Probably because people (or the way they think) haven't really changed that much over time... I read a little bit about the history of salt and how it shaped many of the methods used to tax the citizens and distribute wealth (unevenly) throughout history, from the Chinese to the British it was still a very similar scheme but comes in different guises.

Another very enjoyable post to read through, and I wonder if there is going to be any change in the mindset of people with the emergence of cryptocurrency as another 'new' force shaping the economy...