Conspiracy theories have marked American politics throughout the nation’s history. The most recent popular conspiracy centres around a shadowy figure who posts online under the pseudonym Q. The conspiracy is known as QAnon, and it poses a challenge for both law enforcement and political discourse. A new book titled “Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of Q Anon” explores this conspiracy theory. Doug Becker speaks with the authors.

Mia Bloom is a Professor of Communication and Middle East Studies at Georgia State University. She is the author of Living Together After Ethnic Killing: Exploring the Chaim Kaufman Argument.

Sophia Moskalenko is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism. She is the co-author of Friction: How Conflict Radicalizes Them and Us.

Podcast:

 

This interview originally aired on the Scholars’ Circle. To access our archive of episodes and download this interview, click here.

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Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this discussion reflect the views of the guests and not necessarily the views of The Big Q. 

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