Terrence de Kat

Retired entrepreneur, international investor, NOC monkey & BOFH. Founder of Monks & the Open Internet Foundation. CompSci PhD, MTh & BPsy (psychopathologist).

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

We can only hope @elonmusk buys the Star Trek IP (ALL of it, not 85%), and puts a real fan like @SethMcFarlane_ in control of it.

Come on Elon! You rescued Twitter, you can do it for Star Trek as well!

It's not like ST has no cultural influence, and it especially meshes well with getting people excited for space. TOS and TNG did this for two generations!

I can dream, right?

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

@ZackRawrr @realDonaldTrump :E

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

@thuisbezorgd dit is gewoon triest in 2026.

Hebben jullie Temu ChatGPT 0.9 goedkoop aangeschaft om jullie klanten af te poeieren dmv frustratie?

Ik zou het nog meer respecteren als jullie gewoon zouden zeggen "we hebben geen klantenservice, fuck off".

[Professor Nez @professornez]

The next time a brain dead liberal tells you “You stole this land” show them this

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

[continued, 2/2]

14) theoretically separated church and state in 2000 (finally), but in practice the "Skatteverket" (state tax authority) still collects between 0.8% and 2% of the taxable income of members of the Church of Sweden. In theory this is voluntary, but, firstly, it's default (many people are paying it without being aware), and, secondly, to opt-out you will formally need to leave the Church of Sweden.

Additionally, nobody can opt-out of the "Begravningsavgift" (burial tax), as burials remain a function of the Church of Sweden;

15) ranks near the bottom globally for the structure and impact of its tax systems, placing 103rd out of 161 countries;

16) performs surprisingly poorly in broader global cultural indices:

Low Ratings for Culinary Appeal: 66th globally for gastronomy and local cuisine.

Limited Cultural Heritage and Influence: 19th for cultural influence and 26th for offering a rich historical heritage;

17) currently has the the highest number of households living below the poverty threshold since records begin in 1932;

18) ranks in the bottom half of countries globally when it comes to global growth potential;

19) ranks among the most “unequal societies in the world” with worrying levels of indebtedness;

20) is, considering all the above combined with labor income being more taxed than capital income, economically unsustainable and headed for a devastating financial crisis sooner rather than later.

So, enjoy your days off. But, before you boast about them, it would behoove you to consider that it cannot last, that the people who are currently picking up most of the bill for them are worse off than you are, and, that the rest of that bill will have to be paid by your children (and possibly grandchildren) in the future.

Keep voting for free stuff from the government though!

Lastly, don't get me wrong, The Netherlands isn't much better off than Sweden. The welfare state will collapse here too. Sweden is just a few years ahead of us.

The economic and demographic collapse will be exponential though, which is why I'm leaving Europe with my family (wife , 5 kids, me) as soon as possible.

[end]

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

Hi, Dutch dude here.

In the Netherlands we have pretty similar laws.

It would be fine if the costs of these "rights" were openly financed by society through taxes, but they aren't.

They amount to a hidden tax paid by employers, which neccesarily pass it on to the consumer.

I am the founder, and was the CIO of, a multinational, and I have learned that a *lot* gets financed in this sneaky kind of way by the government.

Kind of similar to how the EU uses constructions like "quantitative easing" to hide what is in effect a massive tax on money.

So, if you compare tax rates, you should take these into account. As Thatcher famously, and correctly, stated: "There is no such thing as public money; there is only taxpayers' money".

If you do that, the tax burden is much, much higher. And, as the cherry on top: If you believe a progressive tax system is fair, then these hidden taxes are definitely less fair.

Because, relative to the "real" taxes, they aren't progressive, and thus disproportionately affect smaller (family) businesses, lower income consumers.

So, boasting about what the government gives you is first-order/superficial thought. If you actually thought it through, you'd know that your perks disproportionately come at the expense of people worse off than you.

That's not something I would like to boast about, but you do you ;)

NB: The same is true for the costs of economic immigration.

