Dr. Pavo Barišić tells CNN: 'It is now crystal clear whose scientific credibility was actually at stake and what the true motives were.'
Press release from Augsburg
The official statement from the University of Augsburg reads:
"In February 2017, formal complaints were filed against Prof. Dr. Pave Barišić regarding his dissertation titled 'world and ethos. Hegelian views on the fall of the West,' which he submitted during the summer semester of 1989 at the then Faculty of Arts and University of Augsburg.
Upon receiving the final reports from both university committees tasked with investigating these allegations, the University of Augsburg has reached its final conclusion regarding the matter in question:
A) There was no violation of the University of Augsburg's general 'Principles for Handling Suspected Scientific Misconduct,' and consequently,
B) It cannot be determined whether any violations occurred under the Promotion Regulations of the former Faculty of Arts and University of Augsburg that would justify accusing Mr. Barišić of intentional fraud or warranting further disciplinary action."
I highly recommend opening this link and reading the full text—with some perspective:
The man has now filed a lawsuit, reportedly seeking $2,000 in damages. If I were in his shoes, I'd be asking for ten times that amount and donating every cent to charity. He’s been dragged through the mud by the media and even by people here on this forum, all based on these baseless accusations. He deserves way more than what he's asking for.
Drew Gonzalez12 said:Hello everyone. I am reaching out because I am not sure if anyone else experiences this, but I have been struggling with some issues lately. It seems everything has started piling up just when things were supposed to be going smoothly, though perhaps dwelling on the cause isn't the most productive way to approach this right now.
What is truly significant is that these concerns don't actually disrupt my day-to-day activities very much—I tend to be quite an anxious person by nature, so being around friends or family usually provides a distraction that allows me to temporarily forget. However, the real struggle begins once I lie down in bed. When I am alone with my thoughts, everything starts to accumulate in my mind. My stomach begins to ache, and I feel this overwhelming sense of dread about what might happen or what won't work out. I simply cannot stop the mental loop, and I often fall asleep feeling terrified. During the night, I wake up two or three times; I can never sleep through the night, and the moment I stir, those problems rush back into my head. It is quite distressing. The worst part is when my alarm goes off in the morning. I have to get out of bed feeling completely exhausted and gripped by anxiety, with a stomachache to boot. I end up feeling incredibly jittery and would honestly rather just stay under the covers for a few more hours. I lie down nervous and afraid, I wake up multiple times due to these thoughts, and I wake up every single morning feeling unsettled. Ever since things started heading downhill a few months ago, I haven't been able to get decent rest because everything hits me all at once the moment my head touches the pillow. During the daylight hours, it feels as though nothing is wrong, but the second I hit that damn bed, it all comes rushing back. I am really at a loss for how to help myself. For context, I am 18 years old. Most of what I am dealing with involves schoolwork, family dynamics, finances, and a few other matters, but I do not wish to bore you with the specifics. What I am truly interested in is learning how to stop these thoughts from haunting me at night. For instance, I will wake up feeling so anxious that I would rather skip class and go back to sleep, yet once I actually arrive at school, I feel perfectly fine. It is strange, isn't it? That fear and nausea only exist when I am lying in bed or waking up. Now, I am headed to bed, and I know I will spend the next half hour with my mind racing. I will likely wake up several times tonight, and tomorrow morning I will be back to feeling anxious and uneasy, only to feel completely normal once I step onto campus.🤦
Have you talked to anyone about this besides people here on the forum? It sounds like there's something deep inside you that's causing a lot of pain. Whether it's insecurities, past traumas, or maybe just too much pressure from others or even from yourself... The first thing you should do is talk to your parents and tell them everything you've shared here. You should also check if your high school has a counselor you can sit down with. And after all that—if things don't improve—go see your family doctor. They can give you a referral to a therapist who can help dig into the root causes of what you're feeling. You're young, and life is at its best right now; you should be able to live it to the fullest. Give yourself that chance.
