I'm sorry I missed this during the rewards window, but glad to see you got a decent response...
You've pretty much put your finger on things... We aren't retiring (myself included) because we can't due to having been robbed our entire life by an oppressive system of government.
If we all were to stop supporting government, it would collapse into a steeming pile almost overnight. It would be great if more folks followed in your footsteps, stepping outside of the "rat-race" system and becoming more self-sufficient.
Thanks for a great 2-part article! :D