AIBU to argue with a conspiracy theorist?

[MRex]

I have a friend, he used to be mostly normal to talk to, we'll call him X. Conspiracy theories he's taken up publicly on Facebook in the last few years include:

• Flat earth
• No moon landings
• 9/11 was the US government and the building was rigged to fall
• Most famous people are transvestites, M2F or F2M (this one I'd never even heard of until he took it up and is very weird)
• There have been no school shootings in the USA, it's all actors starting with Sandy Hook and beyond
• There have been no terrorist attacks, it's all actors including Manchester arena, Westminster bridge and London Bridge
• Vaccines are evil

There's a constant theme of media/ government / "big pharma" making things up and "you're being lied to".

I've mostly ignored it, because I don't have much time for Facebook debate and I have no idea what to say to someone who's gone so far down the rabbit hole. DH unhelpfully asks for "the latest craziness from flat-earth-X", and mutters that there's always been something about JFK and the WTC toppling. I can see how someone might find one or two things to be beguiling, I can't see how anybody topples into a crazy world of believing all of them unless psychologically there's something very wrong.

The vaccines though, that's a step too far for me. I had to say something. Now I've ended up that he keeps posting more US-generated conspiracy crap and I'm having to rebut every point one by one. Which is easy to do, because it's bullshit, it seems so silly having to explain how much mercury in a vaccine compares to the amount of water drunk in each day or eaten with a few bites of fish, it's just fighting the flood of craziness. But it's going on and on and on. I know I can't "fix" him by logic, but I also have pangs thinking about how full of fun he used to be and wishing I could help. I feel like I should know something to say so that he can see past the confused mist of conspiracies to just focus on real life. So as not to drip feed I should admit that I don't really see him, we've moved in different directions and know nobody in common. AIBU to engage at all and I should just leave him to it? Is there something I should be saying?

People who believe in conspiracy theories like to believe in lots of them. It's a philosophy about how the world works. 2% who know what's going on... this is a social status thing, they gain social status (or hope to) by being the ones in the know.

Also, much nicer to think that someone is in charge of chaotic world, rather than it really just being chaos that no one could ever control. So it's a lot like religion. There are rules to follow for your salvation and everything.

I can see why such theories draw people in. After all, it isn't impossible that, somewhere in the world, there are questionable things going on behind official closed doors. Cover-ups, media manipulation, organised groups with underhand political agendas, greed and lies. Maybe there could be a small element of truth among some of the theories. Not everything or everyone is always as they seem on the surface, or to be trusted. And one way to hide dodgy dealings in plain sight could be to ensure it's only interpreted as a "conspiracy theory". Much of it is very bizarre stuff though and clearly impossible!

I have a friend, he used to be mostly normal to talk to, we'll call him X. Conspiracy theories he's taken up publicly on Facebook in the last few years include:
- Flat earth
- Vaccines are evil
I've mostly ignored it,.....The vaccines though, that's a step too far for me

So you were fine with flat Earth, but vaccines pushed you over the edge

As a general rule of thumb though, never argue with an idiot; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Ds has got interested in conspiracy theories recently. He keeps coming and telling me the new one he's found. He was delighted especially with the flat earth. His year 7 class has been treated to his views on it.
He says there's no point trying to convince them they're wrong. Best thing to do is produce an even more loopy idea in place and they'll go for that instead. He wanted to test that but I threatened to turn the internet off as he has the most bizarre imagination at times and I dread to think what he'd come up with.

I genuinely wouldn't bother engaging with him - he sounds a twat. I would also unfollow him on Facebook (but not defriend).

Althoughm you can tell him from me that the 2005 London bombings were very real thank you very much. I can still smell that burning bus today...

I fucking hate conspiracy theorists. They never even come up with anything original these day.

never argue with an idiot; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience
^THIS
Or my mantra: You can't sanely argue with the insane

@Lifecraft - chattering about flat earth doesn't harm others, but spreading lies to discourage people from vaccines can be very harmful for babies and immune compromised people, as well as the kids who aren't vaccinated.

@StCharlotte - sorry to hear you were there and I hope that my OP hasn't unintentionally brought back any bad memories for you, sorry if I have. I did message him after one of the bomb attacks, explaining that my sister's friends are not actors and were there (though luckily uninjured), I thought it might help, but he just shrugged it off along with everyone else's messages at the time. I do think he really believes it rather than saying it to be offensive.