The Pakistani Spectator

Renegade Eye    This blog is secular and socialist; influenced politically by Leon Trotsky, musically by Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, and the tango music of Astor Piazzolla and Carlos Gardel, artistically by Pablo Picasso and Carlos Paez Vilaro.

Would you please tell us something about you and your site? I was not politically active when I started blogging, and my political posts, were far to the right of my present positions.  If you read my blog from the start, you can see I changed positions occasionally.  I used to be influenced by Christopher Hitchens.  Now I’m a revolutionary socialist associated with the Int’l Marxist Tendency.  Our Pakistan section is our largest section, our crown jewel.  We are active in the PPP as its Marxist wing.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?  I feel I became more sophisticated politically, by trying to adapt not only Marxist positions, but more important is adapting the Marxist method of dialectical and historical materialism, for analysis.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging? I met readers of my blog in person, including the person named Graeme, who you are interviewing as well.  In addition my blog is a blog of political combat.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers? Email is the miracle.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now? I think blogging is proving to be important.  The other is that polls conducted by robots, are more accurate, than by humans.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive? They certainly are.  Trotsky used to have to write letters, that took months to be delivered.  Now we can communicate in seconds.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others? It’s a leftist site with commentors from the whole spectrum of politics.  I usually disagree with friends and foes alike.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?  I’m still alive.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?  I’m happiest in the middle.  I dislike both euphoria and gloom.  I try to stay in the middle.

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? Argentina for the tango, Spain for flamenco and Venezuela for politics.
What is your favorite book and why? Everyone should read “To Kill A Mockingbird.”  It is writing perfection, and a lesson in justice.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)? Shoes tell quite a bit about someone.
Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write? It usually is me thinking that, and disabling me.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially? They can’t.
Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands? All cliches have some truth to them.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile? The apolitical bloggers are better at that, than political.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers? I read on the right Sonia Belle.  We hate each other politically, but still have respect,  in addition I read often Left in East Dakota, Thoughtstreaming, The Pagan Temple and The Porcupine Blog.

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?  More people read my post about Karl Marx’s letter to Abraham Lincoln than any other.  I had big fights over issues as Israel and Palestine, and the Venezuelan revolution.
What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?  I think Pakistanis are stereotyped because of their political leaders.  I’m very excited about the future of that country.  I believe it will be the first real socialist country in my lifetime.  My comrades in The Struggle are quit strong.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger? One blogger I know is an anarchist Zionist.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country? One gives and the other takes.  Our task is to break down the differences, through internationalism.
What is the future of blogging? More gimmicks as video.  I like no gimmick well written blogs best.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?  Not really.
What are your future plans?  I want my blog to be the main blog of the anti-Stalinist left.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?  Don’t be narrow.  Unite the whole region as one, and go forward.  No more artificial borders.