Qanon is not a conspiracy theory or a political movement.

It's a major fundamentalist religion now.

A failure to recognize this will be devastating.

Not only is it a fundamentalist religion, but it has an active and dedicated militant wing.

It now has representation in Congress

It's not a fad, it's not a phase, it's not a trend and it's not going away.

QAnon is the hub of a wide federation of increasingly mainstreamed conspiracy groups and militant white nationalists

It is the unified field theory of Trumpism and is the abstract entity that will outlive Trump.

It is what this sect of America needs.

Prior to Q, none of these groups had enough pull on their own to have much official sway.

They were buoyed for a long time by the likes of Alex Jones and Glenn Beck.

Trump focused these people and Q gave them the rallying point they needed to band together as a religion.

The structure of Qanon makes it the Borg of outlandish theories.

Whatever wacky theory has adherents, Qanon will make space for them and bring them into the fold.

It operates in this regard not unlike early Christianity with various sects and pagan religions.

All this "The Deep State and the Ghost of Hugo Chavez with the help of Fox News and Lizard People's Chemtrails denied Trump the Presidency" is going to be embraced as a core tenet going forward.

We will have to contend with these ideas in regular society for some time.

Ostensibly being against child sexual abuse is the key though.

It's the hook that allows a lot of these various demographics who wouldn't normally associate to center on a common, unassailable, passionate premise.

"Protect kids from pedophiles"

Because the premise of protecting children from pedos is so universally acceptable, it is the shield with which any member can morally push back on critics of its other, less universal dogmas.

Many will even ignore the other nonsense, but defend their proponents as allies.

The shared professed goal of protecting children is powerful emotional bait. And it allows everyone in Qanon to believe firmly and unrelentingly that they are on the literal side of the angels.

This means that anything they do is justified.

Anything.

"If you are against Qanon who is against pedophiles, then you must be pro-pedophile"

As a society, we find pedophiles to be the gravest sinners. And most people will agree that any brutality is justified against them.

This math does not pan out well for society.

Justification is a dangerous game.

I know from experience that once you have accepted a premise that defines an action as righteous, you will be inclined to see any actions taken to further your goals as righteous by association.