On Tue, 25 Feb 2003, Gomi no Sensei wrote: @> > (I always took Orca as an indictment of banking and bankers specifically, @> > rather than just money in general, but maybe I'm reading too much into it.) @> @> That's an...interesting...interpretation of the text, to say the least @> @> It appeared to me at the time (and still does) that the banks and system @> of trade were _crucial_ to the smooth functioning of the Empire, and the @> indictment was of the sort of fraudulent shenanigans Fyres pulled off, @> because they monkeywrenched that smooth functioning. Saying that a @> financial crisis induced by fraud is an indictment of the whole concept @> of banking seems kind of, well, projection of personal beliefs onto the @> text. Could be, could be. Although I don't actually believe that banks are evil, so probably not. Looking back at the events of the book, I'm not sure why I believed this, but I'm sure there's a good reason. Guess I'll have to re-read it.