Officials, chided carlson for the way he handled the situation, and some observers have gotten behind niemen, accusing carlson of being a sore loser and of trying to ruin his opponents career. Rob reynolds al jazeera. Ah and lets take you through some of the headlines here now to santa bosco, back officials and occupy thoughts of ukraine. Say, people that voted overwhelmingly to join russia. They say the result of a 5 day referendum show up to 98 percent of people are in favor of annexation. The senior russian official is issued the Biggest Nuclear threat since the war began form of president to meet some advice says he believes, 9th, how wines intervene. If russia decides to attack you trying with Nuclear Weapons. European commission preserves are sort of on the lions describe the disruption at 2 major Gas Pipelines between russia and europe as sabotaged. Then mark and sweden reported leaks in the north stream one than 2 pipelines earlier on wednesday supplies 3 north stream. One was suspended by russia earlier this month because of a stand off over sanctions. The Indian Government has banned the political group. The popular front of india, of natal has more from new delhi. The government has declared all its activities illegal, which basically means that p f. I can neither raise funds, it cannot carry out any event. So no protests at all. It also cannot raise funds. It also cannot recruit people. The Income Tax Department has also canceled its registration that the group has Many Associates and affiliates. The government has also banned it off. Those hurricane in is intensifying as it moves towards the u. S. 2 and a half 1000000 people are under evacuation orders in the state of florida. The category for storm is expected to make landfall later on wednesday. So already battered parts of the caribbean, including cuba, more than 800000. 00 people in vietnam are evacuating coastal areas is typhoon not who hits it, set to be one of the most powerful storms to hit the country into decades. I had lined sits the listening post. Now october on al jazeera, in an election set to define a nation brazilians will choose between the radically different current hard line, conservative president and the former socialist president. A sense of community delves into full unique communities revealing how theyre adapting to the 21st century. China holds its National Congress of communist Party Members with president t likely to be re elected as its head. What does this mean for china and the world . Fully with dreams takes you beyond the glitz and glamour, revealing the stories of those seeking. Failing 14 in the Worlds Largest film industry, bosnia goes to the poles in an election that will be what closely by both you and russia. October on al jazeera, i think of humans and the conspiratorial games people play. Political ones involving Donald Trumps mego republicans plus Vladimir Putin threats go nuclear. And iranian women defy the authority and set fire to their hija. Ah, hello, im Richard Burton youre at the listening post where we dont cover the news. We cover the way the news is covered. We begin with donald trump and the queue and on conspiracy movement, a relationship that has gone from occasional flirtation on the ex president s part to more of an open embrace. Last week at a rally in ohio, trumps people played a song that is associated with q and honors. It was music to their ears. The groups members somehow believe that a secret co ball of the rich and powerful people they say are pedo files, actually runs the u. S. Government. And the trump is their only chance to stop from. The movement also happens to be home to some deeply toxic White Supremacists and anti semites. The f. B. I has warned about its links to violence in the current. After being forced off mainstream social media, q and ons, followers of fled to the outer reaches of the internet. Since then, q and ons, gamification of reality has morphed into some more pragmatic goals, such as electing certain politicians and its beliefs have been absorbed into radicalized parts of trumps republican party. Our starting point this week is youngstown, ohio. Oh, until last weekend, the political love affair between donald trump and cue and on was conducted for the most part with the wind and occasional non after years of flirting with the movements wild conspiracy theories. Stay tuned. Everybody say to trump took it a step further at a rally in ohio. The soundtrack playing beneath part of his speech is a song called where we go one, we go all, there is no victory. We cannot. Huh. We will not. We will then read that phrase known by its acronym w, w, g one, w g, a serves as a mantra to q and ons follows true to form. Trump spokesman denied the obviously, but if it wasnt that song that was playing, why with so many in the crowd seem to recognized and raised one finger in response in what many have concluded is some kind of she went on select trumps team has claimed that the song used was a song called mirrors. We are a nation that allowed russian devastated cri. You press yelling, hundreds of thousands of people. We have checked and mirrors and w, w. G one to be ga. Are the same. That the same sol . Ah, weve confirmed that or a program we used on there. The same song after we reported the song is the same if continued to use it. People who were in that audience knew exactly what was going on, even if trump didnt. And thats what so scary here is that trump is reacting to things where he sees people praising him, which is really at the foundation of this mans cracked ego. Because they are almost religiously dedicated to him. And he doesnt recognize that hes getting deeper and deeper in to q and on at worse, he does recognize it and hes part of it. The down playing of the song is almost besides the point. Its over a 100 times now that trump and his team have read truth as they call it on their platform, post spike, human on influencers post that contain a q or the slogan where we go on, we go off, whoever runs his campaign, is very aware of the