Dear friends,

There is a coolness in the air here in Minnesota, indicating that winter is on its way. However, only a week or two ago, we had an unusually warm period and some tornadoes in the region. Apparently, tornadoes have occurred in all parts of the United States and can occur at virtually any time of year, including the dead of winter, although June is their most active month in Minnesota.

A message from a colleague in Alaska indicates that they had two feet of snow during a late October weekend; so I'm satisfied with the lovely autumn day we have today, with its bright sunshine, gentle breeze, and temperatures in the fifties.

We've been swamped here, so some things on BraveNewWorkWorld are behind schedule. We have quite a lot planned, and we hope to get to it all before long. We continue to hear from our readers over much of the globe, and we appreciate your kind words and suggestions. Our intention is to make BNWW a much deeper, richer, more interesting, more useful service over the months ahead. We'll do that with the assistance of a growing number of contributors. We also have a number of activities in mind that will go beyond the web site itself.

NewWork News continues to attract attention in the United States and abroad. Many comment regularly that they enjoy being able to check in for a moment each day for a quick overview of what's happening in the new world of work; then, go directly to original stories in which they have special interest.

Some have suggested that NWN is a prototype for analytical "news filters" covering a variety of specialized fields of interest, made possible only on the Internet. Readers also indicate that they like our effort to put the news into context and give it perspective. Of course, while this process does make use of the remarkable new techologies, it cannot be automated. There must be real human editors and writers behind it. We do appreciate all of the kind words. However, we intend to strengthen NewWork News over the months ahead as well.

By the end of the year, our NewWork News archives will contain at least 3,000 headline stories chronicling the world of work throughout 1996, many with multiple links to press reports and other resources. We intend to accumulate these archives over the years ahead. We believe that they will become an important resource for researchers and others who will want to trace daily events relating to the new work world or locate particular stories or other references. For the moment, the archives are arranged by month, and you can use your browser's "find" command to search for material of interest. However, eventually, as the collections grow, we expect to provide more convenient and efficient means for searching them.

If you're a regular NWN reader, you know that a number of contemporary trends cut across national regions. Among these is the vigorous attempt to reduce government social spending. Historic change in the welfare system in the United States is a part of this, and an effort by many European countries to reduce public spending in order to qualify for the intended common European currency is another. Heavy government involvement in social welfare and budget deficits are not fashionable anymore, but the thing about political winds is that they change direction periodically.

You also know from our reports that the revolutionary new world economy is one in which the gaps between haves and have nots seem to be widening, not only within, but also across countries. In the United States, for instance, 20 percent of the population lives on approximately 1 percent of the income, and the gap between rich and poor has been growing for years.

The U.S. has the most uneven distribution of wealth and income in the industrialized world, but similar patterns are found in many places. In India, for instance, enormous numbers of people live in poverty, even though there is also a growing affluent middle-class containing as many as 150 million people that makes up one of the largest markets for advanced consumer products in the world. In several countries, traditional regional differences are becoming even more pronounced, and new regional gaps are developing, suggesting interesting political implications for the next century.

For instance, China, the world's most populous country, has had a high rate of economic growth in recent years, but there are huge differences in growth rates as well as living standards within the country. There is growing concern, apparently even within the Chinese Communist Party, that the nation may not be able withstand growing pressures and remain a centralized political entity. There's a lot more to politics than economics, but, as the world reorganizes economically at most levels, one might expect some political reorganization as well. Map makers, get ready to redraw some boundaries, again.

A related trend is the large-scale migration of people from the poorer to the relatively affluent areas in search of a better life, including massive illegal immigration in many regions. This is leading to growing resentment toward immigrants, both legal and illegal. Americans who read only the American papers might think this is a peculiarly American phenomenon centered in California; but one can find versions of it throughout much of Europe, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and other regions. It's important to keep the "big picture."

Over the past several months, we've also reported on what may be the most malignant aspect of the new economy--an apparent resurgence of slavery in its various forms. The press has been filled with reports of the increasing sexual exploitation of both women and children throughout much of the world, including large-scale trafficking organizations operating across international boundaries.

As the gap between rich and poor widens and population continues its explosive growth, life becomes increasingly cheap for many, suggesting a future that we might want to work now in order to avoid. The world had only about 1 billion persons in 1840. Expect more than 6 billion as we enter the 21st century in just over three years.

To put things into perspective, the world has accumulated more than five times as many people since about the time American President Abraham Lincoln was a young Illinois lawyer than it accumulated during all of human history up until about 1840. Incidentally, I saw Lincoln's hat the other day in the traveling Smithsonian exhibition, and it still looks pretty good. Reason: the time of Lincoln really isn't very long ago. My own grandfather was born only a few months after the Battle of Gettysburg. The changes going on right now really are explosive, friends, and people often get hurt in explosions.

There is also growing concern about whether there will be enough good jobs in the new economy. This is the question I was asked to address by Le Temps Stratégique, a major continental publication in Europe. My article, "Demain les emplois reviendront-ils?," appears in the special work-oriented October edition of the magazine. Le Temps Strategique is published in Geneva and distributed throughout French-speaking regions of Europe. Incidentally, part of my answer to the question is that it isn't entirely the right question.

I've also been asked to write a piece on new work issues for the next edition of a leading university textbook that is in wide use throughout the English-speaking world. The book should be available for adoption for next fall. I'm also involved in other projects that I'll tell you about later.


The Internet itself continues to be in the news a lot. Apparently, we can expect at least 100 million people on the net by 1998. The flood of people to the net will be facilitated by the growing number of simpler and less expensive devices providing access.

Approximately 30 percent of American households have personal computers, and PCs have achieved more modest levels of penetration in the industrial countries of Europe and Asia. However, the simpler, less expensive "network computers" are coming, as are ways of getting on the net through your television set and other devices, perhaps even including your telephone. Direct satellite connections are also coming, which will make the Internet more accessible in isolated regions. It will also make access more portable. Internet access is even available on some international flights. We believe that the Internet will leave little in the world unchanged, and we expect to be part of it.

Thanks for reading NewWork News each day and also for checking in on our other sections periodically. We enjoy hearing from you as well.

Gary G. Johnson
November 3, 1996

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