Let me first explain what we are doing: On the community support side of the Saker house, our artist is creating a series of posters or infographics or quick information sheets. The first one that we are doing is based on the Saker’s Letter to My American Friends, distilling the hard data that The Saker outlined here.
Other infographics may deal with for example geography, or size of militaries, or even numbers of UNSC (United Nations Security Council) resolutions that are not complied with, depending what the nature of the broader discussion is at the time. Sometimes a picture speaks a thousand words. The following image gives just a taste and is only an incomplete example and is displayed Errors and All!
This is why: The posters or infographics will form a body of work that :
- is easy to use or to send to others as a conversation starter,
- creates a library that the Saker and all of us can refer to in future,
- for our younger viewers, provide an easier point of entry to the more in-depth analysis and essays (given the nature of the internet and quick information and shorter attention span).
All of these infographics will be supportive of the Saker’s analysis and other contributors where the Saker may decide has proper and precise data to be ‘info graphicked’.
This is what we need : We are in need of a volunteer to parse the data, give it to the artist in easy and usable form, and then to check and edit the infographic. The volunteer should have quite a critical eye or be accustomed to hard or statistical data, and boiling down that detail into just the necessary to make one very clear point – always in support of the more detailed facts and information given in the written essays and analytical written work.
If you would like to volunteer to support the work in this way, please email me at: TheSakerCommunityCooperative@protonmail.com
Of course your suggestions in the comments as to which topics we can ‘infographic’ next, will be very welcome.
by Amarynth
Just a polite suggestion. Please ensure that the volunteer can spell. The value of the infographic above was demeaned by the misspelling of “length”
I agree , but `demeaned` is far too strong a word cheers
True, but it also remains true that Saker could use an editor, hopefully one that would make the text more approachable, both in style and in reasoning. Saker has great insight, so it would be great if the text could also address newcomers, who are still under the influence of propaganda. For this, an experienced editor/author is sorely needed. I vote for Robert K. Massie!
Alfred, this was a quick mock up … to illustrate what we are working on.
Our artist is Serbian, and no, his English spelling is not wonderful.
What of …” The following image gives just a taste and is only an incomplete example:” is hard to understand?
Its a mockup … What of “…. then to check and edit the infographic.” is hard to understand. ”
Anyway, I changed the text to “displayed errors and all”.
amarynth,
It was just a suggestion.
The lying MSM has unlimited resources and rarely gets these details wrong – even if the main message is total garbage. The main message is of course prepared by very smart people who will sell their grandmothers for the right price.
Whether you like it or not, you are taking on the big boys. :)
“Whether you like it or not, you are taking on the big boys. :)”
Story of my life Alfred – now let’s get a good copywriter that can help us do this elegantly.
Just my 5 cents ;)
After quickly reviewing the mock up I felt the illustration with scale can’t be correct (6000 km vs 1100 km i.e. scale 60:11 or roughly 5,45, 6000 + 1100 = 7100 km) and just by using the ruler I could measure that the scale (30 cm on my screen) actually represents 22,5 : 7,5 = 3 times.
I’m willing to help and I have analytical skills too :)
i get the 6000 km but what is the significance of the 1100 km?
I imagine it is to emphasise the proportion of the war burden the Red Army was shouldering. Another useful data would be that the 8 in 10 of the Wehrmacht’s casualties was in the eastern front. So much for the Hollywood depiction of America saving Europe singlehandedly.
I am not the most computer literate, but I see no buttons to share Saker articles with Facebook or twitter anyways. Is there some method I am unaware of?
There is a Vineyard Saker page on Facebook
Scott’s Humor is available to follow on Twitter
I would suggest that the way the data is presented is far more important than the data itself, especially in modern ‘sound-bite’ culture. I strongly suggest that investment in the classic “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information” (1983) by Edward R. Tufte is warranted.You want at-a-glance information transfer, not soon-to-be-forgotten facts. Tufte displayed a one-page ‘map’ that visually-displayed the size of French forces throughout the Russian campaign. My jaw dropped, and I still remember it to this day. It went straight to my right brain…
Thank you for this positive comment goshawks. You describe well the impact that we are proposing to create visually.
