Closing the thread regarding Angela Merkel's absence

I’m officially lodging a protest regarding the decision to shut down the thread about Angela Merkel skipping the ceremony for our entry into the European Union. Apparently, the topic is just too "sensitive," and it looks like it was killed solely because the moderator didn't like anyone's personal take on it. That reason is a total joke. We already have existing threads discussing the Prime Minister and the Perković Law, but the fact that Europe's most prominent leader isn't showing up definitely warrants its own discussion. Especially now that it’s become crystal clear that the Prime Minister straight-up lied about why we accepted that controversial legislation.

It feels like someone here is trying to sweep things under the rug, which just doesn't fly in a democratic forum like this.

Paul Newman86 said:I’m officially lodging a protest against shutting down the thread about Angela Merkel skipping the EU accession ceremony. Apparently, this topic is just too "sensitive," so they nuked it solely based on some moderator’s personal bias. That reason for closing it is totally bogus. We already have threads running about the Prime Minister and Perković, but the fact that the most important female leader in Europe didn't show up absolutely warrants its own discussion. Especially now that it's crystal clear the Prime Minister straight-up lied about why they accepted that controversial law.

It looks like someone here is trying to sweep things under the rug, which is totally uncool for a democratic forum.

What kind of forum are we even talking about? 😂

Paul Newman86 said:I’m actually protesting the fact that the thread regarding Angela Merkel’s absence from the EU accession ceremony was shut down. It feels like this topic is being treated as too sensitive, and it was closed simply because of the moderators' personal biases... which just isn't right. The reasoning behind closing it doesn't hold water. We already have ongoing discussions about the Prime Minister and Perković, but the absence of the most significant leader in Europe definitely warrants its own dedicated space for discussion... especially now that it has become crystal clear that our Prime Minister was essentially lying about why he accepted that controversial law.

It feels like someone here is trying to sweep things under the rug, and honestly, that’s not how a democratic forum should operate...

What can I even say, other than I completely stand behind this complaint...

This massive issue was practically smothered within twenty-four hours of being opened...

That has to be the fastest shutdown I've ever seen on this site...

So, where does that leave us?

If we try to bring up Merkel's absence in any other threads, I'm sure we'll just face deletions, bans, and all sorts of trouble, yes...

Just open a thread and let people talk... it's not like it'll hurt anyone to let a conversation happen...

And how am I supposed to contribute to this thread without bringing up Perković or constant bashing of Zoran Milanović?🤷

This new moderator doesn't seem fit for the job, unfortunately for everyone.

First, they shut down a thread in the Close Politics section for absolutely no reason at all.

Then, they closed the discussion regarding Mrs. Merkel's visit without any justification.

To top it off, yesterday they posted this on another thread:

right here

Instead of moving the thread over to the World News section—since the subject clearly doesn't belong in the main Politics forum (which I assume Ed did later once he saw it)

...they also failed to moderate or even react to people repeatedly posting links about news in California, the US. They ignored it across two or three different threads and the one regarding the referendum in America, yet they personally dropped a link/quote about US news here which had nothing to do with the actual topic. Meanwhile, another moderator stepped in shortly after to clean up that off-topic spin.

What is going on with this moderator, and who exactly appointed them to the Politics team? 🤷

Closing this was actually quite a straightforward decision..............

People just keep cluttering the thread with spam, insults, and off-topic nonsense—stuff that would usually get you kicked off an American forum instantly. Plus, some folks seem stuck in a 1940s mindset. It’s better to just move these debates elsewhere.

As my colleague pointed out when we shut this down, there are plenty of other threads where these discussions can flow naturally.

On Perković -
On the Prime Minister -
Germany discussion -
The "Perković Law" - Who's responsible if sanctions hit?

Isn't locking a thread basically one of the most extreme ways to stifle free speech?

Then again, isn't the whole point of being a moderator to hand out warnings or kick trolls off a thread?

But you guys keep shutting down trending and controversial topics almost as if it were a hobby, and honestly, it feels totally unnecessary. If that isn't a blatant disregard for free expression, I don't know what is...

Amanda Hughes37 said:And honestly, how is anyone supposed to even discuss this topic without bringing up Perković or just launching into a full-on smear campaign against Zoran Milanović...🤷

I wonder if the German media covers it any differently, though...

Charles Fox10 said:The decision to shut this down was actually pretty straightforward..............

It feels like people just want to abandon the actual discussion and start handing out digital citations for spamming, insults, or going off-topic—which, honestly, seems way more lenient than what most US forums would allow—while some folks just can't seem to move past their outdated mindsets from the WWII era, or perhaps we should just close things off and redirect these debates toward existing threads.

And as my colleague pointed out during the shutdown, we already have plenty of active threads where these discussions can flow freely without any interruptions

On Perković -
On the Prime Minister -
Germany Thread -
"Perković Law" - Who will be blamed for potential sanctions?

That all makes sense, but there’s still the lingering question of whose interest it serves to link Merkel's absence to how the government handled the Perković situation...

Even German state television draws a connection between those two events, yet somehow it feels like we aren't allowed, or maybe shouldn't, be making that same connection here.

James Patel20 said:That’s all fair, but you have to wonder who benefits from linking Merkel's absence to how the government handles the Perković situation.

Even German state TV is connecting those dots, yet somehow it feels like we aren't or shouldn't be allowed to.

