Living on a thin line (living on a thin line) Living this way, each day is a dream What am I, what are we supposed to do? Living on a thin line (living on a thin line), ooh Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line (living on a thin line), ooh Tell me now, what are we supposed to do? Living on a thin line (living on a thin line), ooh Tell me now, what are we supposed to do?
Living on a thin line, ooh Tell me now, what are we supposed to do? Living on a thin line (living on a thin line), ooh Tell me now, what are we supposed to do? Living on a thin line, ooh.”
These surveys allow a quantitative assessment on a limited number of questions from a large number of respondents.
The information obtained is processed using statistical methods. The
survey data collected from a representative sample enables us to extend
the results to the entire population of the studied group. We conduct
interviews using a formalized, structured questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions. The Levada Center uses various methods of quantitative data collection.
We recommend surveys by the method of personal interviews in the respondent’s home(CAPI
/ with tablets) for complex projects that require a detailed dialogue
with respondents. Such projects require longer interviews that may
include experimental questions with many options administered to samples
of different complexity levels. Tablet technologies allow us to
demonstrate visual content, which makes it easier for respondents to
understand text or graphic information….
Telephone surveys (CATI) are perfect for quick
measurements on simple short questionnaires. In a telephone survey, we
can call randomly dialed phone numbers (RDD), numbers provided by the
client or that of different target groups (including entrepreneurs,
people living in a certain territory, high-income groups or groups
categorized by different interests).
Online surveys (CAWI) are convenient for studying
customer behavior and testing narratives or visual content. This method
is applied to research target groups, where it is not necessary to
extrapolate findings to the adult population of the country as a whole,
but it is important to determine the differences in the reactions of
different segments or to identify dominant opinions.”…
Trump seemed for a few days to hew to the line that he was going to shut down that war. But then today, he ripped off the mask and announced: It’s my war now!
So now Trump owns Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran—having told the
Iranians that the US would help Israel bomb Iran if Iran didn’t do a
deal with Trump to replace the deal with Iran that Trump canceled
unilaterally. Oh, I almost forgot about the Houthis, who have renewed their Red Sea blockade. In reality, of course, the US is not actually in a position to wage all these wars.
Russia’s ceasefire answer may be soon delivered by newly appointed top negotiator Nick Oresh
Quote
DD Geopolitics @DD_Geopolitics
Russia Responds to Ceasefire Talks Shortly after Ukraine agreed to the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire, reports indicate that Tu-160 strategic bombers have launched cruise missiles toward Ukraine from Engels Air Force Base.
Senior diplomat Dr. Ken Zhal is also not far behind
I want to republish two tweets by Scott Ritter, who had been very optimistic about what he thought Trump was about to accomplish. Ritter has now veered sharply toward Doug Macgregor’s very pessimistic outlook:
Scott Ritter @RealScottRitter
I’ve lost faith in the good faith of the Trump negotiating team.
A 30-day ceasefire would be a boon to Ukraine.
A chance to stabilize the frontlines.
To strip all tactical and operational advantages Russia has accrued through the blood and sacrifice of their soldiers.
And once Ukraine recovers, then to sit at a table where a rejuvenated Ukraine rejects Russia’s conditions for peace.
And hopefully escalate the violence to such a scale that the US will realize that there needs to be a realistic peace proposal agreed to in writing before any ceasefire takes hold.
Perhaps the most significant of them all is the economy. Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, has travelled to Beijingand will this week meet the vice premier and a succession of other senior figures. In an article for The Times today
The UK, she says, cannot afford to ignore the country that will be the “largest driver of global growth this decade”. The government can address national security concerns and trade with China at the same time, she argues – it is not binary.
But as she touched down in Beijing on Friday the market turmoil that
has dominated the week continued, with better-than-expected data from
the US seeing the cost of government borrowing surge to another 30-year high.
This week’s read looks in detail at the political and economic ramifications. Traders are now pricing in
just one cut to interest rates this year,
in a blow to the 1.8 million homeowners
who are coming off fixed-rate deals in 2025.
But it also threatens to swallow what little fiscal headroom the government has left.
