When we think about the growth of networking, and its potential for public policy participation, Elkins' forecast seem particularly precient. What he tries to do is outline the logic of these developments, and to explore some of their consequeces. We could have many more divided loyalties, much more international migration, far fewer marginalized minorities, and considerably less cultural isolation. What makes all of this possible is telecommunications. But contrary to the exaggerated expectations of some business consultants, none of this points to the demise of nation-states or national governments.
Governments serve the same kind of local political role as does user technology on the network.
The quality of reception of a World Wide Web page depends on local as well as global technology. The local computer's central processor, working memory, hard disk space, and video card, as well as the monitor's resolution and the browser software, all influence the quality of what appears on the screen. Analogously, politics implements social protocols and processes human behaviour for purposes of cooperation and coordination. What Elkins offers is not a prediction, just a forecast. But it does encourage us to explore our options.