The German philosopher Georg Hegel once said, “The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.” That was a pessimistic way of looking at things. But then again, I did mention that Hegel was German. Well, I am German too. But I also carry a New Zealand passport. And as it happens, I believe, possibly optimistically, that history can teach us a lot. If we all knew just a bit more history, the world would be a much better place. As another great philosopher said: “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself.” That was Marx, by the way. Well, not Karl Marx – Groucho Marx.
So let’s have a quick history lesson and see if we can learn something.