Also something to consider is that Sweden currently;

1) ranks #1 in Europe for fatal shootings per capita among young men;

2) ranks #1 (or at least in the top 3) of the most heavily affected nations in Northern Europe for protection racketeering and gang-related business extortion activities;

3) ranks #1 in the number of rapes per capita in Europe;

4) is the predominant destination country in Europe for human trafficking, with victims subjected to sexual and labour exploitation. Most victims coming from West Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia;

5) ranks among the top in Europe for illegal arms trade;

6) has a government that almost entirely ignores environmental crimes, like poaching and (extremely polluting) illegal mining;

7) ranks at the bottom of the Nordic countries regarding wealth equality (wealth inequality increasing rapidly relative to its neighbors as direct result of the unfair mechanism I explained above);

8) ranks #1 globally for the absolute number of bomb explosions of any nation not actively at war;

9) ranks second-to-last globally for finding friends and the "ease of settling in" for foreigners, ranking only above Kuwait;

10) ranks as having the highest rates of residential and labor-market segregation in the OECD (due to its "utsatta områden" aka "vulnerable areas");

11) ranks last in Europe for healthcare accessibility and wait times, with wait times of months just for a primary care referral, and then several more months to see a specialist or undergo non-emergency surgeries.

(Though medical care in Sweden is actually very high-quality, that's only useful if you can actually access it.

Incidentally, this is probably why you and other parents actually *require* the paid leave, as you'd need to care for a child that's sick for a medically unnecessarily lengthy time...);

12) ranks near the top of the EU for its high "vice taxes", especially on hard liquor. Additionally, alcohol sales are completely monopolized by the state-run chain "Systembolaget", meaning consumers face highly restricted hours and zero price competition;

13) ranks near the top globally of the most expensive countries (ie. high cost of living) due to high manufacturing costs, severely limiting consumer choice in local retail and gastronomy.

(Can you take a wild guess why manufacturing costs, and subsequently the cost of living, are so high? Perhaps employers passing on the costs of being forced to keep paying for people that aren't doing any work for them, plus the costs to suddenly replacing them..?);

[1/2, continued in comment below]

[Linus ✦ Ekenstam @LinusEkenstam]

Hi. 😊 Swedish dude here.

When our children get sick, we have 60 paid days per year to stay home with them.

Per parent.

They're separate from my 25 paid vacation days.

Meaning I don't have to use my own paid sick leave.

If I'm a single parent: 120 days.
If my child has a chronic illness: 120 days
If my child is hospitalized: unlimited days.

These days reset every January.
By law. every year until child is 18.

Follow for more glimpses into life in a social democracy, where dignity is not a privilege.

Peace ✌🏼

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

[continued, 2/2]

14) theoretically separated church and state in 2000 (finally), but in practice the "Skatteverket" (state tax authority) still collects between 0.8% and 2% of the taxable income of members of the Church of Sweden. In theory this is voluntary, but, firstly, it's default (many people are paying it without being aware), and, secondly, to opt-out you will formally need to leave the Church of Sweden.

Additionally, nobody can opt-out of the "Begravningsavgift" (burial tax), as burials remain a function of the Church of Sweden;

15) ranks near the bottom globally for the structure and impact of its tax systems, placing 103rd out of 161 countries;

16) performs surprisingly poorly in broader global cultural indices:

Low Ratings for Culinary Appeal: 66th globally for gastronomy and local cuisine.

Limited Cultural Heritage and Influence: 19th for cultural influence and 26th for offering a rich historical heritage;

17) currently has the the highest number of households living below the poverty threshold since records begin in 1932;

18) ranks in the bottom half of countries globally when it comes to global growth potential;

19) ranks among the most “unequal societies in the world” with worrying levels of indebtedness;

20) is, considering all the above combined with labour income being more taxed than capital income, economically unsustainable and headed for a devastating financial crisis sooner rather than later.

So, enjoy your days off. But, before you boast about them, it would behoove you to consider that it cannot last, that the people who are currently picking up most of the bill for them are worse off than you are, and, that the rest of that bill will have to be paid by your children (and possibly grandchildren) in the future.

Keep voting for free stuff from the government though!

Lastly, don't get me wrong, The Netherlands isn't much better off than Sweden. The welfare state will collapse here too. Sweden is just a few years ahead of us.

The economic and demographic collapse will be exponential though, which is why I'm leaving Europe with my family (wife, 5 kids, me) as soon as possible.

[end]

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

Hi, Dutch dude here.

In the Netherlands we have pretty similar laws.

It would be fine if the costs of these "rights" were openly financed by society through taxes, but they aren't.

They amount to a hidden tax paid by employers, which neccesarily pass it on to the consumer.

I am the founder, and was the CIO of, a multinational, and I have learned that a *lot* gets financed in this sneaky kind of way by the government.

