When using the legend of Ronin rather than the contemporary meaning I think it's hard to consider bums, freeloaders, etc. ronin. The term ronin means "masterless". When I go to the gas station and see the manager kicking a homeless person off of the property while everyone else is free to loiter or a state trooper pulling over to apprehend a hitchhiker walking on the side of the road on I-10 simply for walking on the side of the road, I hardly consider that to be masterless. If you compare social hierarchy in American culture to that of a caste system in the ancient Japanese culture I find what qualifies as a ronin to be quite different. Ronin were those who left their set social class for another. They are acknowledged not for becoming hermits and apathetic to society, instead they worked for a good purpose, still within boundaries, only those of another social class. I consider the ronin of today those who overcome adversity by either climbing the social ladder or helping others progress, still within the rules, just not the original ones set for them. The ronin lifestyle was considered very difficult to obtain because of how difficult success came for those not born into it. I do agree with you on the similarity between revolutionist and ronin, since by definition a revolutionist is one who renounces allegiance or subjection, as the ronin did. The main difference is that the focus of a revolutionist is on opposing the rule, while the focus of ronin is something more. A businesswoman is not a woman who went against the "rules" and strives towards eliminating that rule. She has worked around the "rules" and now has room to reach potential under another set of standards. Of course I am not right or wrong about any of this in comparison to anyone else, both of our opinions are correct based on our own interpretation of the text.

It’s funny that you mentioned people like bums and freeloaders can be considered as ronins because the contemporary meaning of ronin refer to those students who fail to pass the high school or college entrance exams. Despite the modern meaning of the term however, I do have high respect for the spirit of the early ronins. Although ronin were considered “masterless,” history has proven that they were not directionless. Because theses warriors weren’t afraid to break away from tradition and act accordingly to their will, Japan is one of the most innovative and developed country today.