references and trump is very aware that this is a valuable part of his base. Its very possible that this is also part of the calculation for trump, if hes having financial difficulties, this cuen on group is a ready and dedicated crowd. So it could be reflecting either he wants to motivate as vase or he needs money or both. Because theres always a griff when trump is involved in another sign of his tacit support, just 4 days before that rally. Trump re posted an image of himself wearing a q pin on his lapel along with language evocative of the movement for journalists, summarizing the beliefs of q and long members without sounding for jordan. Can be a real challenge. But lets try. They insist that the Trump White House was engaged in a secret war with the deep state that his enemies were. Democrats, devil worshippers, led by Hillary Clinton and hollywood, a leaks a cobol that up da children to sexually abuse and eat q one on 1st emerged in 2017. Unfortunately, when mainstream social Media Outlets banned them from their platforms, q and on conspiracy took 2 more french sites like gap rumble and trumps own truth, social leaving the sensors behind the content as evolved q one on now provides one stop shopping online for a whole range of conspiracies, the visible aspects of the movement become more extreme when you push them to platforms that have less censorship because theyre reaching less of a large audience in that small pond. They feel more comfortable communicating in ways that are openly anti semitic, or openly embrace. You know, some of these more extreme white supremacist viewpoints. The same thing happens with any extremist organization, with the traditional social media platforms, banning q and on they have been isolated into small corners. They isolate isolate isolate until finally theyre only talking to each other. Self brainwashing the queue and on adherence, havent gone away at all. And in fact, the number has appeared to have grown, but its become almost like a mass movement, according to the surveys that have been done by ai American Enterprises institute and the institute for the study of religion q and on could be 15 percent of the american adult population, which is 30000000. 00 people. And thats a lot of people who believe in this crazy Conspiracy Theory. So i think its important that we also understand its not just low information voters, and its not necessarily stupid people. 30000000 adults potential voters in a politically divided country and the u. S. Mid term elections take place 6 weeks from now. Establishment covets, or the d. C. Swamp of wage, the war against american success and independence q and on candidates. Or at least republicans willing to cozy up to the movement or on more and more balance and estimated 78. 00 candidates in 26. 00 states. Its time to make america dominant again. This is not just trump on. There are numerous huron supporting candidates for office throughout the country for congress, for secretary of state, for governorships. Im teen of 40. Im a wife, mother, grandmother, and Small Business owner. Im one of for congress to challenge establishment and fight for you. Some have been elected already. Republican nominee for governor of arizona carry lake has gone on to a q and on show. So i appreciate that you had me on today. Its always a pleasure to be on with great ease figures. Ive used the q and on Community Whether they believe it or whether they see it for some type of political gain. If i were to describe the shift in the movement in q and on terms theyve gone from trust the plan to we are the plan as you need to be involved in your local committees, and you need to be involved in your local school boards. You need to be running for local office. That is the main difference that we see with this movement. It has both kind of merged with a republican push for local positions, but has also become more tangible and less of a arm chair movement. What will be interesting is that because they say that elections were stolen, that the Voting Machines were taken over by chavez and venezuela, even though hes dead, or that we cannot trust the outcome of the elections. There is a danger that the most loyal q and on supporters will not vote because they think the vote is wasted. Theyve been pushing a narrative that if they genuinely believe it, the republicans will lose this voting block. Instead of being able to rely on the voting block, they are a new fringe Conspiracy Theory group called q a non. Initially, americans failed to take q along with its talk of co balls, pet of files and the deep state. Seriously, that should have changed in 2021 on january 6th, when the group was at the heart of the insurrection on capitol hill. But some republicans simply cannot resist flirting with a conspiratorial movement that also appeals to White Supremacists and anti semites. Theres an alignment, there votes to be hand, hence the nods the winks the musical sounds. And that is as good a measure as any of americas moral decline. Its diminishing democracy. What Political Party in history has associated itself with an organization identified by the f b i as a terrorist threat. You just think about that for a minute. Now we already have q and on members who are in congress, the state government. If donald trump becomes president , we are going to have q and our members of highest reaches government. And that is not the time to start asking questions about who these people are. It is time now we are at a point in history. We have never been in before, and instead of confronting people are overlooking because of its absurdity. Its not absurd. Its dangerous to rush in out. Vladimir putin threat this past week, thinly veiled that the kremlin has not ruled out using Nuclear Weapons to protect its people. Is still reverberating overseas and has also had consequences at home. Joanna hoose is here with the detail. Richard, president , putin used a television address to issue that threat after Russian Troops retreated following a successful counter offensive by