Wouter
@wvanparys.bsky.social
Used to say what people didn't think.
Runs, reads, tries to learn. English, Dutch, French, a bit German.
Gent, Belgium.
I'm not Innocentius X.
Runs, reads, tries to learn. English, Dutch, French, a bit German.
Gent, Belgium.
I'm not Innocentius X.
Reposted by Wouter
all of us will forever remember where we were when we heard that the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal had been suspended. The shock on everyone's faces. People in the street, simply numb. Staring at their phones in disbelief. Our stoutest most reliable ally. How on earth. www.ft.com/content/afd4...
US suspends technology deal with the UK
Washington pushes for concessions from London on the broader trade relationship
www.ft.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:35 PM
all of us will forever remember where we were when we heard that the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal had been suspended. The shock on everyone's faces. People in the street, simply numb. Staring at their phones in disbelief. Our stoutest most reliable ally. How on earth. www.ft.com/content/afd4...
Reposted by Wouter
En fait notre attentisme coûtera cher. L'Ukraine n'avait pas besoin de grand chose pour gagner. Une simple zone d'exclusion aérienne aurait grandement aidé. Mais on se dirige vers un scénario finlandais. Une résistance héroïque mais une défaite annoncée. Pourquoi ?
December 16, 2025 at 11:00 AM
En fait notre attentisme coûtera cher. L'Ukraine n'avait pas besoin de grand chose pour gagner. Une simple zone d'exclusion aérienne aurait grandement aidé. Mais on se dirige vers un scénario finlandais. Une résistance héroïque mais une défaite annoncée. Pourquoi ?
Reposted by Wouter
Quid des pays du Golfe et de l'Iran, et des deux Corées ? Cette marche à la guerre me désespère mais j'ai des valeurs, et plus important, des gens à défendre. Maudit soit l'ironie d'un univers qui m'a envoyé perdre ma jeunesse dans des combats absurdes alors que c'est maintenant que serais utile.
December 16, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Quid des pays du Golfe et de l'Iran, et des deux Corées ? Cette marche à la guerre me désespère mais j'ai des valeurs, et plus important, des gens à défendre. Maudit soit l'ironie d'un univers qui m'a envoyé perdre ma jeunesse dans des combats absurdes alors que c'est maintenant que serais utile.
Reposted by Wouter
Morocco Flash Floods: 21 dead, 32 injured
“Morocco is experiencing heavy rain and snowfall on the Atlas mountains, following seven years of drought that emptied some of its main reservoirs.“
“Morocco is experiencing heavy rain and snowfall on the Atlas mountains, following seven years of drought that emptied some of its main reservoirs.“
Morocco Flash Floods: Flash Floods Kill 21 in Safi
Flash Floods Morocco: Learn about the deadly flash floods hitting Safi, Morocco, with 21 dead and 32 injured. Discover more on the current situation.
www.deccanherald.com
December 15, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Morocco Flash Floods: 21 dead, 32 injured
“Morocco is experiencing heavy rain and snowfall on the Atlas mountains, following seven years of drought that emptied some of its main reservoirs.“
“Morocco is experiencing heavy rain and snowfall on the Atlas mountains, following seven years of drought that emptied some of its main reservoirs.“
Is somebody threatening to kill his puppy?
Donald Trump Jr. engaged to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, NYT reports reut.rs/3KC5aTn
Donald Trump Jr. engaged to Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, NYT reports
U.S. President Donald Trump said that his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. is engaged to Bettina Anderson, a Palm Beach socialite, the New York Times reported late on Monday.
reut.rs
December 16, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Is somebody threatening to kill his puppy?
Reposted by Wouter
but the good thing is that it's stopped elite political discourse from sinking into a far right sewer, right
right
right
Immigration into the UK is now far too low and still plunging. We'll all suffer for it because of the hatred and fear spread online. Seems that's how life works now.
December 16, 2025 at 9:10 AM
but the good thing is that it's stopped elite political discourse from sinking into a far right sewer, right
right
right
Reposted by Wouter
There's a curious tendency to universalise Jewish deaths, framing them as moral lessons for everyone rather than acknowledging the victims themselves. Sometimes, it's because people just don't want the hassle that inevitably accompanies any online statement that mentions Jews.
