#That's how you end up with shithead like the ppl sending death threats to Latifi

[beechicory]

Don't attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

Or, I suppose, don't attribute to multimillion-dollar conspiracy that which is adequately explained by a stressed-out dude feeling incredibly pressured to create an 'exciting race' and having seconds to make a decision.

(That does not, however, negate the fact that issues like racism, the desire to put 'entertainment' first, and a willingness to be pressured by fans, etc, have had an impact on decisions and rules throughout the season).

Look, in my day job I literally am an expert in conspiracy theories (it's a very shitty and stressful day job). And how conspiracy theories fuck people up.

Don't attribute to massive sport-wide conspiracy theory (e.g. race-fixing, paying millions under the table for Merc to drop the case, etc.) things that are so much more adequately explained by pressure, unclear rules, and poor in-the-moment decisions.

The sport still needs fixed: those external factors shouldn't have sway (and in the case of racism they, uh, shouldn't fucking exist), the rules should be far clearer and more consistent, and poor decisions can't be so easy to make.

But please, please this cry of conspiracy, now even blaming Merc for supposedly being in on a conspiracy...please consider the speed and trajectory stuff like this can take. Consider who you could inadvertently harm along the way (like Lewis, for God's sake).

And consider the reality that most crappy things in life are banal, not conspiratorial. Injustice happens so very frequently (including now), and it's very rarely due to a big evil plot - it's usually due to life being chaotic and full of crap, crap that we need to work to fix.

There aren't always simple bad guys. We want simple bad guys, because something isn't fair, and we want to change it. We want simple bad guys, because we can fight them.

And we WANT to fight them! We want to do something! We want to put right a wrong, defend what we care about, ride valiantly in and force them to do What's Right!

It's hard for us, as fans, to fight concepts like the unacknowledged racism of F1 and the FIA and its fans, poor bureaucratic systems, the pressures of sport vs entertainment, inadequate consistency in governing, and over-centralization of decision-making power.

It's a lot easier, and feels more 'right', to say a person, or a vague group of persons, did this on purpose, and there's only one way to make it right. And by God, if anyone disagrees, well then they must be part of the conspiracy, too!

...

Sometimes shitty things occur, for shitty reasons, and we can't un-do it; sometimes the best thing we can do is work to prevent that shitty thing from happening again. And we do that by looking for the causes, and finding solutions.

No, it isn't fair. But it isn't an evil conspiracy, either. Hell, it might still be evil, but it's that infamous 'banal evil' - the omnipresent, harder-to-fight issues of racism, capitalism, etc.

Fighting those things? It's harder. But it's how we actually make the world better, it's how we actually hold people accountable, it's how we actually do some good.

Please, please consider before you cry conspiracy.