Forwarded from Lord Of The Pepe (LOTP)
Advanced Grifting Tactics within QAnon (not to be confused with actual anons) and Similar Movements
Grifting within conspiracy theory circles, particularly QAnon, involves sophisticated tactics that exploit followers' emotions, fears, and desires for belonging and action. Here's a deeper dive into some of these tactics:
1. Emotional Manipulation
Fear Mongering: Grifters often amplify fear by predicting dire outcomes if their "warnings" are not heeded. This urgency can compel followers to donate money, buy merchandise, or engage in other supportive actions.
Hope and Salvation: On the flip side, they promise hope by suggesting that through their support, followers can be part of a grand victory over evil. This tactic taps into the human desire to be part of something meaningful or transformative.
2. Cult of Personality
Leadership Worship: Some grifters position themselves as unique interpreters of "Q drops" or other signs, creating a cult of personality. They might claim exclusive insights or direct communication with "Q" or other mythical figures, making themselves indispensable in the eyes of their followers.
Charismatic Engagement: Utilizing charisma through engaging content, personal stories, or direct interaction in livestreams, grifters can build a loyal following who see them not just as informers but as leaders in a spiritual or ideological battle.
3. Financial Exploitation
Crowdfunding and Donations: Platforms like GoFundMe, PayPal, or even cryptocurrency have been used to solicit funds for "research," legal battles, or to fund "projects" that are never clearly defined or accounted for.
Merchandising: Selling QAnon-themed merchandise, from t-shirts to survival gear, with the narrative that buying these items supports the cause or prepares one for "the storm."
Membership Models: Some grifters operate paid membership sites where exclusive content, "insider" information, or community access is promised for a fee.
4. Misinformation and Disinformation
Selective Truths: Grifters often mix a grain of truth with a mountain of falsehoods to lend credibility. They might reference real events or data but twist them into conspiracy narratives.
Creating Confusion: By flooding the zone with information, much of it conflicting or unverifiable, they make it hard for followers to discern fact from fiction, thus keeping them reliant on the grifter's interpretation.
5. Network and Community Building
Creating Echo Chambers: By encouraging followers to only consume content from within the community, grifters ensure that alternative viewpoints are rarely encountered, radicalizing their audience further.
Gamification: Some grifters have turned belief in QAnon into a game, where followers are "players" in a grand narrative, rewarded with attention, status, or recognition within the community for their contributions or loyalty.
6. Exploiting Algorithms
SEO and Social Media Tricks: Understanding and exploiting how algorithms work on social media platforms to ensure their content reaches the maximum number of susceptible individuals. This includes using keywords, hashtags, or even creating content that's designed to go viral.
Content Farming: Producing vast amounts of content to keep engagement high, which in turn feeds into more visibility through platform algorithms, attracting both new followers and potential donations.
7. Legal and Ethical Gray Areas
Avoiding Accountability: Many operate in ways that skirt legal issues, like not providing clear financial accountability or using decentralized platforms to avoid regulation or scrutiny.
Ethical Manipulation: There's often an ethical manipulation where grifters convince followers that their actions (buying, donating, sharing) are not just for personal gain but for a higher moral cause.
Conclusion
The grifting tactics used within QAnon and similar conspiracy movements are as varied as they are effective, exploiting human psychology and the intricacies of modern communication platforms.
Grifting within conspiracy theory circles, particularly QAnon, involves sophisticated tactics that exploit followers' emotions, fears, and desires for belonging and action. Here's a deeper dive into some of these tactics:
1. Emotional Manipulation
Fear Mongering: Grifters often amplify fear by predicting dire outcomes if their "warnings" are not heeded. This urgency can compel followers to donate money, buy merchandise, or engage in other supportive actions.
Hope and Salvation: On the flip side, they promise hope by suggesting that through their support, followers can be part of a grand victory over evil. This tactic taps into the human desire to be part of something meaningful or transformative.
2. Cult of Personality
Leadership Worship: Some grifters position themselves as unique interpreters of "Q drops" or other signs, creating a cult of personality. They might claim exclusive insights or direct communication with "Q" or other mythical figures, making themselves indispensable in the eyes of their followers.
