The central theme of this book is the analysis of interactions in social systems. As a first (and perhaps easier) step we will study the consequences of a lack of interaction between social agents. For instance, what happens when there are no interactions between landowners and tenants, holding companies and employees, governments and subjects? These questions might seem fairly difficult, but fortunately we have a good starting point because we can rely on the results of a famous experiment performed by Stanley Milgram in the 1960s.

First of all, to introduce the issue of absentee ownership, we describe landownership in the Philippines and Japan as seen by General Douglas MacArthur.

Land reform in Japan under General MacArthur

After General MacArthur retook Luzon in March 1945, some of his officers suggested that he send a punitive expedition against the Huks who were waging a guerrilla war in Central Luzon to dispossess the landlords. He refused and justified his position in the following way (Manchester 1978, p. 420).