[mjevans]

I like to think of it as making up for the fact that there isn't any other place someone that doesn't want to be part of the current status quo can just say "I've had it, I'm going off on my own way".

All the land is taken, owned, and occupied; and all of the best places for starting your own settlement were /long/ ago occupied, let alone the marginal ones.

I don't want to do any of the above, but having that /option/ gave a default alternative to being an employee and thus meant that there had to be actual benefit in such a relationship.