Arrogance or Ignorance?

Dan Gillmor points out a newspaper interview with SBC’s chairman Ed Whitacre.

Dan says, among other things, the following: “Is there a more arrogant corporate chief in American [sic] than SBC Communication’s Ed Whitacre? ”

I don’t know, reading the article I was more struck by the man’s (Whitacre’s) ignorance.

He’s commenting on the February 2003 changes to the Telecommunications Act of 1996 — the most important telecommuncations actions since the 1996 act. And Whitacre is the head of the one of the three monster telecom companies (along with Verizon and one other – I’m not certain) — and SBC is probably the biggest.

Whitace’s response to a reporter’s question about the February changes?

The [San Francisco] Chronicle: What’s your impression of last month’s FCC ruling?

Whitacre: It’s terrible. I haven’t seen the order yet. Everything I’ve seen is based on a two-page summary.

He’s the head of the largest telecommunications company in the country and he has not read the order yet? He bases everything on a two-page summary? Agreed, he’s a busy guy, but come on….

And at the same time he spouts that the order is “terrible” he admits he has not read it.

Not exactly a creditable response, to me.