I understand where you are coming from...and with that I know that the banks and the government have the power already, so I'm hedging my bets. I'm all for bitcoin/ether/litecoin...something...anything...that's better than what we currently have with fiat and the rate of government control over our lives. And with that, I'm a trained mediator who does my best to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. So I always consider both sides of the equation as equally as I can...and I currently see Ripple as the "middle ground" and worth the investment.