Round 3 Transcript for Chris de Ville

Chris de Ville (CdV): We're here today with Paco Ahlgren, author of the psychological thriller "Discipline", published just last month on Greenleaf Bookgroup Press. "Discipline" is the story of a young man's struggle with his own inner nature, set amidst a violent inter-dimensional conflict in which the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. It is, to a certain extent, science fiction -- however this is no credulous tale of galactic empires and space aliens. "Discipline" is quite terrestrial, grounded by the author's intimate knowledge of economics, the game of chess, physics and philosophy. Join me in welcoming Paco Ahlgren, author of this book of big ideas.

Paco, great to have you here.

Paco Ahlgren (PA): Thank you for having me, Chris.

CdV: Alright. A number of writers have been derided by the scientific community for misapplying quantum physics, especially on support of eastern mysticism or "new age" ideas. Deepak Chopra comes to mind here, as does Gary Zukav's "Dancing Wu Li Masters". And like their books, "Discipline" permits some hand-holdling between physics and mysticism.

Would you agree with the scientific community that these other authors' application of physics is so called "quantum quackery", and if so how is your application different?

PA: I'm very familiar with Gary Zukav and Fritjof Capra. I do agree with the scientific community to a large degree that their work is pseudo-science. "Discipline" is a psychological thriller, it's an adrenaline rush, but it has these-- it's very accessible to a wide audience. But it also has these very deep, complex undertones that people are invited to explore on their own later through the suggested reading at the end of the book and also on my website at Disciplinenovel.com.

Uh, Zukav and Capra, if you look deeply, there are some interesting things about their work, but to me mostly it is-- what you call "quantum quackery"-- it doesn't appeal to me.

CdV: Right, right. It's not my term actually. Wikipedia defined that one, but, um...I bring it up because I think it's important, when some people would hear about your book, and they might see those two terms together -- "physics" and "eastern mysticism". They might have an instant...instantly pigeonhole you in a way that I think your book doesn't deserve.

So, having established that, though, having got that out of the way, I wanted to delve into some of the bigger ideas that drive the novel. Um, "Discipline" is filled with economics. The main character, Douglas Cole is, like yourself, a financial analyst, and the action is propelled by futures trading and monetary policy. And at one point in the book, an alternative private currency is created. Now, is this just a storytelling vehicle, or are you in fact arguing for the establishment of a private currency?

PA: I'm not arguing for it. I am an economist and financial analyst, and that's what I've done for the last fifteen years and people find it kind of strange that I wrote this book about spirituality, and..and that it is a thriller and it has all of these philosophical elements. But, I don't argue for anything in "Discipline" per se.

The idea of a private currency, I think, is going to happen eventually. Currencies, government run currencies, legal..protected by legal tender laws, are inherently weak and flawed, I believe, and are subject to failure, because they're not backed by assets anymore, they're backed by "full faith in credit", and I say that with quotes around it.

I think it's only a matter of time before their stability gets called into question. And, with current..with current liquidity, availability, and the speed with which currencies can now be traded, I think it's only a matter of time before a private.. before some consortium comes together and creates a private currency that's more stable than any government currency.

CdV: Right. And, and so we see other alternative-- we see, you know, Disney Dollars and airline miles, but what we're talking about here is not a currency that would work in conjunction with the dollar-- in the book the currency actually replaces the dollar. Um, are you speculating that for the hegemony of the US. Dollar, the end is nigh?

PA: You know, the dollar is losing value daily. We're at unprecedented lows with the Euro. We're also at very, very... at historical lows with the British pound. I don't know that the dollar is in jeopardy right now. I think it's going to take something pretty catastrophic to cause that, but, it's... I think it will happen. I don't know how soon it will happen, but the dollar... the dollar is vulnerable.

CdV: Right. Especially being that it's so tied in, since 1972, with the agreements with Saudi Arabia, to oil...

PA: Sure...

CdV: Oil basically is backing the dollar...

PA: Sure, sure...

CdV: ...and that's obviously a very volatile thing to be pegged to, for a currency. Um, some of the ideas in the book are quite radical, and perhaps would be frightening to the average American reader-- ideas such as the dissolution, or Balkanization of the United States into a number of independent republics. Are you concerned that readers might see your apparent approval of such events as anti-American, or unpatriotic, or even treasonous. Will our next interview be done through the bars of your Guantanamo cell?

PA: (laughs) Uh, people will undoubtedly see me as treasonous, and unpatriotic, and anti-American, and I'm prepared for that. People, along those same lines would see Jefferson-- if they really knew what Jefferson was about, and if... and I believe if Jefferson were alive today and saw what had become of his republic, would be... he,he would appalled. And I think that some of the things that he would say would cause these same people to call him unpatriotic.

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