Daniel Kelly57 said:Look, sometimes you just do it to buy some peace and quiet. If I realize I'm dealing with a hypocrite at work, I'll match their energy just to get them off my back. There are always people who use their job titles to act like they're somehow better than everyone else. They don't realize they're only "superior" because of a degree or because they know the right people in the office. In those cases, I just tell them how great they are and agree with everything they say so I can have some peace. I don't play those games in my personal life, though.🍿
I'm not sure, since I don't work in an environment where I'm forced to collaborate closely with others. That said, my own character won't let me be verbally sycophantic or shower someone with empty praise just to get by. At most, I can just stay silent and overlook someone's arrogance, even if it ends up costing me something. I think it's much more appropriate to take an ironic stance, wrapped in silk gloves, which allows you to distance yourself from the whole performance without actually playing along. Otherwise, everything just starts feeling slimy and overly sweet.
I totally get why people do it in a high-pressure office setting where dealing with difficult personalities is constant, and people crave that validation. But there has to be a line—a point where your own dignity won't let you stoop that low.
Honestly, this isn't even news to me. I actually stumbled upon an old thread started by Olivia Mendoza35 about five years ago, where she was dealing with the exact same issues involving the moderators and certain users who seem to be part of their inner circle. Back then, I was a bit naive and tried reaching out via private message to vent my frustrations, but they just straight-up ignored me. It’s the same story here at the Appeals section—they won't sanction anyone else, yet they try to threaten me with penalties. Of course, since they have zero actual grounds to punish me, they can't follow through, because if they did, they'd essentially have to start penalizing their own friends, and they aren't about to do that. Here is the specific appeal thread I opened, which pretty much tells the whole story: . In that thread, you'll see the link to the original discussion where the moderator basically branded me the villain without even bothering to read the content or make an objective call. Naturally, I didn't end up getting any actual penalties since there's no basis for them, but even so, the moderators still went out of their way to publicly demonize me.
Could someone please explain why I haven't been penalized for my post on CNN - specifically in , where a moderator basically took a shot at me without even checking the facts first, labeled me wrong, and then just shut the whole thread down?
I’m asking the supermoderator, Nicky, to take a look at this situation. I'd like to understand why I didn't receive a penalty, but also why there wasn't an apology for being publicly called out before the actual facts were even established.
So they actually gave you a moderator position? Seriously?!!?? What kind of credentials do you even have to act as judge and jury here? You went ahead and quoted a post where another user called me "sick"—which, as far as I know, is a direct violation that should get *him* penalized—and you didn't say a word about it. Instead, you chose to respond to my sarcastic rebuttal by highlighting a post that’s honestly hard to stomach.
You're equating blatant insults with sarcasm (do you even understand what sarcasm is or why people use it in conversation?), which actually ends up giving his insults more weight than they deserve.
I'm not asking anymore; I am demanding that this thread be reviewed and that the appropriate penalties are handed out to those who deserve them. If I'm not among those being penalized—which I shouldn't be—then I want your comment, where you claimed I ruined this entire thread, deleted immediately. It’s damaging my reputation.
I'll be reporting your comment to upper management because you made a judgment call without even reading the full thread first. You essentially condemned me before figuring out who was actually in the wrong, and then you did it publicly.
Rude? And what about ignoring the private message I sent you? I was reaching out to complain about the moderator, Jacob Sullivan91, and asking if you could please look into the situation and step in to resolve things. Look—I’m quoting myself here, though I really shouldn't have to, since I already pasted the entire PM above. You can see from the text itself, and the tone of the whole thing, that there is absolutely nothing "rude" about it. Just look— "At the same time, I am requesting protection from the moderator, Jacob Sullivan91, who is being biased in their judgment and rulings."
Is that rude or inappropriate language? And how would you describe ignoring a polite, direct request?
Come on, please just do your job. Let me know if the "investigation" is finished and if anyone has been penalized for any misconduct, assuming one was actually found. If nothing was found, will the thread be unlocked, or is it going to stay locked like it is now? And if it stays locked, why?
Basic internet etiquette dictates that you actually address grievances when they're raised, but it seems like this forum lacks both basic functionality and even a shred of respect for its own members.
Is anyone actually going to step up and provide an answer to the complaint I made and the question I asked?
