Alex Very interesting look at the situation, however i somehow beg to differ, As much as we in private sector do not like policy makers that much, when you look from the public sector angle and as a national citizen you get to realise why you need effective, logical, educated and reasonable policy makers who can create the balance that is definately missing in the mexico angle. If the market can generate that much wealth regulations/ policy should be in place to make sure that the benefits are equitably distributed. If the private sector and in this case Mr slim has the ability to generate that much revenue surely they should be proper policy to help him make even more but also to make sure that the wider public benefit. Your issue of wealth giving people power and ultimately having looneys in powerful positions with the ability to do havoc all over the world I think has already happened in some far away country we all know and look at the results. So that situation cannot be helped but ultimately the power rests with the people who empower the policy makers who then should govern or regulate the industrialists who ultimately support our economies through the taxes they pay and jobs they create. So bottom line it is all about educating the masses to make the right initial decision about who and how they should be Governed (the issue of governance). In most systems it boils down to 2 basic issues, the people and their knowledge. If we get that right, the rest will fall in place, if we get it wrong you will have the imbalances we have. If you think about it and now i bring in the ICT issues too, if we actively get involved in the global discussions on policy for example if Africa represents 14% of the worlds population but only 3% of it's internet users, I would have expected to see more interest from African states at the IGF, but that was not the case. If you ask me how we performed i would also say in the scheme of things not bad but on the report card i would say we failed miserably. So once again we are waiting for someone else to come speak for us a continent. so when you say I quote : "This is why I say, and stand to be corrected, "In the current situation ICTs cause more poverty than prosperity." " end of quote. Just a like a fast car if not controlled well it will hurt or even kill you, ICT's will get you to prosperity allot faster than traditional methods but if not well managed (governed) they will cause poverty. my slightly more than 3 cents or should i say shillings.