QAnon and #metoo movements

 QAnon and the #metoo movement, similar but o so different as QAnon is a conspiracy theory movement that "lower class" people believe as no-one else listen to them; and yes, talking about an elite of vampires doesn't help the case. Still, these people can include now adults who were abused but their testimonies were not believed and thus they experienced a "real" QAnon of people in power who protect each other and convince the majority that the people who say this are idiots.  

Compare with the recent #metoo. This is a movement of mainly female celebrities such as film stars, politicians, students at universities who were and sometimes still are forced to accept certain things they don't like (such as sexist jokes, being touched and even have sex without consent). For many, it was the only way to do the job they wanted to do, and to speak publicly could result in destroyed careers as the whole sector would unite to exclude the person. As more stories emerge, the abused now receive support from other (female) celebrities such as First Ladies that result in more celebrities who speak about their experiences, also because now the past victims have power and money themselves to act and thus these facts can no longer be ignored. And thus now powerful people are falling such as Harvey Weinstein who was sentenced to imprisonment. Still, others continue to minimalise these facts because sex is part of the glamour and magic and being part of it. But, defending possible abusers is no longer acceptable and may bring down defenders. However, coincidence or not but often people are accused of past misbehaviour during important moments such as before elections or when they publish what should remain hidden such as in the case of Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks.

Ireland is a well-known example of a country where children were abused by priests while hundreds of children were buried in abbeys after they were taken away from their unmarried mothers who were considered by the powerful Catholic Church to be a disgrace for society while men who fathered these children could continue their lives. The government didn't intervene because they argued that the Church must be right on moral issues; even today a real apology is difficult. Indeed, QAnon talks about certain powerful who rape and even kill children. 

Also in other countries, few priests who are accused of having abused children are sentenced as they (still) receive protection from their own higher hierarchies but also of the justice system because, if judges were serious, they could order the arrest and questioning of priests and those who protect them but often don't act. Still, many of those same people look down on openly LGBT people and say they live their life as sinners. 

Also outside churches there are high-profile cases such as Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier who committed suicide in a NY prison where he was held on charges that he abused girls. Related with this, the daughter of media magnate Maxwell, royalty and even former presidents were all friends of whom some seem to have known more and thus this suggest for many Mr Epstein received protection at the highest levels. Another example is Roman Polanski who had to leave the USA to avoid his trial related with child abuse and was allowed to work in France where he still received a Cesar in 2020; but, much criticism followed and forced the Cesar Academy Board to resign. One can no longer defend the indefensible unless a judge decides there are no evidence.

Thus, more testimonies by celebrities and we start to believe such things happened. On the other hand, as a child I heard "jokes" about "what did she had to do to get that position", certainly when she was not the best candidate. And last year an older woman told me she had no problems to sleep with the boss. 

Therefore, is the QAnon movement the #metoo movement of the poor and voiceless? As long as we continue to ignore a section of society and ridicule them, they have no other choice than to join the dark side of society. Indeed, although they are angry that children are abused and many powerful unpunished, many on the QAnon side are also sexist, racist, anti-Semitic, LGBT+ -phobic, Islamophobic, ... while many like to carry weapons to intimidate. This is different from the #metoo movement that is more inclusive of everyone, except maybe the voiceless. But, do all QAnon supporters know the full picture that the powerful behind the movement promote to bring doubt against Jews and Muslims, against the LGBT+ community, against people with another skin colour, against women who demand an equal position in society as men? I think not all believers of QAnon are bad people as for some, it is about protecting children from abuse while they feel the #metoo movement is not for ordinary people. Many believers are even defenders of a Jewish state while consider Europe is still hostile against Jews as Europeans condemn Jewish actions against the Palestinians. But, I don't think Donald Trump is the right person because he relies too much on extreme right Christian groups and thus excludes certain groups in society and has a questionable history when he organised Miss Universe elections although certain women will say he boosted their careers. Still, he is seen by many as a solution against child abusers, against the current political classes, against Islam extremism, against more migrants who endanger the cohesion of the USA when e.g. Spanish replaces English as the main language in certain regions so those born there need to learn a foreign language in their own country. He is also seen as defender of Israel and for this, PM Netanyahu respected Mr Trump as president. But, when you read about the QAnon and some of their "revelations", than it is difficult to understand they follow it, unless because of a total collapse in trust in political and scientific leaders after decades being ignored and always hearing about the same people and their families who did too little for them so they follow an outside who promises to restore what they know. 

