Details are the cornerstones to civilization

The base story is funny, at least it is to me, however, it's tone is far from comical, it's downright serious.

Pay attention closely to this, from The Freeholder himself, Mike Williamson;

"As has been mentioned here recently, most westerners don't really grasp how essential modern plumbing, from water to sewage systems, are to modern society. Without them, large cities are simply impossible, and small housing lots lead quickly to the type of pestilences that wiped out large areas of Europe and Asia during various plagues. Bacterial infections can reduce populations in a matter of days."

I've told people around me that there are a few items that people simply should not live without. One of those is toilet paper. The simple relationship here should be obvious.