"Very, very few people believe that the current configuration of the federal reserve is just..."
(Critation needed). From my vantage point, very very few people - mostly cranks and charlatans - are against fractional reserve banking or the Federal reserve.
Milton Friedman, a man who was awarded the Nobel prize for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of stabilization policy, called for the end of the Federal Reserve.
I agree that it isn't a popular viewpoint, and I don't think it is even feasible with fractional reserve banking as well as other nation state risks to a currency, like foreign manipulation, but I don't argue that it's all that crazy to call for the end of the Federal Reserve.
I surmise that you have defined "crank" and "charlatan" to mean anyone who, regardless of their study on the matter, is opposed either generally to fractional reserve (and central-) banking or specifically to the current federal reserve.
For those opposed to the general system of fractional reserve and central banking. I also said "mostly" because I do beleive there may be eventually a better system.
I think there's plenty of room to debate the policies and structure of the United States federal reserve.
(Critation needed). From my vantage point, very very few people - mostly cranks and charlatans - are against fractional reserve banking or the Federal reserve.