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Juan Enriquez on the Digital Divide

By Juan Enriquez

March 15, 2006 — CIO —

How many stars do you think will be in the U.S. flag in 50 years? It is said that CIOs operate in a cyberworld. But changes in technology, language and wealth can have a real effect on borders. So before you answer the question by saying "why, 50, of course," you may wish to recall that no U.S. president has been buried under the same flag he was born under.

We oft take stability and continuity for granted and thus can make major mistakes in both our personal and professional lives. Countries do the same, and time and again they fall apart. Countries rich and poor, Asian, African or European, Christian, Buddhist or Muslim continue to split. The United States—indeed the entire American continent—have, so far, been extraordinary outliers. But the hemisphere may not be immune to the threats of techno-balkanization.

Technology accelerates integration and fragmentation. It allows noncontiguous communities to connect with each other and flourish. The Internet and VoIP turbocharge your ability to communicate continuously with people no matter what their geography. Alliances and allegiances flourish. The smart become ever more mobile; they know who is doing what where globally, and how they can fit in. Technology can leave many a country and individual far behind.

Countries that do not develop and attract smart people can fall very quickly. But you can also grow countries out of nothing. After WWII and the Korean War, there was not a lot left standing in Taipei and Seoul; Singapore had an income per capita similar to that of Ghana. Today Taiwan, Korea and Singapore are leaders in education and technology. When most of us were in college, Ireland was not usually associated with words like hardworking, focused, high-tech and rich. Now, after attracting world-class companies and entrepreneurs to their country, Irish citizens have incomes that exceed those of their former colonizers in Britain. Given that change can occur so swiftly, one might want to consider the consequences as fewer Americans pursue careers in math, science and engineering. Ever more leading-edge science papers come from abroad. Within a few decades, perhaps 90 percent of the world’s scientists will live in Asia.

Flags, borders and anthems are myths; they last only as long as the next generation is willing to believe in and support what you today hold most dear. That is why flags have bred so promiscuously in the United Nations. When the organization was founded, there were 51 member states—today 191. Whether to untie is a daily debate in many countries today.

 

 

 

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