THE first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, bethought himself of saying “This is mine”, and found people simple enough to believe him, was the real founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not anyone have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows, “Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.” Rousseau, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality FROM SHANGHAI, I took a train back to Hong Kong to prepare for my final trip; this time to South Korea. That train journey is one I’ll never forget. It was an overnight service. I was on one of the top bunks again in a compartment of six. Opposite was …[Read More]