What would you do?

[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.