It means that March 26 – the day that the Office for Budget
Responsibility publishes its latest official forecasts – has become one
of the most significant days in the political calendar this year.
If, as expected, it downgrades forecasts, Reeves could find herselfhaving to stand up in the Commons and announce deeper cuts to the level of public spending.
Given that Labour promised votersboth economic growth and more money in their pockets it is likely to be a hard sell. Reeves is looking anywhere and everywhere for growth – turning to business leaders, ministers and officials for ideas – before a significant speech this month.
(continuing):“Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, todaytries a different tack, describing the world’s richest man as an “unignorable force” who the government needs to “respect and engage with”. If confrontation doesn’t work, perhaps flattery will. Until next week.
“A demonstration of thousands under the slogan “May there never be war again!” is taking place in the center of Berlin on the Day of German Unity, Focus magazine reported today, October 3.
According to law enforcement agencies, the police estimated the number of participantsin the march in support of peace at 10 thousand people. It is possible that the number of demonstrators will increase during the rally, during which a number ofBundestag deputies will address the audience. The organizers of the event have previously stated that they expect more than 25,000 participants.
as well as Israel, in order to de-escalate conflicts. The participants of the action also oppose the plans of the German government to deploy American medium-range missiles on the territory of the country.
One of the participants of the demonstration said in an interview
with German media that she joined the action today because she does not
want any arms supplies–“neither in Ukraine, nor in Israel”, and stands for “solidarity with Palestine and with Russia.”
“Russia should be our friend,and I want the lies that are being told about (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, was dispelled.
Schroeder is the automotive chancellor, Merkel is the banking chancellor, Scholz is the bomb chancellor. Freeze frame: dw.de *.
It is expected that parliamentarian and founder of
the Sarah Wagenknecht Union for Reason and Justice party Sarah
Wagenknecht, as well as Bundestag deputies Ralf Stegner (Social
Democratic Party of Germany), Peter Gauweiler (Christian Democratic
Union) and Gesine Letch (Left Party)will deliver a speech to the demonstrators.
In the materials published on the eve of the demonstration, the organizers of the action
“On Sunday, Governor Josh Shapiro welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to Scranton munitions plant, where the embattled leader thanked workers.
Zelensky made the special trip to visit the Pennsylvania workers at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant (SCAAP) in Lackawanna County— one of two major munitions plants in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The ammunition plays a vital role in Ukraine’s defense.
During the visit, President Zelenskyy spoke with workers at SCAAP — a U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command (JMC) facility that manufactures large-caliber metal projectiles and mortar projectiles for the U.S. Department of Defense —
and sign an agreement with Zaporizhzhia that will strengthen both statesand foster collaborationfor years to come.Pennsylvania looks forward to building a close relationship with Zaporizhzhia as we continue to stand on the side of freedom.”
During Zelenskyy’s visit, Shapiro alsosigned an agreementwith the Zaporizhzhia Regional State (Military) Administration,
that aims to leverage the strengths of both regions and support the region’s efforts to rebuild after the warwhile providing Pennsylvania businesses an opportunity to participate in the reconstruction through its Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED). As part of the agreement, Pennsylvania will work with the economic
leaders in Zaporizhzhia to share best practices across critical
industries, including energy, agriculture, digital technologies, workforce development, and
defense. The agreement encourages dialogue and cooperation through
visits, workshops, and meetings, and allows for the expansion of the
scope of cooperation as needed.
“Today is an exciting day for Zaporizhzhia and Pennsylvania,” said DCED Secretary Rick Siger. “This agreement will help support the future economic revitalization of Ukraine,
while boosting our economy and creating jobs for Pennsylvanians.
Five of the sectors included in the agreement mirror those in our
Economic Development Strategy, and we look forward to building a strong partnership with Zaporizhzhiain industries such as energy, agriculture, life sciences, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and more.”
Governor Josh Shapiro, [right], signed an agreement
with the Zaporizhzhia Regional State (Military) Administration that
support the region’s efforts to rebuild after the war while providing Pennsylvania businesses an opportunityto participate in the reconstruction. Office of the Governor
The U.S. Department of Defense announced in December 2022 that it was expanding U.S.-led training for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF).
