If we provided these areas with internet access too via satellite or balloon, you would likely have a whole legion of educated young people fixing problems from within their own society, rather than an outside force mostly wreaking havoc despite its intentions. I don't know if the average American would scoff at the idea, but I am dead sure that it would turn out better for everyone than the path we took.

Don't forget a reliable power grid. The scope just grows and grows... there are no easy solutions to poverty.

Drop some generators then too! I live in Cambodia, and spend a lot of time out in the provinces where everyone meets up daily to charge their phones and other electronic devices around the single generator in a village.

And need I mention that massive bombing campaigns don't exactly facilitate having a reliable power grid.

Everything I'm saying would cost peanuts compared to what the US spends on weapons and war.

I think you're responding to a comment that advocates US foreign policy... I haven't ever made one.

I'm just saying that Facebook and Google can't throw some balloons and gliders in the sky supplying Internet access and call it a day. There are many more barriers to increasing the penetration of technology in the third world.

I also have a hard time believing that the former Cambodian regime would have allowed generators and other supplies from the US to be used by the populace.

> I live in Cambodia, and spend a lot of time out in the provinces where everyone meets up daily to charge their phones and other electronic devices around the single generator in a village.

I would love to read a blog post about this. Do people charge, who maintains the generator, is there any solar, what else do people need, what else do people want?