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The hidden anti-capitalist history of Monopoly
The popular board game has surprising socialist origins, says JAMES MATHER
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CHARLEY ALLAN reports from Clacton on Farage’s fears his by-election stunt has backfired
MANY of our Christmas traditions have unusual roots, but perhaps the most surprising are those of the board game Monopoly, which you may find yourself playing over the holidays.
Monopoly is the perfect symbol of capitalism — to the extent that the game was banned in East Germany until after the fall of the Berlin Wall, after which Monopoly championships were held in Berlin.
Hasbro, the brand’s owners, will tell you that Charles Darrow invented the game during the Great Depression, single-handedly creating what he called a “real estate trading game” with property names taken from Atlantic City.
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