I agree that ownership is, and long has been, usurped from the orignial owner by a more powerful new owner. This just demonstrates that all societies greatly value assets and want to own or control them. Most of man's early wars between large tribes (quasi-nations) were over the control of salt deposits (well before the Greek era).We live in the internet age Billy. Ownership is fast becoming a thing of the past. Besides, Americans are the last people in the world to beat their chests about ownership, since they do not respect the sovereignty of any peoples. Witness the erasure of thousand year old grave sites for yet another Sam's club. Or the tanks over the thousand year streets of Babylon. The value of any "property" is only in the eyes of the owner. What would the value be if no one else recognised it?
Do you disagree?
No the value of a asset would not disappear if no one owned it. A salt deposit was valuable in and of its self. Worth killing others for control of how it was to be exploited (I.e. for ownership of it.)
OWNERSHIP (or asset control) is FUNDAMENTAL TO ALL SOCIETIES, even the most primative tribal groups as I illustrated in prior post.