December 16, 2025 at 8:45 AM
There's a curious tendency to universalise Jewish deaths, framing them as moral lessons for everyone rather than acknowledging the victims themselves. Sometimes, it's because people just don't want the hassle that inevitably accompanies any online statement that mentions Jews.
Reposted by Wouter
But Panic makes great headlines...
The current China anxiety also goes hand in hand with strategic nihilism over European manufacturing in a lot of debate which effectively advocates capitulation even though many EU and UK firms are showing resilience in a tough adaptation process. Panic is not a good basis for sustainable policy.
December 16, 2025 at 8:57 AM
But Panic makes great headlines...
Reposted by Wouter
The current China anxiety also goes hand in hand with strategic nihilism over European manufacturing in a lot of debate which effectively advocates capitulation even though many EU and UK firms are showing resilience in a tough adaptation process. Panic is not a good basis for sustainable policy.
December 16, 2025 at 8:43 AM
The current China anxiety also goes hand in hand with strategic nihilism over European manufacturing in a lot of debate which effectively advocates capitulation even though many EU and UK firms are showing resilience in a tough adaptation process. Panic is not a good basis for sustainable policy.
Reposted by Wouter
What is so odd about so much of this analysis of China's impact as an exporter is how it so often doesn't engage with the escalating fragility of China's domestic economy. Echoes of how Japan panic in late 1980s Europe and America peaked just before the implosion of the Japanese model by 1993
The problem is how. Broad-based tariffs on Chinese goods? IRA-style subsidies to the manufacturing sector as a whole? An attempt to devalue the euro? When you get to the policies bit things start to look very risky.
Europe has no choice but to intervene on its external accounts to counter trade intervention abroad, argues @michaelpettis.bsky.social here. Policymakers must distinguish between domestic conditions that hamper efficiency and those that undermine competitiveness www.ft.com/content/da6d...
December 16, 2025 at 8:36 AM
What is so odd about so much of this analysis of China's impact as an exporter is how it so often doesn't engage with the escalating fragility of China's domestic economy. Echoes of how Japan panic in late 1980s Europe and America peaked just before the implosion of the Japanese model by 1993
Reposted by Wouter
Reposted by Wouter
Once in a century political opportunity here, if only there were a party to claim it
"According to the…annual Harris Poll, for the 1st time, a majority of Americans believe billionaires are a threat to democracy. A remarkable 71% believe there should be a wealth tax. A majority believe there should be a cap on how much wealth a person can accumulate." www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/o...
Opinion | The Billionaires Have Gone Full Louis XV
www.nytimes.com
December 15, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Once in a century political opportunity here, if only there were a party to claim it
Reposted by Wouter
Parce que le problème, ce n'est pas l'IA, qui a son utilité, mais la mécompréhension de son fonctionnement, et la croyance aveugle en elle que ça engendre.
December 16, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Parce que le problème, ce n'est pas l'IA, qui a son utilité, mais la mécompréhension de son fonctionnement, et la croyance aveugle en elle que ça engendre.
Reposted by Wouter
On a jamais inventé un outil de désinformation aussi puissant que les "IA", qui se nourrissent de surcroît de leur propre désinformation.
Tant qu'on éduque pas clairement toutes les strates de la population sur leurs limites, on fonce droit dans le mur.
Tant qu'on éduque pas clairement toutes les strates de la population sur leurs limites, on fonce droit dans le mur.
Grading and googling hallucinated citations, as one does nowadays, and now that LLMs have been around for a while, I've discovered new horrors: hallucinated journals are now appearing in Google Scholar with dozens of citations bc so many people are citing these fake things
December 16, 2025 at 6:56 AM
On a jamais inventé un outil de désinformation aussi puissant que les "IA", qui se nourrissent de surcroît de leur propre désinformation.
Tant qu'on éduque pas clairement toutes les strates de la population sur leurs limites, on fonce droit dans le mur.
Tant qu'on éduque pas clairement toutes les strates de la population sur leurs limites, on fonce droit dans le mur.
Reposted by Wouter
Three days ago Starmer was arguing that the UK shouldn’t think about rejoining the EU because it would unpick all these great US trade deals.
US suspends technology deal with Britain, FT reports reut.rs/4aRbgK4
US suspends technology deal with Britain, FT reports
The United States has suspended a technology deal it struck with Britain earlier this year, which was intended to boost ties in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
reut.rs
December 16, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Three days ago Starmer was arguing that the UK shouldn’t think about rejoining the EU because it would unpick all these great US trade deals.
