The Final Frontier

The "frontier" in the United States was "officially" declared closed in an 1890 bulletin of the Superintendent of the Census, wrote Frederick Jackson Turner in an 1893 essay later published in The Frontier in American History. In this case, "frontier"meant an unsettled area beyond the last "city limits" of the furthest extended hamlet incorporated into some larger unit under the control of government. In 2009, there are no frontiers of this sort in any place that is fit for habitation.

Frontier is a state of mind now, having more to do with lightly settled places in which there is much that can be done starting well-nigh from scratch, if you're so inclined. Young people in the developed world now entering its dotage might take this into account; older people might begin to see the advantages of teaming up with those younger people.

Paradigm Change is the Final Frontier going forward. Twenty first century pioneers are Paradigm Changers, those willing to leave behind the consumer societies and go forward to a societal model in which cooperation and not competition is the norm, in which social Darwinism is rejected for the soulless monstrosity it is.

Here's a headline from the June 23rd Daily Telegraph that's a sign of the times if ever I saw one: "Pensioners 'kidnap and torture' financial adviser." These weren't poor pensioners either; they'd been burned in a Florida land "investment," but none would go hungry as a result.
Look for more stories like this as economic conditions worsen. Decide for yourself if it represents a societal paradigm that is one in which you wish to participate.

Come south, young people, come south young and old alike!