It’s been about seven or eight days now since this topic was first brought up. I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the recent discussions regarding our current legal system and how much it feels like we're constantly fighting an uphill battle against bureaucracy. It seems like every time we try to make progress on civil rights or even just basic administrative efficiency, we hit this massive wall of red tape that feels designed to keep us stuck. I was reading some comments earlier, and it reminded me of what Harold Phillips54 was saying about how these systemic issues aren't just glitches—they're practically features of the machine at this point. It’s frustrating because you want to believe that things will eventually straighten themselves out through the proper channels, but sometimes it feels like those channels are intentionally clogged. There’s also that feeling of constant friction between the public and authority figures. You see it in the news all the time, and honestly, it makes it hard to maintain much optimism. I know I can be a bit of a pessimist when it comes to these topics, but it’s hard not to feel a little cynical when you see how much energy is spent just trying to navigate a system that doesn't seem to care about the individual. Does anyone else feel like we're just spinning our wheels? Or am I just overthinking the whole thing again? I’d love to hear if anyone has found a way to actually get things done without losing their mind in the process. I’ve been banned from the ACAB forum. Apparently, they’re claiming I’m the one who ruined everything, and now they’re saying they’ll go through everyone to weed out the troublemakers and hand out sanctions.
Since it’s still closed, could someone fill me in on why that is? I'd love to know what the current status is and if there's any word on when it might reopen.
I tried reaching out via private message to get some clarification, and I even filed a formal complaint with two different people—the moderator who shut me down and the one who announced the sanctions in that PM. Honestly, she completely ignored me and didn't even bother to reply, which is pretty disappointing. So, since I can't get a response there, I'm just going to lay out my grievance right here.
A copy of the DM sent to the moderator, Katniss Everdeen:
Oh, sure, you’re the expert on handing out bans now. It’s funny how you’ve been following this entire thread without saying a single word while people throw insults at me and treat me with zero respect. Honestly, I don't think you'd even step in if the roles were reversed, especially since you seem pretty cozy with the very people who are attacking me. Do you really think I’m blind to what’s going on here? On other moderators' threads, people get permanently banned just for the way certain users talk to me, yet here you are, letting all this trash slide right past you. I’m actually a little surprised—how can you sit there and stay silent through all those posts, only to turn around and threaten me with a ban the second I actually stand up for myself? Who exactly are you trying to intimidate? Me? Do you really think a ban means anything to me? You can cut my access for a day, a week, or even a year—whatever helps you sleep at night if you think you're being "fair." If you actually cared about justice, you would have seen that post I made in the chat where she was just cooing and playing nice. Based on what she said, you should have been handing out bans to everyone involved. If you truly wanted to be impartial, you would have taken a closer look and realized just how ridiculous her comments actually were. But you aren't doing that because you’re busy protecting her. It’s pretty obvious: you are who you hang out with. If you actually wanted to stand for something, you would have reined her in a long time ago.
I’m not going to waste my energy reporting posts where people are just being insults—it feels like that happens to me more often than not anyway. You mentioned you were going to go through this thread and clean things up, so... go ahead. I'm honestly curious to see which of these people will actually show their faces at the panel after stepping all over me. Though, if I'm being honest, I already know how this is going to play out. Look, you aren't going to find anything by combing through this. It’ll be the same old story—nothing comes of it. Honestly, at this point, you'll probably just end up penalizing me because I'm done letting people walk all over me. Go ahead, do what you have to do; I'll take the hit. As for the rest of you ladies, feel free to enjoy your little display of power and untouchability if that's what makes you happy.
Come on, give me a break—you’re claiming I’m "ruining" these threads? How exactly am I doing that? Just because I don't agree with someone's premise or because I decide to offer a different perspective? Have I ever actually gone out of my way to reply to a post made by someone who's in a feud with me? I mean, have I ever engaged with someone who’s busy insulting or belittling me, or even just chimed in on their opinions to argue back? Go ahead—search the entire forum and find me just one single instance where I did that. That is, unless they were specifically calling me out just to tear me down. I make it a point never to reply to people like that on these forums. I don't go looking for trouble or try to start arguments; honestly, I just try to steer clear of them entirely to avoid getting dragged into any toxic or inappropriate back-and-forth. But for some reason, they won't leave me alone—they just keep targeting and harassing me relentlessly. Hey, help me out here—can someone find that specific thread where I had to defend myself against all those trolls? You know the ones: the keyboard warriors, the bullies, the losers, and those other usual suspects... everyone I’ve ever called out. I need the post where I responded to them after they targeted me, even though they didn't even mention my name in their original insults. It was just constant, relentless disrespect from them every single time. And then, after all that, they have the nerve to turn around and claim *I'm* the one ruining the discussions. I guess I just have a knack for wrecking threads—it’s funny, you haven't even scrolled through the post yet and you already know I'm the one who caused the chaos. You're pretty sharp.
