Old Fart Rants gives some insight into Ron Paul.
So what do you make of this very succinct and insightful rant on Ron Paul?
Soon as he got to returning to the gold standard I turned it off.
You should have kept listening. The gold standard issue is truly out there but he has some interesting things to say on libertarianism as a philosophy. BTW, I’m not against the gold standard, but I can see why people would think it is not realistic. However, I can see a combination of gold and a basket of currencies in the future. Gold is already a relative standard. That’s why when governments print more money people buy gold to cover tail risk from inflation and potential currency meltdowns.
You should have kept listening. The gold standard issue is truly out there but he has some interesting things to say on libertarianism as a philosophy. BTW, I’m not against the gold standard, but I can see why people would think it is not realistic. However, I can see a combination of gold and a basket of currencies in the future. Gold is already a relative standard. That’s why when governments print more money people buy gold to cover tail risk from inflation and potential currency meltdowns.[/quote]
Yea, and I’ve heard all this, but how are you going to use gold to buy a loaf of bread when gold is at $10,000/ounce? It might be useful to buy a plot of land or a cow, but a chicken? A squash? Seriously, how would that work? We’re talking minuscule flakes of gold here.
If hyper inflation hits, the issue is not going to be who has the gold, but who has the food, water, fuel, etc., and you can’t buy that with a substance that would have to be weighed in micrograms… well, maybe you could :discodance: .
I think bartering should be the new standard.
You should have kept listening. The gold standard issue is truly out there but he has some interesting things to say on libertarianism as a philosophy. BTW, I’m not against the gold standard, but I can see why people would think it is not realistic. However, I can see a combination of gold and a basket of currencies in the future. Gold is already a relative standard. That’s why when governments print more money people buy gold to cover tail risk from inflation and potential currency meltdowns.[/quote]
Yea, and I’ve heard all this, but how are you going to use gold to buy a loaf of bread when gold is at $10,000/ounce? It might be useful to buy a plot of land or a cow, but a chicken? A squash? Seriously, how would that work? We’re talking minuscule flakes of gold here.
If hyper inflation hits, the issue is not going to be who has the gold, but who has the food, water, fuel, etc., and you can’t buy that with a substance that would have to be weighed in micrograms… well, maybe you could :discodance: .
I think bartering should be the new standard.[/quote]
If hyperinflation hits central banks will reissue a new currency. But what will they do to ensure that new currency is viable. They could make it redeemable against a basket of other currencies and gold which the government or reserve bank is forced to hold. That does not mean you when you go to the exchange counter at the bank they hand over a basket with a mixed bunch of coins and notes sprinkled in gold dust.
[quote=“formosahut”]Yea, and I’ve heard all this, but how are you going to use gold to buy a loaf of bread when gold is at $10,000/ounce? It might be useful to buy a plot of land or a cow, but a chicken? A squash? Seriously, how would that work? We’re talking minuscule flakes of gold here.
If hyper inflation hits, the issue is not going to be who has the gold, but who has the food, water, fuel, etc., and you can’t buy that with a substance that would have to be weighed in micrograms… well, maybe you could :discodance: .[/quote]
Well, you COULD make that argument, but you would have to be a complete idiot to do so. After all, how did people buy bread back in the good old days when a $20 gold piece would pay a month’s wages? Oh, that’s right, they had smaller-denomination coins made out of things like copper, which REPRESENTED a fraction of a gold ounce.
As for pure barter, it’s ridiculously inefficient for any number of reasons that should be obvious, such as you not wanting to exchange six fresh eggs for a brand-new nonvibrating dildo, which is what the person wanting to buy the eggs got paid with at the dildo factory last week, resulting in the two of you having to find someone with a bicycle inner tube who wants a dildo so that the dildo guy can trade the dildo for the tube and then trade you the tube for the eggs. . . .
[quote=“Impaler”][quote=“formosahut”]Yea, and I’ve heard all this, but how are you going to use gold to buy a loaf of bread when gold is at $10,000/ounce? It might be useful to buy a plot of land or a cow, but a chicken? A squash? Seriously, how would that work? We’re talking minuscule flakes of gold here.
If hyper inflation hits, the issue is not going to be who has the gold, but who has the food, water, fuel, etc., and you can’t buy that with a substance that would have to be weighed in micrograms… well, maybe you could :discodance: .[/quote]
Well, you COULD make that argument, but you would have to be a complete idiot to do so. After all, how did people buy bread back in the good old days when a $20 gold piece would pay a month’s wages? Oh, that’s right, they had smaller-denomination coins made out of things like copper, which REPRESENTED a fraction of a gold ounce.
