Paul
@paulb72.bsky.social
My views only. Paris - Berlin, previously in The Hague and Rabat. Still waiting for the ‘edit post’ feature
Not great
Merz accused of using debt bazooka for welfare and tax cuts instead of investment
Two prominent institutes and the Bundesbank sound alarm over use of new borrowings
on.ft.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Not great
Reposted by Paul
Amid the recent wave of anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine (which are a good thing), it may be useful to understand why Ukraine has such an entrenched organized crime problem. And for that, we need to look back at the collapse of the Soviet Union…
substack.com/@paul4presid...
substack.com/@paul4presid...
Paul (@paul4president)
Amid the recent wave of anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine (which are a good thing), it may be useful to understand why Ukraine has such an entrenched organized crime problem. And for that, we ...
substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Amid the recent wave of anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine (which are a good thing), it may be useful to understand why Ukraine has such an entrenched organized crime problem. And for that, we need to look back at the collapse of the Soviet Union…
substack.com/@paul4presid...
substack.com/@paul4presid...
Amid the recent wave of anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine (which are a good thing), it may be useful to understand why Ukraine has such an entrenched organized crime problem. And for that, we need to look back at the collapse of the Soviet Union…
substack.com/@paul4presid...
substack.com/@paul4presid...
Paul (@paul4president)
Amid the recent wave of anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine (which are a good thing), it may be useful to understand why Ukraine has such an entrenched organized crime problem. And for that, we ...
substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Amid the recent wave of anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine (which are a good thing), it may be useful to understand why Ukraine has such an entrenched organized crime problem. And for that, we need to look back at the collapse of the Soviet Union…
substack.com/@paul4presid...
substack.com/@paul4presid...
Lots of cool books coming out. By contrast, there hasnt been a new tv show thats actually good in… years?
November 10, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Lots of cool books coming out. By contrast, there hasnt been a new tv show thats actually good in… years?
We’re letting US PE firms buy up firm after firm, in critical industry after critical industry, while the US govt literally intervenes to block inbound m&a from Europe
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Pfizer to Buy Metsera for $10 Billion, Capping Bidding War
Pfizer Inc. agreed to buy Metsera Inc. for up to $10 billion, prevailing over Novo Nordisk A/S in a tumultuous bidding war after US regulatory opposition thwarted the Danish drugmaker’s rival bid for ...
www.bloomberg.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:12 PM
We’re letting US PE firms buy up firm after firm, in critical industry after critical industry, while the US govt literally intervenes to block inbound m&a from Europe
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Even the overcapacity story completely flips on its head when divided per capita
You need to look at per capita when comparing China with any other county (except India)
November 10, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Even the overcapacity story completely flips on its head when divided per capita
Reposted by Paul
Drinkwaterbedrijven slaan alarm: ‘Zo snel mogelijk PFAS-verbod dat pesticiden niet langer uitzondert’.
argos.vpro.nl/artikelen/ve...
argos.vpro.nl/artikelen/ve...
Veel meer PFAS in pesticiden: grote zorgen om drinkwater
PFAS-houdende pesticiden zijn in Nederland in vier jaar tijd meer dan verdubbeld. Dat blijkt uit onderzoek van Argos. De groei kan doorzetten als een algeheel verbod op PFAS, zoals nu voorligt in Brus...
argos.vpro.nl
November 9, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Drinkwaterbedrijven slaan alarm: ‘Zo snel mogelijk PFAS-verbod dat pesticiden niet langer uitzondert’.
argos.vpro.nl/artikelen/ve...
argos.vpro.nl/artikelen/ve...
Sustained consumer spending downturn was supposed to be the major harbinger of structural slowdown no? Tariffs decreased C, but G didn’t step in to fill the gap www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
US Consumer Sentiment Declines to a More Than Three-Year Low
US consumer sentiment tumbled to near the lowest on record as the government shutdown weighed on the economic outlook and high prices soured views about personal finances.
www.bloomberg.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Sustained consumer spending downturn was supposed to be the major harbinger of structural slowdown no? Tariffs decreased C, but G didn’t step in to fill the gap www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
It’s become really easy to do quant analyses with Claude / Chatgpt. If you know what you want to analyze, claude just writes the code for you
November 7, 2025 at 4:18 PM
It’s become really easy to do quant analyses with Claude / Chatgpt. If you know what you want to analyze, claude just writes the code for you
Nobody’s talking about this, but IMO it’s entirely irresponsible for Germany to be rebuilding its national army while the AfD is surging in the polls
November 7, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Nobody’s talking about this, but IMO it’s entirely irresponsible for Germany to be rebuilding its national army while the AfD is surging in the polls
@robin-j-brooks.bsky.social has gone completely bonkers…
November 6, 2025 at 9:48 PM
@robin-j-brooks.bsky.social has gone completely bonkers…
And also, this has been discussed before, but GPU clusters =/= railway infrastructure
Fascinating.
The bluffers guide to the railway bubble vs the actual historians.
And why Britain has such a lousy railway system.
The bluffers guide to the railway bubble vs the actual historians.
And why Britain has such a lousy railway system.
