ESCAPING THE RABBIT HOLE How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect
mick west
Skyhorse Publishing
Copyright © 2018 by Mick West All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or
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Contents Acknowledgmentsv Prologue: Willie – Rabbit Hole Escapeevii Introductionxii Overviewxxii
part one Chapter 1: The “Conspiracy Theory” Conspiracy Theory1 Chapter 2: Conspiracy Spectrums11 Chapter 3: The Shill Card26 Chapter 4: The Rabbit Hole: How and Why37 Chapter 5: Core Debunking Techniques56 Chapter 6: Steve – A Journey through the Rabbit Hole75
part two Chapter 7: Chemtrails85 Chapter 8: Stephanie – A Former Chemtrailer129 Chapter 9: 9/11 Controlled Demolitions135 Chapter 10: Karl – Temporary Truther160 Chapter 11: False Flags164 Chapter 12: Richard – Drawing the Line at Sandy Hook189 Chapter 13: Flat Earth194 Chapter 14: Bob – Escape from Flat Earth212
part three Chapter 15: Complications in Debunking219 Chapter 16: The Future of Bunk and Debunking233 Conclusion249 Glossary251 Endnotes257 Index274
Acknowledgments The backbone of this book is the collection of accounts from people who have escaped from the rabbit hole. I am very grateful to each of them for the time they took to share their stories with me, and for their continued resilience. My thanks go to Willie, Martin Beard, Steve, Stephanie Wittschier, Karl, Richard, and Bob. Thanks also to the many other people whom I interviewed or simply chatted with online. While I did not get everyone’s story in, their input greatly informed this book. Many of them I only know by internet pseudonyms, or they wished to remain anonymous, so I shall list only first names, thanking Nathan, Elliot, Scooter, Michael, Adam, Julie, David, Ed, Marty, Frank, Johnny, DJ, and Joshua. Thanks to the members of Metabunk, my main forum for discussing these topics. I am particularly grateful to Deirdre, both for useful feedback on my communication style, and invaluable help in moderating Metabunk while I was distracted with writing. Thanks also to Trailblazer, Pete Tar, Landru, Trailspotter, TEEJ, JFDee, Efftup, Jay Reynolds, TWCobra, MikeC, NoParty, Ross Marsden, Scombid, Skephu, Whitebeard, MikeG, and many others. Thanks to the prolific skeptical author Benjamin Radford, who took the time to read an early draft and gave many valuable suggestions. I just wish I’d asked him earlier! Thanks to Joe Rogan, a rabbit hole escapee himself, who invited me on his show to explain Chemtrails, then later Flat Earth and other conspiracies, helping create the platform for this book. Thanks to my agent Jill Marr and my editor Andrew Geller for their support and guidance through the entire process. Special thanks must