Kind of similar to how the EU uses constructions like "quantitative easing" to hide what is in effect a massive tax on money.

So, if you compare tax rates, you should take these into account. As Thatcher famously, and correctly, stated: "There is no such thing as public money; there is only taxpayers' money".

If you do that, the tax burden is much, much higher. And, as the cherry on top: If you believe a progressive tax system is fair, then these hidden taxes are definitely less fair.

Because, relative to the "real" taxes, they aren't progressive, and thus disproportionately affect smaller (family) businesses, lower income consumers.

So, boasting about what the government gives you is first-order/superficial thought. If you actually thought it through, you'd know that your perks disproportionately come at the expense of people worse off than you.

That's not something I would like to boast about, but you do you ;)

NB: The same is true for the costs of economic immigration.

Also something to consider is that Sweden currently;

1) ranks #1 in Europe for fatal shootings per capita among young men;

2) ranks #1 (or at least in the top 3) of the most heavily affected nations in Northern Europe for protection racketeering and gang-related business extortion activities;

3) ranks #1 in the number of rapes per capita in Europe;

4) is the predominant destination country in Europe for human trafficking, with victims subjected to sexual and labour exploitation. Most victims coming from West Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia;

5) ranks among the top in Europe for illegal arms trade;

6) has a government that almost entirely ignores environmental crimes, like poaching and (extremely polluting) illegal mining;

7) ranks at the bottom of the Nordic countries regarding wealth equality (wealth inequality increasing rapidly relative to its neighbors as direct result of the unfair mechanism I explained above);

8) ranks #1 globally for the absolute number of bomb explosions of any nation not actively at war;

9) ranks second-to-last globally for finding friends and the "ease of settling in" for foreigners, ranking only above Kuwait;

10) ranks as having the highest rates of residential and labor-market segregation in the OECD (due to its "utsatta områden" aka "vulnerable areas");

11) ranks last in Europe for healthcare accessibility and wait times, with wait times of months just for a primary care referral, and then several more months to see a specialist or undergo non-emergency surgeries.

(Though medical care in Sweden is actually very high-quality, that's only useful if you can actually access it.

Incidentally, this is probably why you and other parents actually *require* the paid leave, as you'd need to care for a child that's sick for a medically unnecessarily lengthy time...);

12) ranks near the top of the EU for its high "vice taxes", especially on hard liquor. Additionally, alcohol sales are completely monopolized by the state-run chain "Systembolaget", meaning consumers face highly restricted hours and zero price competition;

13) ranks near the top globally of the most expensive countries (ie. high cost of living) due to high manufacturing costs, severely limiting consumer choice in local retail and gastronomy.

(Can you take a wild guess why manufacturing costs, and subsequently the cost of living, are so high? Perhaps employers passing on the costs of being forced to keep paying for people that aren't doing any work for them, plus the costs to suddenly replacing them..?);

[1/2, continued in comment below]

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

Hey, could you drop me a DM? There's a domain with your art on it I'd like to discuss. Thanks.
@evilfrap

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

Most women were already against women's suffrage at the time.

It were the wives of rich men that had nannies and could afford to spend the time to push for the right to work and vote (ironically led by wealthy men).

If you read contemporary accounts, most working class women were like "hell no" when asked if they wanted to work like their husband had to.

Because their husbands were generally factory workers, coal miners, etc. working 80-100 hours a week in gruelling conditions.

"Women's liberation" objectively liberated men the most. By doubling the supply of labor, men went from an 80 to 100 hour work week to a 60, then a 45, then a 40, then a 38, and now in some European countries to a 36 (or even 30!) hour work week.

The women pushing for the right to work were arguing for the *choice* to work, but what they failed to see by pushing "equality" is that for the overwhelming majority of men, work has never been a choice but an *obligation*.

Now women get to share in that' same obligation, and staying home and raising their own kids has become a luxury most cannot afford anymore. And they're not coping well, at all.

More than half the young women in the west are now on psychotropic drugs of some kind and an even larger share is in some kind of therapy or is self-medicating.

It's not a surprise that women's happiness has plummeted since the 1960's.

See:

https://t.co/tuHuGy3u3p

"Most People Opposed Women’s Suffrage

Most women and men believed that equality for women would lead to the destruction of the state; that the highest order of the state relied upon completely separate responsibilities for each sex."

