Hacker News: jespinel

New comment by jespinel in "Spain blocks prediction markets Polymarket, Kalshi over lack of gambling licence"

jespinel — Tue, 26 May 2026 17:37:22 +0000

Sure! I can also be an adult, have fire detectors and insure my property against fires instead of hoping for the goodwill of the community or the government.

New comment by jespinel in "Spain blocks prediction markets Polymarket, Kalshi over lack of gambling licence"

jespinel — Tue, 26 May 2026 17:35:40 +0000

> That works in a world where everyone has equal knowledge and ability all of the time.

That ^ is mostly true today.

If you have access to Polymarket or Kalshi, you have internet access. If you have internet access, you have access to more public knowledge than any previous generation.

Whether you use the internet to educate yourself or to gamble should be your choice. But starting today, it is no longer your choice in Spain.

New comment by jespinel in "Germany news: Childfree adults to pay more for elder care"

jespinel — Tue, 26 May 2026 17:13:18 +0000

Super low income taxes?

The general income tax brackets break down in Germany is as follows:

- Up to €12,348: 0% (Tax-free allowance)

- €12,349 – €69,878: 14% to 42% (Progressive increase)

- €69,879 – €277,825: 42% (Proportional rate)

- Over €277,826: 45% (Reichensteuer or "rich tax")

Source: https://www.expatrio.com/about-germany/german-tax-system

IMO: that doesn't look "super low".

A better tax system is the one used by Estonia: a flat tax rate of 22%

Source: https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/estonia/individual/taxes-on-per...

New comment by jespinel in "Spain blocks prediction markets Polymarket, Kalshi over lack of gambling licence"

jespinel — Tue, 26 May 2026 14:51:09 +0000

Governments should not interfere with the private decisions of adults. If people want to gamble, let them. If you do not like gambling, then do not gamble. But do not use the government to force your "moral/ethical" preferences on everyone else.

New comment by jespinel in "It's official: Utah is the U.S. state closest to banning VPNs"

jespinel — Tue, 05 May 2026 15:26:30 +0000

IMO, this is one of the main strengths of the US: you have 50 different options to live according to your values and beliefs, and relatively little friction if you decide to move to a state that better reflects them.