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"They came within tens to hundreds of meters of our satellites, far too close to be reassured." SpaceX has recently seen "many examples" of satellites that came dangerously close to those of the company, executive Michael Nicolls told the International Astronautical Congress that took place in Turkey until Friday. #SpaceX #satellieten #ruimtevaart (translated)

Rob Roos wrote that Dutch officials, in his opinion, were careless with their words. He referred to Prime Minister Jetten, who had said that opponents would be dealt with harshly. A day later, Jetten referred to that as a slip of the tongue according to Roos, saying that it was not meant literally and did not constitute a call to violence. Roos also cited Minister Yeşilgöz's statement in the House on October 8 that Russia was no longer the aggressor, but "our enemy." According to him, Yeşilgöz simultaneously stated that the Netherlands was not at war and that policy would not change. Roos called both statements careless but made a distinction between Jetten's metaphor at a party congress and Yeşilgöz's qualification of a nuclear power. He wrote that the word "enemy" was not a declaration of war, which would require approval from the States General, but that a minister spoke on behalf of the cabinet in their own domain as long as no distance was taken from it. According to Roos, Moscow had already asked whether the qualification was the official position. He found a debate appropriate regarding whether the cabinet distanced itself from that. https://t.co/D4nlpMtjp9 #Politiek #Nederland #Communicatie (translated)

Rob Roos wrote that fear, according to him, was once again used as a policy instrument, this time with increasingly harsh war rhetoric. He stated that centrist parties in Europe saw their power decline after leading the continent to the brink of disaster with climate policy, energy problems, open borders, and soaring debts. According to Roos, the same pattern was visible in many European countries, and therefore a major crisis, possibly a war, threatened again. He described the leaders as power-hungry marketing agencies without vision and called their approach life-threatening. #beleid #oorlog #Europa (translated)

Geert Noels stated that a study by Vooruit estimated the annual cost of corporate taxation at 4.2 to 4.7 billion euros, but according to him, due to significant errors, it actually amounted to about 1 billion euros. He argued that this cost could not be offset by higher taxes, which he believed would cause more harm than benefit; he advocated for better oversight of bogus self-employment. Noels identified the main mistake as the comparison between directors via a management company and employees. According to him, directors were legally self-employed and paid contributions up to a ceiling. This comparison would overestimate the estimate by more than 1 billion euros. Moreover, employer contributions were calculated based on the total labor cost instead of the gross salary, resulting in a calculation of 33 percent instead of 25 percent. Noels also disputed that there were four independent estimates: according to him, they used the same rates and distribution keys. He pointed out that estimate C assumed 24 billion euros in shifted profits, compared to about 15 billion euros in total profits in estimate A. Furthermore, factors such as the tax shift, energy crisis, inflation, the reform of corporate tax in 2017, and Pillar 2 were not included as explanations for the macro figures. Also, liquidation reserves of ordinary SMEs would have been counted as leaks. According to Noels, the study also did not take behavior effects into account, such as substitution, cessation, moving abroad, losses, or bankruptcies, and only included companies with profits. He therefore labeled the note as an unreliable basis for policy and believed that bogus self-employment should be addressed directly. Finally, he urged academics, journalists, and politicians to respect the facts when it came to entrepreneurs and risk-takers. #Vennootschapsbelasting #Economie #Belastingen (translated)

In Sicily, a smuggler was caught with 77 parrots and 300 baby turtles in a van heading to Malta, with the animals being transported under unsuitable conditions, and the driver is now suspected of animal abuse and smuggling endangered species. #dierenbescherming #smokkel #CITES (translated)

The author wrote that two temporary reception locations for asylum seekers in Zwolle were given priority in the allocation of space on the electricity grid. According to the author, the city council stated that the societal interest weighed heavily enough to deviate from its own policy rules. The author stated that councilor Arjan Spaans thereby lost the trust of the people of Zwolle. According to the author, Spaans consistently prioritized the interests of the national asylum chain over the housing crisis and the overload of the electricity grid in Zwolle. The author felt that his loyalty did not lie with the local population and deemed him unsuitable for politics in Zwolle. #asielzoekers #Zwolle #woningnood (translated)

Jolande directed her message to D66, CDA, VVD, and PRO, sharing the story of Hans, a retired firefighter from Westland. He wrote that during a cycling trip through Overijssel and Gelderland, he visited farms to see for himself how farmers worked. Hans said that he did not see overcrowded pastures, mega-farms, or smoking farms, but rather well-maintained fields and meadows. According to him, a farmer and his wife welcomed him kindly and explained that they had been making adjustments in response to government measures for years. He described the farm as a place where attention was given to animals and land. The farmer showed him, among other things, a biogas installation and milking installations, and explained what investments the measures had required. Hans wrote that his visit had increased his appreciation for farmers. He felt that the Netherlands should cherish its farmers and feared that otherwise food would be imported that had been sprayed with agricultural chemicals or genetically modified. He also mentioned seeing new houses, which he considered expensive, bungalows, and large residences along the road. He wondered whether farmland intended for housing or nature areas was being sold at a profit to wealthy buyers. Hans wrote that he had little confidence in leaders who, in his opinion, lacked sufficient practical experience with farms. He emphasized that he had no knowledge of agriculture himself, but that his visit had given him a positive life lesson. #Boeren #Platteland #Duurzaamheid (translated)

Max von Kreyfelt argued that the Netherlands should ask less about which ministers should resign and more about whether officials should be held accountable. According to him, a forced departure was often followed by a new position or severance pay, which meant that political responsibility could change into a career step. He cited Hugo de Jonge as an example. Von Kreyfelt stated that political incompetence or mistakes did not in themselves constitute a crime, but that willfully lying under oath, destroying documents, falsifying data, corruption, and deliberately acting unlawfully by officials should be independently investigated. A ministerial title should not provide protection against criminal investigation, according to him. He cited as examples the childcare benefits scandal, Groningen, and the COVID-19 period. He wrote that affected parents were treated as fraudsters and that after inquiries and promises in Groningen, accountability was lacking. He also stated that Rutte, De Jonge, and Grapperhaus had presented political choices during COVID as natural laws, dismissed criticism, and stretched fundamental rights. He emphasized that this did not mean they had committed criminal offenses; this should be investigated independently, according to him. Von Kreyfelt wrote that the Netherlands had had enough of inquiries and reports without consequences, while victims faded from view. Officials who broke the law and deliberately caused harm to society should be able to go to court just like other citizens, according to him. #rechtsstaat #politiek #verantwoordelijkheid (translated)

'Powell zou moeten worden gedwongen om af te treden als bestuurder. Hij kan geen gebouw beheren en hij zou zeker niet zijn beleid van hoge rentes mogen uitvoeren'Hoewel een nieuw rapport Powell grotendeels vrijpleit, zegt Trump dat het ministerie van Justitie naar de kwestie moet kijken. #ElonMusk #KunstmatigeIntelligentie #Oorlogsvoering