A. Hey, I did say this was a low-budget site,
right?
Q. I hate those pop-up menus in the Forum. What
are your plans?
A. I am currently exloring the possibility
of setting up a web-hosted site that I will pay for, that can
host a PHP-based forum. Such forum will be vastly superior to
the forum that I am using right now.
ECONOMICS AND POLITICS
Q. What is your stand, AutoJC, in the political
world? Liberal or Conservative?
A. Neither. I believe conservatives have
an agenda, whether they are the new conservatives or old, to
uphold the tradition of the privileged class and the working
class. I for one oppose this thought, and have challenged it
on forums on this basis. In my opinion, this represents old-world
thinking. When the founding fathers wrote the Declaration of
Independence and the Bill of Rights, they clearly wanted to gear
it to an alternative society to that which has existed for centuries.
They saw the concept of ruling class (privilege) and working
class as clearly alien to individual rights. Hence the phraseology
of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
With their stress on liberty, it becomes clear that the founding
fathers developed a political concept known as liberalism.
However, the modern day liberal has strayed from the concept
of life, liberty, prosperity, and individual rights. Instead
the modern day liberal has turned to government to go beyond
its initial role as protector, and, in an attempt to neutralize
the "privileged" class has foisted upon the American
society government which has become a caretaker government.
In my opinion, there really isn't the same sort of privileged
class that there is in the Old World. Many who are wealthy in
the U. S. have earned their wealth through hard work as they
struggled to establish businesses, and these individuals had
thoughts, ideas, inventions, discoveries and developments they
could sell for a profit, that has the end result of improving
our society and our environment.
Hence, when the new liberal leftist foists his agenda on
others, he comes off as being anti-man, anti-mind, and anti-industrialist,
as his programs work to increase taxation for the sake of others.
The taxation of corporate "wealth" has
served to limit and stifle the capitalist economy that has made
this country great, by depriving the capitalist of the resources
needed to develop his business.
I advocate the rediscovery of the original liberalism that
our Founding Fathers so clearly intended.
Q. What is your view on World Politics?
A. This is very complex.
I believe in globalization of capitalism. I believe that
many countries could stand to reform their socio-political systems
to emphasize individual rights and de-emphasize the ethnicity
that is at the crux of the world's problems. Yet at the same
time such nations can strive to preserve their uniqueness in
their different cultural settings. This is why free trade globally
is the key to world peace.
Q. What are your views on Laissez-faire Capitalism?
A. Too bad it's impossible in the real world. How much the
government wants to control the economy and the monetary supply
determines how free trade truly is. Government's role in capitalism
should be to protect the free trade activities and not hinder
it by means of unfair taxation, control of the monetary supply,
and so-called "antitrust laws." Tariffs are an obvious
boundary to global free trade. So are minimum wage laws, which
have the ill effect of setting poverty levels. Cost of living
restrictions serve only to deplete the labor supply and cause
manufacturers to go abroad where labor is more available and
cheaper.
True laissez-faire Capitalism cannot exist. But the government's
role can be limited to protection, thereby fostering an environment
of free trade.
Q. What are your views on Abortion?
A. Government has no right to tell women what to do with
their bodies; an unborn cannot enjoy the same benefits as a living
person. I'd leave it legal.
PHILOSOPHY AND IDEOLOGY
Q. Some have advocated that no philosophy is better than
philosophy and ideology, what do you think?
A. I have labeled my philosophy "Romantic Realism."
Why? I remember reading Ayn
Rand's fascinating book, "The Romantic Manifesto"
and being impressed by the manner in which she holds Romanticist
literature as the highest form of literary art. Examples of Romanticist
literature include some of the best books I have ever read, including
Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" and Fyodor Dostoevsky's
"Crime and Punishment." They and several other
authors excelled in their ability to combine plot, suspense,
and characters all in one.
Rand's main point was that Romanticism and Realism were direct
correlates, not dichotomies. So it is that I agree with this.
