So the debate I've been having since the drive home yesterday is truly what defines a third world nation/developing nation? What makes one nation inferior to those that surround it and warrants aid from others? There are technical definitions from what I can see online and what I have learned in class, everything from GDP to high birth rates, political freedom, freedom of information within the country and those that have not adopted to capitalism. Irony of all ironies that capitalism is viewed as a developed political theory...I feel capitalism is as developed as basic human instinct of only the strongest survive. So why based on those criteria would Haiti be viewed as a third world nation while the US viewed as a first world? Because the US is the so called hegemonic power, because cell phones run our lives and our dollar dictates the market system? With the emergence of the European Union that includes nations of all divides (1st through 3rd) as a leading hegemonic entity one that allows for sustainability of multiple countries, I beg to think that the US might lose it's almighty ranking.

In general I feel truly the only thing separating these developing nations from us is access to information. The US was founded on the ideas of freedom, liberty and happiness although most Americans make it through their day on a Soma holiday at best, thank you Huxley for that beautiful comparison. We built ourselves up not from sheer American ingenuity but rather exploiting those with this ingenuity around us and passing the information onto others within our nation. No longer are we a nation that is innovative and on the bleeding edge of technology, but one that is reactive to the market and our consumerism. Our only noticable difference over these developing nations is our access to this information that we use and sell at high prices (of course dictated by our dollar).

I would care to argue that if the Haitians had as much access to information even if they had the ability to google freely over here via non privatized ISP lines (that are ridiculously expensive) they could build a stronger nation. The problem currently for them is start up capital, it's not lack of intelligence, it's not lack of diligence, but rather sheer lack of luck. They have been struck down by mother nature's plights, but I can understand their desire to stay on their land, to try to make due with the world they inherited. Most of the income for their country is sent back out to the others that provide their current infrastructure (their telephone lines are Dutch as well as their ISPs), their textile industry destroyed by the goodwill of the US (i.e. see dropping off unwanted crap from the US on other nations) and their only true industries within the nation are limited and constantly rebuilding or changing as another capitalism giant steps in to "assist the natives". If you want to really help, have them rebuild their infrastructure, make a partner of this nation, provide inflow of money rather than just outflow, teach the people how they can grow, how they can sustain their own culture within their world using their resources. Use the access of information and best practices to help them, not hinder them, let's not keep them in a setting that goes against their resilience as a people, but rather use that dynamic energy to create a nation that be equal and be a competitor?

So where does your allegiance lay? With your pockets or with the survival of humanity? Many wonder why I am here in this nation...I do IT for a living, yes as my sister enjoys saying I am geek squad to the pope, but providing access to this information is where my allegiance lays. How can I build bigger and better systems, how can I automate processes that would take days/weeks/months to complete so that their resources can better be deployed in a different manner, and here alone is where I introduce the concept of ICT4D. The idea that technology can help sustain and aid those in developing nations by giving them access to the same knowledge and information that others have been passing for years.