$100 laptop expected in late 2006

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Apparently cancer, HIV, and illiteracy have already been wiped out.

Sure laptops are cool. But lets face facts folks. Few starving people need a computer worse than food and clothing. Sure they could use the computer to generate some revenue, but that is a few (single digit to be sure) percent. This is reminicent to me of our impoverished (read welfare here) who need access to alcohol and the lottery. Sure a few will be "big winners," but the vast majority squander what would help them foolishly.

If we really want to help these people, we need to teach them language skills, working skills (read work ethic here, in smoe cases), and ethical responsibilities (read religion, I admit). They need life skills more than technological toys.

Look at America. Laptops in the schools have taught kids to text rather than talk, and type rather than write. They can find porn faster than they find a library book and can google, but not read a newspaper. Do we really think that the third world needs this kind of "advancement?"

If they give these $100-125 PCs to the poor, 80%+ will certainly be sold for things which are more important to real life (food, clothing, shelter,a nd probably sex, drugs, and booze too), some will collect dust or become time wasting toys that kids get fat and fight over. At best, 5% may actually improve a family's income and intellectual life.

Yes, I am a cynic and a pessimist, but on this I feel like a realist, having been there, done that and still do that all too much.

Posted by: lojack_skjeij   Posted on: 11/16/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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