Proximity isn’t about Geography

I’m continually amazed what our new technology can do.  Through podcasting and new media, I have made many new friends and Friends around the world.  I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to connect with people who have similar interests AND then get to know them.   I know this isn’t breaking news, but I think of how isolated some of our unique thinkers from our past must have felt.   Now with the new tools, we can gather, virtually, around a common interest.  This is changing the world.  National borders have less of a meaning.  Local clubs have less meaning.  Geographically local anything has less meaning.  With the internet, global is local.  People are clumping together around common interests rather than local interests.  This virtual clumping leads to a proximity that is tangible, but has nothing to do with geography.  Is this leading to a diminuation of geographical entities like national governments?  Will there be a power shift from geographical power to virtual proximal power?