The Pakistani Spectator

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?

My name is MT Nguyen and I’m currently teaching philosophy in NYC.  I have two other collaborators on the site, Interventions at blogspot. We attempt to write on current important moral and political issues in a style situated inbetween academic discourse and journalism. I am Ph.D in philosophy from UC Irvine.  Current interests in global
justice and moral responsibility.  Teaching in NYC. I blog here.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?

Yes, writing is the kind of activity that perfects itself through engaging in the activity.  Writing itself is of instrumental value to me.  It’s important to communicate one’s ideas to others, either as a means of persuasion or as a way of initiating dialogue.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?

I just started blogging a month ago so I have no real memorable experiences yet.  Although seeing the blog up for the first time was rather exciting.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?

We started up our blog very recently, and we have been sending emails to other sites we respect in an attempt to introduce ourselves and set up lines for future dialogue.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of
technology in politics right now?

I don’t know if this counts as exciting, but campaign financing through the internet has had a rather large impact on US elections. The scope and reach of the internet allows for grass roots campaigning that wasn’t possible prior to the technology.  Hopefully, this will
diminish the control lobbyists have on campaigns.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?

Modern life is extremely complicated and any technology which eases the burdens of life will be helpful in giving people the time to focus on important but less concrete issues they wouldn’t otherwise have time for.  Of course, this can happen only if people care about the
issues in the first place.  Leaving that aside, we hope our site does what little it can to help people engage in a fruitful way with what should concern them.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?

As I noted above, we are trying to get away from the trappings of academic discourse and thereby reach a larger audience.  On the other hand, we do not want to sacrifice conceptual sophistication and analysis by merely reporting what this or that person says or does. I’m not saying no other site attempts this, but I think they are rare.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?

Passion.

Do you think [the use of Twitter and other social networking tools by politicians] is bandwagon jumping or what?

I am new at all this and confess I don’t even know what Twitter is.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it’s paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?

Hong Kong, Abidjan, Tokyo

What is your favorite book and why?

Ecce Homo by Nietzsche.  In this book he manages to blend great wit, a touch of madness, rhetorical flair and a self-reflectiveness that is unmatched in any other major writer.  It is my model and ideal.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?

Their voice.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?

No, although I’ve had many tell me that my writing needs work.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?

I wish I knew the answer to this question.  Seriously though our site gives no thought to financial gain.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?

In a non-monetary sense, a successful blog requires a lot of work. Daily writing of worthwhile content is an enormous, but fruitful, challenge.

What are your thoughts on corporate blogs and what do you think the biggest advantages and disadvantages are?

I don’t know what a corporate blog is.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?

Communication is the key to undermining stereotypes.  If blogs enable persons from around the world to engage in dialogue, then that alone would make the world friendlier and less hostile, even if the dialogue has elements of vitriol.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?

I don’t really know names, but the bloggers at Balkinization are great, as are some of the bloggers at Opinio Juris.  I also like Josh Marshall at TPM and Robert Scheer at Truthdig.  For lighter fare, I also read some food blogs like frenchlaundryathome and Michael
Ruhlman’s food site.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?

I am very happy about the recent election results in Pakistan.  The more political independence the Pakistanis have from the US the better, I feel.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?

Economic and political power.  Leaving aside China, the developed countries have the economic and political power to impose all sorts of unjust positions on the developing countries, positions that they themselves rejected when they were developing countries.

What are your future plans?

We plan to take Interventions as far as our audience will allow. Soon, we hope to post book reviews and hold online forums on important issues in global justice.  It would also be nice to bring more participants into the site.  We don’t want to be the only voices heard
through our site.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?

Thank you for taking the time to read this interview, and thank you to the Pakistani Spectator for offering the opportunity.

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