The Pakistani Spectator

In addition to being a political blogger, Alex Winston is an undergraduate student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in the United States. He studies political science, economics, and Mandarin Chinese. After graduating, he plans to teach in China before attending law school in the United States. He blog here.

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?
I am an atypical American because I am a political activist that believes in a strict legal construction of the United States. This means I believe the U.S. government’s power should be very limited. Most political activists work to make the U.S. government more powerful. My site reflects my beliefs. It is a collection of my ongoing observations that U.S. politicians destroy nearly everything they touch.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?
I have grown as a writer. I think I owe this not to writing, but to reading. My style, tone, and structure have evolved through reading many great authors.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?
I am most pleased when I am able to depict justice in my writing. My goal in writing is to promote liberty and justice. When I wrote about Rachel Corrie, for instance, I felt that, in a small way, I was writing for justice.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?
I usually communicate with other bloggers by commenting on their sites. With a few I also exchange emails.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?
The Internet by far. There is no limit to the levels of information and communication online. Ideally, someday, anyone anywhere in the world will be able to talk to anyone else in the world about whatever interests them at the click of a button.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?
I think the Internet helps some people get involved in the political discussion that otherwise would not. Without the Internet, for example, I would never be able to read the thoughts of a person in Pakistan, or a Chinese newspaper. Government and corporate media would be my only sources of information. The Internet connects human to human–not human to vaguely-known entity as before.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?
The name. Fear is Tyranny says it all. If a government rules by fear, it is tyrannical, in my opinion.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?
I never take anyone’s word but my own on life’s questions and problems. I search tirelessly for answers and learn from my own experiences.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?
The happiest moment of my life was the moment I received an email for an interview request from pakspectator.com. This was also perhaps the gloomiest. I’m fairly even-keeled. I don’t have highs and lows, but remain always rather curious and happy.

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?
Panama, Switzerland, Dubai

What is your favorite book and why?
My favorite book is Thomas Paine’s The Rights of Man. It was written over 200 years ago, but I believe it is still the most enlightening book ever written.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?
The first thing I notice about a person is their height. I am a short man, and I tend to notice height right away, as if I’m wondering whether or not this new person is someone I will be looking up to.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?
No. I have been told how I write, but never that I couldn’t. I have been told I write irreverently, emotionally, well, slowly, boldly, meanly, and countless other ways.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?
That’s a great question. If you find out, tell me.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?
Yes. Most bloggers are 30-year-old single men who spend their days wearing pajamas in their parents’ basement. That’s what Sean Hannity says so it must be true.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?
To know a person is to love a person, so universal communication could bring universal love. War is an evil that a bad government forces upon an ignorant nation. Knowledge will end this insidious evil.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?
This is a good question. I like Will Grigg, Lew Rockwell, Karen DeCoster, Arthur Silber, and Don Boudreaux

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?
I get a lot of reactions from my posts that criticize the war on terror.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?
My perception about Pakistanis is the same as my perception about all people. A human is a human is a human. People want peace, liberty, and prosperity. Their governments do not.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?
Will Grigg is stunningly correct in his view of justice.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?
The presence of absence of capital. If a country is to develop, it must be productive and attract and build capital.

What is the future of blogging?
Blogging is the future of news and commentary. As newspapers like The Boston Globe, The LA Times, and the New York Times fail, blogs are becoming more and more successful. Eventually the television giants will also fail as Internet media replaces them. Blogs are useful sources of news already, and they will grow in that role. When something is newsworthy, we will look to a blogger to find out about it, rather than a clumsy multinational news corporation.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?
My blog has no effect on my personal or professional life, although some of my friends are surprised when they read it. I blog for fun in my free time.

What are your future plans?
After I graduate, I will teach in China for a year or more, and then go to law school in the U.S.