Charismatic Engagement: Utilizing charisma through engaging content, personal stories, or direct interaction in livestreams, grifters can build a loyal following who see them not just as informers but as leaders in a spiritual or ideological battle.
3. Financial Exploitation
Crowdfunding and Donations: Platforms like GoFundMe, PayPal, or even cryptocurrency have been used to solicit funds for "research," legal battles, or to fund "projects" that are never clearly defined or accounted for.
Merchandising: Selling QAnon-themed merchandise, from t-shirts to survival gear, with the narrative that buying these items supports the cause or prepares one for "the storm."
Membership Models: Some grifters operate paid membership sites where exclusive content, "insider" information, or community access is promised for a fee.
4. Misinformation and Disinformation
Selective Truths: Grifters often mix a grain of truth with a mountain of falsehoods to lend credibility. They might reference real events or data but twist them into conspiracy narratives.
Creating Confusion: By flooding the zone with information, much of it conflicting or unverifiable, they make it hard for followers to discern fact from fiction, thus keeping them reliant on the grifter's interpretation.
5. Network and Community Building
Creating Echo Chambers: By encouraging followers to only consume content from within the community, grifters ensure that alternative viewpoints are rarely encountered, radicalizing their audience further.
Gamification: Some grifters have turned belief in QAnon into a game, where followers are "players" in a grand narrative, rewarded with attention, status, or recognition within the community for their contributions or loyalty.
6. Exploiting Algorithms
SEO and Social Media Tricks: Understanding and exploiting how algorithms work on social media platforms to ensure their content reaches the maximum number of susceptible individuals. This includes using keywords, hashtags, or even creating content that's designed to go viral.
Content Farming: Producing vast amounts of content to keep engagement high, which in turn feeds into more visibility through platform algorithms, attracting both new followers and potential donations.
7. Legal and Ethical Gray Areas
Avoiding Accountability: Many operate in ways that skirt legal issues, like not providing clear financial accountability or using decentralized platforms to avoid regulation or scrutiny.
Ethical Manipulation: There's often an ethical manipulation where grifters convince followers that their actions (buying, donating, sharing) are not just for personal gain but for a higher moral cause.
Conclusion
The grifting tactics used within QAnon and similar conspiracy movements are as varied as they are effective, exploiting human psychology and the intricacies of modern communication platforms.
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Forwarded from Lord Of The Pepe (LOTP)
These methods not only generate significant revenue but also foster a cycle of misinformation that can have real-world consequences, from influencing elections to inciting violence. Understanding these tactics is crucial for both countering misinformation and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation.
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Forwarded from TR HQ (TruthRascal)
As you work to discern truth from lies and navigate these murky waters, here are a few things to look for:
1 - Is the information presented in a straightforward way? Does it get to the point quickly, or does it ramble? Is the presentation inordinately long? It is using up your time without giving you clear, concise points to ponder?
2 - Does the information resonate with you? (Good) Or does it just scare you? (Generally Not Good)
Fear can feel a bit like resonance until you understand the difference. Know yourself.
3 - Are you being asked for money? Or are you being given something for free and THEN asked for money?
4 - Do you feel like you are going to “miss out on something important” if you don’t ingest the info? Are you made to feel like you are running out of time?
5 - Are you being presented with irrelevant comments or images that make you feel like the person is a “good guy”? Animals / pets, misplaced comments about the person’s life, frequent references to their religious beliefs and name-dropping are common.
6 - (And my favorite bc this is usually a dead giveaway that you should walk away) - Is the speaker condescending or insinuating that if you don’t agree with him or her, you are of low intelligence, stupid, inexperienced etc? These insults can be very veiled. Pay attention.
This is not an exhaustive list, but if your intuition hasn’t kicked in fully, or you are feeling unsure, I hope that using these indicators can help a bit.
Remember that there are really only two motivations: Fear and Love. If you feel confused, ask yourself what vibration you are picking up from the person. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Trust yourself.
