ABSTRACT
Themodemindustrialistassumptionthatindividualpropertyrightstolandpromoteeconomic
developmentisnowwidelydispersed,notleastduetoWorldBankpressureondeveloping
countries.Thecapitalistideologythat,especiallysince1989,hasdominatedtheglobal
economy,isbasedonthepremiseoftheexistenceofdirectrelationshipsbetweenmenand
things,forwhichtheexistenceofthenotionofindividual,butimpersonal,property
relationshipsisfundamental.YetinthePacific,likeelsewhereinSoutheastAsiaandin
Africa,conditionslikethosedescribedbyBohannanaremoreappropriate:'Themost
importantfeatureoftheWesternsystemisthatitassumesthatrightsofpeopletospaceandto
exploittheenvironmenthaveautomaticallyastheircounterparts,rightsinland.Thuswe
assumethatforeveryman-manunitwithaspatialdimensionorarighttoexploitationthere
automaticallygoesaman-thingunit...thisispreciselynotthecaseinAfrica'(Bohannan 1963:103).
