Toyota Owners Report Problems in Japan to No Avail - NYTimes.com

The article below, on Japan's (the gov't's, esp.) take on consumer safety, with the Toyota acceleration issue being the lens, reminds me of a conversation I had with some Germans several years ago in California. "What about food safety?," one asked. "Surely the government ensures that what we eat is safe!" "Uhm, no," I told her. "Actually, as far as I know, in the US, it's caveat emptor. If problems become evident, then the government may act. But with the exception of drugs dispensed under the procedures governing prescriptions, it's pretty much a purely voluntary effort on the part of the maker and distributor. And an obligation of the buyer to be aware." She was skeptical, and I may have been wrong in some details, like what is governed and subject to scrutiny; what is the responsibility of government. But this was during the Bush II years (dark times) and laissez faire in all things, along with the programmatic defunding and de-legitimization of government was at its peak.

The mood by those in power was that gov't. was only as good as it was not, and it's only legitimate function was defense of the people.

Toyota Owners Report Problems in Japan to No Avail - NYTimes.com