News from across Europe

[Northern Light]

We can file Turkey under Asia or Europe, I will do the latter here.

Massive Earthquake, 7.8 on Turkey/Syria border.

17 confirmed dead, hundreds (or more) feared dead.

Minimum of 34 buildings fully collapsed.

More than 4,300 dead in Turkey and Syria after powerful quake

More than 4,300 people have died and rescuers are racing to pull survivors from beneath the rubble after a devastating earthquake ripped through Turkey and Syria, leaving destruction and debris on each side of the border.

www.cnn.com

 

[Northern Light]

Death tolls from the earthquake already revised to 1,500++

Live updates: Turkey-Syria earthquake kills more than 1,500

More than 1,500 people have been killed and thousands of others injured in Turkey and Syria after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit southern Turkey early Monday. Follow live updates here.

www.cnn.com

Multiple aftershocks, one of 7.5!

 

[Bjays92]

We can file Turkey under Asia or Europe, I will do the latter here.

Massive Earthquake, 7.8 on Turkey/Syria border.

17 confirmed dead, hundreds (or more) feared dead.

Minimum of 34 buildings fully collapsed.

More than 4,300 dead in Turkey and Syria after powerful quake

More than 4,300 people have died and rescuers are racing to pull survivors from beneath the rubble after a devastating earthquake ripped through Turkey and Syria, leaving destruction and debris on each side of the border.

www.cnn.com

When I saw the intial reports I didn't think it was going to be that bad, but this is a disaster of apocalyptic proportions.

Over 5000 buildings destroyed death toll already nearly 12,000 I've seen some estimates say it could rise over 100,000

 

[DSC]

When I saw the intial reports I didn't think it was going to be that bad, but this is a disaster of apocalyptic proportions.

Over 5000 buildings destroyed death toll already nearly 12,000 I've seen some estimates say it could rise over 100,000

I have no doubt that the death toll will increase from 12,000 but it is EXTREMELY unlikely it will reach 100,000.

 

[Bjays92]

I have no doubt that the death toll will increase from 12,000 but it is EXTREMELY unlikely it will reach 100,000.

Why? When you have thousands of high rise buildings in a densely populated area completely collapse, 100,000 is not a crazy number. 3 days in and it's already past 20,000 now.

Look at some pictures. The scale of this disaster is unfathomable.

Edit: not to mention that the official figure in Turkey right now is over 60,000 injured of which some will most certainly die and my impression is that there is still so much rubble to clear and rescue efforts still needed. I don't want a number that high obviously but I don't think people realise how truly staggering this disaster is.

 

[Towered]

Good to see the vile Erdogan taking heat for this tragedy with an election coming up.

 

[gabe]

Another earthquake hits Turkey

https://twitter.com/x/status/1627769260813570054

 

[Northern Light]

Another earthquake hits Turkey

https://twitter.com/x/status/1627769260813570054

6.3, Appears to be relatively low damage. * hopefully, it is early yet

 

[kEiThZ]

Check out what was promised to Turkey for taking in millions of Syrian refugees. And then check out what was actually delivered. I don't blame the Turks for being a bit skeptical.

Right on cue....

https://twitter.com/x/status/1669195559641423873

And now there's disputed information that the Greek Coast Guard was attempting to tow the boat out of their waters.

Compare this to the Turks giving asylum to millions in their country. I detest Erdogan and his politics. There are Turkish military officers I trained with who had to seek asylum because of him. But as a country, the Turks have been incredibly generous to refugees at a time when Europe turned the refugee crisis into a culture war with one side all but insisting on ways to kill them by endangerment.

 

[GenerationW]

Erdogan gets weapons deals, more earthquake relief, and financial considerations to help the beleaguered Turkish economy (which tanked primarily due to his policies). In exchange he takes in more refugees and approves Sweden's entry into NATO. Everyone is happy.

 

[Northern Light]

Shifting sands...........with the far right on the verge of power in The Netherlands:

In political shift to the far right, anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders wins big in Dutch elections

The result will send shockwaves through Europe, where far-right ideology is on the rise, and puts Wilders in line to lead talks to form the next governing coalition and possibly become the first far-right prime minister of the Netherlands.

www.theglobeandmail.com

 

[Northern Light]

This piece from the NYT could easily go in a housing policy thread; but I'll place it here for now.

How Does Paris Stay Paris? By Pouring Billions Into Public Housing

One quarter of residents in the French capital live in government-owned housing, part of an aggressive plan to keep lower-income Parisians — and their businesses — in the city.

www.nytimes.com

It focuses on Paris, France and discusses the impact of the large stock of public housing (roughly 25% of all Paris residents live in government owned housing) along w/the broader issues of housing affordability.

On the former:

And

Also discussed are other impacts of a very interventionist state, including the rents set in the above housing, but also the impacts on retail, particularly small business, where the government is the owner of 19% of all retail spaces.

On the latter:

 

[Towered]

This piece from the NYT could easily go in a housing policy thread; but I'll place it here for now.

How Does Paris Stay Paris? By Pouring Billions Into Public Housing

One quarter of residents in the French capital live in government-owned housing, part of an aggressive plan to keep lower-income Parisians — and their businesses — in the city.

www.nytimes.com

It focuses on Paris, France and discusses the impact of the large stock of public housing (roughly 25% of all Paris residents live in government owned housing) along w/the broader issues of housing affordability.

On the former:

View attachment 549456

And

View attachment 549457

Also discussed are other impacts of a very interventionist state, including the rents set in the above housing, but also the impacts on retail, particularly small business, where the government is the owner of 19% of all retail spaces.

On the latter:

View attachment 549455

Unthinkable initiatives here.

 

[kEiThZ]

Unthinkable initiatives here.

They're different models. And it kinda screws us over that our left is so fixated on the European model of public housing (see NDP regularly complaining about how Trudeau is paying developers), because it wastes energy on something that will never happen here. Most of our housing is delivered by the market and it will always be that way. Might as well put in effort into figuring out how to make our system work for most people.

 

[Northern Light]

They're different models. And it kinda screws us over that our left is so fixated on the European model of public housing (see NDP regularly complaining about how Trudeau is paying developers), because it wastes energy on something that will never happen here. Most of our housing is delivered by the market and it will always be that way. Might as well put in effort into figuring out how to make our system work for most people.

I'll differ here.

First off, TCHC and its predecessors (City Home and MTHA) became a very large landlord and supplier of housing from post WWII through the late 70s; its a concscious choice, since then, that we have shifted away from that model; and that homelessness has rocketed upwards, because the private market cannot meet the needs of those on Social Assistance or even working minimum wage jobs.

In Ontario, a single person with no children gets $733 a month total, for food and shelter. Even someone on disability gets just shy of $1,400.

While a minimum wage earner (full time) will pull down about $2,490 pre-tax/deductions; or something closer to $2,000 factoring for those on a net basis.

The math just doesn't work; the public sector needs to be the provider of low income housing, unless, we're going to triple assistance rates and raise the minimum wage by at least 50%.

The former seems more likely than the latter; though I'd be content enough to support the latter. (phased-in and with some targeted relief for the most affected industries)