But it's what we're evolving toward. People want empowerment at the local level. When they feel their lives are being run by others far away who can't identify with them, they retreat into regionalism and local identities to counter the dehumanizing effect, Knight said. To avoid being marginalized in traditional states, for example, communities are increasingly likely to seek smaller alternatives that are more familiar, convenient and accountable to them, a trend more important in larger or densely populated states. The possibilities range from Canada's Quebec to Iraq s Kurdistan.
Technology also facilitates fragmentation by opening more options for smaller nations.
It's like a circuit board. You can now move from one point to another without having to go through all the middle points. The world's going to be like that, which means the old ideas of hierarchy and hegemony will become obsolete, Cohen said. Nations of all sizes, shapes and manners will be able to reach out to other nations of all sizes, shapes and manners without having to ask for permission from larger powers or without having to go through intermediaries. Even the emergence of regional blocs encourages the creation of smaller states by offering similar economic, political or strategic protection as the original nation state.