I totally understand this has nothing to do with the subject at hand; however, since there is no «analysis wish list,» I am asking it here, hoping on the moderators’ good will.
Three days ago it was reported that the Russian navy was welcomed in Philippines.
« Duterte welcomes Russian Naval ships to Philippines as military cooperation pact is signed »
As I am very unfamiliar with the Pacific geostrategics, could someone provide any analysis on the future implications? It appears to me that such cooperation would provide both Russia and China a valuable bulwark, while diminish the US influence in the region—especially considering that the US is almost 8,000 miles away.
However, besides the suspected military implications, should this a pact become fruitful, would it also embolden the rest of the Southeastern countries into requesting admittance in the BRICS? Especially, considering China’s resolve to buy oil in Yuan, and last year’s Russo-Japanese warming relationship?
In short, it seems to me that the US is retreating not only from the Middle East but also from the Far East. At they say, «inquiring minds want to know»…
Anon, I would say the Cafe is a better place to post this. It is off topic for what we are discussing here.
Alied is a nice play on words.
I was expecting
Allied
Some of the data to be presented will be of German origin, i.g. Bundeswehrarchiv and others. I am a German guy living in the USA and willing to do my part. My English is now good enough to to provide accurate translations.
This is a good idea and will hopefully be useful in shifting attitudes toward Russia. My suggestions:
1) I agree with Goshawks on styling and format. This info should reach the misinformed who buy in to the stupid msm demonization of Russia; the facts presented are compelling but should be presented in a more visually appealing and accessible way. I would even consider changing the army green main color which Americans associate with American war glory.
2) I would change the Red Army VS. the Allied Forces heading which furthers polarity. The message should be that we both fought the Nazis with huge sacrifices, but the Red Army and Russian people by far sacrificed the most. Also the message that we cooperated to fight a common enemy then, so why can’t we do it now
After a citizens diplomacy trip to Russia a few months ago, I have been making public presentations about US-Russia relations, and these posters would be a great help. After four years of govt. and media propaganda, the last year of it full spectrum disinformation warfare, our job is difficult in opening minds. I would put the extra effort to make these posters great, as they could be a very valuable tool. Thanks for the great work you do, Saker
Thank you Kabobyak for the valuable comments. Please tell us more about what exact data will be helpful in your citizen’s diplomacy. If this can be easily combined with The Saker’s analysis, it would be good for all of us.
I have had a number of emails from well qualified and lovely volunteers who would like to work on this project. Thank you! I’ll get back to each and every one early in this week still and then we will formalize the first project. Perhaps, just perhaps, what we are creating here will even form a small group of ‘Saker Researchers’. Imagine that!
Amarynth, I’d be happy to work with you on this. Briefly, I would target issues which Americans hold the most stereotypes and misinformation about; I could easily think of ten or twelve that would make great posters (or handouts). e.g. the truth about Ukraine; American military budget and number of bases etc. compared to Russia; number or list of countries the US has engineered elections, bombed or droned, invaded, etc; …..
Ironically, I have the hardest time reaching many liberals/progressives who are carrying water for the neocon agenda. They seem to have picked the low hanging fruit of hating Russia and Putin to get at Trump; no matter that the fruit is rotten.
Thanks, let’s do this, it’s a good idea.
The idea is good but it is not clear to me whether and how info-graphs come along with written material or would be stand alone products. As you mention: …’hard or statistical data, and boiling down that detail into just the necessary to make one very clear point – always in support of the more detailed facts and information given in the written essays and analytical written work.’
This would require some form of coordination between the writer and the info-graph producer.
Concerning topics, I could think of producing some sort of ‘sovereignty’ info-graph (or vassal-index) for selected countries, starting with NATO-members and their immediate neighbors.
Concerning forming a small Saker researcher group I would be able (and have the time) to collect data and provide analysis on a number of North-West European countries for which I have language proficiency, incl. Scandinavia (except Finland), Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, as well as the Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia and Malaysia.