I believe programming will be some day a mandatory subject in schools. Not like everybody needs to be an expert but at least some basic knowledge of it.
And the ability to write
10 print "I am great" 20 goto 10
has led directly to the wide understanding of technology and the rational approach to science and computers we see today among both the general population and our political leaders.
But maybe that's just me. Not everybody had an older brother.
Or any pushed through with NCLB, to my knowledge.