OK, well thanks hardcore for bringing a different perspective to the table.
I am aware that ill-thought-through, half-baked dogooders' ideas can cause much more harm than good which is why I welcome your input because if there is a critical flaw then better it be brought up sooner rather than later. So if you don't mind may I ask you to clarify your position here?
After waxing lyrical about the future in my last post I probably needed the reality-check provided by the grim tale in the link you provided. Paddy Ashdown, writing about his experience in Bosnia was convinced trying to introduce democracy and other wonderful, beneficial processes is futile until law and order is established. So if what you're saying with the link is that introducing bitcoins and bitcoin mining in areas where the beneficiaries are almost certain to be the abusers then I take your point. However, bare in mind too this is the Daily Mail we're talking about here where a significant proportion of the readership are those who would prefer to dismiss a whole continent as savages in order to justify sitting on their arses and doing nothing other than moan at the size of the UK international aid budget!*
That certain regions are prone to the unprotected successful being slammed back down by abuse is a fact that needs to be borne in mind. However for me that is no justification to stop thinking of ways that may help turn these places around - but that's just me.
Go do some voluntary work in a 3rd world country, so you better understand the problems.
I agree there is nothing like experience on the ground to get a proper perspective. But I don't either believe unless I'm prepared to drop everything in my life and go volunteer that I should shut up and do nothing. It is, admitedly only the once I went to Africa, the Khartoum experience - part of whcih I shared above, but it was enough to know the problems are very real and that they vary enormously over this vast continent. There are some common denominators but the differences mean that where a solution such as I'm proposing would fuel violence in some regions it might have a chance in others.
Another fucking stupid Idea with a total lack of thought.
An idea has to start somewhere. I am aware of my fallibility in not having considered all the factors involved. Hence my OP finishing with the request 'Thoughts?'. I didn't particularly solicit opinions but sure, 'fucking stupid idea' is better than no feedback
Thoughts?
* Incidentally one of the reasons I much favour private philanthropic projects over public aid - especially ones run by successful entrepreneurs such as Gates - is the increased odds of the money having the desired effect. Because without a good understanding and close scrutiny, the chances are pretty high that money from the well-meaning will end up wasted, skimmed off by aid organisations or worst of all - as we're talking about here - in the wrong hands thereby defeating the object.