Unfortunately but because abuses were all silenced in the past, the pendulum may now move too far to the other side whereby men fear to go too far. In the end, an open society will prevent many scandals so that real cases are exposed and recognised as such. As example, it should be normal that parents and children can be naked together. But, when one in 10 people in France talk about abuse within families, is this figure real or is this so high because now, when parents are naked with their children, it is confused with child abuse? Or, am I wrong to question this high number as it seems I don't believe the victims?

Earlier posts related to this subject in reversed order of publication on FB - although some with editorial corrections

14/02/2021 - Even yoga is used to promote conspiracy theories

Yoga linked to conspiracy theories. However, what is happening today is not only about such theories but also because people are more educated and thus ask questions. 

Concerning the anti-vaccination groups and more general those who believe that "big pharma" is here to destroy us for profits, some people indeed believe vaccines are bad but not all people who are unsure think vaccines are bad. On the contrary, even many scientists feel (felt) uncomfortable that vaccines are used to vaccinate the whole world within one year after their development while they are not assessed as we demand from other vaccines and medicines such as long-term effects and the effect vaccines have on pregnant women; don't forget, every medicine informs pregnant women to not use them unless strictly necessary. In effect, it is even unscientific to not ask questions. Medicine agencies understand this and keep the public informed. And yes, excesses exist within "big pharma" although often the price of medicines reflect their development costs. 

Also QAnon has a reason why it exist: child abuse that was ignored. At least monthly we can read stories about people who were abused as children but ignored. The Catholic Church is full with paedophile priests who at the same time condemn LGBTs. 

In New York billionaire Mr Epstein committed suicide in prison because it became public he abused girls while it seems that befriended royals and senior people in the media at least should have known. But yes, birth privilege protects against being interrogated. And thus also law and order seems to be on the side of the powerful and not the victims. 

Sometimes something is called a conspiracy theory to silence people without ignoring that it is indeed wrong when people think that all doctors and nurses are lying about Covid-19.

05/02/2021 - Conspiracy theories have at least one sympathiser in Congress

Republican House representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has been removed from two Commissions because of her believe in certain conspiracy theories. She expressed remorse that she believed that 9/11 didn't happen, that she harassed a man who survived a mass school shooting and even told her public that he was paid to campaign against the weapon lobby. 

Concerning QAnon, that is more difficult when I notice worldwide that so many pedophile priests were and still are protected, not only by their hierarchical superior but also by police, politicians and judges who refused to intervene to protect children. In Belgium we had the Dutroux cases whereby 300,000 people had to march on the streets before politicians decided that the police must be reformed while judges sentenced the perpetrators although to reform the justice department was much more difficult. And recently it was released how in Ireland hundreds of children were murdered by religious orders after the children were taken away from their unmarried mothers. 

Similarly with abuses of women in (film) industries in order they get good jobs.

At the same time, those powers opposed and many still oppose equal rights for LGBT+ people, they say women are below men and are angry when contraceptives and abortions are used.

Now she can proof she is really sorry by voting in just ways. Will she?

13/01/2021 - Unmarried mothers and their children

Terrible what the past Irish governments did: they allowed that the Roman Catholic Church removed babies from unmarried mothers; afterwards the children had to endure such neglect and cruelty that hundreds of children didn't survive. Still, even now it seems it is impossible for the Irish government to apologise unreservedly. 

