Mick West Interview for "Overcast" documentary by Dedal Films

[M Bornong]

I have a DVD of the documentary (I had to pay for it). I think any impact from this is really going to be limited if it remains pay-to-view.

Mick, did they use your interview? If so, are you satisfied with the editing of it?

 

[Mick West]

Mick, did they use your interview? If so, are you satisfied with the editing of it?

Yeah they used quite a bit of it. I'm happy with the bits they used of my interview, however they juxtaposed my introductions in a rather suggestive way. Basically setting me up as a "troll and shill" with a Russ Tanner voice-over, but they also give my explanation of why nobody pays me (I'm retired). So on balance it's okay. They used four minutes of my interview.

Here, I'll upload the bit with me in it:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8JoR7u1rDE

 

[Mick West]

They include this shot of my bookshelf.

No doubt my copy of Applied Cryptography (Schneier, 1996) (under "Weather") will convince people I work for the NSA. And I'm not sure what they will make of that can of "Spray Control". I think Tristan arranged that a little.

 

[M Bornong]

Yeah they used quite a bit of it. I'm happy with the bits they used of my interview, however they juxtaposed my introductions in a rather suggestive way. Basically setting me up as a "troll and shill" with a Russ Tanner voice-over, but they also give my explanation of why nobody pays me (I'm retired). So on balance it's okay. They used four minutes of my interview.

Thanks, I'm interested in seeing the whole thing in context, just not 20 bucks interested.

 

[Trailblazer]

Yeah they used quite a bit of it. I'm happy with the bits they used of my interview, however they juxtaposed my introductions in a rather suggestive way. Basically setting me up as a "troll and shill" with a Russ Tanner voice-over, but they also give my explanation of why nobody pays me (I'm retired). So on balance it's okay. They used four minutes of my interview.

Here, I'll upload the bit with me in it:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8JoR7u1rDE

That was quite a pleasant surprise how much factual information they left in.

 

[Dan Page]

That was quite a pleasant surprise how much factual information they left in.

Yes, a pleasant surprise indeed, you look very credible Mick. Although as M. Bornong said, I would like to see the whole video.

 

[Mick West]

Yes, a pleasant surprise indeed, you look very credible Mick. Although as M. Bornong said, I would like to see the whole video.

Yes well they also had Clifford Carnicom. But then they also had Patrick Minnis and Ken Caldeira. I think the science side was reasonably represented. The spin of the "there's metal in the exhaust" narrative come across as pretty weak to me, but I'm sure people with a different perspective will have a different takeaway.

Maybe it will get uploaded somewhere eventually.

 

[Mick West]

I've edited the transcript in the OP to show which parts were actually used in the documentary
https://www.metabunk.org/mick-west-interview-for-overcast-documentary-by-dedal-films.t6303/

 

[Mick West]

Full documentary now on Youtube

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUbP7dMVoww

I'm at 12:20 and 21:20

 

[Lisa P]

An interesting weaving of conspiracy and facts. I think the facts came out the winner but that could be my bias. I would like to know what people that believe in chemtrails thought of this. I am not really interested in conspiracies anymore I have to deal with my own little paranoia's (like 'is that person talking about me' when I am in a work situation) in my daily life let alone taking on anyone elses but this popped up on my email. I still have my flight radar app and on the rare occasions I see contrails I'll check which plane it is but that's about it now. I'm glad to have gone on the conspiracy journey and come out the other side appreciating how important it is to find factual sources. Mick and team have taught me a lot and I am very grateful for that.

 

[NoParty]

I think the facts came out the winner but that could be my bias.

Unfortunately, I think that that's probably true...and for most of us here.

But the video isn't aimed at us, and I think that the overwhelming majority of folks who do
gravitate towards it, already have their minds made up in the non-facts direction.

Here's an early--but representative--sampling of how the CT crowd receives Mick's sober input:

"The guy from neversoft is in total denial..."

"Mick needs to go back to Britain. He's a video game designer jack-off. Useless..."

"MICK WEST? Boo!"

"I've got a bunch of vids on my channel that will instantly debunk that guy at 15. Min."

"15:00 THIS GUY IS A TOTAL FUCKING SHILL!!!!!! FUCK THAT MOTHER FUCKING DOUCHEBAG!!!!!!"

"the guy that used to work for microsoft if full of BS"

"That tool at the 14minute mark should be told about Vietnam, and what about cloud seeding?"

"hey mick west go fuck yourself!"

