Are we perhaps going back to feudal days when the populace went about their lives and didn't think about the 'ruling' powers unless and until their lives were impacted by them? I would imagine that many of the common people felt there was no use in rebelling against the rulers because they didn't feel there was much change they could effect, that it was just the way things were.

From that viewpoint, then, are Mudcatters, per se, and the people down the roads and highways the common people and the various governments the feudal lords?

There seems like less reason or justification for this development in these days of television, telephones and the internet but each society is bound by its perceptions.