,” Jeremy Stahl, Slate

“Rudy Giuliani suspended from practicing law in D.C. court,” Rachel Weiner, Washington Post

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Sex-Scandalized Matt Gaetz to Meet with Women at Trump Resort

Scandal-plagued Matt Gaetz will emerge from hiding this weekend to address the Save America Summit, a gathering of Trump’s diehard female supporters, held at Trump National Doral Miami, probably because the ex-president needs the money. The event is produced by Women for America First, the ladies whose post-election bus tour and January 6th Save America Rally culminated in the mob assault on the U.S. Capitol, deaths, and hundreds of arrests.

Matt Gaetz at a women’s event boggles the mind, as he is under investigation by the Justice Department for transporting a 17-year-old woman across state lines for purposes of sex. Mr. Gaetz is also known for showing nude photos of his sexual conquests to colleagues on the floor of Congress and back when he was a Florida legislator. Matt Gaetz was the only “no” vote on the 2017 human trafficking bill, and opposed a Florida bill outlawing “revenge porn.” He’s making Donald Trump’s Access Hollywood escapade look like a women’s rights rally.

More:

“Amid federal probe, Matt Gaetz will speak to conservative women’s group at Trump golf course,” Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post

“Gaetz Will Speak At Trump Doral For Summit Hosted By Jan. 6 Rally Planners,” Matt Shuham, TalkingPointsMemo

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Image (“‘MAGA Maidens for Matt!’ hat”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Democrats Focus on Marjorie Taylor Greene like a ‘Jewish Space Laser’

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R, GA-14), the congresswoman from QAnon, has denied the reality of the Sandy Hook and Parkland school shootings, so naturally her fellow Republicans have put her on the House Education Committee. She also also thinks California’s wildfires were caused by secret Jewish space lasers, so maybe Republicans will put her on the Forestry Subcommittee, too. Democrats, appalled by this and her other conspiracy beliefs about 9/11 and international Zionist plots, and her rabid racism and Islamophobia, are calling for a vote to expell Ms. Taylor Greene from the House. This is milder treatment than the congresswoman has suggested for Democrats: execution.

Ms. Taylor Greene

More:

“Parents of Sandy Hook victims slam Taylor Greene’s appointment to Education Committee,” Lexi Lonas, The Hill

“GOP Congresswoman Blamed Wildfires on Secret Jewish Space Laser,” Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine

“How Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, promoter of QAnon’s baseless theories, rose with support from key Republicans,” Michael Kranish, Reis Thebault and Stephanie McCrummen, Washington Post

“The Republican establishment’s long dalliance with the conspiracist right,” Zack Beauchamp, Vox

“QAnon Fears That Greene’s Obsession with Jewish Space Lasers Is Distracting Her from Battling Baby-Eating Cannibals,’ Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker

Update:

“McConnell says ‘loony lies’ spread by Marjorie Taylor Greene are a ‘cancer’ on G.O.P.,” Catie Edmondson, New York Times

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Twitter’s Insurrection Night Massacre

After it became clear that Donald Trump had used Twitter to organize and incite the murderous mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, Twitter finally suspended his disinformation-spewing account permanently.

Twitter also disabled 70,000 QAnon-linked accounts used to propagate the conspiracy theories behind the MAGA Capitol insurrection. People those conspirators followed were unhappy.