@TruthRascalHQ ✨💕✨
—1 Jan 2023—
1 - Is the information presented in a straightforward way? Does it get to the point quickly, or does it ramble? Is the presentation inordinately long? It is using up your time without giving you clear, concise points to ponder?
2 - Does the information resonate with you? (Good) Or does it just scare you? (Generally Not Good)
Fear can feel a bit like resonance until you understand the difference. Know yourself.
3 - Are you being asked for money? Or are you being given something for free and THEN asked for money?
4 - Do you feel like you are going to “miss out on something important” if you don’t ingest the info? Are you made to feel like you are running out of time?
5 - Are you being presented with irrelevant comments or images that make you feel like the person is a “good guy”? Animals / pets, misplaced comments about the person’s life, frequent references to their religious beliefs and name-dropping are common.
6 - (And my favorite bc this is usually a dead giveaway that you should walk away) - Is the speaker condescending or insinuating that if you don’t agree with him or her, you are of low intelligence, stupid, inexperienced etc? These insults can be very veiled. Pay attention.
This is not an exhaustive list, but if your intuition hasn’t kicked in fully, or you are feeling unsure, I hope that using these indicators can help a bit.
Remember that there are really only two motivations: Fear and Love. If you feel confused, ask yourself what vibration you are picking up from the person. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Trust yourself.
@TruthRascalHQ ✨💕✨
—1 Jan 2023—
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Discernment is a skill that must be honed.
Don’t outsource your Sovereignty.
Ever.
Don’t outsource your Sovereignty.
Ever.
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Forwarded from Disclose.tv
NEW - Joe Biden, inducted into "historically black Masonic Lodge," becomes a "Master Mason" Freemason.
https://www.disclose.tv/id/ohpy8p7i60/
@disclosetv
https://www.disclose.tv/id/ohpy8p7i60/
@disclosetv
Disclose.tv
Joe Biden joins black Masonic lodge as Master Mason member
Breaking news from around the world.
😁3
Excellent continuation of the conversation yesterday about Discernment and what has happened within the movement
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👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
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Forwarded from Steve
There is no other area where I saw it more rampant than with 'QAnon'
Initially the conversations that were going around were pretty much all great. Until it became too big and anons began really derailing mainstream narratives. This is important to note and to understand...
Then we began with all of the old-school 'debunk' articles from publications like 'The Daily Dot' - but here anons would take such articles, and break them down, dissect them, picking apart not only the content, but the tactics of the reporting. Very soon we had a really good idea of how these things worked, and Q helped with pointers here and there.... highlighting some of the less obvious tell-tales.
These articles issued in various publications, all tended to be written by the same handful of individuals (agency specialists, likely). They would NEVER quote drops directly, certainly not as a thread or progression on any given topic. If they tried that, it would be plucking some of the most obscure, in isolation and pointing to how ridiculous it was as a statement.
They went through a progression of differing tactics, but what was different this time is that these articles would 'trend' - just not in the way that was favourable to the publishers. They would circulate among anons along with the breakdowns of just what nefarious tactics were being used, and shining a spotlight on not only the holes in the article, but on the writers, editors and publications.
And so they pulled that back from being a front line tactic.
And it was within a few months of that drawing back of the tactic that the next big tactic came out. This was a form of bait meme. I feel as though it's safe to work on the premise that (as with pretty much all of this stuff) they were blown up massively.... spread everywhere overnight - even though there was no indication of the source of the information, nothing to back any of it up, no individual standing with it.
Safe to assume that the reason that all of these things got so much attention is that they were connected to the same agencies that control the algorithms.
The best example of one of these that I can think of was the 'they're pulling kids out of the tunnels!'
This one worked, and shook the community in a big way. Now we had been going around sharing all of this stuff, getting very highly emotional... many were prepared to drop their lives to go and help if they were needed, kind of thing.... all over social media (mostly twitter and facebook). And that's when we began seeing the first articles switching from trying to discredit Q, to the 'look at the crazy QAnons - these people are so deranged!'
Again, this was dissected, very much after the event... but that bruised and dented a LOT of ego among (certainly among the newer anons - many of whom hadn't gone into reading the drops, but had got caught up in the 'movement'.
