False Flags

 

https://www.snopes.com/articles/354976/false-flag-definition/

In our world today, no event occurs without a number of opinions and conspiracy theories immediately following it up. As humans, it is our innate desire to attempt to figure out and explain why something happened. We hate being left without answers, so a lot of the time, we are quick to come to our own conclusions. However, this often leads to a plethora of issues that just wind up causing chaos. 

Now you might be wondering, what exactly do false flags have to do with this? False flags, as defined by the Anti-Defamation League or ADL for short, are the belief that “various world events and crises, such as terrorist attacks and mass shootings, were actually orchestrated by governments or sinister forces in furtherance of a political or social goal, such as gun control or sowing public fear” (ADL). In simpler terms, it is the belief that certain major world events happened because the government or someone else organized it to push a belief or narrative. The term was coined in the 16th century when someone who opposed Roman Catholicism stated that Catholics used their religion to cover up the fact that they were participating in irreligious activities. From there, the term grew in popularity over the following years. One of the most famous examples of a false flag came 85 years ago in one of the most famous wars in all of history. In World War II when Germany invaded and attacked Poland, Nazi supporters said the invasion and the attack were both justified because the Polish were persecuting Germans. However, it is unknown whether or not that was true.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/article/2293108/

Fast forward to the 21st century, and this term is as prevalent as ever. In fact, some of the most polarizing events of this century have been labeled as false flags. Take, for example, 9/11. Arguably the most impactful event to have happened in the 21st century, the general conclusion around the tragedy is that al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden organized the attack and was the ringleader in it all. However, many label 9/11 as a false flag and believe that the president of the time, George W. Bush, knew about the attack but let it happen. People even began to coin the term “Bush did 9/11.” However, this false flag claim has been proven wrong time and time again over the past 23 years. 

In addition to 9/11, the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting of 2012 has been labeled as a false flag as some believe it was orchestrated by the government in order to push the narrative of gun control. But similar to 9/11, there is little to no evidence to support this claim. 

One of the most recent suspected false flags happened in early 2021 when January 6th occurred. According to Britannica, one conspiracy theory behind the event is that it was “led by antifa, a loose association of left-wing activists, to undermine efforts by Donald Trump’s supporters to challenge the results of the U.S. presidential election of 2020” (Britannica).