I wrote: ". . . visitors from Europe and later Japan remarked on how communal Americans are, and how dependent they are on the government."
Quoting historian H. B. Parks: ". . . the individualism of the English was considerably modified [in late 18th century America]. The American farmer liked to do as he pleased; he was, in fact, bolder and quicker in action than his English ancestor, and more ready to resort to violence and to defy the forces of organized government in defense of what he regarded as his individual rights. But in the open spaces of America, where everyone had elbowroom, privacy was no longer a closely guarded possession. Pioneer conditions made men gregarious. In every farming community it was customary for neighbors to assist each other in clearing land and building a new house; and a generous and unsuspicious hospitality to friend and stranger alike became a part of the mores of the new society. The individualism of the farmer was never rugged. The growth of the co-operative impulses was not an unmixed advantage, however, since it was inevitably accompanied by greater pressure toward social conformity . . ." These qualities were remarked upon by Europeans and Japanese visitors, as I mentioned. I have a number of books written by the first Japanese to come to the U.S., in the 1860s and 70s (in both English and Japanese) which offer a unique perspective on this. Naturally, they were not suprised to find that poor Americans did as they are told and followed the laws, but they were astounded to see that rich people did not think of themselves as above the law, and were polite to others. The notion that a government official would be called a "public servant" and would be polite and helpful to members of the public was unthinkable in Japan then, and still has not sunk in today. As Robert Smith put it, "policemen represented the Emperor, and wore swords." (Actually, the term "public servant" was coined in the early 20th century, but no American at any time would hesitate to march in and demand something from a mayor or congressman, whereas the Japanese expected anyone who approached even a minor government official would first bow to the ground and grovel.) One thing that stuck in my mind was a statement by a Japanese government official visiting American circa 1870 warning his government not to defy the U.S. because: "these people care nothing for human life. They wage wars in which hundreds of thousands of people are mowed down like rice stalks . . ." I thought that was unreasonable and unlike us, until I remembered that he wrote it a few years after the Civil War killed 650,000 people. That was far the worst and most mechanized war in history, and it killed one of the largest fractions of the population on record. We really are like that! (I also thought 'it is shame the writer's grandson's generation forgot that, in 1941.') (In the Civil War, 1.6% of the Union population and 2.8% of the Confederate population was killed, compared to 0.3% in WWII.) As for communalism and taking care of your brother, for the past several days hundreds of unemployed homeless people have been gathering in a large park in Tokyo, where a group of lawyers, union officials and social do-gooders is giving them food and tents, and demanding government help with unemployment and welfare payments. This is so surprising and unusual, it has been featured on the 7:00 news. The government was forced to open up an abandoned school and another empty facility, but only until January 5. After that, the government apparently hopes these people fade back into invisibility. The lawyer spearheading the effort says things that would sound perfectly normal in the U.S., but sound radical in Japan. It is sort of an anti- mini-Katrina event. It is shocking the nation not because there are so many down-and-out people, but because someone has spoken up and is trying to help them. In my book, chapter 16, I describe similar events during the great pollution of the 1960s, which killed children in Yokkaichi and Minamata. The message from government and industry to the victims was: Too bad. It's your fault for breathing and eating. Shut up. Go away. The notion that society owes people help was written into the Japanese constitution by Americans (mainly by Beate Sirota Gordon, I expect). These provisions have not been a dead letter, but they still feel unnatural, and they make the news when someone insists that the government fulful its responsibilities. The Japanese constitution does guarantee universal public education and things like that, which have been scrupulously provided since 1946. Japan also has universal health care, which even the most conservative politicians refer to as "the crown jewel of our system of government." Changing that would unthinkable. - Jed