They did it for a while and then eventually that dried up as well.
That's when these grifters began showing up. They had tried discrediting Q, and it just drew attention to Q. They tried discrediting anons, and although that had an initial impact, this was also highlighting more of them, their tactics and who they were.
So now it seems the tactic was/ is to have insiders and influencers that they control, and every time these people are exposed as frauds, their exploitative practices exposed, it's chalked up as discrediting for Q.
The times I've heard things such as "We were told such-and-such was going to happen by such-a-date and it never happened, Q is BS"
And I'd think back and not have any recollection of Q suggesting any such thing. I'd go check, do thorough searches. "Ummmm, no - Q has never said anything like that"
But here's the thing: it's ALL serving. It's ALL a part of the AWAKENING process. A part of learning to question everything. No leaders... such-and-such said this.... hmmmm, interesting, does that add up? I'll hold on to that and observe....
And 'movements!' How easy it is to get swept up in these, to flow with it, hand it all over to the movement. Stroking of ego.
Initially the conversations that were going around were pretty much all great. Until it became too big and anons began really derailing mainstream narratives. This is important to note and to understand...
Then we began with all of the old-school 'debunk' articles from publications like 'The Daily Dot' - but here anons would take such articles, and break them down, dissect them, picking apart not only the content, but the tactics of the reporting. Very soon we had a really good idea of how these things worked, and Q helped with pointers here and there.... highlighting some of the less obvious tell-tales.
These articles issued in various publications, all tended to be written by the same handful of individuals (agency specialists, likely). They would NEVER quote drops directly, certainly not as a thread or progression on any given topic. If they tried that, it would be plucking some of the most obscure, in isolation and pointing to how ridiculous it was as a statement.
They went through a progression of differing tactics, but what was different this time is that these articles would 'trend' - just not in the way that was favourable to the publishers. They would circulate among anons along with the breakdowns of just what nefarious tactics were being used, and shining a spotlight on not only the holes in the article, but on the writers, editors and publications.
And so they pulled that back from being a front line tactic.
And it was within a few months of that drawing back of the tactic that the next big tactic came out. This was a form of bait meme. I feel as though it's safe to work on the premise that (as with pretty much all of this stuff) they were blown up massively.... spread everywhere overnight - even though there was no indication of the source of the information, nothing to back any of it up, no individual standing with it.
Safe to assume that the reason that all of these things got so much attention is that they were connected to the same agencies that control the algorithms.
The best example of one of these that I can think of was the 'they're pulling kids out of the tunnels!'
This one worked, and shook the community in a big way. Now we had been going around sharing all of this stuff, getting very highly emotional... many were prepared to drop their lives to go and help if they were needed, kind of thing.... all over social media (mostly twitter and facebook). And that's when we began seeing the first articles switching from trying to discredit Q, to the 'look at the crazy QAnons - these people are so deranged!'
Again, this was dissected, very much after the event... but that bruised and dented a LOT of ego among (certainly among the newer anons - many of whom hadn't gone into reading the drops, but had got caught up in the 'movement'.
They did it for a while and then eventually that dried up as well.
That's when these grifters began showing up. They had tried discrediting Q, and it just drew attention to Q. They tried discrediting anons, and although that had an initial impact, this was also highlighting more of them, their tactics and who they were.
So now it seems the tactic was/ is to have insiders and influencers that they control, and every time these people are exposed as frauds, their exploitative practices exposed, it's chalked up as discrediting for Q.
The times I've heard things such as "We were told such-and-such was going to happen by such-a-date and it never happened, Q is BS"
And I'd think back and not have any recollection of Q suggesting any such thing. I'd go check, do thorough searches. "Ummmm, no - Q has never said anything like that"
But here's the thing: it's ALL serving. It's ALL a part of the AWAKENING process. A part of learning to question everything. No leaders... such-and-such said this.... hmmmm, interesting, does that add up? I'll hold on to that and observe....
And 'movements!' How easy it is to get swept up in these, to flow with it, hand it all over to the movement. Stroking of ego.
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