How to Argue with Conspiracy Theorists (And Win)

So you've gone home for Christmas, and as you're sitting down to eat dinner, your "crazy" uncle starts talking about how COVID-19 is a hoax, or about how Obama wanted to take his guns away, or about how GMOs and Chemtrails are secret government plots to implant mind-control devices into our brains. How do you even begin to argue with this? Often, when our loved ones have fallen down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, they seem to be out of touch with reality. So...what do we do about that? Come with me as I explore all the ways (both right and wrong) that you can go about ACTUALLY saving your loved ones from the clutches of conspiracy theory thinking. (Re)Sources: Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them, ed. Joseph E. Uscinski ---“Down the Rabbit Hole we Go!” Joseph E. Uscinski ---“The History of Conspiracy Theory Research: A Re view and Commentary,” Michael Butter and Peter Knight ---“What we Mean When we Say ‘Conspiracy Theory’” Jesse Walker ---“Media Marginalization of Racial Minorities,” Martin Horr and Ginna Husting ---“Conspiracy Theory Phobia,” Juha Raikka and Lee Basham ---“Conspiracy Thinking, Tolerance, and Democracy,” Steven M. Smallpage ---“Conspiracy Rumor Psychology,” Nicholas Difonzo ---“The Truth is Around Here Somewhere: Integrating the Research on Conspiracy Beliefs,” Preston R. Boat ---“Polls, Plots, and Party Politics: Conspiracy Theories in Contemporary America,” Adam M. Enders and Steven M. Smallpage ---“How Conspiracy Theories Spread,” Darin Dewitt, Matthew D. Atkinson, and Drew Wegner ---“Empowerment as a Tool to Reduce Belief in Conspiracy Theories,” Jan-Willem Van Prooijen Conspiracy Theories, A Primer, Joseph E. Uscinski Escaping the Rabbit Hole, Mick West Awful Archives: Conspiracy Theory, Rhetoric, and Acts of Evidence, Jenny Rice “No, I Will Not Debate You,” Laurie Penny https://longreads.com/2018/09/18/no-i... Behind the Curve (Netflix Documentary) "How should you talk to friends and relatives who believe conspiracy theories?" Marianna Spring https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trendi... To Support Me: * ---Become a channel Member! ➤    / @zoe_bee   ---Join the Patreon! ➤   / zoe_bee   ---Make a one-time donation! ➤ https://ko-fi.com/zoebee ---Join the Discord! ➤   / discord   ---Check out my second channel! ➤    / @zoecee   ---Watch my D&D game! ➤    / @thejaycorn   ---Watch my Blades in the Dark game! ➤   / itucrew