Op-Ed By: Thomas R. Cuba, Ph.D.
Who is Q-Anon? What is Q-Anon? Depending on the source you use, it is a group led by a mysterious Washington insider known only as Q; a group that is bent on destroying pedophiles and those who protect them, or it’s a practical joke that’s gone off the rails.
I have no idea and don’t care. The question to ask and answer is not ‘who’ or ‘what’ is Q-Anon, but ‘Why’ is Q-Anon? And, why is Q-Anon so often connected with Donald Trump?
There are two societal ingredients to consider. In fact, they are the same two that led to the rise of Dr. Martin Luther King’s movement, as well as many others during the long course of our human history. Specifically, portions of the population must be seriously unhappy with the leadership that is in place, and there must be a message that resonates with that group. When that happens, the carrier of the message is elevated and held out as the hope for the future.
Q-Anon’s message has been that the stink in Washington will soon be washed away, but there are few details and much innuendo. The implications, however, are strong and the desire of the supporting group adds inferences to fill in the blanks. Ultimately, Q-Anon’s message will fail unless the person, any person, emerges and claims the title.
Donald Trump carried much the same message, that Washington stinks like a swamp and is infested with animalistic denizens of the moral night. He, however, stood out in front of the message and the crowd, declaring that he was in the fight to win.
What both Q-Anon and Trump, as well as that host of other leaders, have in common is the rejection of the status quo. Dr. King Jr. also carried a message of rejection. So did James Madison and Thomas Jefferson.
Within these examples, it is plain to see that sometimes the movement succeeds in cleaning things up, if only for a while, and sometimes the system reverts to what it was before, or worse.
There is no conclusion to draw from this; Only the understanding of why a phenomenon such as that contained in the non-persona of Q-Anon can obtain the traction it has. Q-Anon, Trump, King, Jefferson, and others are the result of an unhappy people.
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About The Author: Thomas R. Cuba, Ph.D.
Raised a simple Missouri farm boy, Tom managed to attend a British Prep School before commencing a college career that would culminate in a Doctorate Degree in Marine Ecology. He also served as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy, and as a scoutmaster, SCUBA instructor, Wilderness Survival Instructor, and Firearms Instructor.
Tom has worked as an ecologist in both government and private practice, as well as a freelance nature photographer and computer programmer.
Now, a father and grandfather, Tom offers life lessons in the form of stories about the challenges people face and conquer as well as socio-political essays. To that end, his first lesson is always his favorite quote. “Failure is the whetstone of success.” ~ T. Leith Rettie, 1884.
You can read more from Tom on his site by clicking here.