(ANTIMEDIA) The hacktivist group known as Anonymous is almost impossible to nail to the wall. The computer whizzes have undergone a huge transformation since their humble beginnings, and today the beast that once brought major corporate and government websites to their knees seems to be content growling in the shadows. Former leader Christopher X is on the run in Canada, and the collective appears to have moved on to other interests. They did a lot of sabre-rattling during the 2016 election but came up with little ground-shaking information.

However, the mainstream media hasn’t forgotten that with the right group of hackers assembled for an “operation,” the group can still be dangerous, and when a YouTube channel using the Anonymous banner uploaded a video last week, people took notice.

In the video, the group warned of an upcoming world war, declaring “all the signs of a looming war on the Korean peninsula are surfacing.”

The video continues:

“Unlike past world wars, although there will be ground troops, the battle is likely to be fierce, brutal and quick.”

What follows is a brief run-down of the escalating situation on the Korean peninsula; however, there is little new information other than the suggestion that Australia will play a pivotal role in the coming confrontation.

Mainstream news sites had a field day with the Anonymous video. Since it was the first time the group has spoken in a while, every outlet was eager to push a story. Pieces summarizing the video appeared on The Daily Mail, The New York Post, The Independent, and a number of other sites. The Courier Mail‘s Facebook page described the video as “chilling.” Even the right-leaning Drudge Report linked to the story.

Of course, there’s always a good chance that Anonymous has inside information–that they’ve hacked into the Pentagon and listened in on Trump and his generals talking war. However, if they have, they didn’t share it in this video. But, eager to get a few clicks, the mainstream media has sensationalized headlines and helped us remember that the Guy Fawkes mask is never far away — and neither is the mainstream’s penchant for pushing fear-based narratives about war.

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