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Erick Staal

@erickstaal.bsky.social
1.1K followers 2.4K following 1.3K posts

Dutch European.

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Erick Staal @erickstaal.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Ik vind deze campagne erg belangrijk - doe je ook mee? actie.degoedezaak.org/petitions/be...
actie.degoedezaak.org
Bescherm de Rechtsstaat tegen Antidemocratische Partijen
Stel je voor: Je hebt een buurman die jarenlang bij een club zat. Eerst leek het een gezellige discussiegroep. Maar na verloop van tijd merkte hij dat er binnen die club steeds vaker grappen werden ge...
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SAINT JAVELIN @saintjavelin.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
A Ukrainian stork dodges a Russian drone.
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Carmine Bello @bluebello.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
I'm old enough to remember when Obama put up a basketball hoop at one end of the White House tennis court and conservatives absofuckinglutely lost their shit, saying he was "defiling the people's house." Those people are silent how because conservatism is just hypocrisy spelled differently.
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Biggest UK train operator's services to enter public ownership www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
Britain's biggest train operator’s services enter public ownership this weekend
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which includes Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, will transfer into public ownership.
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Jack Mendel @mendeljack.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Being a Jew in modern Britain latest British Museum intimidated into cancelling an event about Jews, because Jews. It's not 'regrettable'. If this happened with any other community, it would lead to outrage. But it's just the Jews www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/pre...
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Bruno J. Navarro @brunojnavarro.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
In a rare public speech, Anne Keast-Butler, the director of GCHQ — the U.K.’s intelligence, cyber and security agency — will say Britain is at a “moment of consequence,” with the country facing increasingly brazen behavior from hostile nations.
cnbc.com
UK spy chief: Time is running out for the West to confront threats from Russia and China
Britain and its allies face a “moment of consequence,” according to the head of its intelligence agency.
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Dierenbescherming @dierenbescherming.nl · 26/05/2026
Met deze temperaturen mogen onze zomertips niet ontbreken. Zorg goed voor jezelf en alle dieren om je heen.❤️ bit.ly/3IGB9wi #zomer #hitte
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Nadia Bouras @nadiabouras.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Anti-AZC-geweld is racistische eigenrichting.
nrc.nl
Column | Anti-AZC-geweld is racistische eigenrichting
De dader, of beter het slachtoffer, was een 17-jarige zwarte jongen, Jesse Washington. Hij was veroordeeld wegens moord en verkrachting van een witte vrouw, en werd op 15 mei 1916 door een meute aan e...
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
“Helsinki hasn’t registered a single traffic-related fatality in the past year…Citing data that shows the risk of pedestrian fatality is cut in half by reducing a car’s speed from 40 to 30km/hr, city officials imposed the lower limit in most of Helsinki’s residential areas and city center in 2021.”
politico.eu
Helsinki just went a full year without a single traffic death
The capital city is Finnish’ed with car-related fatalities.
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Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
The Brexit omerta is certainly ending, with now more voices in the UK openly arguing at least for a revision of the hard Brexit redlines, if not outright rejoin, here the @economist.com. (Though of course this is mainly an UK-internal debate for now).
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Marcel @marcel.eurosky.social · 26/05/2026
En nu doorpakken en dit vertalen naar duidelijk beleid. Dat nu persoonsinformatie van ambtenaren via Microsoft naar de Amerikaanse overheid is gelekt, is werkelijk schandalig. De overheid zou ten alle tijde haar personeel moeten beschermen en heeft hier een verwijtbaar risico genomen.
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De Morgen @demorgen.be · 26/05/2026
Meer dan veertig jaar na het einde van de commerciële walvisvangst noteren wetenschappers een opmerkelijke toename in waarnemingen van blauwe vinvissen en gewone vinvissen voor de kusten van Namibië en Zuid-Afrika. Ze lijken langzaam terug te keren naar wateren waar ze ooit bijna werden uitgeroeid.
demorgen.be
Ze werden tot op de rand van uitsterven gejaagd, maar nu duiken blauwe en gewone vinvissen weer op in hun oude leefgebieden
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Mathijs Bouman @mathijsbouman.nl · 26/05/2026
Eerst snellere AOW-verhoging van tafel. Nu dit. Kabinet doet opeens verstandige dingen! fd.nl/politiek/159...
fd.nl
Kabinet verbiedt overname Solvinity na advies toezichthouder
Het kabinet gaat de overname van techbedrijf Solvinity verbieden. Solvinity speelt een belangrijke rol bij DigiD.
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Tabasum Westra @tabasum.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Wordt de “klokkenluider” Pieter van Oordt nu ook beschermd? Er hangt hem ontslag boven het hoofd. www.linkedin.com/posts/pieter...
linkedin.com
