Interdependency

The section on Japanese property law I thought was pretty interesting. It made mention to the Japanese government promoting and protecting its economy even when there is no type of malfunction or crisis within it. It seems they take away the idea of individual self-interest and try looking at the bigger picture of interconnectivity which inevitably makes an economy successful. In America, private enterprise seems to see people as a means to an end, rather than ends in themselves. This self-motivation and independence can not lead to success in the long run, for it is not sustainable. The clearest example of this can be seen in agriculture or more abstractly ecological principles. Monocultures are dependent on human fertilizers, mainly oil, to create a linear means of production in food. This ends up destroying more than it creates although it is a great way to make profit when energy is readily available. In non-idustrialized farming, resources are recycled because they replicate natural processes which are sustainable. This deals with interdependency, which Japanese government and law tries to emphasize in its practice. I feel America needs to start looking to these lessons of relying on the group rather than the individual in some respects.