Der Standard - 17.02.2020

Copyright© 2020 TheNew York Times

MONDAY,FEBRUARY17, 2020

Incollaborationwith INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY

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By MIKEMcINTIRE
andKEVIN ROOSE
Acitycouncil memberin Califor-
niatookthe dais andquotedfrom
QAnon, apro-Trumpconspiracy
theory about “deepstate”traitors
plottingagainst thepresident,con-
cludingher remarks, “God blessQ.”
AmanspoutingQAnon beliefs
aboutchildsex traffickingswung
acrowbar insideahistoricCatholic
chapel in Arizona, damagingthe al-
tarand fleeingbeforebeingarrest-
ed.
Andoutside aTrumpcampaign
rallyinFlorida, peoplein“Q”
T-shirts stopped by atenttohearout-
landishtales of Democrats’ secretly
torturingand killingchildren to ex-
tractalife-extendingchemicalfrom
theirblood.
What beganonline morethan two
yearsago as aconspiracytheory
that quicklyattractedthousandsof
followers hassince foundfootholds
in theofflineworld.QAnon hassur-

facedinpolitical campaigns, crimi-
nalcases andmerchandising. Last
month, hundreds of QAnon enthusi-
asts gathered in aTampa,Florida,
park to listen to speakers andpickup
literature, andinEngland,asupport-
er ofPresident Donald J. Trump and
theBrexit l eader NigelFarage raised
a“Q” flag over aCornish castle.
Most recently,QAnon fans shared
groundlesstheories online linking
theliberalbillionaire GeorgeSoros
to technologicalproblemsthathob-
bledthe Iowa Democraticcaucuses,
andpassedaroundbogus andpoten-
tially dangerous“treatments” for the
coronavirus.
MatthewLusk,aFloridaRepub-
licanwho is runningfor acongres-
sionalseatandopenly embraces
QAnon,saidinanemailthat itsanon-
ymouscreatorwas apatriot who
“brings what thefakenewswill not
touchwithout slanting.” As for the
theory’s more extreme elements,Mr.
Lusksaidhewas uncertainwhether

By DECLANWALSH

andSOMINISENGUPTA

MINYA,Egypt—TheEgyp-

tian farmer stoodin hisdust-

blown field, lamentinghis for-

tune.Afewyearsago,wheat

andtomato-filled greenhouses

carpeted theland. Nowthedes-

ertwas creepingin.“Look,” he

said,gesturingatthe sandysoil.

“Barren.”

Thefarmer, HamedJar-

allah, attributed hiswoesto

dwindlingirrigationfromthe

overtaxed Nile,the riveratthe

heartofEgypt’sveryidentity.

Already, it is underassault from

pollution,climatechangeand

Egypt’sgrowingpopulation,

whichofficially hit100 million

peoplethis month.

Andnow,Mr. Jarallah added,

afreshcalamity loomed. Aco-

lossal hydroelectric dambeing

builtonthe Nile3,200kilome-

ters upriver, in thelowlandsof

Ethiopia,isscheduled to start

fillingareservoirthissummer.

It threatensto furtherconstrict

Egypt’swatersupply.

“We’re worried,”Mr. Jaral-

lahsaid. “Egypt wouldn’t exist

withoutthe Nile.Our livelihood

is beingdestroyed,Godhelp

us.”

Thedisputebetween Egypt

andEthiopiaoverthe $4.5 bil-

lion GrandEthiopian Renais-

sanceDam—Africa’slargest,

with areservoirabout thesize

of London —has becomeana-

tional preoccupationin both

countries, stokingpatriotism,

deep-seatedfears andeven

murmursofwar.

To Ethiopians,thedamis a

cherishedsymboloftheir am-

bitions—amegaprojectwith

thepotentialto lightupmillions

of homes,earnbillionsfrom

electricit ysales to neighboring

countriesand confirmEthio-

pia’splace as arisingAfrican

power. Afteryears of bumpy

progress,includingcorruption

scandals andthe mysterious

deathofits chiefengineer, the

firsttwo turbines arebeingin-

stalled. In Egypt, thedamis

seen as themostfundamental

of threats.“TheNileisaques-

tion oflife,amatterofexistence

to Egypt,”PresidentAbdel Fat-

tahel-Sisisaid at theUnitedNa-

AnadministratoratBarnard
CollegeinNew York City gets alot
of callsfromparentswho saythey
“would notnormallycall” butneed
to becausetheir daughtersare not
good at self-ad-
vocacy.
“It’ srarely
true,”Natalie
Friedman,
thedirector of
family engage-
mentatthe elite
women’sschool,
wroteinThe
Times.“Theparents andguardians
whotell me thishave, unknowingly,
prevented theirchildrenfrom han-
dlingtheir ownaffairs.”
Researchshowsthat overparent-
ingcancauselow self-esteem,de-

pressionandproblemsadjusting.

