Mick West Webinar

 

I've taken part once again in a skeptic online meeting. Mick West is the director of the Metabunk website, see: https://www.metabunk.org/home/. He has made a name for himself in UFOlogy these last few years for his dedicated dismissal of the AATIP footage and all its subsequent revelations, for example see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2021/04/new-triangular-ufo-clip.html. Most of the time he is wrong and I am one of his biggest critics. In fact I'd have to say, he's not even a particularly original skepper; most of what he said has been said before by people like Michael Shermer or Prof. Chris French. He began his skeptic career with chemtrails and eventually moved into other areas. He lives in the USA and his nationality is stated as American, but he speaks with a strong English accent and may come from the other side of the Atlantic. In this event West focused on psychology. His talk was about what to do if you have somebody close to you in your life, a friend or family member, who is a conspiracy theorist. How do you talk them down off that woo-woo ledge? He has created a "spectrum of craziness" with what he considers the more sensible and possibly true conspiracy theories at one end, such as the US government passively allowing Bin Laden to carry out 9/11, to the far end with the allegedly most extreme and outlandish viewpoints, like the earth being flat, which even I don't believe in. He warns us that the deprogramming process takes a long time and you need a lot of patience. Keep a line of communication open with your friend or family member. Don't get angry with them or insult them because this will just drive them away, further into madness! He cites Dr Phil Plait's famous "Don't be a Dick!" speech, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2012/08/skeptics-evolution-and-revolution.html and: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrFRbGjUtJk. West does seem to have an open and appreciative manner to him that is rare for a skeptic. He doesn't stoop to the usual slurs and fixation on ad hominem that most skeppies do. On his YouTube channel he regularly interviews non-skeptics, or ex-believers who are new to the skeptisphere, see: https://www.youtube.com/user/mickword. I do the same, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2019/04/ben-emlyn-jones-on-be-reasonable.html and: https://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2015/12/programme-166-podcast-bolerhatman.html.
 
This webinar was hosted by Leighann Lord of the Centre for Inquiry and its recording is available, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqt5ai3qrWQ. I registered for this event for the same reasons I attend other skeptic meetings, both in real life and online; to learn about the other side of the argument, which I consider essential. I also feel that somebody needs to "show the flag" so to speak for the woo-woo contingent. I was joined by my good friend and comrade Colin Woolford. This webinar was not as fun as the media one, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2020/12/crazy-conspiracies-theories-event.html, because there was no public chat and only the hosts and guest were visible. The communication from the audience was private and one-way with the host. We submitted questions to her and she read out the best ones. As you'll see, Colin had that honour. What I found amusing about this lecture is that every single point Mick West made could be inverted and applied by the UFO/paranormal/conspiratorial position. I could write a transcript of his entire address and by merely substituting "skeptic" for "conspiracy theorist" it would sound equally coherent. I have indeed been in that exact equivalent position with my own family and friends. I did indeed convert a few people, mostly colleagues at my hospital; I've given up on my family. I learned for myself the same lessons West has. I was polite and respectful. I took my time, planting mental seeds and seeing if they grew. I sought common ground and tried to keep our relationships active. I addressed my challenges to their skeptic beliefs on their own position within the "skeptic spectrum". Watching this webinar supports my own observation of the skeptic movement, that it is a kind of mirror image of our own world, the UFO/para/con community, see background links below. I'm glad I joined this webinar; it was interesting. Let nobody claim I live in an echo chamber!
See here for background: http://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2021/04/programme-414-podcast-skeptics-2021.html.
And: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2019/04/ben-emlyn-jones-live-at-truth-seekers.html.
And: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2018/09/prof-karen-douglas-at-greenwich-sitp.html.