After the first trans-Atlantic cable in 1868, Europe and America could communicate in a minute. In 1919, the economist John Maynard Keynes described the possibility of an Englishman in London using a telephone to order goods from around the world to be delivered to his house by the afternoon.
1868年第一条跨大西洋海地电缆铺通后，欧洲和美国可以在短短一分钟内进行交流。1919年，经济学家约翰·梅纳德·凯恩斯（John Maynard Keynes）描绘了住在伦敦的英国人用电话从世界各地定购商品，然后就在家里坐等下午接收。但凯恩斯的英国人属于腰缠万贯的特例。今天，全球成百上千万人可以在当地超市里买到来自世界各地的商品。