>The works of Karl Marx and others who did not espouse "the American way" are readily available. We are free to read, write, and say whatever we choose, even if they are not popular views.

Then why are the green on FBI's terrorist suspect list? Why are there zero Marxist books in the library here (where you can even find a "make your own coffins for humans and pets" book)? Not that I liked reading them when I had to :).

>I don't know what you mean about having to do transactions over $1000 with a middleman. Maybe you're right. The only transactions of that magnitude I have had have been mortgage payments and car payments, plus one charitable contribution. In those cases I have dealt with financial entities, which I suppose are middlemen.

I can't even pay my utilities without a middleman - there is no way I can walk up there and fork the cash. In Charlottesville, I paid water to a billing service which was hired by the county (and I had to pay their service $2 over my $13 bill). You can't buy a house straight, both sides have to have their own middlemen.

In Virginia, you can't even buy a bottle of wine from the cellar. You must go through wholesaler and retailer.

>You reminded me of a funny conversation with the comment about banks. One evening at swim practice the mom of a boy who was on the swim team with my younger daughter told a story about a neighbor of hers who didn't trust banks. She said the woman kept all her savings, cold hard cash, in her house. Her house was robbed and the robber walked out with her life savings. Pat asked her she could have been so dumb and her neighbor said she liked to know where her money was. "You don't know where it is now, do you?" Pat said. LOL

I still don't trust banks, except that I trust they'll charge me on every turn :).

Luckily, there are credit unions.