I think we'd all be surprised how many embrace that lifestyle. The streets, or in this case the forest, are their choice of living style. Of course, if you throw money their way, they'll take it. Many cities have tried to move people from the streets to homeless shelters or other housing and have been refused. There are, of course, those that would like a home of their own.

what's wrong with Burning Man?
 

Have you looked around Brownwood or LSL while the bands are playing?
Burning Man but with Old People.

yeah, NO!

Actually, more like the opposite. You are trying to equate fringe behavior with quite conservative.

There are 2 ways to look at that. It is NOT the "experts" that fear population dropping - it is the owners of large businesses that want a large customer base, while ALSO paying their employees minimal wages. It is the peons that fight the high traffic and bad air to get to work at 8 AM, while the large business owners arrive by chauffeur at 10 AM. Businesses want dense populations to buy their goods. Everyone (most people) complain about bad roads and too much traffic. But, the other side of that equation is - if there were less people, in any given area, the traffic would be less, the roads would NOT have potholes, and the commute would be enjoyable. It is juvenile to assume that more is better in everything. That is a strange example about African population increasing, because their cities are HOPELESSLY overcrowded and most are CONSTANTLY at war. Population density gets eventually corrected by war and diseases. The US did not learn anything from COVID. As sure as darkness becomes light - there will be another Covid-like PANDEMIC.

Well said.

A chance to enjoy the freedom of the great outdoors, pagan lifestyle, anarchy and a big fire all at the same time. I get it. I just wish they would clean up the mess when they are done.