Still, what do we expect from religions when they don't understand what is love and condemn it unless it is a union (contract) signed in their church between a man and a woman to make children and no other unions are accepted, even when many gay men have met priests in gay saunas. 

But, I also don't understand that people continue to belong to religious institutions, even when they know about the removal of children from their mothers, about paedophilia by priests who were and many still are protected by the hierarchy. At the same time, openly gay priests are removed to protect the reputation of the Church as they claim LGBTs are evil. 

No, people don't need a religion to tell them how to live a good life. And while I know there were and are good priests who want to help people, they can do even more good outside religions such as being a healthcare professional who doesn't discriminate or demand an oath of loyalty. Because what we mainly remember from history are the many wars and madness such as condemnation of science and removal of children from their mother that happened in the name of religion in order to keep their power and enforce their unlove.

28/11/2020 - Trump and supporters

Opponents of Mr Trump claim he won because of Russian interference, something I never believed because Americans would never vote for such a person. Instead, they voted for Mr Trump because he promised to close the USA borders to keep migrants out the country, promised to make America great again by dealing with the trade imbalances with other countries, stop paying the unpaid bills of European NATO members, retreat from wars, support the fossil industry and build cars in the USA.

Now the same is happening but in the other direction whereby Trump supporters claim Mr Trump lost the election because of fraud. Thereby they circulate conspiracy theories such as QAnon that you may believe when you look at the massive cover-ups of pedophilia by churches but also of abuses of women in the film and fashion industry, each time done by people with connections to all kind of high-ranking people in politics, justice and business. 

The trouble is that people who spread these theories are also often those who support the wrong people who support racism, sexism, LGBT-phobia, the fossil fuel industry. In the end, they may regret that they didn't listen more to the upcoming generation who envisage a better society with inclusion of people whatever their skin colour, and new technologies but also something as easy as wearing a mask to protect from a virus and vaccination to prevent an illness by a virus. Still, it is time new generations of politicians rise.

18/11/2020 - Authors write about rape and male writers are taking serious

Interesting, men who write about rape are taken much more serious than "hysterical" women who experienced rape or discover that children were abused. Indeed, parents of the victims of Marc Dutroux were told they overreacted but in the end managed to change society. 

Is this because in those books written by abused women, men who think it should be fun may nevertheless recognise the anger, even fury, of women who experienced first hand the abuse by men but also recognise their anger towards society that tries to deny and silence the crime instead of punish the abusers? An example is the Roman Catholic Church. Is this because men silently understand there is always a possibility they too can become abusers? Do they deny rape to protect each other, thus allowing that men can continue to overpower women? 

Still, when fury takes over women, men should know their life can be in danger. As happened in e.g. India where women acted together to kill rapists after law and order were too slow to arrest and judge those rapists. Worse is when their fury turn against all men for not taking their claims serious. Or abuse of their children.

16/10/2020 - Will abuse ever stop? 

Will it ever stop? In the past, people jokedly asked what did women in the film and model business but more broadly everywhere have to do to get their promotion. Now it seems we know what some had to do. Conspiracy theories are becoming real.

26/06/2020 - AOC condemns male sexism

(Quote) "Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned ”an entire structure of power against women” as she denounced Republican Congressman Ted Yoho over sexist comments."

Mrs Ocasio-Cortez, such a powerful woman, not afraid to speak out such as after a powerful man use language that may silence many women. Will it change attitudes? 

Also previous Australian PM Julia Gillard made a similar speech against a fellow male politician in 2012.

28/02/2020 - Mr Weinstein versus Mrs McGowan 

Harvey Weinstein. It's almost unbelievable what he was able to do to (young) women because many didn't dare to speak out out of fear their career would be destroyed while others saw it as only having fun. 

Still, we know other sex scandals had major cover ups, even when it involved children, by those who were regarded as morally superior to ordinary people, i.e. religious leaders.

Let us hope as Mrs McGowan wishes, that from today onwards women and children will be seen as humans who deserve respect.