Have a wonderful day, ma'am.
I'm just reposting this here because I sent a DM to the supermod Bliss earlier, but I feel like I need to say it publicly: I’m really struggling with how biased Katniss Everdeen is being. It feels pretty one-sided lately.
Since the moderator Katniss Everdeen decided to lock this thread... I honestly don't know how to feel about this. I’ve been sitting here staring at my screen for twenty minutes trying to wrap my head around the latest news, and I’m still coming up empty. It feels like every time we think we finally have a handle on things, something else comes along to throw us completely off balance. It’s one of those situations where you want to be outraged, but you also just feel exhausted. You see people online losing their minds, shouting from the rooftops, and honestly, I get it. I really do. But I can’t bring myself to join in on the yelling. I’d rather just sit here, process it, and try to figure out what this actually means for us in the long run. I was talking to Harold Phillips54 about this earlier, and even he seemed a bit stumped by the implications. We both agreed that the sheer scale of this is what makes it so difficult to digest. It isn't just a minor hiccup; it feels like a fundamental shift in how things are going to work moving forward. I’m curious to hear what the rest of you think, though. Are you feeling that same sense of fatigue, or am I just being overly cautious? I’m probably overthinking it—that’s usually my problem—but I can’t shake the feeling that we aren't seeing the full picture yet. Let me know if I'm missing something obvious. To the ACAB team—without even looking into the situation first or trying to understand why there was a disagreement among members in the first place, you’ve gone ahead and publicly blamed me for the escalation in tone. I’m asking you to please step in, look at the facts, and let me know how you plan to resolve this. Basically, the thread is still locked, I haven't received any official notice regarding potential penalties, and yet I've been singled out as the one responsible for all the drama.
Since I don't believe I'm at fault here—and frankly, I think the moderator is being biased because of her close friendships with the people arguing against me (something she’s clearly demonstrated in other situations before)—I'm asking for someone to look into what actually happened. Please let me know my current status, whether there is an actual violation or if I'm just being unfairly blamed without cause.
After the moderator made a comment in the thread and immediately locked it, I reached out via DM to protest, but I haven't heard a single word back from her.
I also want to lodge a formal complaint regarding her conduct toward ACAB, specifically concerning the bias she brings to her moderation.
I've attached a copy of the private message I sent her, which she hasn't even bothered to respond to.
Additionally, I'm asking for protection from Katniss Everdeen, whose judgment and enforcement of the rules have been completely one-sided.
Best regards, and have a good day.
Could I please get an update on what is being done regarding these concerns?
I’ve been running into this same issue for a little while now myself. Every time I try to pull up a list of all my own posts or even just look through someone else's history, I get absolutely nothing. Just a blank screen.
Do you think this is something that can actually be fixed anytime soon?
If he successfully completed the floor-by-floor breakdown of the house during the probate process—meaning the deed officially reflects his ownership of specific floors under his own name—then that property is indisputably his. If he hasn't done that yet, that’s his very first priority. Once that's settled, he can legally request that his sister move out, whether she moves into her mother's place or leaves the house entirely if her mother isn't willing to take her in. Ideally, the probate settlement should clearly document her payout as part of her inheritance; that way, there's an official paper trail proving she no longer has any legal claim to the residence. If that documentation doesn't exist, but there is a signed, formal agreement between her and her brothers stating she was paid a specific cash amount in lieu of her share, then things should still be straightforward. However, if there is absolutely nothing in writing, she could attempt to claim her forced heirship portion, which would be half of what she was originally entitled to. That opens a massive can of worms. Depending on how stubborn or difficult she decides to be, we could be looking at anything from her claiming rights to live in the house to demanding partial ownership of certain floors, or even trying to sue for more money down the road.