Now, I don't agree with Rand on every point (see my commentaries
on my Message Board) but this is one point I do agree. It is
the backbone of my architectural philosophy as well, that a building
can be both aesthetically exciting and serve its function.
A philosophy based upon Romantic Realism is one that is the
backbone of man's best efforts. It in itself justifies
philosophy.
Q. What are your views on public education?
A. I believe that an education free of government propaganda
and influence should be made available to all. I feel that public
education is a valid concept so long as there is a curriculum
which fosters the development of the growing child and his development
as an individual. The question begs itself- should the government
take charge of public education?
I say NO.
The real problem here is that the government can easily control
educational content, and that content is typically infused with
matters pertaining to social issues. The ide of such issues is
to brainwash students into thinking that they, as individuals,
are worth ony that which serves the needs of the common good,
i.e. society. the group, the ethnic group, etc.
For that reason, I believe the private sector is more capable
of providing an education according to a curriculum which fosters
the development of the growing child and his development as an
individual. However, bear in mind that when the government mandates
sanctions on private educational institutions, the effect of
such institutions is no different than public schools.
Q. What about censorship?
A. I'd limit censorship to child pornography and that's it.
In a free society, government has no right to intrude upon a
person's private life.
Q. What about religion?
A. Religion is a matter of personal choice. Monotheistic
religions based upon the Ten Commandments originally set the
stage for modern ethical philosophy.
One of America's greatest features is this element of religious
freedom. In many countries in the modern world this freedom simply
does not exist. separations of church and state are important.
The elevation of Faith to Reason was the most important contribution
by Aquinas. I do believe in God, God may be my final judge, however,
I believe, as the scriptures say, that God created man in his
Image and Likeness. Taken at face value, this means the only
difference between Man and God is that Man is finite, God is
not. Man rules the Earth, not God. Man does God's work by creating,
inventing, developing, discovering, and producing, functions
which extend Man's mind.
I believe Reason transcends Faith.
Although I disagree with the Atheists, I do feel that their
view on Man's finality has some validity vis-a vis reason, that
it may relate more directly with an Objectivist point of view
than does my own.
Q. What is your role on Message Boards? Why are you considered
a Troll?
I contribute to many message boards. I contribute to professional
and politically related boards. I like the fact that I don't
agree fully with either the Liberals or the Conservatives on
the boards. I believe that, whether in truth or in jest, I mean
to promote a capitalist point of view, one that defends liberty,
prosperity, and choice.
Many have accused me of not properly supporting my arguments
with fact, yet I constantly provide links for the purpose of
research which backs my opinions. There are those who persist
in not accepting my responses to their challenges, who then proceed
to resort to name-calling, insults, etc. For those certain participants
on those boards that have an "Ignore" function, I am
deeply grateful to the Board administrators for incorporating
such function.
I have found, much to my dismay, board administrators and
moderators who actually defend some of the miscreants I encounter
on these message boards. It is for that reason I choose to defend
myself in the manner I do. Naturally , I have paid the price
for my challenging, as some moderators and administrators have
seen fit to ban me for my telling the truth.
In some cases I have just given up on certain boards. Ultimately,
a board that encourages miscreance deserves to falter in its
own sea of nihilism.
PLAYING FAVORITES
Favorite Architects- Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd
Wright, Eero Saarinen, Cesar Pelli, Le Corbusier
Favorite Authors- Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, Fyodor
Dostoevsky
Favorite Music Composers- Giuseppi Verdi, Giacomo
Puccini, Richard Wagner,
Wofgang Amadeus Mozart, Jacques Offenbach
Favorite Opera- Les Contes d' Hoffman
Favorite Book- Les Miserables (Hugo)
Favorite President- Thomas Jefferson
Favorite Philosophers- Aquinas, Locke, Aristotle
Favorite Artists- Rembrandt, Michelangelo, da Vinci,
Monet, Rodin
Favorite Building- Fallingwater
Favorite Car- Saab 9-5
Favorite Modern Authors- Ian Fleming, John Grisham,
Sinclair Lewis, Ayn Rand, Linda Fairstein