"mick the dick west should be put at the btm of an out house for life"

"This [contrailscience.com] is Mick West's website. If you ask me, he should have stuck with video games! He is exceptionally hopeful, now to the point of delusion that this phenomenon is fictitious."

"Chemtrail debunker? More like butt plugger..."

"The 'debunker' has not fully researched this topic...and he doesn't understand the scope of the 'reasons' they would be doing this.....he's not a very thorough debunker for someone who spends all of his early retirement tackling this subject."

"This is garbage! 100% a shill with no true answers. Dane Wennignton will open your eyes..."

"Mick west lost credibility as a reasonable sceptic and outed himself as a shill at 32:10 when he said that totally dumb stuff about ''what reason would they do it - if they don't know what they are doing?'' just nonsense and he doesn't look comfortable spouting his lies either."

"Mick West is either a paid shill or he has vested interest in the lies."

"Mick West is a pure disinfo agent...what a fucking tool. And tony hawk games sucked!"

"Mick West says a book says contrails can be consistent. Yes, they can be, but not everyday 365 days a year. I'm sorry to say so, but Mick is missing the facts...Mick, you are either a shill or very ignorant about aerosol spraying."

"12:56 = Dickhead..."

"MIC WEST YOU ARE NUTS ; THE SKIES DID NOT BECOME WHITED OUT IN THE 80S AND 90S ; PARABOLIC RISE IN "CONTRAILS" WAKE UP AND QUIT YOUR DEBUNKING ; GET A NEW DAMN HOBBY"

I don't think I read a single positive thing about "the debunker."
(I also didn't correct atrocious spelling, etc., though autocorrect may have made a poster or two look better)

I still want to believe that Mick's contribution will affect some marginal types, and make them
think twice before swallowing the chemtrail nonsense...but evidently almost all the folks who
will sit through this film will attack Mick without any thought at all.

 

[benthamitemetric]

"Mick West is a pure disinfo agent...what a fucking tool. And tony hawk games sucked!"

Now you know they're just being unreasonable! Say what you will about Mick, but several of the early Tony Hawk Skater games rightly considered to be among the top 100 games of all time, which metacritic bears out.

 

[DasKleineTeilchen]

Here's an early--but representative--sampling of how the CT crowd receives Mick's sober input:

[snip]

I see your point, but do you think its really necessary in such volume?

 

[NoParty]

I see your point, but do you think its really necessary in such volume?

Them typing it, or me taking a few minutes to try to represent it as accurately as possible?

 

[Mick West]

Unfortunately, I think that that's probably true...and for most of us here.

But the video isn't aimed at us, and I think that the overwhelming majority of folks who do
gravitate towards it, already have their minds made up in the non-facts direction.

People's instant answers are not always a good indication of if the truth is working. People take time to change, much longer than the time require to type an angry response on YouTube. So I have hope for the people who did not comment, and even for the people who did - given time.

 

[Lisa P]

I think angry is good, it's passiveness and depression when they think they can't do anything is not good. I was angry when I thought chemtrails were real, so I kept arguing and learning. I wouldn't lie down and just take it. Then I learnt about facts and evidence. Let's hope it helps.

 

[NoParty]

People's instant answers are not always a good indication of if the truth is working. People take time to change, much longer than the time require to type an angry response on YouTube. So I have hope for the people who did not comment, and even for the people who did - given time.

I hope you're right.
As I said, I continue to hold out hope that the more marginal folks are positively affected.
This bunch didn't seem very reachable, to me.
I don't think it helped that so many saw you as "the debunker:"
Perhaps if another debunker or two had been thrown in for faux balance,
your contribution wouldn't have drawn so much fire.

I'm still glad you did it...and am grateful for the sanity you provide with this site.

 

[StarGazer]

To me what @Mick West pointed out ''...it's becoming increasingly important to show that conspiracy theories are incorrect, because they are getting in the way of dealing with real problems. There's real problems with climate change and pollution that people aren't, they aren't addressing them because they think the chemtrail are happening, so it distracts away from real problems...'' pretty much summed up the whole documentary.

There is the real problem of contrail pollution and there is the claim of deliberate ''chem - trailing''.

Mick's words reminded me of an old Buddhist parable:

"Suppose a man is struck by a poisoned arrow and the doctor wishes to take out the arrow immediately. Suppose the man does not want the arrow removed until he knows who shot it, his age, his parents, and why he shot it. What would happen? If he were to wait until all these questions have been answered, the man might die first."

Life is so short. It must not be spent in endless speculations that do not bring us any closer to the truth.