Will, I think your points about the nationalism of the Internet are well taken to a point.
I was there when email was considered impossible because the American populace was too stupid to understand it. Then it wasn't.
When the Web was a crazy idea. Then it wasn't.
When secure shopping was deemed impossible and nobody would trust it. Then it wasn't.
When nations were commiting acts of agression through the Internet. Now they don't.
When "sanctions" were blocking harbors to ships, now its blocking digital access to money over the Internet.
The list goes on and on.
The nationalism has been there day one.
Remember the Internet was a military project by the USA government from the beginning, and still is.
Nothing got away from anybody except lack of education and consequent lack of civilized behavior.
Supposing the Internet will die is just exactly like supposing that cars or telephone or the pocket computers were just fads. Sorry. The Internet is your cell phone. And it is in your pocket. And I bet you do not want it to disappear. Just like Trump Tweets because he is married to it.
One major component not yet present on the Internet is one of the pillars of civilization that is still missing to protect privacy, security, and truth.
That said, Nationalism is a threat because it is slavery. And Trump, and other dictators, are slave masters. Only the most fortunate among us may be able cross nationalistic boundaries. But the Internet will not go away.
How else would Trump be able to stay in touch with Putin? Years ago, in China and Russia, party members would have two computers on the desks at work. One would be connected to the Internet allowed to their national population, the other would be connected to the world. This is still the case.
Continuing to believe it will not be the case in the USA because we are too good for it is just like believing children are immune to COVID-19, or 'my people' cannot catch it or won't be hurt by it. It is a lack of education. That one missing pillar of civilization on the Internet that educates because it lets the lies be exposed by anybody. Anybody can test their ideas about the truth the way we do in the physical world, in our nations.
