What would you do?

[oneoff]

One of the lessons to be learned is that quite a few people don't care what the rules are. Those persons just justify it in their minds that they are entitled to do as they please. Those same persons will never, ever realize that they are making it much more difficult for concensus to be found; cooperation nutured and agreements worked out.
There is no sense trying to educate those who have this attitude; and even more dangerous to encourage them by giving them the last word. And that why those who say the equivalent of "Ditch drain and fill in when caught" etc. etc are so far from providing any workable solution to any water problems.

[FarmRanger]

Oneoff - Are you saying freewheat shouldn’t be able to try to increase the productivity of his land even if it has no measurable effect on anyone else?

Should we never militate against bad or unfair rules?

[Happytrails]

Not hard to imagine why Oneoff is just that. Repeating would endanger the human race. Without a Mother's love and expediency none of us would be here.

[oneoff]

You can create nonsense and repeat it a thousand times and it will still be complete nonsense.
I'm saying that anyone who does what suits themselves; without any consideration (in the final analysis) for the current valid laws and regulations of the country they are living in; should bee seen by others (and hopefully some day by themselves) for what they actually are.

[oneoff]

And just what do you base your society on?

Are the top three things me, me and ME?

[oneoff]

Farmranger: We should definately work hard to improve the rules. But until we can change them; should we not be striving to live within the current rules? Otherwise just exactly what is the sense of having any rules at all?

[Happytrails]

And the world ends not with a bang but a whimper. Just kidding. The rules I try to respect are the rules of physics, mathematics, biology, weather, markets, astronomy and psychology. They don't change unlike society's. Breaking a people rule that contradicts the above can often be justified IMHO. Otherwise the world might end with a whimper as the urban majority realize that their rules precluded food production by farmers.

[checking]

Happytrails.

The jailcells of the world are filled with those who break people rules. They will find a space for you, as well!

Just try and convince Tom that the world will end with a whimper, or that it began with a big bang!

There is much to learn yet of your "ics, ologies, onomy, weather and markets". Since all their secrets haven't been exposed to us, I would argue that you have no idea whether people rules on things such as drainage contradict the above areas of study, and whether you are justified in breaking those rules.

As for freewheat, he will eventually discover that he wasn't meant farm in his location. He will spend the last of his resources fighting it; maybe even ditch, drain and fill in, but the winter snow will likely recharge whatever headway he gains this fall. His fate is a life of opening and closing drains, and a path into external trouble that will wear his family out.

My conclusion on what to do would be to accept that this wasn't meant to be, and I would move on.

Don't chew on me for a lack of empathy. He asked the question.

[Happytrails]

OCD. I would rather be in someone else's jail than one of my own making. At least that way I might get out someday.