#nds #digid #digitaleautonomie | Pieter van Oordt | 40 comments
DigiD blijf in Nederland ❤️ Gelukt! 180 dagen verder. Digitale autonomie ✅ Privacy ✅ security ✅ data integriteit ✅ #nds ✅ landsadvocaat gepareerd 👍 vier topambtenaren te slim af 👍 VS ❌ staatsvei...
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Ko van Huissteden @kovanhuissteden.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Nu nog eerherstel voor klokkenluider Pieter van Oordt www.bnr.nl/nieuws/nieuw...
bnr.nl
Klokkenluider DigiD-dossier ‘onder druk gezet door landsadvocaat’
De mail van de landsadvocaat gaat in op televisie-interviews die Van Oordt gaf, waarbij hij zich niet zou hebben gedragen ‘als een goed en loyaal ambtenaar ...
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Barbara Kathmann @barbarakathmann.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
🚨 Meer dan 200.000 mensen tekende de petitie, bijna de hele Tweede Kamer in actie. Kogel lijkt nu door de kerk: Overname van Solvinity, bedrijf achter DigiD, gaat NIET door. Advies toezichthouder: Blokkeer de overname! Heel mooi dat de Staatssecretaris dit advies overneemt! www.ad.nl/binnenland/r...
ad.nl
Rel rond DigiD bereikt climax: staatssecretaris verbiedt overname door Amerikaanse onderneming
De staatssecretaris verbiedt de overname van het bedrijf achter DigiD door een Amerikaanse onderneming.
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Tom van der Lee @tomvanderlee.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Heel goed dat overname Solvinity niet doorgaat! En mijn complimenten voor @barbarakathmann.bsky.social en alle anderen die zich hiervoor hebben ingezet!
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Merry Christmas, as in the other place. @hellobluesky5694.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Top ReformUK donations . 'Tisun Investments Ltd £613,000.00' 'Tisun Investments Ltd is wholly owned and controlled by the British businessman and Reform UK MP, Richard Tice' DonationWatch United Kingdom.
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Lennart Quispel @lquispel.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Volgens mij is de @volkskrant.nl bezig om hun abonnee's weg te jagen naar @trouw.nl ... Serieus, waarom krijgt deze 25 jaar oude onzin voor de zoveelste keer opnieuw een podium in een kwaliteitskrant ?
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Franka @franka.eurosky.social · 26/05/2026
Het zal wel weer tegen dovemansoren zijn, maar in godsnaam @minister-president.bsky.social, doe iets!
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Michael J. Stern @michaeljstern.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
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Herman Lambers @herman61.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
???
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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Functionally indistinguishable from the way Putin talks about Ukraine & Xi talks about Taiwan.
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Kate from Kharkiv @kateinkharkiv.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
ROSENBERG: For so many years, Vladimir Putin's image was based on perception of Putin as Mr. Security, Mr. Stability, that sort of captain of the ship who had calmed the stormy waters after the often chaotic 1990s. No sense of stability, no sense of security in Russia right now.
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South-East London for Europe (Selfe) @selfe.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Facts matter... #Brexot has caused £60-80 billion in lost tax revenue per year. Think what could be done for services, infrastructure, and investment if the UK had that extra money. #RejoinEU
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Dr. Michael MacKay @michaelmackay.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
With precise drone attacks, Ukrainian defenders have knocked out almost all major oil refineries in central Russia. In the first 20 days of May, the Ukrainians completely destroyed Tuapse; stopped Moscow, Ryazan, Perm, Kirishi, Samara; and disrupted Primorsk and Yaroslavl.
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Tony Yates @t0nyyates.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Nope. There's nothing that can substitute for the 4-8% we are losing each year in income per head. It's a delusion of both the left and the right that you can. The former think they can industrial policy their way out of it; the latter think they can deregulate the UK out of it. Neither true.
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MAKS 26 👀🇺🇦 @maks23.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
🔥 It is now very important in the North to detect and neutralize enemy antennas, repeaters, surveillance equipment and electronic warfare. 210th Assault Regiment is currently performing this very work in the Sumy region.
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Erick Staal @erickstaal.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
"Improving the relations with the EU", is still try having cake, and eating it too. Stop that!
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Erick Staal @erickstaal.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Lying by omission, like in this case The Independent does, is still lying.
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Ruth Deyermond @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
For years, the Kremlin has seen Europe as easily manipulated and defeated because it's terrified by the prospect of any risk or hardship. The UK govt's shameful decision on Russian energy will confirm that view. For that reason, it's dangerous not just for Ukraine but for the UK.
