Even in practical terms, our lives are so interconnected that the idea of a totally autonomous self makes no sense. If you doubt this, consider how many people it takes for you to have shower. (No, this not a joke along the lines of, 'How many economists does it take to turn on a light bulb?') The answer is, in all probability, millions. When you add together all those who built the reservior, laid the pipes, designed and built your water heater, mined and smelted the metals that made the components, generated the electricity or supplied the gas, wood, or coal, designed and built the shower and the tub, laid the drains, and planned, built and operate the water treatment facility, you have already counted several hundred thousand. And thats before you include those who manage the rivers and canals, built the dams and weirs, and the legion of managers, planners and administrators who supervise the process. And what about who grew the rubber trees and produced the rubber for the washers...
You see, even taking a shower can involve several million people! And thats not counting the animals, insects, micro-organisms, fish and birds affected...
Man did not weave the web of life - he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
Chief Seattle, 1854
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