I guess you can't really ignore 911, but we already have China, or the Sino Nipponese power bloc active, powerful, and pursuing its own agenda with ETs, more specifically, the Zoyone hive...I think the Internet free world of UNE earth is a neccessity given, if nothing else, the Runaway. Besides, the lack of the internet might illustrate the sheer gravity of the LOS threat to the wired youngsters of today. And, who knows, the military need for computer security vs the public and corporate desire for freedom and ease of commerce, respectively is not without post 911 parallels...