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Sander Tordoir @sandertordoir.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
I cannot stress this enough. European and German policy-makers need to catch up with new realities in the global economy. Stale WTO speaking points aside, there is a potential massive global coalition worried about China's surpluses. Europe has a lot to offer those partners.
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BladeoftheSun @bladeofthes.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
This exactly what AI does, it takes great human masterpieces and turns it into bland worthless shit.
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Bavovna Buff 🇵🇱 🇬🇧 🇳🇴 @global-news-junkie.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
bsky.app/profile/prof...
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FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
EU IN TALKS WITH MAJOR PORTS INCLUDING ROTTERDAM TO STORE CRITICAL MINERALS, SOURCES SAY
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FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
STOCKS DECLINE AS TREASURY YIELDS SURGE TO MULTI-YEAR PEAKS, DIMINISHING INVESTOR APPETITE AMID CONCERNS THAT THE ROBUST MARKET RALLY HAS EXTENDED TOO FAR GIVEN WAR-DRIVEN INFLATION THREATS.
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Chris Klomp @chrisklomp.nl · 20/05/2026
Bizar. Ik las dus dat in een duister land in Afrika is afgesproken dat de belastingdienst geen onderzoeken meer zal doen naar oude aangiftes van de president, zijn familie of hun bedrijven. Dat kan dus echt niet in het superieure Westen. Achterlijke cultuur daar.
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Erick Staal @erickstaal.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Zorgen zijn begrijpelijk, maar eigenrichting is bij wet verboden en de wet moet worden gehandhaafd. Punt. @rubenbrekelmans.bsky.social
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European Movement UK @europeanmovement.co.uk · 05/05/2026
According to a recent poll by Nanos Research, 57% of Canadians support Canada becoming a full member of the EU. Our Chair, Dr Mike Galsworthy is right, there is a reason why there's a queue of countries that want to join the EU, from Canada to Iceland. It's time for us to join them.
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Wonder of Science @wonderofscience.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Every second, the Sun ejects 1.5 million tons of material into space at hundreds of miles per second, but Earth's magnetic field protects it from the solar wind. 📽: NASA Goddard
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Graham Simpson @grahambs.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
John le Carré described Boris Johnson as a "mob orator" who fired up people with nostalgia and with anger. He said "What really scares me about nostalgia is that it's become a political weapon. Creating a nostalgia for an England that never existed, and selling it as something we could return to"
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Ralph Ruthe @ruthe.de · 18/05/2026
Guten Morgen!
Zwei Männer in einer Kneipe. Linker Mann (verdutzt): "Du wählst die AfD? Eine Partei, die mit ihrer Politik am meisten Menschen mit geringem Einkommen schadet und gesichert rechtsextremistisch ist?". Rechter Mann (emotionslos): "Windräder sind hässlich."
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🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 @militarynewsua.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
❗️The first 🇺🇦Ukrainian guided aerial bomb (KAB) is ready for combat use. The development by Brave1 took 17 months. The bomb features a unique design, a 250-kg warhead, and can strike targets at dozens of kilometers.
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heepst @heepst.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Thought-provoking ideas regarding what kinds of actions European states could take to deter Russian hybrid attacks by striking back.
open.substack.com
Taking the Fight to Putin
Closing Europe's hybrid warfare capabilities gap
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I Am Incorrigible @imincorrigible.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
They try to be 'balanced' in the commentary, but it's very clear from the data that Brexit has been a calamity for the UK. SkyNews doesn't explain what a 4-8% GDP reduction means, in terms of tax rises and spending cuts, missing the actual Brexit reality #r4today news.sky.com/video/was-br...
news.sky.com
Has Brexit really been a 'catastrophic mistake' for UK? Here's what the data says
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has said Brexit was a "catastrophic mistake" and rejoining the European Union would rebuild Britain's economy and trade links - but is he right?
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Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 15/05/2026
AI companies currently subsidize their users $3 to $25 for every dollar of subscription. As a result, users are very sensitive to *any* price or rate limit changes, and have no idea what their actual token burn is. Token-based billing will be lethal at scale. www.wheresyoured.at/premium-what...
So, the current “value” of AI software is mostly driven by the deception of subsidized monthly subscriptions, and even those that have made changes to their business models to improve their margins are still losing money. For example, in October 2025, Augment Code moved everybody to a new “credits” based model from a requests-based one, citing one user that was approaching $15,000 in costs a month on its $250-a-month plan. 

