Editor's Foreword
"The devil is in the detail," is a quote that echoes itself throughout the history of diplomacy and international affairs. It is therefore no wonder that the contemporary manifestation of "detail enhancement," information technology, represents a vital concern for the global community.
Never has a topic been as pertinent to the global network as information technology is today. The Stanford Journal of International Relations addresses this critical issue in this second publication: "The International Dimensions of Information Technology." Information technology manifests itself in many facets of international affairs. This publication highlights the many different tenets of global information technology. Drozdova and Goodman, from the Center for International Security and Cooperation, raise concerns regarding human rights abuses on the Internet. Bruce Lusignan, director of the Stanford Satellite Communication Center, asserts that communications expansion into rural regions represents a viable option with immense benefits for the earth's poorest billions. Wangechi Muthui and Patricia Gachiengo dilute the enthusiasm of internet development in the third world. Claribal Chan surveys the vast landscape of E-Commerce. Miles Townes focuses upon the vulnerabilities of the international information infrastructure. Erika Check uncovers the moral chasms in the establishment of Iceland's genetic database.
Furthermore, the focus interview for this issue provides a remarkable opportunity to look into the future of American foreign policy through the minds that are presently shaping these issues and will continue to do so in the next millenium. The formula for the interview is simple: Get one of the leading Democratic foreign policy figures, Coit Blacker; get one of the leading Republican foreign policy figures, Condoleezza Rice; present them with the exact same questions; and record their differing answers.
We hope that through these approaches the Stanford Journal of International Relations channels the energies of information technology enthusiasts here in Silicon Valley into a global medium where vital ideas regarding information technology can take root and foster effective policy prescriptions for the future.