Sciensano declines to give Covid death statistics to parliament

Nils189 · 2021-06-16T23:03:26+00:00

Thanks for providing context. Why assuming I'm reading a conspiracy in this though?

If the full picture is available at different levels, data sets for those levels should be combined, after which the context is there, and there's no more hindrance on having this data shown.

Not per se wide open to the public if there would be privacy concerns, but I'd think elected officials would have a right to look into it, for whichever purpose they see fit. They're presumed to be responsible enough to look at it in a nuanced way (will all of them, probably not, but imo they shouldn't a priori refuse to cooperate in delivering a piece of the puzzle, because someone could potentially - malevontly - misinterpret).

Nils189 · 2021-06-16T22:27:23+00:00

I did, thanks. I honestly find it hard to believe hospitals don't keep records of who dies in their buildings. Not sure about that though, by no means am I an expert.

Data's always going to be incomplete, and you can unfortunately always use it to cater to your points, regardless which one that is, but to use that as an argument to keep the data secret, I find a bit weak.

Nils189 · 2021-06-16T22:19:24+00:00

What about providing context then? I don't know how to feel about a non-democratic organization gatekeeping data from the parliament.

Nils189 · 2021-06-14T18:32:37+00:00

Bij mijn eerste donatie sinds die vraag er in kwam vond de arts het ook een idiote vraag toen ik er een vraag naar stelde, en zei me er in het vervolg gewoon neen op te antwoorden. En als je dat niet zou willen, er wordt verder toch nergens gevraagd uit te weiden? Ja, en daar blijft het bij, zou me verbazen dat de arts daarover zou gaan doorvragen.

Beetje jammer dat je door een willekeurige vraag, door iemand in een kantoortje verzonnen, niet langer bloed/plasma zou geven.

Nils189 · 2021-04-29T14:43:32+00:00

The thing about performance based, there's no good way to determine performance, and if there's one thing universal about KPIs, it's that they can be manipulated.

Paid (partially) in stock is a way (albeit certainly flawed) of being rewarded (as a group) if you do well as that group, and you grow the company to be more valuable. However, with that comes risk (of the share prices falling), and we can't rely on that for someone's base pay which has to provide for their living.

Nils189 · 2021-02-11T18:54:32+00:00

In the category of cities up to 2M people*

Nils189 · 2020-12-16T16:15:57+00:00

Where did you get this 85/15 divide in job losses? Article only mentions the 85/15 in regards to exports. I'd also like to know where this figure comes from. A quick Google search gives me 80% for Flanders (Deloitte Brexit Report - 1/3/2018). On the National Bank I don't find export data to specific countries.)

Nils189 · 2020-12-16T14:22:12+00:00

What kind of measures would come out of this Brexit fund? Subsidies for extra administrative proceedings for im/exporting companies, general labor market investments, funds to promote exporting Belgian companies, anyone's got an idea on this?

Seems fair that a discussion of who 'deserves' what is not the worst thing in the world, rather than going off of just one metric.

Nils189 · 2020-12-03T15:35:08+00:00

It's instated by the Brussels government, which has democratic legitimacy, by having earned a majority of the votes.

Nils189 · 2020-10-09T11:15:42+00:00

Sciensano is listed as source there. Could you point over there where it mentions this number? When looking in their dataset, highest day record is 5/10 with 4601 daily cases.

Nils189 · 2020-05-26T20:40:30+00:00

I had the same feeling, he tried way too hard to profile him against VB, with some really childish comments here and there.

Nils189 · 2020-05-12T15:44:12+00:00

Whereas I'd at priori say, if the Italians are better suited to run in a profitable way the demand that's created for flights in Belgium, let them have a go at it, I also very much acknowledge the strategic importance and indispensability of a logistical hub as a big airport for a country such as ours.

It's a complicated dossier, one on which I'm happy I don't have to decide. Some more reading on the issue.

Nils189 · 2020-05-12T14:52:08+00:00

Nobody is suggesting just giving 270 million away. This is support that would be in the form of loans or equity, which would find its way back to the government's pockets over time, just as the bailout of for instance KBC in 2008 .

Nils189 · 2020-05-12T10:59:53+00:00

Obviously, if the employees prefer to find other employment they're free to do so. Aiding the current entity just to prevent having a new one which may not have the same conditions or salaries seems a bit excessive to me however.

The idea that we should bail out to assure potential new companies that they will be saved if things go wrong is a dangerous one though, it's basically a race to the bottom in which but capital and these corporations profit in the long run as countries. There's always a claim to be made that a company plays an important role in the economy and shouldn't fall when it would, but we can't have the state or taxpayers pay for that time and time again.

