Few things are as deeply-rooted in human nature as the idea of property. One of the first words a child learns is “mine.” Our whole civilization is based on the right to have and hold property. The 18th century philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau argued that property is the source of all our inequalities, disputes and wars. A backyard fence or a national frontier arouse the same possessive feelings. This idea, though obviously wrong, laid the foundation for a whole alternative political tradition — Communism — that rejected the idea of property altogether. You may recall that this turned out to be the most unpopular program in the entire history of politics. We love our property, and our entire legal system is designed to protect it. Even the Communist Chinese are capitalists now, although they pretend not to be.