The U.S. program will train up to one Ukrainian battalion per month and
will help develop the skills of Ukrainian units in specialized
equipment.
“Training is key to Ukraine’s continued success on the battlefield,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). “Our Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers are in Germany,
[What “opportunity?” Why would anyone “love to have” that kind of bloat and enormous cost of upkeep unless your #1 goal was to bleed taxpayers to death? Offices/buildings require energy, must be heated, cooled, maintained, plumbing attended to (assuming there’s plumbing at all), clean water, nutritious food, medical services.“Training” equipment eventually gets rusty, breaks down, etc., new weapons needed.]
leading to a more assertive policy in the South China Sea. With vastly more foreign military bases than any other country on Earth, the U.S. logically must lead the way in a reverse arms race.
Furthermore, the U.S.’s network of foreign military bases
For example, between 1967 and 1973, the entire population of the Chagos Islands
was forcibly removed
from the island of Diego Garcia
by the UK so that it could be leased to the U.S.
for an airbase.
The Chagossian people were taken off their island by force and transported in conditions compared to those of slave ships. Despite an overwhelming vote of the UN General Assembly,
and an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice in the
Hague that the island should be returned to the Chagossians,
the UK has refused and the U.S. continues operations from Diego Garcia today.
Each base has its own story of injustice and destruction,
impacting the local economy, community, and environment. The U.S. military has a notorious legacy of sexual violence, including kidnapping, rape, and murders of women and girls. Yet U.S. troops abroad are often afforded impunity for their crimes due to Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) with the so-called “host” country.
The lack of respect for the lives and bodies of Indigenous people is
another product of unequal power relationships between the U.S. military
and the people whose land they occupy.
Closing bases is a necessary stepto right the wrongs of colonialism, to curb the environmental destruction wrought by militarism, and
shift the global security paradigm towards a demilitarized approach that centers common security — no one is safe until all are safe.
This September 20-22 [2024], in honor of the International Day of Peace, World BEYOND War is organizing its annual global #NoWar2024 Conferencefocused on the theme of the U.S. military base empire— its impacts and the solutions. Throughout three days of sessions held
in four locations around the world (Sydney, Australia; Wanfried,
Germany; Bogotá, Colombia; and Washington, DC), and streamed on Zoom,
speakers will address the social, ecological, economic, and geopolitical
impacts of U.S. military bases in their regions, plus the powerful stories of nonviolent resistance to
prevent, close, and
convert bases to peacetime uses.
Karina Lester, a Yankunytjatjara Anangu woman from the Anangu
Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in the far North West
of South Australia, will speak about the impacts of nuclear testing felt
by her people. Alejandra Rodríguez Peña, member of the Olga Castillo
Collective in Colombia, will discuss the collective’s
work for justice and reparations for victims of sexual violence by U.S.
military personnel. Laura Benítez, a marine biologist, will detail the campaign opposing the construction of a U.S. base on Colombia’s Gorgona Island,
which is home to unique ecosystems and rich wildlife. Ricardo Armando
Patiño Aroca, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense of Ecuador during the government of Rafael Correa, will sharehow the U.S. base in Manta, Ecuador was effectively shut down. Dr. Cynthia Enloe, renowned for her work on gender and militarism and the author of Bananas, Beaches and Bases,
will explain how the presence of U.S. military bases impacts the local
economy, shapes race relations within the community, and re-configures
the sexual politics of a society.
On September 20-22, [2024] join us virtually — or in-person in Australia, Germany, Colombia, and the U.S. — for the #NoWar2024 Conference to hear from these and many other speakers about the
impacts of the USA’s military base empire
and how to work towards demilitarization and decolonization.”
“Most Americans would say we have a military for national defense and security. But our military is not a defensive force. Defense is not its ethos, nor is it how our military is structured. Our military is a power-projection force. It is an offensive force. It is designed to take the fight to the [alleged] enemy. To strike first,usually justified as “preemptive” or “preventive” action.
It’s a military that believes “the best defense is a good offense,”
with leaders who believe in “full-spectrum dominance,” i.e. quick and
overwhelming victories, enabled by superior technology and firepower,
whether on the ground, on the seas, in the air, or even in space or
cyberspace….
