Well I mean folks in the developing world now have mobile phones which is really changing the way things work. It doesn't immediately install a new government and raise everyone instantly out of poverty but it's likely a big improvement to quality of life.
I'm sure it's not all upside either. But I suspect that this is one case if trickle down actually working.
And eventually the Chinese will sell every person in the third world a dirt cheap electric mini car. Sounds like in some areas the technology solution is changing lives and improving the situation despite poor governance.
Everybody having a car (electric or otherwise) just creates new problems. Can we use technology to get governments to invest in fast and efficient public transportations and divest in car infrastructure? Is there technology that can do that?
Transit sacrifices speed for efficiency--long headways, meandering routes, sometimes cumbersome crowds, nothing for the last mile. To be fast, a system needs to arrive on demand and go point to point, which implies a lot of vehicles that don't need to be huge.
This same stupid idea came up at this years Chaos Communication Congress to thunderous applause. Its a very European mentality. The first government that imposes that people take the bus will be the first government that gets voted out in record time. The left wing activists cannot seem to internalize that many people generally like the car and want the freedom of personal transport. These groups are now paying for their disregard as left wing governments are starting to get booted out or are on the verge of getting booted out.
Interesting that you see giving people the choice of efficient public transportation is 'imposing' but building ever bigger freeways and interchanges is somehow not imposing a system on people.
I'm sure it's not all upside either. But I suspect that this is one case if trickle down actually working.