Modern City States

I recently read a book called 'The European Dream' by Jeremy Rifkin. A great book about the future of Europe.

One thing really caught my attention. We are moving to a very diverse system of organisation in Europe.

The national state as it developed since the early middle ages is firmly rooted in the important economic asset of land. What happens when capital and people are the central assets of an economy? I think states will lose their importance and people will start to group themselves in new functional units that better address their needs than one national state possibly could.

The two primary function of a state are to protect it's people from external forces (the old feudal function) and to provide law and order internally. I wonder if we can create a world that regulates these two functions without being dependent on 'nations'. United Nations, anyone? ;)

I am sure though that international business, increasing education and the communication possibilities the internet has created provide the opportunity to break from the old national state model...