ukrainian forces. If the new balloon put in announced mobilization of 300000 men from russias reserve, the 1st such move since world war 2. And he had to find a way to explain that which is doing your loans. In brief, but im a tell you the most the way in the get the non duty to just 6 months ago put in vow that reservist would not be called to fight. So this, you turn, provoke thousands of russians to come out in protest. One of the issues protesters have been angered by is that pro war criminals, elite members of their families arent being drafted. That inspired a prank call. Life streamed on youtube by supporters of jailed opposition. Politician elect sign of volney to the son of one of potent top officials, press secretary, dimitri pascals at the way in the city of civil. So i middle go in, which is more to go. One student, a bullet problem or by the phone just goes to florida. If you do not mind, youre not going pretty good. You will show up a value to them. But well go from there because it doesnt it because what it is after just to try it away in the city of this school. So she could she were going to say to somebody that if it was okay go to school. So glad some point it was an offer on well, some people will put in stones on mobilization, has changed. What happened is how the kremlin and its propaganda on the airwaves justify rush has action. And so the plenty of freeze in the yes about national store. Why, you mean yes, you can reach me. Theres not a problem in other set up that we need to watch, but i see theyre still blaming the west and nato for the war in ukraine. But russia recent military setbacks have made it challenging for those pro war tv hosts sticking to the official line, for example, that this is not a war, just a special military operation. One which russia is threatening to take nuclear is a tough one to sell, even on russia, state controlled airwaves. Thanks joe. Back to q and on now, and the conspiratorial mindset. Journalists have spent a lot of time trying to understand how so Many Americans have come to believe in conspiracy theories. One of the more interesting takes weve come across is from a game designer. Read burkheads in q and on burke awaits, sees a world similar to the ones he creates in a r g s, alternate Reality Games his analysis. And as a we asked him to adapt for television, explains a lot about the way our flawed minds work and how easily we can be dragged down the conspiratorial rabbit hall. I am a game designer with experience and very small news. I create and Research Games designed to be played in reality. Fictions designed to feel as real as possible. Puzzles where the deeper you dig, the more you find games with rabbit holes that invite you into wonderland and entice you through the looking glass. When i saw a q and i knew exactly what it was and what it was doing, i had seen it before. Id almost built it before. It was gaming evil, twin a game that plays me or to not use the form and techniques of alternate reality gaming a r g. The q non universe has a game like feel to it that is evident to anyone who has ever played an energy or an online role play. However, q is not a game q and on is like the reflection of a game in a mirror. It looks just like one, but it is inverted. In one of the very 1st experience fictions i ever designed, the players had to explore a creepy basement looking for clues. The object they were looking for was barely hidden, and the clue as easy as a participant, started searching for the object i hadnt responded little random scraps of wood on the floor that happened to make the shape of a perfect arrow pointing. Right. And a blank wall. It had to be a clue. Then it got worse. Since her obviously was no clue there, the group decided the clue they were looking for was in the wall. The collection of ordinary tools they found, conveniently laying around, seemed to enforce their conclusion that this was the right direction is all random chance. But i could see the connections that have been made were all completely logical is were normal people. Theres some sions were normal and logical and just completely wrong. They have not found a clue. They had created one psychologist, have a name for this kind of syndrome. They call it apa fina. Apa. Fina is the tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful patterns between unrelated or random things, and q and on. Thats the point. It isnt about finding the clues and solving the puzzles. Its about confusing people into tearing down walls. If you are a designer and have puzzles and have a plot, then app, athena is a wild card. You always have to be concerned about q and on is the mirror reflection of this dynamic here at the phoenix to the point of everything. There are no scripted plots, there are no puzzles to solve created by game designers. There are no solution. Theyre constantly getting the player loss, but pointing out unrelated random events and creating a meaning for them that fits the propaganda message. Key was delivering. Everybody. You dont know what to click like you ask you, is it . Oh, okay. It says think for yourself. It doesnt tell you to follow one read up. You can think about what you want with you. You is a fictional character in a fictional game, a real whistle blower with Important Information would get it out as fast as possible for the most reliable source possible. There are people like daniel ellsberg, edward snowden, and chelsea manning. They dont drop clues and make you solve puzzles to look at the information q does though. He does this because he is not a whistle blower. Q is a fictional character and acts exactly like a fictional character. This is because the purpose of q is not to divulge actual information, but to create fiction. Lets take a look at how this works. To create ap athenian 1st, you need random data, the more the better. Then you need to interpret that data in a way that leads you to a full solution that fits the narrative. And several queue drops. Q tells followers that there is a shadowy cult out there in which th