QAnon, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Meaning

QAnon, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Meaning offers a compelling and theoretically sophisticated analysis of contemporary conspiratorial culture. Conner, Roscigno and Hannah show how QAnon is not a glitch in the system of neoliberal capitalism but its most revealing symptom. QAnon’s appeal, the authors argue, is not hindered by its apparent irrationality but is a result of it: in an era of eroded trust, hollowed institutions and pervasive insecurity, it offers a myth that renders chaos legible and grievance meaningful. This book provides a clear-eyed account of belief and alienation in the age of surveillance capitalism and algorithmic amplification. -- Peter Knight, University of Manchester, UK
QAnon, Capitalism, and the Crisis of Meaning offers a wide-ranging look at the interlocking crises driving conspiracy movements like QAnon in the US. It rightly urges us to move beyond issues of misinformation to examine its affective, symbolic, spiritual, and participatory appeal to those who feel left behind by neoliberal capitalism. -- Daniël de Zeeuw, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The most powerful takeaway from Conner, Roscigno, and Hannah’s impressive work is the argument that QAnon does not represent a glitch or aberration but instead exemplifies, in all its perversion, the contradictory social logics at the core of contemporary society. This is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding conspiracy-based movements, their relationship to late capitalism, and what this means for the prospects of democratic governance. -- Peter Simi, Chapman University, USA
One of the most fundamental questions regarding conspiracy theories is why anyone actually believes them. Using decades of scholarship, deep dives into surveys of believers, and clinical precision, the authors pull apart the mystery of the factors that drive people to fringe beliefs, and who is more likely to embrace them. This book is a critical analysis of the west's descent into paranoia, and the failures of modern commerce and culture that led to it. It's tempting to waive away conspiracy theories as bad ideas that can be ignored, and this book reinforces how dangerous that fallacy is. -- Mike Rothschild, journalist and author of The Storm Is upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything