They are accepted by all the merchants with whom I frequently have dealings. If possible I'd prefer to avoid adding a currency-conversion step to my everyday commerce.

That assumption appears valid. On the TNG episode "Yesterday's Enterprise", an alternate timeline is shown with the Federation in a full-scale war with the Klingon Empire. It is stated that rations are restricted due to replicators being on minimized power. Ostensibly that power was used to keep the shields up full-time.

Money still exists. Witness Quark's endless scheming to acquire gold-pressed latinum. Heck, without money, the entire "culture" of the Ferengi race is gone.

Just route them to the nearest Rand Paul rally.

Is there such a thing as an opt-in government? I don't think China and the US have a lock on enforcing governmental supremacy within said government's borders.

Then please explain Glenn Beck's continued freedom, and the rest of his ilk. And for that matter, how did Olbermann survive the Bush years?

Maybe I'm just a misanthrope, but enough with the goddamn multiplayer. That's what D&D is for.

The military spends the money to perfect it, or at least bring it to a generally useful stage. At the point that commercial interests get their hands on it, most of the major bugs in the core functionality have been worked out, allowing the erstwhile vendors to spend their money adding bells & whistles. By the time we consumers get our grubby paws on it, the major pitfalls have been addressed.

Few enough RPG's do this. I still have fond memories of SaGa Frontier 2, watching the characters go from juveniles to ancients, even dying and passing on the mantle to a new generation (two, in fact.) It really gives the game that sense of scope that is so often found lacking.

Just like how we used to say that for less savvy people, the web IS the internet. My lawn. Get off of it.

In case you missed it, the US is not 'other countries.' Just as every other country has its own weird fucked-upedness, so too do we.

But global warming is just a myth, amirite? (I kid, I kid...)

Had I any mod points to spend, they would accrue to you, good sir.

Doesn't really work that way, though. Any established religion is just a cult that lasted long enough. The prevalent religion in America is a freakin' death cult that regularly feasts on [notional] flesh and blood. Explains a lot when you think about it...