I can recognize a Conspiracy theory because it is so kludge-like, so huggermugger—it looks like one, it sounds like one; ergo, it must be one. Pizzagate is generally considered a predecessor to the QAnon Conspiracy theory. It follows a dialectical good vs. evil narrative. On the one hand, Satanic pedophiles, organized by Hillary Clinton and Georges Soros and Hollywood elites, running a worldwide sex-slave cult that ritualistically drains the blood of children for adrenochrome, are in opposition to Ex-president Trump and his minion, special prosecutor Mueller, who are in cahoots to root out the pedophiles in the Deep State before the Coming Storm. This notion is as dystopian as it is preposterous.  

In the runup to the 2020 presidential election, QAnon entered the mainstream consciousness via social media. The followers of the mysterious Q, receiving encrypted messages from the Dark Web, see themselves as chivalrous patriots saving children from a global cabal of leftist pedophiles to energize their propagandist web of disinformation, all in hopes of changing the outcome of an election. Of course, a completely counter-conspiracy on the Left might be perpetuated about a sex slave ring run from a fried chicken outlet with tasty menu entries (white meat or dark, thighs for boys, breasts for girls, mashed potatoes for orgies, and an array of fluid-gendered side dishes) owned by the estate of the late Jeffery Epstein (suicided by operatives of the Deep State led by reptilian Mitch McConnell) which, in turn, is a false flag to cover up a real cabal of pedophilic priests intent on packing the Supreme Court with Catholics.

In his book “Conspiracy Theories,” Quassim Cassam contends that the motivation to accept one conspiracy over another is based more on political ideologies than on personality profiles, and he suggests that there is a seductive quality to believing in a theory that fits into an already evolved belief system. 

Cassam says that consumers of Conspiracies “…are inclined to accept particular Conspiracy theories or particular types of Conspiracy theory…that are in line with their political outlook.”  In this sense, it is the epistemological form of the CT that fits the person and not the other way around.  If a researcher knows the political persuasion of a person, it is easier to predict what kind of Conspiracy to which they might be susceptible.  

Having like-minded friends helps to fill the void feeling of existential angst caused by a sense of alienation. A push factor for someone to leave the set structure of traditional ideas that do not relieve angst is the chance to meet others of similar beliefs who can satisfy their need to be understood.  

What scares me is that I would have thought that after Trump lost the presidential election, this would be a demoralizing denunciation of the QAnon cognitive constructs. Instead, as of this writing, the QAnon Movement appears to be gaining momentum.