“I worryabout theoneswho have

beentaughttobehelpless,”she

wrote. “Whatwill happentothem

whentheir moms anddadsare no

longeraroundto solvetheirprob-

lems?”

Parentswho want to helpcan

encouragetheir children to tapinto

campus resources,or help them

write a“script”iftheyare anxious

about talkingtoaprofessor. Still,

sometimes things don’twork out.

“RemindthemthatthisisO.K.,”

Ms.Friedmanwrote.“Rejection is a

part of life.”

Cressida Cowell learnedfroman

earlyage to be independent. Shede-

scribesher childhoodas “gloriously

wild,”visitinganuninhabited isla nd

offofScotlandwithher family.

She remembers many excitingbut

terrifying experiences.

“Therewas thetimemyfatherac-

cidentally tied theboattoalobster

potinstead ofabuoyand we were

blown outtosea,” shewrote.“There

wasatripout in astorm wherethe

wavesturned into greathills, and

we hadtobailout thewater.”

Sincethere wasnoelectricity,

telephoneor television,she spent

alot of time drawingand writing

stories. Herfathertoldofthe Vi-

kings whoinvadedthe isla nd 1,200

yearsbefore,ofthe fearsome British

tribesandofdragons that inhabited

thecavesinthe isla nd’s cliffs.

Ms.Cowelllaterturned these

talesinto“Howto TrainYourDrag-

on,” whichbecameaDreamWorks

action fantasyfilm in2010.

Children have much less unsuper-

visedtimethese days,let alonetime

to runwild.

“I worrythattheymay never

know themagic of thewilderness,”

Ms.Cowellwrote,“thepowerof

treesand thethrillingexcitementof

exploringnaturewithoutanadult

hovering behindthem.”

LydiaDenworthwas inspiredto

modifyher parentingstyle after

watchingwildanimalsin Puerto

Rico.Asshe observed rhesus ma-

caquessocializing, sittingcloseand

grooming oneanother,she realized

that washow they strengthened

bonds. Researchershavefound that

themonkeys with thestrongest

bondshavemore andhealthier ba-

biesandlivelonger.

When Ms.Denworthreturned

home,she wasannoyedtofindher

teenageson onthecouch playing

videogames with afriend.

“And then ithitme,”she wrote.

“Theyweresittingclose together

anddoing thehumanequivalent of

grooming —laughingand talking,

strengtheningtheirbond.”

Sleepovers, whichusedtofill her

with dread, arenolongerverboten.

When her16-year-oldhasfriends

over,itisone of thefew chanceshe

hasfor unstructuredtimeinthese

peripatetictimes.

“Myson willbetired thenext

day,”Ms. Denworthwrote,“but he

andhis friendswill have satisfied

theircraving tobe together, invest-

ed moretimeintheir friendship, and

they willhavehad fun.”

TOMBRADY

ContinuedonPage 3

ContinuedonPage 3

TheTimetoRun Wild

Forcomments, writeto
[email protected].

INTELLIGENCE

Thedrugcartels’

enablers. PAGE 2

ARTS&DESIGN

Depictingachildhood

of genocide. PAGE 4

AStruggle

ForControl

Of theNile

LAURABOUSHNAKFORTHENEWYORKTIMES

More than 95 percentofEgyptians live near theNileorits delta. AnEthiopiandamprojectis stirringfearsthattheirliveswill beupended.

HugeEthiopianDamIs Viewed

AsaThreatToEgypt’s Lifeblood

Internet

Delusions

Find Life

Offline

Aconspiracy‘lifestyle’

or‘religion,’with

Tr umpasthe hero.

WORLDTRENDS

Amigrant counters

Austria’sright. PAGE 2