ABSTRACT
But it does not dismiss critical arguments about fragility nor suggest that an investment-push episode implies a new path of long-term growth. In other words, focusing on the evolution of the economic structure as the ultimate driving force of growth does not deny the shortcomings of the “fabulous decade”. Even less, it means to associate “de facto” technology development with long-term prosperity and social justice. It might be, however, a key to problems of instability and others, such as an increasingly skewed income distribution, that are troublesome for long-term economic development. In sum: the notion of a long-term pattern of development centered on ICT or the reference to an Internet scenario of development (Gualerzi, 2001) imply neither technological optimism, nor economic growth and social advancement as necessary corollaries. In fact, they point out the difficulties arising after a few years of rapid expansion.
