Influencers, chatterati operating on social media rather than mainstream media, have eclipsed even the loudest MSM voices during the pandemic.
Operating on a huge number of channels as varied as Spotify, Reddit, Telegram, Gab and Bitchute, as well as the more mainstream Facebook, WhatsApp, Tik Tok and Instagram, the influencers have carved out powerful – and highly lucrative niche audiences.
Billing himself as ‘Captain Graham Hood’ the anti-vaxxer, Seventh Day Adventist, and conspiracy theorist claimed one million protestors would join the Canberra convoy.
In reality, about 10,000 turned up. No small beer by Canberra’s village scale standards.
Tasmanian far-right researcher Kaz Ross summarized the disparate groups in the Canberra convoy.
“Aussie Aussie, oi, oi, ANZACs, a bit of Jesus, freedom, and save the children,” all set to the tune of John Farnham’s You’re The Voice.
Kaz Ross
(The Seventh Day Adventist Church has rejected the conspiracy theories surrounding Covid-19.)
But, Hood, who resigned from Qantas in September 2021, isn’t just running on an ideological position. With his flying career over, he is positioning himself to run for a Queensland seat at the next Federal election.
But, Queensland’s ever fractious far-right scene doesn’t seem to be welcoming him with open arms.
Eternal would-be political leader, and sometime MHR, Clive Palmer isn’t having anything to do with Hood, instead he is reviving his old United Australia Party – and paying for a wildly expensive TV advertising campaign saying he will “defend Australia”.
Against what, exactly he doesn’t specify?
Pauline Surfaces. Quietly
Meanwhile Pauline Hanson, the aging One Nation leader, managed to show up in Canberra, adorned with a little temporary Australian flag tattoo on her right arm.
A determined conspiracy theorist, Pauline rants at the ‘international organisations’ but soft pedals on the anti-vax message. It might be that Pauline is just smart enough to realise that many of her geriatric base have chosen to be vaxxed – and they don’t want to hear their dyed hair symbol criticizing their sensible precautionary steps.
No Pollie Slot? Sell A Shonky Cure!
Pete Evans Promotes Quack Cure – at $15,000 a pop!
As the pandemic got underway in 2020 Ex TV name Pete Evans tried to flog a “subtle energy platform” called the BioCharger NG for $15,000.
A plasma lamp in fancy packaging, the way over-priced piece of kit wasn’t a crime in itself. But Evans, never the sharpest tool, kept claiming it had a recipe for the Wuhan coronavirus. The medical establishment was alarmed, even outraged, as was the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
The TGA hit Evans with a couple of infringement notices totalling $25,200.
That didn’t stop our boy – so in mid 2021, he copped another $80,000 fine. Been keeping a low profile since. Not smart, but he finally got the message.
Anti-vaxxers: Sovereign Citizens, the Far Right and Neo Nazis
Anti-vax demos create a type of community for a lot of side-lined communities: varying from old style libertarians, some indigenous activists, long-term anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists – and a lot of them tend to take up far right and Nazi ideas.
In November 2020, Pete Evans started posting the “Black Sun” on his social media platforms – a symbol widely used by neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
Other Australian neo-Nazis have also pinned their colours to the anti-vax campaign.
Many of the conspiracy theories can be traced back to the US – Qanon ideas and Kremlin disinformation campaigns.
Many of the more Australia specific conspiracies were sourced from science fiction comics, published in New York decades ago.
Aussie Arts & Letters 