good article...

just a few days ago, I encountered such a person. He still believes that Trump won the 2016 election by colluding with Russia.

And, like the linked article said, he got all his "facts" (which are in reality "disinformation") from "fringe" sources... in his case CNN, MSNBC, NYT, etc

again.. good advice in the above link

It never works.

I've tried to calmly and politely explain many things, using readily available data and no matter how calm I remain,  they go into a rage before the discussion even begins.

"The rich don't pay their fair share"

"Taxes and unions created the middle class in this country"

"Minumum wage increases stimulate the economy and do not impact employment of low skilled workers".

"Climate crisis!!!"..

"Racists Cops are killing thousands of minorities per day"l 

Questioning any of these and many more are guaranteed to result in a blow out and likely ended friendships.  It's more like a religious debate for these people than a factual discussion.  I find myself politely nodding and smiling more and more often. 

This is an excellent article with some good advice.

Funny thing is that in some realms, the gatekeepers own the franchise on the narrative and they can actually make the conspiracy theory/manufactured reality the excepted, mainstream position and spin the authentic facts/reality into the conspiracy theory.

They constantly do, exactly what the ones they accuse of doing something,  do. 

Climate deniers for instance.

The ones denying the authentic science/data/observations that prove indisputably that we are having the best weather and climate for life..........a climate optimum and calling it, instead a climate crisis/emergency have labelled the ones using the authentic science/data/observations to define the current weather/climate as a climate optimum........as deniers.

And using it as an excuse to censor them.

One technique that they use is to put it into a category with other very well known, absurd conspiracy theories and make people think its the same thing. Since people are not climate experts.............that can't know any different and just have to................BELIEVE!

https://www.fightingfake.org.uk/conspiracy

Global Warming / Cimate Change:  Over a third of Americans (including Donald Trump) believe that man-made global warming is a hoax (Gallup, 2013). They allege that the science behind climate change has been invented or distorted for ideological or financial reasons. An article in The Conversation convincingly debunks five of the main arguments often used. [See also the Global Climate Coalition]

metmike: And they will mischaracterize the position as done above. Claiming that deniers like me don't believe in man made global warming.  

Fact is, I believe in every iota of global warming and climate change that has been measured and happened as well as the physics of increasing CO2 from human emissions. How can you not? It's the data.  I also believe in photosynthesis and the massive benefits of this and the mostly beneficial effects of the warming on life, based entirely on...........the authentic science on the REAL planet.  With regards to distorting it for ideological and financial reasons, I don't think this. I know it with absolute certainty and only because I can prove it. I only believe in things that are rock solid facts based on empirical data used for proof. 

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/27864/

Regardless,

This person gives wonderful advice and is not referring to climate change.  I think that even when we know with certainty that somebody is brainwashed with some bad ideas/science, we should not judge them because they sincerely believe what they believe. The other thing is that to actually have any chance to  change minds with the truth or to get them to consider that they might have some things wrong, you should always approach them respectfully, trying to understand why they have these ideas and when you to present the truth, try to do it in a way that does not put them on the defensive.  

Sincerely befriend them.  You can often learn a few things that their side might have right. It's not always a  conspiracy theory with 100% wrong facts. Some might be hogwash but have solid elements of truth that led down that path. 

It's nearly impossible in some cases but you should always represent the truth, even if others will not believe it. I've been doing it with climate science for 20 years and still have alot to learn about the science and how to best communicate it.

This article you posted joj, has helped me to think about ways to do it better. Thanks