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The Political Struggle Over Technology
Walid Choucair Al-Hayat 2003/12/12
The World Summit on Information Society in Geneva is political par excellence, despite the topic: technology as a factor has become decisive nowadays in development. Indeed, the fact that the issue of finding financial sources and means to fill the "numerical gap" between the rich and poor countries was the leading controversial issue in the summit, the latter turned into a political summit that addressed all subsidiary subjects raised in our world today, including the conflict over using the logic of the mighty, militarily stronger because technologically superior. Didn't the U.S. opt for war, preemptive or defensive, just because modern technology provided it with a reduced cost of using smart weapons (or even dumb ones)!
The summit is political because the UN, whether in the person of Kofi Annan or through the World Electronic Media Forum that was held in parallel, where it tried to ring the alarm bell about the negative effects of the poor countries becoming poorer, (because of their inability to come to terms with the age of information), on global peace and stability. Many of these countries (and groups within some countries) are set to become the victims of historical changes, just like the victims of the changes that happened with the transition from the agricultural to industrial society in Europe in the early 19th century. It is a change that resulted in wars, with countries being erased from the map while others had their borders changed, and with entire peoples becoming slaves coupled with the emergence of new classes and privileges...
Following are a number of remarks made as examples, but not exclusive to the summit:
1- When the UN insisted, and especially the OAU, insisted on the need to for the international community to come together to help the poorer countries overcome their backwardness in information technology and communications, the U.S. merely expressed its indifference, and reduced its representation in the summit after Secretary of State Colin Powell was meant to attend it to the level of the U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy ambassador David Gross. The American delegation left it to Europe and Japan to reach a settlement with the Africans on the means to finance the process of filling up the numerical gap. Washington practices a unilateral policy with regards to technology, just as it did with the war against Iraq or in Palestine, because technology is the source of its superiority over all international groups.
2- The Arabs seemed less efficient compared to the African group in the "struggle" for an international participation in sharing the information, for the sake of an international informational society. A number of them merely repeated the reservations that limit the spread of information in their societies, fearing they would be forced to induce reforms that would bring more openness. The Arabs have the opportunity to participate in this battle without the same coyness or fear they have in their other struggles with the U.S., namely regarding Iraq, Palestine, or the issue of democracy.
3- The other facet of the struggle for participating in the information society and technology lies in the responsibility of the international community to provide stability and settle conflicts that represent obstacles to development… If the rich countries condition more openness, democracy and freedom, because this would lead to stability and peace (this is what Annan pointed to), then it is no coincidence that the country that has been demolishing stability in the Arab region and the Middle East is the one that boasts the most advanced information technology and communications. Including this dimension in the struggle for the sake of getting rid of the occupation should be an inherent part of the struggle for development, as much as it is the mission of openness and democracy. The clearest indication of this came through the words of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.
The Arabs have the opportunity to adjust their position as from this moment and until the final stage, which is expected to be the World Summit on the Information Society in 2005, in Tunis.
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