At a micro level, however, the envy and jealousy created by inequity can have different manifestations.

As Guardian columnist George Monbiot explains, a fundamental aspect of humanity includes “the urge to destroy that from which you feel excluded.”

This urge, the statistics tell us, is the cause of much crime. Cases of vandalism, arson, assault and even murder can appear to be senseless but, as Monbiot explains, marginalisation and insecurity are often the trigger for these crimes.

“At the root of some of these explanations, I feel, is something deeply embedded in the human psyche: if you can’t get even, get mean.”

In Papua New Guinea, if you have ever been the victim of raskols, you will understand what Monbiot is saying.

It would seem that mitigating inequity in society would be a logical panacea against such crimes and antisocial behaviour.

That is, until you dig a little deeper.

Prior to its colonisation the numerous tribal groups in Papua New Guinea were largely egalitarian with everyone, more or less, having equal rights.

Colonisation, however, introduced a stark contrast to this system in the form of the colonisers’ material wealth and power.

Observers quickly noted the rapid abandonment of traditional material culture by the local people and the take up of European goods in their place.

Who would want to keep an old stone axe when a vastly more efficient steel axe could be had in its place?

Who would cook food in a fragile earthenware pot or bamboo tube when a long lasting metal pot was available?

And thus the culture of advanced capitalism was introduced to Papua New Guinea. If you wanted those wonderful new things you had to earn money or trade goods to acquire them.

As I recall, selling priceless old stone axes and other artefacts to tourists and casual collectors for a pittance was common prior to independence. Sell grandad’s old adze and buy a shiny new steel one was the go.

And of course, with this new culture came the concept of inequity and the envy and jealousies entailed between those who could acquire this new material wealth and those who could not.

Thus, the rich and poor and the haves and have nots were created in Papua New Guinea where such distinctions had never existed before.

That is, the colonised, to all intents and purposes, became just like the colonisers.

What happened in PNG is exactly what happened in just about all the countries of the world that adopted capitalism.

The most savage form of capitalism was developed in the USA. American novelist, Kurt Vonnegut, explained how it works in his 1969 novel Slaughterhouse-Five.

“America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves. To quote the American humourist Kin Hubbard, 'It ain’t no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be.”

“….. Americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue. Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money. They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and, therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves.

“This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say, Napoleonic times. Many novelties have come from America. The most startling of these, a thing without precedent, is a mass of undignified poor. They do not love one another because they do not love themselves.”

The novel, by the way, is currently banned by many libraries in America.

Feeling inferior because you are poor appears to be a particular American invention.

As Vonnegut asserts, associating wealth with virtue is a cultural trait born out of the need for billionaires to justify their greed as virtue and a sign of their acumen.

Donald Trump seems to think it makes him a genius.

Elsewhere, it is recognised for what it is, a nasty addiction to greed minus compassion or empathy.

Outside America, billionaires and the vulgarly rich are often regarded with disdain and ridicule. In Australia we have Gina Rinehart and in PNG people have a whole bunch of obese politicians to laugh about.

There are signs, however, that things are beginning to change in America, thanks to Donald Trump and his billionaire friends.

The perception that the billionaire class have pushed capitalism to its most obscene limits is slowly taking shape.

What Monbiot is saying about getting even will therefore probably be another American phenomenon.

It will be interesting to watch.