Managing Nano-Bio-Info-Cogno Innovations - World Technology ...

Converging Technologies for Human Progress 321
Decision Maker, their representative who actually votes on new legislation.
Thus, a cap is needed on the number of supporters a Decision Maker can
have – say, 200 – as long as there is a minimum of supporters – say, 100
(Tonn, 1996).
In the end, after all this analysis, it may seem that it is not worthwhile to
allow non-spatially defined states because there are no affinities strong
enough or defensible enough to abandon geographical boundaries that force
people to live together. Extensive analysis of allowing affinities to drive the
creation of states may lead to a nihilistic conclusion that it is impossible to
judge where the line ought to be drawn between acceptable and unacceptable
affinities around which to create states. It may even be concluded that no
affinities are completely justifiable because there are no ethically justifiable
ways to argue that people are so different from each other that they ought to
be allowed to form a state together. In any case, it can be argued that the
existence of information technology and its potential to allow NSG will
sooner or later prompt a more fundamental assessment of key political and
governance concepts.
In my own opinion, in the future we may see a matrix organization of
states. On the ground, areas may be demarcated by environmental criteria,
such as by watersheds or major ecosystems. People living in these areas will
be citizens of these areas and will participate in decisions to protect and
maintain these areas. In addition, people will also belong to their “affinity”
states, which will provide their social services and govern their behaviors.
The environmental areas will be attractive because there are real, tangible
principles involved in their demarcation. The environment is also an issue
that transcends individual preferences for affiliation. This will help overcome
a total void in having any principles to organize people in any fashion. In
addition, the environmental theme underlies, to a large extent, the potential
economic system changes mentioned above, especially the goal of selfsufficiency
in a sustainable framework. In any case, it can be argued that the
existence of IT and its potential to allow NSG will sooner or later prompt a
more fundamental assessment of key political and governance concepts.
Of course, these same sorts of issues arise at the level of nation states.
However, consideration of NSG at the nation–state level seems to be more
important, if only because people are dying every day because of their
inability to live within the same borders with other people. In addition, at first
glance, bonds tying people together appear to be stronger at a nation–state
level than at the level of a state or province. Bonds can relate to ancient tribal
affiliations, language, culture, and historical occupation of “special lands.” In
many instances, national borders have not been set by natural geographic
features but, instead, have been created by colonial powers that ignored onthe-ground
situations. Still, the big question remains: What criteria ought to
be used to justify the creation of a new, non-spatial nation? If the Middle East