Lest this be seen as a peculiarly Marxist notion, recall that the English political philosopher John Locke wrote in 1689: “The great and chief end of Men’s uniting into Commonwealths and putting themselves under Government, is the Preservation of their Property.” And Adam Smith wrote in 1776: “The necessity of civil government grows up with the acquisition of valuable property.” And “till there be property there can be no government, the very end of which is to secure wealth, and to defend the rich from the poor.” It should be remembered that, from ancient Athens to the present day, the historic purpose of democratic government has been just the reverse, to protect the poor from the rich.