November 6, 2025 at 7:39 PM
And also, this has been discussed before, but GPU clusters =/= railway infrastructure
Reposted by Paul
Fascinating.
The bluffers guide to the railway bubble vs the actual historians.
And why Britain has such a lousy railway system.
The bluffers guide to the railway bubble vs the actual historians.
And why Britain has such a lousy railway system.
November 6, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Fascinating.
The bluffers guide to the railway bubble vs the actual historians.
And why Britain has such a lousy railway system.
The bluffers guide to the railway bubble vs the actual historians.
And why Britain has such a lousy railway system.
Reposted by Paul
Bardella wants the ECB (read: Banque de France and other Eurosystem banks) to buy an unlimited amount of French debt.
Other eurozone countries will be delighted at the opportunity to co-finance one of the most generous pension systems in Europe.
www.economist.com/europe/2025/...
Other eurozone countries will be delighted at the opportunity to co-finance one of the most generous pension systems in Europe.
www.economist.com/europe/2025/...
Jordan Bardella starts to lay out his plans
The 30-year-old French populist who is preparing for power
www.economist.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Bardella wants the ECB (read: Banque de France and other Eurosystem banks) to buy an unlimited amount of French debt.
Other eurozone countries will be delighted at the opportunity to co-finance one of the most generous pension systems in Europe.
www.economist.com/europe/2025/...
Other eurozone countries will be delighted at the opportunity to co-finance one of the most generous pension systems in Europe.
www.economist.com/europe/2025/...
Als je Argentinië denkt te kunnen vergelijken met Nederland, heb je eigenlijk niet zoveel te zoeken in het landsbestuur. Elke eerstejaarsstudent kan daar gehakt van maken
Opvallende oproep.
Argentinië is herhaaldelijk failliet gegaan, kende hyperinflatie en had een niet-onafhankelijke centrale bank.
Ik zie de vergelijking met Nederland niet.
1/
Argentinië is herhaaldelijk failliet gegaan, kende hyperinflatie en had een niet-onafhankelijke centrale bank.
Ik zie de vergelijking met Nederland niet.
1/
November 6, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Als je Argentinië denkt te kunnen vergelijken met Nederland, heb je eigenlijk niet zoveel te zoeken in het landsbestuur. Elke eerstejaarsstudent kan daar gehakt van maken
Business idea: a firm that offers the service of being the ‘neutral arbiter’ of RCTs for Chinese biopharma seeking licensing deals with pharmaceutical multinationals. So, you would conduct RCTs as a neutral third party to increase trust and facilitate deals between local biotech & multinationals
November 6, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Business idea: a firm that offers the service of being the ‘neutral arbiter’ of RCTs for Chinese biopharma seeking licensing deals with pharmaceutical multinationals. So, you would conduct RCTs as a neutral third party to increase trust and facilitate deals between local biotech & multinationals
We need as much energy as possible, by whatever means doable
A reminder of what happened last time a UK govt tried to reduce bills by "cutting the green crap"
Analysis: Cutting the ‘green crap’ has added £22bn to UK energy bills since 2015
www.carbonbrief.org/...
Analysis: Cutting the ‘green crap’ has added £22bn to UK energy bills since 2015
www.carbonbrief.org/...
November 5, 2025 at 8:26 PM
We need as much energy as possible, by whatever means doable
Oil is good, actually. Energy is a good thing
November 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Oil is good, actually. Energy is a good thing
When you totally understand that the market is a means to an end, not an end in itself
November 5, 2025 at 5:24 PM
When you totally understand that the market is a means to an end, not an end in itself
Amid cost of living concerns, climate isnt a winning issue anymore
my colleague @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social went long on how zohran mamdani — a climate hawk — barely mentioned climate change on the trail and how it is evidence the issue just isn’t the populist winner many activists long for it to be
Zohran Mamdani’s Muted Climate Politics
The self-described “ecosocialist” ran an ultra-disciplined campaign for New York City mayor. Once he’s in office, the climate issue could become unavoidable.
heatmap.news
November 5, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Amid cost of living concerns, climate isnt a winning issue anymore
Reposted by Paul
The full transcript of Zohran Mamdani's acceptance speech is very much worth reading in full. Even if you don't agree with your politics, it's very beautifully put together.
archive.is/8VqQJ
[this is a useable link to the NYT transcript]
archive.is/8VqQJ
[this is a useable link to the NYT transcript]
November 5, 2025 at 11:34 AM
The full transcript of Zohran Mamdani's acceptance speech is very much worth reading in full. Even if you don't agree with your politics, it's very beautifully put together.
archive.is/8VqQJ
[this is a useable link to the NYT transcript]
archive.is/8VqQJ
[this is a useable link to the NYT transcript]
Reposted by Paul
Though he was never president, the American presidency today is Dick Cheney's presidency; our national epistemology of threat and fear is Dick Cheney's; the modern Middle East bears his irrevocable imprint. Not hyperbolic to say he was the most consequential political figure in 21st century America.
November 4, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Though he was never president, the American presidency today is Dick Cheney's presidency; our national epistemology of threat and fear is Dick Cheney's; the modern Middle East bears his irrevocable imprint. Not hyperbolic to say he was the most consequential political figure in 21st century America.
