Mobile society- are we splitting into several new societal segments - the stick built dwellers, the mobile sundogs, as well as those with money and without, those with access to information and those without. Splits along old and young, employed and seasonally employeed, those in school and those out. English speakers and not.

But of all the splits the one which threatens American culture the most is ANY movement towards mobile society. I don't believe there is any conspiracy to convince people to stay in one place. However by the powers of natural selection and social evolution - it is easy for taxes to be collected, the law to be applied, and mail to be delivered to someone who is stationary. Here is my Safari Airstream being stationary for a few months.

I'll expand this concept in the Logan's run section. I believe we all have had a tremendous interest in the next guy staying put, the next guy working hard, every day, so that society could prosper. Trouble is, it's not working. Stick houses are mostly junk, and way too expensive, but great personal anchors holding you in one place.

The mobile society is the opposite and worse. It is dangerous to society because it is almost impossible to enforce social conformity when the person is only in your neighborhood for a day. It is hard to create voting lists, collect property taxes and income taxes. The IRS has a nice system for the average joe, it doesn't have to move a muscle to collect your tax, as long as you stay in a nice normal stationary job where the employer must collect and forward the money to the IRS. You start moving around all the time, and even if the IRS can get the money from you, it's hard, i.e, more expensive to get. This is not good for any level of government.

Why bring that up? IF many people begin to move towards a mobile, energy self sufficient lifestyle, then there will be, and already is, a reaction against this new "mobile" threat. Civilization at this level of complexity needs large infusions of energy from the populace, constant and flowing. This breaks down in the mobile society. A different mechanism of tax, or a different level of civilization is required. Something to think about.