Sure, Red Bull might take the win, but I honestly think debating whether they can actually clinch the driver's championship at this stage is just a waste of breath. Even though he's significantly less talented, I’d argue that Valtteri Bottas actually stands a better shot at securing this year's title than Max Verstappen. And that's not just because neonfox65 is rooting for him.
Look... while my love for the sport and my heart as a Ferrari fan would make me jump if the Scuderia took the win, I have to give Hamilton a bit more credit. His raw pace is undeniable, and frankly, I find myself trusting the Mercedes-Benz trajectory over Ferrari's progress this season. Then again, last year he was outclassed by Nico Rosberg in that exact same car, and I won't let anyone convince me that Rosberg is actually better than Sebastian Vettel. It seems Hamilton just isn't always that lethal when his mental game isn't at its absolute peak.
Here are the results from the off-season poll. I’m going to start a new one now, since it’s become blindingly obvious that this whole thing has boiled down to just two drivers.
Should we start a fresh poll within this thread, limiting the options strictly to those drivers we actually believe have a legitimate shot at clinching a championship?
You can find this same kind of nonsense anywhere, really. The individual mentioned above was rewarded with permanent bans. I wouldn't bother keeping this thread alive; when the need arises, we can simply start a new one.
mellowtiger83, you seem to be getting a bit lost in your allegiances here... It’s funny how the logic works, isn't it? When Hamilton is out there managing his engine and tires while maintaining total control over the race, suddenly he’s a tactical genius. But when Vettel does the exact same thing, we’re expected to act like Hamilton is some kind of alien just because he managed to close the gap, even if he didn't actually overtake him. ☕
1. Sebastian Vettel 2. Lewis Hamilton 3. Valtteri Bottas 4. Kimi Raikkonen 5. Max Verstappen 6. Daniel Ricciardo 7. Felipe Massa 8. Romain Grosjean 9. Daniil Kvyat 10. Nico Hulkenberg 11. Sergio Perez 12. Carlos Sainz 13. Esteban Ocon 14. Lance Stroll 15. Jolyon Palmer 16. Kevin Magnussen 17. Marcus Ericsson 18. Pascal Wehrlein
Listen, folks, we aren't here to debate the life and times of Giordano Bruno. I’d like to request that the moderators keep a closer eye on this religious studies thread, though one has to wonder if this discussion even belongs here; wouldn't it be more appropriate under History? Perhaps that is the simplest solution: strip away the arguments that have nothing to do with the actual subject matter, and everyone will be better off.
At least for the second time now: the standard is identical for everyone. If you take a look at the absolute bottom-feeders who have been posting on threads about politicians and cultural figures, you’ll get a very clear idea of what people consider acceptable criteria for public figures. Essentially, whatever vitriol you can justify writing about Oliver Frljić, Vesna Pusić, or Vesna Teršelić, you could just as easily direct toward Andrej Plenković, Željko Markić, or Andros Hasanbegović.
Furthermore, my previous point was clearly aimed elsewhere, and I fail to see why anyone would conclude it was directed at the clergy as a whole.
A certain sense of déjà vu... I find myself quoting a few lines from my own extensive private correspondence with Honey:
Am I permitted to write exactly what I think of you on a thread without restriction? Should a forum really grant equal platform to the rhetoric of an ISIS leader who believes everyone failing to adhere to his religious doctrines should be wiped off the face of the earth, including Pope Francis? These questions are hypothetical, of course, but if the answer were "yes," then perhaps we would be looking at the kind of forum you desire. And that is not what this forum is.
And following her response:
Hmm, so in the aforementioned debate between Pope Francis and an ISIS leader, is your primary concern that the moderators shouldn't belong to an organization advocating for one side or the other? Is it not more important to you that the rules governing what is permissible and what is forbidden remain applied equally during a debate?
If you were, say, an NBA referee, would you strive to maintain a single set of rules for all participants—even if those rules don't apply identically in every specific instance—or would you attempt to manipulate the rules just to ensure both teams have an equal number of shots at the basket, or perhaps even an equal score?
To put it bluntly for everyone's sake, this user believes that moderators should strive to balance opposing viewpoints, rather than balancing the criteria used to express them. For forum moderation and administration, such a concept is unacceptable, and that is the end of the matter.
To be perfectly clear, this individual has already engaged in this exact debate with me, both publicly () and through private messages. I don't believe it's a matter of loneviper2 failing to grasp the answer; rather, she simply finds the conclusion disagreeable. Regardless, I would like to kindly—yet firmly—request that once this thread concludes, no new topics regarding this same subject be opened.
So, in your view, we have a problem simply because someone referred to a priest—one who actually told several women they were sluts via their own children—as a "man in black"? Do you truly believe the context is irrelevant here, or that this blatant insult isn't clearly directed at that specific individual rather than the entire clergy?
First off, you’re starting an entire thread over a post from just an hour ago—on any other US forum, that would get you a warning right away. Secondly, you're pointing fingers at a user who hasn't even been flagged for similar posts on the Politics subforum; out of his last 30 warnings, 29 were earned specifically over there. Good day to you.
1. Hamilton 2. Vettel 3. Bottas 4. Kimi Räikkönen 5. Max Verstappen 6. Daniel Ricciardo 7. Felipe Massa 8. Carlos Sainz 9. Romain Grosjean 10. Sergio Pérez 11. Nico Hülkenberg 12. Esteban Ocon 13. Daniil Kvyat 14. Kevin Magnussen 15. Nazzi 16. Marcus Ericsson
Stroll Netherlands Alonso Netherlands Vandoorne Netherlands Palmer Netherlands
It’s been said to you a thousand times already: disappear for a year, and then perhaps people will actually listen when you speak. But with five or six burner accounts a month, followed by endless cycles of begging and threats? You aren't in any position to ask for forgiveness.
