Virtual States: The Internet and the Boundaries of the Nation State (Technology and the Global Political Economy)

Virtual States explores the role of the state in a rapidly globalizing, wired society. It presents a theoretical and historical introduction to the internet, its place in both the developed and the developing world, and its impact on society. Although the internet brings out new disparities--between the information rich and the information poor--it also has the potential to break down the boundaries of national identity. Jerry Everard argues that while information technology poses fundamental challenges to the inclusionary/exclusionary processes of state-making, this will not mean the decline but rather the mutation of the state. Everard goes on to look at the different ways in which states react to the wired society, covering issues such as war, censorship and the reactions of those excluded from this society.

Analyses the role of the state in a globalising wired society, controversially arguing that a wired society will not mean the end of the nation state as we know it. Addresses issues of real contemporary concern such as Internet censorship.

Booknews

Will the power of the Internet to cross borders lead to the eventual dissolution of nations as we now know them? This book looks ahead, not as a Luddite fearing progress, but in an attempt to lay out a framework for planning that incorporates the benefits and limitations of the technology. It discusses the rise of virtual states, and reflects on the effect of their history as revealed in their present states. Other sections address the unwired states of the developing world, and the increasingly rising costs (both in developed and developing nations) of being poor, not in money, but in information, and finally a discussion on the broader concerns of the Internet and society. Nations may become more vague; this book is about what will replace them. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Virtual States explores the role of the state in a rapidly globalizing, wired society. It presents a theoretical and historical introduction to the internet, it place in both the developed and the developing world, and its impact on society.Although the internet brings out new disparities -- between the information rich and the information poor -- it also has the potential to break down the boundaries of national identity. Jerry Everard argues that while information technology poses fundamental challenges to the inclusionary/exclusionary processes of state-making, this will not mean the decline but rather the mutation of the state. Everard goes on to look at the different ways in which states react to the wired society, covering issues such as war, censorship and the reactions of those excluded from this society. Virtual States analyses the role of the state in a globalising, wired society controversially arguing that a wired society will not, as some commentators claim, mean the end of the nation state as we know it. The book begins by giving a brief history of the Internet and goes on to address issues of real contemporary concern such as Internet censorship. Within this context, Everard argues that while information technology poses fundamental challenges to the basic processes of state-making, this will not mean the decline but rather the mutation of the state. Everard goes on to look at the different ways in which states react to the wired society in the developing and developed worlds and the impact of these reactions on those excluded from this society. [publisher] Preliminaries......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Series editor's preface......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 13 Acronyms......Page 14 Introduction......Page 18 1 W(h)ither the state?......Page 22 2 internet@www.history.edu......Page 30 3 Hungry, thirsty and wired......Page 46 4 Sovereignty, boundary making and the Net......Page 63 Culture and the Other on the Internet......Page 76 6 Process: the key to the Cyborg......Page 90 7 economy@internet.com......Page 101 8 The @ of war......Page 116 9 Virtually real/really virtual......Page 140 10 Internet censorship: US, Europe and Australia......Page 154 11 alt.cyberspace.binaries.philosophy......Page 170 Bibliography......Page 181 Index......Page 189 Pt. 1. Virtual States : Theory And Practice. W(h)ither The State? -- Internet@www.history.edu -- Pt. 2. The Developing World. Hungry, Thirsty And Wired -- Sovereignty, Boundary Making And The Net -- Culture And The Other On The Internet -- Pt. 3. The Developed World. Process : The Key To The Cyborg -- Economy@internet.com -- The @ Of War -- Pt. 4. Internet And Society. Virtually Real/really Virtual -- Internet Censorship : Us, Europe And Australia -- Alt.cyberspace.binaries.philosophy. Jerry Everard. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [162]-169) And Index. First published in 2000. Virtual States challenge the idea that the nation state is dead. In all the hype about the Internet, little thought has been given to the systematic inequalities being brought about by globalisation, and exacerbated by the global spread of the Internet. Jerry Everard argues that new disparities are emerging between the information'haves'ad the information'have-nots': between wealthy and poor states; and between the wealthy and poor in wealthy states. Virtual States systematically addresses these inequalities. This text analyses the role of the state in a globalising, wired society. The author argues that while information technology poses fundamental challenges to the state, this will mean not the decline but rather the mutation of the state Viewed from almost any perspective the world appears to be shrinking rapidly.