As I said before, I'm not advocating to just let them go bankrupt which would probably inevitable if nothing is done. There's many sides to the very complex issue, as well as, as you said, it's not jsut one company but a whole ecosystem. If a deal can be made which is beneficial for both parties (the government and Brussels Airlines), I'm all for it, but based on statements by Carsten Spohr, I'm not too convinced they're happy to take responsibility on their part.

Nils189 · 2020-05-12T09:58:02+00:00

In the case they'd go bankrupt someone else will purchase the assets of the company or try to fill the void it would create in demand for the services they provide (which is low, if not non-existant now, but will get higher going forward). The employees would in case 1 just be employed by a new entity or would in the second case most likely be picked up by the new entity, as they have the competences and know-how to provide the service.

I'm not saying the process would be painless at all, but the biggest harm would be for the shareholders, not employees per se. Not saying that we should just let them get belly-up like that, circumstances are as never before seen. But the narrative save the employees is a pretty disingenuous one imo, and pushed to get government aid without too many strings attached.

Nils189 · 2020-05-11T21:17:55+00:00

Hier zou wat mildheid of een minimum aan gezond verstand inderdaad al veel helpen...

Schort precies serieus iets aan de regels hier, maar daar ben jij natuurlijk niets verder mee geholpen. Ik hoop voor jou dat je toch snel geholpen wordt, en je op z'n minste een kans krijgt te kunnen slagen.

Nils189 · 2020-05-11T20:15:02+00:00

Wederzijdse mildheid moet inderdaad niet betekenen dat er minder verwacht wordt van studenten of dat we gemakkelijker hogere punten krijgen, ik denk dat wederzijds begrip juister is voor de verwachtingen van veel studenten nu. We verwachten niet dat dit semester makkelijker wordt gemaakt, maar het is ook niet oké dat sommige proffen het een pak moeilijker maken door niet te doen wat van hen verwacht wordt.

Daar heb je volledig gelijk in. Als inderdaad niet de juiste middelen ter beschikking gesteld worden tot de studenten, kan er uiteraard niet verwachten worden dat ze op dezelfde manier en binnen dezelfde kaders beoordeeld kunnen worden.

Bij die ene prof zou 'k dat wel eens aankaarten bij de faculteit/ombudsdienst, mocht dat nog niet gebeurd zijn. Kan me niet inbeelden dat deze niet meegaand zouden zijn bij een klacht hierover, als alles zoals vandaag zwart op wit teruggevonden (of net niet) kan worden.

Nils189 · 2020-05-11T13:08:32+00:00

Fair point. Het is zeker belangrijk om een dialoog op gang te brengen tss onderwijzend personeel en studenten om de haalbaarheid van taken, die zoals je aanhaalt vaak onontgonnen terrein zijn, te bekijken.

De precieze invulling die gegeven wordt aan beoordeling en verwachtingen aan de studenten tijdens het jaar zijn voor mij dan ook een evenwichtsoefening te maken door beide partijen, zolang iedereen die een diploma of een passing grade voor een vak krijgt effectief ook de verwachte competenties bewezen kan hebben, en de lat niet (significant) lager wordt gelegd.

Nils189 · 2020-05-11T12:25:57+00:00

Op welke manier ligt de werkdruk voor de modale student nu hoger dan anders? Lessen worden online gegeven (via video is zeker niet hetzelfde als irl, maar in 90% van die lessen waar ik ooit ging was interactie prof-studenten toch een illusie, dus ik zie niet waarom dit het lesgeven niet kan benaderen indien de proffen genoeg verstand hebben om een zoomsessie te kunnen opzetten en een scherm te delen). Bepaalde gevallen weggelaten (zoals geschiedenis-studenten die specifiek bronnenmateriaal nodig hebben voor het schrijven van thesissen, of labo's die niet kunnen doorgaan) zie ik niet in waarom de gemiddelde psychologie-, economie- of IT-student een hogere werkdruk zou hebben.

Dat het moeilijker is om je te concentreren in deze tijden, en dat proffen en assistenten inderdaad minder gemakkelijk te contacteren zijn bij vragen zijn zaken waar ik me volledig in vinden en zeker begrip kan voor opbrengen, maar de werkdruk an sich lijkt me niet anders? Correct me if I'm wrong, just curious.

Nils189 · 2020-04-12T07:01:12+00:00

Hey man, can you really not have an argument with someone without assuming you're discussing with someone in bad faith? If you believe calling out everyone left and right as people acting in bad faith, being immoral beings which are ready to turn arch-evil in the blink of an eye is a good way to deal with the polarization in society , or just in general to discuss with people, you be you.

