So, I tell students one thing that makes globalization possible is the Internet. It's basically a set of interconnected networks built on one standard that makes worldwide communiation possilbe. Well, where we're headed in China, that's not really the case. The chines block some sites.
Perhaps more importantly, maybe all networks really are in some sense local. If you're not in the same space, it's hard to share context. Over ten years ago, Robyn Dqwes exposed me to some research that demonstrated that all people needed to form a group was to share a physical space for a short duration of time.
On the Internet, even if sites are not blocked, you still have the issue of distance. The data pipe over the Pacific is only so wide. You can't get the same flow across it as you can from the guy down the hall.
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