arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Today, September 13th, 2001, I come home from work around 4:00 pm (GMT+2 Belgium).
I put on the TV for CNN and I see a LIFE-speech of George W. Bush SENIOR (the Father of the President) speaking to a congress of Oil-Bosses...

In a quiet and lucid way (very entertaining) he tells that about 36 years ago, he was also "in the Oil Business" and he tells that's why he feels like his public (the current Oil Bosses) (sic :-)

Then he continues, telling as a grand father, literally saying, quiet and relaxed:
"I am concerned about the world of my grand children and your children" …
(He is acting as a real grand father and is speaking very personally).

AND THEN, IT COMES, enclosed in a real grandfather story, even nice to listen:

"As a former VN Ambassador, I was in China. We had a biking ride with some friends, starting from our hotel. Suddenly, a young hotel boy joined us and said: Mr. Bush, you should sit down. I said: young man, you see I'm already sitting … on my bicycle, tell whatever you have to say. The hotel boy then told to me I should return to my hotel for an urgent message. Arrived there, the message was that I had to return to the US for a meeting with a head of a Security Agency.

So I learned the real necessities of Secret Services. Because, as a President or an Ambassador, you need Intelligence. But you don't know HOW it is gathered. There was the place where it was told to me. They told me that, even with the best technological means, the human resources are the most important ones. But these human resources were drying up, because public opinion and the media, due to some facts, which happened at that time, criticized the Secret Services.

It is human and understandable that it's difficult to find coöperants, if the Press comes up with names. Then it's difficult to go to work inside some organizations, to handle yourself there as a traitor, pretending you do it for the money … or the women (little laugh), while you are defending your country … This is not happy working, you should understand this."

(Then he continues about the same, the money to work for, the women –laugh in the room-, and that's really not pleasant, but necessary, to work in this way).

Then, the first, firm conclusion arrives:

"Our Secret Services should have more space to handle and should have less look-insiders, because this limit their actions to search for human resources, who like to cooperate with them."

Afterwards, he's grandfather story continues, handling about the INTERNET. My ears were to full attention, because it handles about my personal and professional way of living, close to my hart and mind. I like to continue this story, because it is likely that it will not appear on the press in my Belgium-Country. It was LIFE on CNN and I tell you this from my audio memory. I regret I didn't tape this speech, but you can be sure about the accuracy of my script of Mr. Bush Sr.'s words, because my attention was too high for this to be wrong.

"And then, he told, there is another problem: the INTERNET. You know that the possibilities are enormous and you should know it better than myself."

(Short pause, because the listeners should consider that he, as a grand father, being no specialist, and his public could be, is gaining attention now.)

"The INTERNET is no longer controllable. There are too many information streams going on, on the NET. It's an ideal medium therefore … for terrorists. Shouldn't we think about measures to limit this? I know, this will not be popular, but after what happened, we should reconsider this."

On that moment, the sound gets off. Mr. Bush Sr. disappears on a small left corner, without sound. On the right, there is appearing in a bigger square the arrival of Bush Jr., the son, with a suite of presidential cars, stopping on a Washington hospital for a visit. The CNN-lady tells us to stop the sound from the father to go on with the attention for the son, arriving at the hospital visit. Suddenly, it goes to another reporter in NYC and Mr. Bush Sr. no longer appears to the screen.

This is even more to be afraid of: the secret services should have more space to handle and should have less control AND the Internet should have less freedom and more control ! I appreciate your meanings about this.

A concerned Professor on ICT, 50 years old, involved with students and ICT for 24 years.