Today I saw someone claim, with all the certainty of a religious zealot, that Democrats eat babies. 

No, they weren’t joking. It’s a QAnon thing. They believe this.

There is a book on the Amazon best seller list, “QAnon: An Invitation to the Great Awakening”, that makes this claim in all seriousness. 

These are the people who still believe Pizzagate, the creation of 4 Chan trolls based on a single email between John Podesta and the hapless owner of a DC pizza joint. The email discussed the possibility of a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton, but in the hands of these people it became a cannibalistic pedophile ring run by Clinton out of the basement of the restaurant (which has no basement). Belief has driven people to show up at this restaurant to “rescue” these children, some of them armed.

Belief stronger than knowledge.

The arguments these people bring contain little to no verifiable fact, rely on flimsy connections drawn up with a haughty delusional “You don’t see the big picture”, and often end with a dismissive “Do your research!” And believe me, when Q finally drops the big bomb…you know. The one that’s been coming any day now since 2016.

Right here, right now, I have to tell you, if you believe this shit, you need professional help. 

I understand that the world can be a crappy place. I know sometimes things don’t make sense.  I know the feeling of losing a sense of control, of understanding. 

That’s what conspiracy theories provide. They give you a handy explanation for a world absolutely bogged down in complexity. They let you be the one who understands. 

All you have to do is accept what they say. Give up a need for plausibility. You don’t have to accept “I don’t know” as a valid answer. Because you do know. You’ve seen that mesh of connections that aren’t really supported by fact, but fuck it. They are supported by your new friends. 

You don’t trust mainstream media, because sometimes they’ve been wrong. You don’t trust science, because you found the one on the fringe who has different ideas. You don’t trust anyone who does. Because that shadowy underworld, that “deep state”, all makes sense if you just believe the alternative facts. And frankly it’s more fun. More like a movie plot.

This is the damage. You couldn’t accept ambiguity or unknowns. So you’ll accept anything that makes that feeling go away. 

Anything.

And it’s just a little step from there to “Democrats eat babies.”