INTERVIEW:
Question 1
How do you think the government and the institutions in the United States have contributed
to the development and the wide spread use of Internet and the new technologies?
Answer
I think the government has mostly contributed by opening up the marketplace. We
have allowed industries and for inventors and entrepreneurs to create a new technology, a
new economy, a new world where people want to use technology. It has mostly been because
of our regulatory efforts and not really because of any government-sponsored research or
anything of that sort. We also have tried to use these technologies to provide government
services better, connecting up schools, connecting up hospitals, connecting libraries,
buying things that the government needs from people using technology. Those have been the
spurs. But the real spur has been the creativity and the energy of entrepreneurs and
inventors.
Question 2
Has the growth of institutional sites in the United States engendered a greater interest
on the part of people in politics?
Answer
Absolutely. I think every politician in America has been photographed with a child on his
or her lap at a school with a computer. I think they are also looking at what has been
happening in hospitals; they also have a lot more opportunity to interact with their
constituents because of this technology. But I also think that job creation, wealth
creation, the energy of this wonderful new environment has also sparked the attention of
members of Congress and members of the administration. This revolution is about 10 years
old but it really took off with the election of Bill Clinton and Al Gore who love and
understand this technology. I think that their experiences have very much been replicated
across the political spectrum, and more and more members understand how important this is
to America and to the world.
Question 3
Do think in the US there is any social discrimination due to income levels or
ethnicity among network users, and if so, how do you think this can be avoided?
Answer
I don't know if I would say there has been discrimination but there are
disparities. In the United States, if you are poor, or older, or live in a rural
community, or are black or Hispanic, you are less likely to have access to these
technologies, and that is something that the government has been working to change. The
jobs of the future, the opportunities of the future are going to be technology-based.
Right now, there is about a 2:1 likelihood that if you are black or Hispanic that you will
not be on the Internet, as compared to white Americans. And we are beginning to try to
find ways to solve that. For example, we are putting technology in communities, community
access centers and libraries, community centers, in some cases churches are building these
centers, so that the people who cannot afford technology at home can walk or take a short
car ride to where there is the technology. We are also introducing more and more
technology in the school, so that no matter what your income level is, your child will
have the competence and the understanding in these areas. These are some of the things we
can do, but we know we need to do more and we are trying to find ways to do more.
Question 4
What kinds of computer literacy programs have been advocated in the United States in order
to reach a greater number of people?
Answer
The most important computer literacy programs are obviously the ones in the schools. But
we are also trying to do adult literacy programs and make sure that college students
graduate with a competency. Most of that is going to be done at the local level, not at
the federal level. The one thing we have done at the federal level is what we call the
"e-rate", a subsidized rate ensuring that schools in the United States have
access to the technology at affordable, discounted rates. We don't want students not to be
able to use the Internet because their school system cannot afford to connect them and
allow them to research on line. The e-rate has been very successful. It is one of the
linchpins of the president's telecommunications and educational policy initiatives. The
president has also tried to work to make sure that there are computers in schools, schools
are connected to the Internet, that teachers are trained and competent to train their
students. And we try to make sure there is an incentive for educational content to be
created. We think that if we do those four things: computers, conduit, content and
training, we will make sure that our students are ready for the challenge of the 21st
century.
Question 5
Do you think it is possible to export the American way of using the Internet to Europe?
Answer
It would be possible but it may not be the right solution. Even within the United States
we know that there is a different solution in New Mexico than in New York. Maine does not
have the same issues as California. Therefore I think it would be arrogant of us to think
that we need to export our methods here. I think we should communicate our successes, so
that Italy and Europe can make their own decisions. We have been the most successful
nation in exploiting this technology, using it for economic and for social gain. But the
economy here, the culture here, the regulatory framework is very different. And we need to
make sure that the technology is robust and flexible and is used by the people in that
market the way the people want it to be used and not to impose American values and the
American system on other parts of the world. We do want to share the joy and successes,
because we think there are things that can be learned and then adapted to the particular
situation.
Question 6
What objectives have been set for the Internet in the future?
Answer
The major objectives are to make it a democratizing institution, to use it to connect
every American and eventually every person on this globe. We understand that millions of
jobs and billions of dollars of wealth are going to be created. We understand that it is
the most fantastic educational tool ever invented. It will allow millions of people to
hear the Papal mass on Easter Sunday. It will allow millions of people to visit Rome,
without every having to get on a plane or a train or a bus. It will allow people to
understand more about America. We think that if we can connect people, if we are right
that one billion people will be connected to the Internet in the next year, it will make
all of us across the globe more aware of each other, more understanding of each other,
more tolerant of each other, and maybe make life a little better for everyone.
Question 7
We know that e-commerce is growing constantly and steadily in the United States. Could you
tell us what the pros and cons of this are?
Answer
The pros are that we are creating wealth, creating jobs. We are the only nation that has
really not had a significant problem during this recessionary global period. The cons are
that there are people who have jobs that are changing. Any revolution creates a period of
uncertainty. The reality is that there are people who are unprepared and we as a
government, as a people, have got to get people prepared and give them the training and
the opportunity to be prepared. Not everyone in America is technologically literate today
and we understand the dislocation and sense of loss that they feel. But on the whole this
revolution has benefited America and we believe it will benefit the rest of the world. I
don't think there are that many cons when you look at the long-term future. I think there
are some short-term dislocations we have to get through, but when you look at the economic
miracles that have happened and the technological miracle that we all take for granted
today, I think it's been mostly successful and I'm proud that I'm part of the
administration that brought it to the American people and is helping to export it to the
world.
Question 8
What measures have been taken by American institutions in the attempt to prevent the
threat created by the millennium bug?
Answer
We are doing as much as possible to inform companies that they need to do extreme research
to make sure that the millennium bug, the so-called Y2K problem, does not cause major
problems across our economy. We have asked energy companies, banks, insurance companies
and transportation companies to make sure that they are doing all of their due diligence.
Small businesses both in Europe and in the United States need to do more. They not only
need to make sure that their systems work, they need to make sure that the systems of the
people they do business with are working, because the reality is that this chain will only
be as strong as its weakest link. And if you do business in a global economy and your
country has taken care of Y2K, but the country you trade with has not taken care of Y2K,
or if you're a company and you solve your Y2K problems but the people you do business with
don't solve their problems, you're going to have a significant problem on January 1st. We
want to avoid that. Education and careful, steady research into computer codes is going to
be necessary to avoid that problem.
Question 9
What differences have you noticed in the course of your frequent visits to Italy between
Italian legislation and American legislation, especially with regard to new technologies?
Answer
One of the things I have noticed is that with regard to regulatory approaches, the United
States is a common law system. And under our system, our companies feel that if the law
doesn't say no, it means yes, and they can go ahead and do what they want to. In Italy and
in Europe there is a civil law tradition. And under that tradition, if the law does not
expressly permit it, it is prohibited. So you have a situation where companies cannot take
the initiative to do things until legislation has been enacted. I am not saying one is
right and the other is wrong, but clearly there is more of an opportunity for risk-taking
and for entrepreneurial activities in a system where you don't have to go and get
regulatory approval. We in the United States need to work within the framework, within the
culture, of our trading partners and our allies and try to figure out a way that we can
work together for the common good of both nations.
|
 |
