In seven years, nearly half the workers in America will be employed by industries that either are producers or intensive users of information technology, Vice President Al Gore said yesterday. During a campaign through Colorado, the vice president released a report from the Commerce Department that said new digital technologies are changing the way Americans work, live, communicate and play.

During his speech, Gore also announced that the United States will become a partner with 10 developing countries for an initiative called “Internet for Economic Development.” The initiative is designed to increase Internet access and use throughout the world.

While Gore says that he wants to help developing countries with Internet access, he wants to punish them for manufacturing AIDS drugs. Gore is threatening trade sanctions against South Africa and other African nations that manufacture generic AIDS drugs at a fraction of their cost in the U.S. Gore, who has angered members of the AIDS activist community, has ties to the pharmaceutical industry, and has key drug industry people in his inner circle.

Guests:

• Rob Weissman, author of ??Corporate Predators. Co-director of Essential Action, Ralph Nader’s corporate accountability group.
• Eric Sawyer, long-time AIDS survivor, co-founder ACT-Up New York.

Related link:

• Consumer Project on Technology
• Public Citizen Global Trade Watch

??
??
??
????
??