As of January 1, 2017, you can no longer buy anything at Sotheby’s without proving who you are. I have bought many things from Sotheby’s over the past 30 years. Since January 1, all sales now require a photo ID even if you are paying by check or bank wire. In other words, they want to know who is buying anything tangible to make sure you paid your pound of flesh. This has nothing to do with “cash” transactions; it does not matter how you pay for anything. Just another step forward into the realm of a cashless society for total accountability to the government.

QUESTION: Dear Marty, Tomorrow, a large contingent of lawmakers will boycott the inauguration; might this be the “seed” event that leads to the breakup of the United States that you have mentioned? It seems this will cement divisiveness for a generation to come. Thank you for all you do.

ANSWER: Absolutely. The left are the INTOLERABLES who call the opposite DEPLORABLES. They are historically divisive, and this time around they are sowing the seeds of destruction in the United States as we have known it. It will only get worse from here on out. Even Obama is remaining in Washington, DC and has vowed to be effectively a shadow president.