[I would argue they were more right than they could have imagined. It will not lead to the destruction of any particular state, but we can clearly see that it has led to a direct effort to destroy western civilization altogether...]

https://t.co/wNU6HF4e3a
(The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness)

https://t.co/wkxkadvurt
(The female happiness paradox)

[This is only a paradox if you are incapable of second-order thinking IMHO]

https://t.co/uSHIsPSgxS
(Gains in women’s rights haven't made women happier. Why is that?)

https://t.co/RPl4xkdYH4
(The gender wellbeing gap)

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

@NotSantos7 @GrapheneOS @Revolut I would like a response from @Revolut as well...

[Alok Kumar @Alokkumarzz]

In 1983, a BBC interviewer asked Richard Feynman why two magnets push each other apart — and he refused to answer it.

What he did instead is the best seven minutes on thinking ever filmed.

Bookmark & watch today, no matter what.

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

@exeMerlow Almost nobody? Sure, but almost nobody is actually interested in nature at this level. I've watched this dozens of times over the past 3 decades :) So, duh...

https://t.co/t5sHeTki3H

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

True https://t.co/7fmliNMklw

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

@TaniaSchell We only have to look to 1967 (the 6-day war).

The armies of literally all Israel's neighbors were massing on Israel's borders to exterminate all Jews once and for all (ie. actual genocide). Especially Nasser was explicit and public about this being the goal.

At this point, something happened that the anti-Jewish people rather not talk about: Arabs in that region were called on by the aggressing armies to leave voluntarily so that the attacking armies would have a clear battlefield.

Everyone at that point, including many Jews assumed they would be completely wiped out.

Many Arabs that heeded the call to leave at that time figured they were being very clever by quickly selling their land to Jews, as they fully expected to return and take it back after the Jews had been eradicated after a few weeks at most. So, free money from those dumb Jews right?

(Note that this weren't Palestinians by any stretch. The West Bank was owned by Jordan, and the Gaza strip by Egypt.)

But, unfortunately for them, Allah was on vacation or something, and the Jews completely crushed the combined armed forces of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the PLO in only 6 days (and on the 7th day they rested, I assume :)...

As victors, they occupied the territories they gained. For all of human history the custom has been that if you're victorious in a war, you get to annex whatever you conquer. And doubly and even more legitimately so when you weren't the agressor but victim in the conflict to begin with.

(This is also why the allies legitimately accupied Germany and Japan after WW2, and incidentally literally every currently Islamic lands were obtained through conquest.)

So, unless you want to apply a different standard exclusively to Israel (which would need a reason other than antisemitism), the Jews were in their right to keep all land legally purchased before the war, and conquered by Israel during the war. See the maps.

However, Israel has been returning massive chunks of land (relative to the country) ever since, the most obvious being the massive Sinai peninsula to Egypt, and parts of the West Bank to Jordan. The lands they kept were explicitly, and legally, signed over to Israel by the countries that owned them in the peace treaties that both Jordan and Egypt signed with Israel.

So, please explain how Israel voluntarily relinquishing most of the land they were legally, morally and customarily entitled to can possibly be stretched into Israel being expansionist...

NB: A more detailed explanation of my argument van be found at:

https://t.co/JCXsLLTspu

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

@TaniaSchell @ireallyhateyou @TaniaSchell Also, I just noticed you wrote "All 3 have been expansionist".

Would you care to explain how Judaism has been expansionist in the way Christianity was, and Islam still is?

Because that's a wild statement.

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

Yes, and that's complete bullshit.

Maybe on the point that they both don't agree that the messiah has come, but otherwise...

And surely there's no political angle to this at all, right?

And, yes, in history most genocides (by number) have definitely been committed in the name of some god. But, the vast majority in the name of pagan gods, some we know of today, some long forgotten.

But, the genocides that claimed the most lives, that'd be communism/atheism, and the difference isn't even close.

I would wager that communism has killed more people than all people killed in the name of religion in all of history combined (whether you include the Nazi's in that or not). It's a completely different scale.

[Patrick Christys @PatrickChristys]

Leading the show with Rupert Lowe’s Rape Gang Inquiry Report published today. The details are impossible to ignore for anyone with a heart

[Terrence de Kat @raphidae]

@TaniaSchell @ireallyhateyou Also, I'm curious, can you list some of what you consider beautiful traditions and passed down wisdom in the context of Islam?

Because, what may have existed in the past (what incidentally usually is overstated), was almost all destroyed by Muslims themselves.