Even then, Augment Code still sold a money-losing product. Users get 40,000 “credits” that still obfuscate their actual value. Augment gives an example of one task on Claude Opus 4.6 taking up 488 credits, but a “task” could mean anything, and the credit-based system only exists to mask how much you’re actually spending. It turns out the reason is because, per Kilocode, Augment appears to be charging anywhere from 2x to 5x the cost of the actual tokens being burned. 

The reason that somebody like Augment Code doesn’t want to charge the actual token rates — despite effectively choosing to do so! — is that the moment you go token-based, your users suddenly have to judge your product based on its actual merits. By obfuscating costs using “credits,” Augment Code is attempting to con users into believing they’re getting more for their money than they are.

The initial reaction was extremely negative, and now Augment’s Subreddit is a bit of a ghost town, with one user complaining about how arbitrarily Augment burns through credits and another complaining about how buggy the product is.
Right now, the vast majority of people’s experiences — I’d say 95% or more — are based on subscription-based AI services that deliberately hide the amount that they cost. As a result, most users are utterly prepared for the move to token-based billing. As I discussed a few weeks ago, users are already revolting when subsidized products are less-generous with their subsidies…how do you think they’ll react to paying the actual rates? Quoting myself:

If you’re about to say “well they’ll just raise the prices,” perhaps you should check Twitter or Reddit, and notice that Anthropic’s customers are screaming like they’re being stung to death by bees because of new rate limits that only let them burn $10 of compute in five hours. Do you think these people would be comfortable with a $130-a-month, $1,300-a-month or $2,500-a-month subscription? One that performs the same way (if not worse) as their $20, $100 or $200-a-month subscription did?


The first AI startups to move will be deep industrial ones like legal software companies Harvey and Legora, who charge anywhere from $399 to $1,200 a month while still losing money because the very nature of legal work is extremely document and text-heavy. Harvey has raised $960 million since February 2025, meaning that its services — which are already sold into a relatively cost-sensitive industry — already burn way too much capital to make sense.

These changes will be subtle. As I said above, it’ll be sold as “you pay $200 and get $220 worth of credits!” taking a small hit and Harvey likely working with Anthropic and OpenAI to buy discounted tokens at scale so that it doesn’t lose shit-tons of money. 

The problem will be that even enterprise customers used to spending inordinate sums on software will notice if their costs increase from, say, $400 a month to $1000 a month per user. While a braindead Fortune 100 executive might be willing to burn 10% of headcount on LLM tokens, a named partner at a law firm will notice when AI starts costing the equivalent of a few hours of an associate’s pay a month. Or a day. 

Honestly, if an associate is absolutely banging the shit out of Harvey’s services, they’re potentially burning $50 or $100 a day, and if anybody gets up to the $300 or $400 range, that will begin to legitimately eat into billable hours in a way that even the most braindead, disconnected partner will flinch at.
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Duncan Jones @manmademoon.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
You want to improve the economy? Bring us back to the EU. You want to improve UK security? Bring us back to the EU. You want to avoid drops in food and medical standards and make sure we can't easily be bullied by the Fanta Fuhrer? Bring us back to the EU. "Odd?" It's a bloody priority!
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Mr RobertBob @mrrobertbob.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Brexit made the elite richer, the world less stable and the people of the UK poorer and not just financially. To continue with it is against our national interest and the interest of everyone who wants a safer, peaceful world. No party that continues with Brexit gets my vote.
static.klipy.com
Waving European Union Flag
ALT: Waving European Union Flag
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Erick Staal @erickstaal.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Ik vind deze campagne erg belangrijk - doe je ook mee? actie.degoedezaak.org/petitions/st...
actie.degoedezaak.org
Stop de Amerikaanse overname DigiD!
Onze privé-gegevens zijn bij overname door een Amerikaans bedrijf niet veilig! Dit lijkt ons niet de veilige manier nu president Trump in Amerika aan het roer staat. Dit kan misgaan! Als de Nederland...
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
This is truly mind-blowing: Norway has gone from near-zero sales of non‑emitting battery electric vehicles to now close to 100% of all new passenger car sales - achieved in about 13 years. More in my next substack newsletter. Sign up here: substack.com/@janrosenow
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