Provincial Reconstruction

Provincial Reconstruction Teams are fanning out across Iraq to bring the next phase of progress and healing to that country. These groups of soldiers and DOD civilians are the elite forces most needed now to stake down the gains that have been made. Their weapons? Things like chickens, construction tools and now computers.

This girls's school in Haditha is being outfitted with computers and internet service that will allow its students to interact with the world beyond their village. This is a much bigger deal than just giving some kids the ability to search wikipedia for their school projects. Here's why.

It's been said that the firearm is a great equalizer among men. That is, a puny guy with a gun is just as deadly as a burly one. The internet is an equalizer, too. Just look at what's happening in India with companies like getfriday.com, where you can hire a "virtual" secretary or personal assistant for a few dollars an hour and save the hassle of tax paperwork and such. On their end, a savvy young person in Bangalore who speaks English can effectively "work" in the United States without bothering with immigration issues, living very comfortably on the economy in their hometown. This is the magic of geo-arbitrage, and it's sweeping the planet.

What does that mean for these girls in Haditha? It means that some day, one of them might be on the other end of the line when you call customer service for your broken washing machine. That may or may not be desirable on our end, but it's going to happen whether we like it or not.

So next time someone tells you that what's happening in Iraq has nothing to do with what's happening in this country, remember the Haditha girl's school. It's a brave new world, no?

-- Chuck Holton

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Live Fire with Chuck Holton