I feel as though the whole "peer to peer electronic cash system", while ultimately an end goal is a little misleading at the current state.

There are fees in interacting with the Bitcoin protocol. These fees seem forced and confusing to the user, as they are accustomed to the fees being pushed out of sight to third parties, unknown to them they are in turn paying for the fees anyway on rising costs in a currency they spend and save in that is rapidly being debased and abused by those closest to the spigot.

Bitcoin is not free to use, you must buy it, earn it, meme for it, and pay to transact ona global ledger no one can alter

It's an agreement, a savings vessel outside of centralized control, a censorship resistant tool in the face of debt paying for debt and the most wealthy buying assets and freedoms not given to those without immense wealth. A consensus of the global state of affairs removed from manipulation by any power player.

The value is in they eye of the beholder.

I for one cannot continue supporting endless war, cozy conveniences, and moral decay by entrusting my whole world view on fiat dollars.

Self custody. The manipulation is only available through third parties.