How I finally settled things with my neighbor. I wasn't even in the wrong here—she was the one who started the drama—and we didn't speak for years, at least not until I decided to be the one to step up and start a conversation. Pride really can kill any chance of moving forward. My advice? Just try. Reach out, strike up a chat, and show through both your words and your actions that you’re someone they can trust. That doesn't mean everything will magically fix itself overnight or that they’ll welcome you back with open arms immediately—building trust is a long haul, much longer than it takes to lose it. If you're willing to swallow your pride and carry that weight, it might just be worth it. Of course, there are no guarantees; people are different. Some are open to making amends, while others stay stubborn and closed off for their entire lives. But if you don't at least try, you'll never truly know.
Scott Roberts3 said:That was a really solid post you put together. I didn't take it as an attack at all, and honestly, it’s good to get some insight into how another parent processes things. 🙂
I mean, my parents probably love me... if they didn't, I’d likely be out on the streets by now.
My main issue is just that I let my emotions get the better of me sometimes. If I had just waited a couple of days to cool off, I probably wouldn't even be starting these threads in the first place. I know I come across as pretty negative, but that's just what's on my mind in the moment... once I vent it all out here on the forum, it feels a bit lighter and I can move on.
I definitely haven't been the same person since last year, but there's still a lot of work to do... I'm still young, just trying to figure life out. 🙂
Still, I just don't get why there's such tension with that side of the family. They go out of their way to avoid me... but whatever, I'm done stressing over them. I think I'll just start avoiding them first!
That’s actually pretty straightforward when you look at it. You've basically built a reputation as the "troubled kid." Between being extra, struggling to fit in, and the way you communicate... people see you through the lens of those interactions, not who you truly are deep down. It sounds like you might have wrapped yourself in this tough, unapproachable shell, and they either don't realize it's there or they've forgotten what's underneath. Don't sit around waiting for them to peel back the layers to see what's inside; you have to be the one to step out of that shell and show them who you really feel you are. Show them that you're vulnerable, that you want connection, attention, and just some normal conversation. Your inner circle—your mom, your relatives—they're all just as scared of being disappointed as you are. In situations like this, people build up these defensive walls to protect themselves from you and from the pain of being hurt again. That cycle will keep going until they finally realize that you aren't the person they perceive, but the person you've kept hidden. And they won't see that unless you decide to show them.
Yeah, I actually just hopped onto your profile a moment ago to take a look.
That’s what I figured—you're the firstborn. Please don't think I'm trying to shift the blame for your struggles onto you; that's absolutely not my intention, nor is it even possible. Regardless of how they started, it's the parents' job to notice these things and handle them with the right approach. Look, I was the second child—I had an older brother—and throughout my childhood, I always got a free pass. Being the younger, smaller one meant I always had fewer responsibilities, and honestly, I took full advantage of that. I have two kids of my own now, and it was the same story there—my younger son always seemed to have the privileges. Now, mind you, those are parental mistakes; it shouldn't happen, but it does. I didn't realize at the time that it was wrong; I just thought as long as I loved both kids equally, it was fine. But this creates all sorts of distortions in a child's development. The privileged child learns they can push boundaries, while the other child senses the unfairness of the system. It emotionally suffocates them. If parents catch their mistakes early enough, everything can be fixed. I think what you really need is some deep psychoanalysis—a good psychologist who can trace everything from your earliest memories up to the present day. Not a psychiatrist. They mostly just throw pills at you. As for work... look, I'm a firm believer that when you're unemployed, you need to grab whatever brings in a few dollars, even if it's a low-paying gig. You can always hunt for something better while you're doing it. Just by getting out of the house and sticking to an eight-hour workday, your mindset starts to shift. You begin to recognize your own value because every day you prove to yourself that you're capable and useful, which is the foundation of building self-confidence. There isn't quite enough information here to draw any definitive conclusions, no matter how much you've shared, because this is only your side of the story—a one-sided view of the problem. Don't take this the wrong way, but it feels to me like because you lack self-belief, you tend to interpret everything through a negative lens. You finished college. Your tuition had to be paid, and they had to look after you while you were studying. To me, that suggests your parents do have enough love for you; they might just not know how to show it or express it properly. Moving out of your childhood home won't help you if you don't resolve these emotional depths first. And most likely, those issues began the moment your sister was born. I'd guess that's where it started. Try reflecting on that. Everything else is just layers that have built up over the years.
