How to save someone from the "chemtrail" hoax....

[SkyRock]

I got a bud who is convinced planes are spraying barium all over the place....  I've known him for a long time and he is not a bad guy, just fell into this hoax... I'm kind of stumped on how to pull him back to reality.

[Arlo]

Perhaps you can explain to him what a vapor trail is.

[SkyRock]

Perhaps you can explain to him what a vapor trail is.

I've done that... There is just so much of this conspiracy "chemtrail" crap out there and he is eating it up like a fat kid and a box of twinkies... it's got to the point where I am avoiding him after 31 years of being real close friends.  He sent me an audio clip of this guy talking about the military dumping "gigatons" of barium in our atmosphere....  just so far out there I don't know how to respond...

[RedBull1]

It is sad that people cannot/do not do basic research on these things before screaming 'IT'S A CONSPIRACY'.

Being a plane jocky for most of my life hearing someone say the contrails from an A320 are chemical's being used against us just makes me do this:




SR my only idea would be to get some exact facts on contrails,   ex. where they come from, why they are there, what causes them, etc etc. and prove to him these are just natural occurrences in aircraft.

[Zoney]

FYI, you really smart people dont no nuthin looks like to meh.  The gubment is sprayin Barrium everwhere which masks the aliens ability to get gud return pings from all the abductees they have implanted.  I'm personally very thankful cuz I aint been picked up and probed for almost 8 munths now.

Barrium is my friend

[rpm]

I guess piston engine B-17's were spraying barium, too.

[GScholz]

Yes, they tested it on Germany first!

[rogwar]

“Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the differance”


― Mark Twain

[pembquist]

The problem with conspiracy theories is that they tend to do this judo thing with contradictory information, that is they see evidence against the conspiracy as just more evidence of the expanse and deviousness of the conspiracy. For this reason I don,t think it is possible to talk him out of it with logic and facts.  

On the other hand, while I'm no psychologist, I would suspect that the great attraction of conspiracy theories is that they offer the illusion of greater understanding and a sort of control over the mystery of life. It might help take the edge off if you didn't try to convince him that he's wrong, but just let him know that you don't believe and whenever it comes up you will insist on changing the subject but that you value him as one of your oldest friends. If you want to make the effort you could try to do activities with him that are new and would be interesting for him. Try to dilute the obsession.

[guncrasher]

you can tell him that barium is  being used by the government as a free service as it is used as an X-ray radiocontrast agent for imaging the human gastrointestinal tract.  in other words, if he goes to the doctor right know and takes an xray of his gastrointestinal tract, he will be able to see his head in there.



semp

edit:  tell him that we have bigger problems to worry about.  for example the conspiracy to hide dihydrogen monoxide problems for the population.

http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html#CONCERN

[morfiend]

 Just tell him it's being done as a prep for his next enema!       






   

[Wiley]

Pembquist's suggestion is a potential way of dealing with it.  I've got some friends with a few funny ideas too, thankfully not having reached the level of an 'obsession', but trying to steer them away into other subjects/activities is a possibility.

Unfortunately, sometimes it's really difficult to do and doesn't always work.

One question I'd ask myself if I were you is, are you willing to look past his funny ideas to still be friends with him?  I don't mean it as, 'You've got to be more openminded and accepting of other ideas!' but just, can you live with him being deluded and still be friends?  Possibly move past trying to set him straight and pull him back to reality?

I know for myself there's a certain level of WTF that will just make me go, 'Nope, you're not worth it.'  I guess it's up to you where to draw that line with this guy.

Sucks when that kind of thing happens.  Best of luck with it.

Wiley.

[APDrone]

The Chemtrails hoax is really a diversion to keep their attention away from the real evil.. HAARP..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Frequency_Active_Auroral_Research_Program

[SkyRock]

Yup, I think he's too far gone to convince him otherwise, and I am sure this will get worse before it gets better...   thanks for the input fellas, it's greatly appreciated.


Mark

[SkyRock]

The Chemtrails hoax is really a diversion to keep their attention away from the real evil.. HAARP..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Frequency_Active_Auroral_Research_Program

Haarp, chemtrails, reptillian agenda... I've been informed of them all.... the hollow moon, the hollow earth... I mean it's frickin ridiculus...