> For instance, whereas in Medieval times serfs might have ran away from their lords and into the wilderness in order to avoid law and taxes That and to your l

> For instance, whereas in Medieval times serfs might have ran away from their lords and into the wilderness in order to avoid law and taxes That and to your last point is what I was thinking about. It's harder to "opt out" of a subsistence farming existence than it is to opt out of a society where you have access to time- & resource-saving technology that enables you to multiply your abilities, as well as basic necessities at a price that allows you to have disposable income. That's one of the gripes I have about some of the faux-sustainability crowd: it's not sustainable if it's predicated on a USD$100,000+ income.