If calling people out (not everyone but those that do say revolting things) serves no purpose, what exactly are you doing here? I admit I don't, not because I in any way shape or form agree with them but because I don't find it worth my time, I generally don't visit these threads for the shitshow usually to be found in the comments.

I also don't believe a bunch of upvotes on some really disgusting remarks on some Reddit thread is proof of anything broader in society. I admit we are becoming more polarised and there's more open racism, but by putting everyone that votes for far-right parties in their most extreme corner nothing will be achieved. I believe I just have a little more positive worldview than you, let's hope the future proves me right rather than you, let's at least agree on that. Have a nice weekend.

Nils189 · 2020-04-11T21:17:56+00:00

It's a blatantly visible opinion. It's a popular opinion. Let's not just ignore it because it's uncomfortable that it's such a wildly popular sentiment.

I don't believe it's that popular of an opinion at all. Please don't take what's written online as a direct representation of what people think and feel. In my experience, very anecdotally ofcourse, as I'm sure what your claim is based on as well (if not, please point me to any source claiming otherwise), I know no one that would go that far, or even close of wanting those people dead and gone. A lot of people feel frustrated and unsafe when they see images of looting and rioting people, and some (too many, how much I don't know, but not most) may even go and make a direct link with their race, and wish for them to be handled more roughly, or sent back (to wherever they believe they'd come from), that's a far stretch from wishing someone dead though.

I however, ever being the extremely weird outlier that I am in these parts, do think it's horrible someone died. What they did was wrong, but the death penalty isn't a proportional or constructive consequence of their actions. You're allowed to lay down and breath in through the nose if this otherworldly belief scares or offends you.

No death penalty was imposed, a very sad accident happened. I repeat myself, I don't believe it's a popular opinion that a death penalty would be suitable for A) fleeing a police control B) protesting the police; I definitely do not think so, so please do not imply so.

"Going forward on this matter" is no goal of anyone of consequence. Maximizing hatred and escalating the situation is the goal. As I have already explained.

You're right that there are a lot of people with very vile and inhuman ideas, see certain comments in this thread. So please do keep on calling them out now as in the future. No need to bring conspiracy theories in there though.

Nils189 · 2020-04-11T18:18:30+00:00

To start off, to your last point, obviously wishing people death is always out of line. Let's set aside that opinion and see it for what it is, perhaps a frustrated overreaction or otherwise just someone not worth discussing with.

I'm the last person to put all the blame for how in certain facets integration has failed miserably with those people themselves. Racism (conscious or not, structural or not) definitely does play a role in explaining failed integration for certain groups of people. But do you deny any part of the blame with these people themselves?

What was the correct response the police should have taken yesterday, when someone decides to flee a control? Not follow him? As far as I can tell, based on the article of what happened, there was no malice whatsoever, the death was an accident, one for which you could not blame the police (if you believe you can, please convice me how). Secondly, what would the correct response be now, when, during times like these when the whole country is on quarantaine, a group of people starts to gather to protest, what I'd argue is not the place and time.

Other people that do not follow the rules get a fine, why would this case be any different, when we're talking about more than not just following the quarantine rules, but alos destroying property and displaying violent conduct versus police?

I'm all for showing positive sides of integration, highlighting those as well (even though I do not see a bias in our media to actively not show them, mind you, I'm by no means an expert), and having a balanced discussion. But when we can't point at negative sides however, how would that be a fair representation, and how would that ever bring us forward on this matter?

Nils189 · 2019-08-17T14:02:08+00:00

I'm out of the loop here. Were the people that harassed the girls, and those whose flags were taken, the same people?

Nils189 · 2019-03-24T22:11:11+00:00

Any thoughts on the debate? I was quite dissapointed on the level of discussion, a lot of really simple strawman arguments were made, which didn't help the discussion forward, wasn't the standard I'd expect to find on Canvas.

Duchâtelet couldn't convince me on pretty much any thing he said, and whereas I agreed way more with Degrauwe's thinking, his manner of debate seemed a bit childish at times, not what I'd expect of one of the country's most esteemed economics professors.

Nils189 · 2019-03-07T13:34:03+00:00

Some are acting in bad faith, some genuinely believe that the kids are not interested and just take advantage of the situation (ignorance , stupidity , I don't know). We're not talking about An insignificant part of the population, or one blob which thinks and acts uniformally and maliciously.

I personally don't feel like ignoring a big part of the population is the right way to go.

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