And who's stopping you? There are at least three different threads where this is being debated without any issue at all.

Charles Fox10 said:And who’s stopping you from doing that? There are at least three different threads where this is being debated without any issues at all...

But honestly, that’s exactly the point...

One single issue just gets diluted into three separate ones...

Diluting is just another way of saying weakening the core argument...

And on top of that, this whole "Perković Law" thing is clearly just a massive spin job...

If you want proof, just look at a few quotes from the introduction of the thread itself...

This thread is unique because of both Perković and Angela Merkel and everything else involved, since we are dealing with a problem that truly demands our individual attention. It's a matter so significant that it requires its own dedicated space...

......

To put it simply, if I can be brief, the real concern is that using an EU instrument could potentially open the door for someone to start demanding the extradition of our veterans, officers, and generals tomorrow or the day after. Once Canada becomes a full member of the European Union, you could say such a scenario becomes almost inevitable...

......

Who will take the blame if—or perhaps when—we find ourselves forced to hand over our first veteran or general due to these alleged crimes from the Homeland War, simply because we didn't have these protections in place?

And what does any of this have to do with Angela Merkel's absence?

It's pure propaganda...

If you ask me, I’d bet it’s coming straight from the headquarters of the Democratic Center...

So you decided to resurrect a thread from nearly nine years ago by quoting the first post of a banned user. I’m fairly certain you realize how frowned upon that is.

The thread stays locked unless the admins decide otherwise.

James Patel20 said:I wonder if the German media is reporting anything differently...

Just because I’m not dragging Zoran Milanović through the mud doesn't mean🙄 I don't see exactly where this is heading.

Look, I meant what I wrote—no sarcasm intended here.

In my view, this thread shouldn't have been shut down... regardless of how much I hate being wrong, we're looking at a first-rate scandal.

The mods have handled tougher jobs than this.

Charles Fox10 said:So you really want to make a point by reviving a thread from about nine years ago... by quoting the very first post of a banned user, which I am quite certain you realize isn't exactly the right way to go about things.

Let’s try playing by the book for a moment:

• Article 5.
• In order to respect the principles laid out in Article 2, the following is not permitted on the Politics forum:
• Responding to an insult with another insult. Engaging in trolling or responding to a provocation with further provocation. If that happens, all parties involved in such an exchange will face sanctions, regardless of who started it. Additionally, please refrain from posting replies consisting solely of emojis, as this is considered spam. This rule also applies to posts containing nothing more than "OK," "I agree," "bravo," or similar sentiments.
• Directing questions toward forum members who are currently under a ban, as they are unable to respond. It is best to seek clarification once those members have served their suspension. This does not prohibit quoting the messages of banned users within a post that continues the discussion by providing arguments or counter-arguments.

Now, why don't you just unlock the thread, since the rules seem pretty straightforward to me... 🙂

James Patel20 said:Let’s stick to the rules for once:

Go ahead and lock the thread, since the rules are pretty clear. 🙂

I wasn't quoting the rules; I was just saying this isn't okay. Nice try, though. The answer is no—we aren't starting some new thread about Perković based on a PDF from a political site. What we have here covers it.

Charles Fox10 said:I wasn't actually quoting the Rules, I was just saying this whole thing isn't right. But nice try, and the answer is still no, because we aren't going to spin some random XY topic about Perković just to satisfy you. What we've already got on him is plenty.

Look, shutting this thread down only makes sense if Angela Merkel herself steps up and swears on her life that Perković had absolutely nothing to do with why she avoided that mess in the North America, and even then, we’d just be sitting here guessing whether Merkel is telling the truth or not. Bottom line is, until it is 100% certain whether the Perković Law is the reason she stayed away, or until we know for sure what actually kept her from visiting, this discussion doesn't fall under the category of being about Perković, or Germany in general, or even that particular psychopath.

Charles Fox10 said:I wasn't actually quoting the Rules, I was just saying that this isn't right... but nice try, though the answer is still no, because we aren't going to spin some special topic about Perković just for the sake of it from the political side. The current threads cover everything that needs to be covered.

Good grief, you can't just say the secret police equals Perković...

There are plenty of other players on the field here...

It’s almost like you’re trying to shut down the conversation about the US National Team by making up an excuse that you don't want another thread about Luka Modrić...

Is that how it works, my friend?

Of course it is... 🙂

If you ask me, this looks like a calculated editorial strategy by the site admins: they just shut down the hottest topics to dodge the headache of actually moderating them.

Anything that starts gaining real traction gets locked down almost instantly.

We’ve seen this pattern play out over the last few days with two massive, trending discussions that were blowing up—specifically the debates surrounding marriage referendums and pride parades.

Even the thread about cash usage and federal marking was handled the exact same way.

It’s certainly no coincidence why the most popular discussion regarding Perković was slammed shut while plenty of other, much quieter threads were left wide open.

I’m fully expecting them to lock down the next big news cycle too, because their recent actions make it pretty obvious what kind of editorial policy they're following.

President Biden isn't visiting the USA - second attempt

Here. A new thread for you.

Charles Fox10 said:President Biden isn't visiting the USA - second attempt

Here you go, I've started a new thread for you.

Thanks for being understanding about this.

I would really appreciate it if we could keep this thread on the POTUS board open for just a little while longer, at least until we get a sense of how the conversation develops over on the other thread...

Thanks again for everything.