You have to look at the history of the Middle East in particular. It has been one of failure and frustration, of feudalism and tribalism.

I've never been nostalgic, personally or politically - if the past was so great, how come it's history?

If I didn't have a front-row seat on history, it was at least a seat on the aisle.

But we cannot rely on memorials and museums alone. We can tell ourselves we will never forget and we likely won't. But we need to make sure that we teach history to those who never had the opportunity to remember in the first place.

If history could teach us anything, it would be that private property is inextricably linked with civilization.