the munchkin wrangler.

I have no doubt that the people behind the One Laptop Per Child program hae nothing but noble intentions, but if the program ever comes to fruition, I see a lot of trouble on the horizon.

Consider that $100 can be as much as a year's salary in the countries where those laptops are going to be distributed, and then try and anticipate the results of a program that puts such an expensive device in the hands of every child in that country.

What would happen in the United States, with our developed civil justice system and ample police presence, if a foreign organization gave a piece of hardware worth $30,000 to every needy minor in this country? Do you think their parents, neighbors, and neighborhood crooks would just smile and say, "Good for you"? Or do you think a significant number of those devices would end up getting stolen, traded, or sold in very short order, possibly resulting in injuries or deaths to many of the kids who didn't want to give up their new gizmo voluntarily?

I wish the world was just a big, happy place where nobody ever harmed anyone else, but human nature is what it is. Programs like this one are laudable in their scope and intent, but they completely fail to take that human nature into consideration. It's another example of folks setting themselves up for heartbreak by causing bad results with the best of intentions.

Posted by Marko at 11:02 AM |