Reposted by Wouter
If you think about the vital government service of putting out fires, and you eventually come up with "wow, steady supply of tax revenue, we can jack up prices on these suckers endlessly," congratulations you've got a job on Wall Street for life
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/u...
Private Equity Finds a New Source of Profit: Volunteer Fire Departments
www.nytimes.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:55 AM
If you think about the vital government service of putting out fires, and you eventually come up with "wow, steady supply of tax revenue, we can jack up prices on these suckers endlessly," congratulations you've got a job on Wall Street for life
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/u...
Reposted by Wouter
we've received our 501st submission for 2025 (10 more already than the total received in 2024).
Is the increase in submissions driven by GenAI?? It just might be, dear reader...
Is the increase in submissions driven by GenAI?? It just might be, dear reader...
November 18, 2025 at 5:45 PM
we've received our 501st submission for 2025 (10 more already than the total received in 2024).
Is the increase in submissions driven by GenAI?? It just might be, dear reader...
Is the increase in submissions driven by GenAI?? It just might be, dear reader...
Reposted by Wouter
I lived thru the end of public smoking. Early in my career I presented to city councils who were smoking, in front of audiences who were smoking.
Smoking in restaurants, airplanes, hospitals…
All of that seems insane now, but it was very controversial when we DID change it.
We CAN change things.
Smoking in restaurants, airplanes, hospitals…
All of that seems insane now, but it was very controversial when we DID change it.
We CAN change things.
It’s crazy that people used to be able to just smoke cigarettes wherever they wanted
December 15, 2025 at 8:04 AM
I lived thru the end of public smoking. Early in my career I presented to city councils who were smoking, in front of audiences who were smoking.
Smoking in restaurants, airplanes, hospitals…
All of that seems insane now, but it was very controversial when we DID change it.
We CAN change things.
Smoking in restaurants, airplanes, hospitals…
All of that seems insane now, but it was very controversial when we DID change it.
We CAN change things.
Reposted by Wouter
we can kill them all if we just work together and ✨believe💫
December 15, 2025 at 5:11 PM
we can kill them all if we just work together and ✨believe💫
Reposted by Wouter
Exam essay in ethics
"What is most reprehensible: mocking a living disabled man on television or saying that a murdered man had it coming because he disliked you? Discuss from both a Kantian and a consequentialist perspective."
"What is most reprehensible: mocking a living disabled man on television or saying that a murdered man had it coming because he disliked you? Discuss from both a Kantian and a consequentialist perspective."
December 15, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Exam essay in ethics
"What is most reprehensible: mocking a living disabled man on television or saying that a murdered man had it coming because he disliked you? Discuss from both a Kantian and a consequentialist perspective."
"What is most reprehensible: mocking a living disabled man on television or saying that a murdered man had it coming because he disliked you? Discuss from both a Kantian and a consequentialist perspective."
Reposted by Wouter
un beau collage, vite abimé
1187 féminicides sous Macron
mais pour Brigitte, nous sommes des sales connes
(merci à Loonis qui m'a envoyé ça)
1187 féminicides sous Macron
mais pour Brigitte, nous sommes des sales connes
(merci à Loonis qui m'a envoyé ça)
December 15, 2025 at 9:10 PM
un beau collage, vite abimé
1187 féminicides sous Macron
mais pour Brigitte, nous sommes des sales connes
(merci à Loonis qui m'a envoyé ça)
1187 féminicides sous Macron
mais pour Brigitte, nous sommes des sales connes
(merci à Loonis qui m'a envoyé ça)
In the bigger scheme of things, it's nothing.
But I don't like my gastroenteritis very much.
But I don't like my gastroenteritis very much.
December 15, 2025 at 9:03 PM
In the bigger scheme of things, it's nothing.
But I don't like my gastroenteritis very much.
But I don't like my gastroenteritis very much.
Reposted by Wouter
Reposted by Wouter
Vomir, et après s’enfuir
Pétain, c est un cauchemar
À Mayotte, la police aux frontières expulse la mère d’un enfant en soins palliatifs www.politis.fr/articles/202... (abonné-es)
December 15, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Vomir, et après s’enfuir