I disagree with some of these conclusions. I grew up in a rural area of a high desert in the Intermountain West. The people are independent, self-reliant and private and don’t take kindly to lazy beggars but if one of their neighbors happens on hard times, these people are the first to mobilize help for them. If a barn burns down, they will help rebuild it. If a man gets seriously ill, neighbors will bring in his harvest. If a tractor breaks down, neighbors will help repair or lend their own machines. If a flood threatens animals, others will pick up and pasture them until the emergency is over.
” If a man gets seriously ill, neighbors will bring in his harvest.”
My GF’s family live in a rural area. A few years back a neighbor passed away. His son’s had a hay crop that was needing cutting and baling at the time. The neighbors did if for them without being asked.