Don't take this as a personal attack. Playing the victim—complaining about how cruel life is being to you—isn't going to help. If you don't understand why this all started and try to grasp the reasons behind your parents' reactions at various points in time, you'll never truly break free from the state you're in.
I didn't catch any of your posts from last year, so I'm pretty curious. How did your family's lack of care actually show up during your childhood? What kind of kid were you? Did you have friends, or were there specific chores your parents expected you to handle—and did you actually do them? I'm also wondering if they treated your siblings differently than they treated you, and where you fell in the birth order. How did you do in school, and how was it navigating social circles back then?
Come on, give me a little bit of your story, from those early days up to now. Did you finish school? What kind of career did you aim for, and what led you to where you are today?
Look, your situation isn't nearly as dire as mine. Honestly, I’m just someone who grew up without a place to call home. My father disowned me—he fought my very right to claim him as a parent—and even after I was an adult, married, and fully grown, he kicked me out of the house with a blunt "don't bother coming back." For years, things finally seemed to settle, and he actually stepped back into being a father to me until the day he passed. But then I realized he had never changed his mind. He actually showed me his true colors in a really ugly, posthumous way, leaving me to realize I’d been living a delusion for half my life. Because of that rejection, he robbed me of the chance to say what I truly needed to say to his face. I consider myself a pretty resilient, tough woman; I've always handled my own problems since I was a kid. I wouldn't be responding to your posts if I didn't feel it was necessary to speak up while a conflicting person is still alive, because sometimes you need those spoken words to find some closure for everything you've endured. I couldn't do that. All I could do was go to the gravesite, sit on a stone, look at his photo, and talk to him—really just talking to myself—but nothing ever came of it. You have this deep human need to tell a rational being, "Damn it, look at what you did to me!" You want to yell, "You blind fool, where are you looking? I look just like you! I have your bad eyesight, I have your gift for writing... why on earth didn't you just help me prove paternity instead of making my life a living hell?" Well, you see, once they're gone, you can't do that. And for the record, I don't need anyone's help. I helped myself. What I ended up receiving from his estate—the financial side of things—wasn't even because he wanted me to have it. In fact, he explicitly decided I wouldn't get anything from his side of the family; my brother made sure of that through a private agreement. So, that little bit of money, maybe about five thousand dollars, I blew on all sorts of nonsense as long as there was cash to spend. When my mom asked if I had put any of it into savings, I told her straight up: "No, I spent it all. I used the last few bucks to buy toilet paper." As for that talent for writing I inherited from him? I’m never going to use it. And I won't. That stubbornness is my version of self-help, and I don't need anything else. Life is tough, and those ghosts from the past catch up to you when you least expect it. Here I am, over 50, a grown woman with two-thirds of my life behind me, and yet sometimes I truly feel like a helpless little girl. It only lasts for a moment, though. Once that masochistic, self-satisfied spite flashes across my face, I just tell myself: "Am I not your daughter? Fine. Then I don't want a single thing from you."
I’m going to step back from this discussion for my own sake, at least for now, but I can't just stay silent. To the author: please, under no circumstances and regardless of how much it hurts, do not let your mother pass away without looking her in the eye and telling her exactly what she did to your life. This doesn't have to be an accusation or a trial; think of it simply as a moment of raw, honest truth—and then, whatever happens, happens. Because if you don't, it will haunt you for the rest of your life. All that anger, all that pain, and those feelings you can't quite find the words for—they'll stay trapped inside you, weighing you down forever. Eventually, you might end up in a position like mine, where you find yourself acting out against a parent who isn't even here anymore, using spite as a way to deal with the frustrations they left behind, sinking emotionally every single time the memory resurfaces. Take me, for example. Ever since I was a kid, I've had a natural gift for writing, something I inherited from my father. But I don't use it. I refuse to use it because it feels like it belongs to him—it's his legacy. To me, words feel suffocating, heavy... so what do I do? I suppress them. I hold onto this stubborn vow I made to myself: whatever I was given, I'll take to my grave. It's my way of being defiant against everything he put me through. The thing is, I don't have a choice anymore—he's been gone for fifteen years. And look, I've spent those fifteen years living with this weight, knowing exactly where I went wrong, but having zero chance to make it right. But you still have that chance. Go do it.