As for pure barter, it’s ridiculously inefficient for any number of reasons that should be obvious, such as you not wanting to exchange six fresh eggs for a brand-new nonvibrating dildo, which is what the person wanting to buy the eggs got paid with at the dildo factory last week, resulting in the two of you having to find someone with a bicycle inner tube who wants a dildo so that the dildo guy can trade the dildo for the tube and then trade you the tube for the eggs. . . .[/quote]
Yea, I have seen all those videos too. They don’t impress me. They appeal to some logic, yes, but ultimately they just don’t do anything for me (I’m talking about all the new-age, end-of-the-world, let’s-go-back-to-the-gold-standard, hyper-inflation-is-coming, peak oil, 911 flicks). I was being just a bit sarcastic with my gold remark. But still, if gold goes to $1,000,000/ounce (which some suggest it will, if a true gold standard were to be enforced), then our entire system will be completely shit fucked, and nobody will want your stupid gold anyway. You’re already talking about “REPRESENTING that gold with 'smaller coins made out of things like copper”… or… paper? Yes, basket of currencies, etc. etc. etc. So, you’ve only just sidestepped my question and contradicted yourself.
Standards of come and gone in the world many, many times. This change, if it happens, won’t necessarily be some cataclysmic event, and 99.99999% of people are going to be in exactly the same boat. What are you going to do, sit around and hoard your gold and the huge ‘basket of currencies’ you’ve amassed while your neighbours are starving?
Actually, they’ll just come and take all your shit. What bothers me about these ‘end of the world, protect yourself’ schemes is that they’re very hunker-down oriented. You might as well build a bomb shelter while you’re at it and start buying a lot of weapons.
BTW, I didn’t say that I don’t think hyper-inflation is possible. I think it could happen, but I don’t think stocking up on gold is going to help anybody, that’s all.
Why would i want a vibrating dildo in the first place? (I’ll be the one with the eggs.)
[quote=“formosahut”][quote=“Impaler”][quote=“formosahut”]Yea, and I’ve heard all this, but how are you going to use gold to buy a loaf of bread when gold is at $10,000/ounce? It might be useful to buy a plot of land or a cow, but a chicken? A squash? Seriously, how would that work? We’re talking minuscule flakes of gold here.
If hyper inflation hits, the issue is not going to be who has the gold, but who has the food, water, fuel, etc., and you can’t buy that with a substance that would have to be weighed in micrograms… well, maybe you could :discodance: .[/quote]
Well, you COULD make that argument, but you would have to be a complete idiot to do so. After all, how did people buy bread back in the good old days when a $20 gold piece would pay a month’s wages? Oh, that’s right, they had smaller-denomination coins made out of things like copper, which REPRESENTED a fraction of a gold ounce.
As for pure barter, it’s ridiculously inefficient for any number of reasons that should be obvious, such as you not wanting to exchange six fresh eggs for a brand-new nonvibrating dildo, which is what the person wanting to buy the eggs got paid with at the dildo factory last week, resulting in the two of you having to find someone with a bicycle inner tube who wants a dildo so that the dildo guy can trade the dildo for the tube and then trade you the tube for the eggs. . . .[/quote]
Yea, I have seen all those videos too. They don’t impress me. They appeal to some logic, yes, but ultimately they just don’t do anything for me (I’m talking about all the new-age, end-of-the-world, let’s-go-back-to-the-gold-standard, hyper-inflation-is-coming, peak oil, 911 flicks). I was being just a bit sarcastic with my gold remark. But still, if gold goes to $1,000,000/ounce (which some suggest it will, if a true gold standard were to be enforced), then our entire system will be completely shit fucked, and nobody will want your stupid gold anyway. You’re already talking about “REPRESENTING that gold with 'smaller coins made out of things like copper”… or… paper? Yes, basket of currencies, etc. etc. etc. So, you’ve only just sidestepped my question and contradicted yourself.
Standards of come and gone in the world many, many times. This change, if it happens, won’t necessarily be some cataclysmic event, and 99.99999% of people are going to be in exactly the same boat. What are you going to do, sit around and hoard your gold and the huge ‘basket of currencies’ you’ve amassed while your neighbours are starving?
Actually, they’ll just come and take all your shit. What bothers me about these ‘end of the world, protect yourself’ schemes is that they’re very hunker-down oriented. You might as well build a bomb shelter while you’re at it and start buying a lot of weapons.
BTW, I didn’t say that I don’t think hyper-inflation is possible. I think it could happen, but I don’t think stocking up on gold is going to help anybody, that’s all.
Why would I want a vibrating dildo in the first place? (I’ll be the one with the eggs.)[/quote]
I have no idea what videos you’re talking about.
You’ve completely missed the point of the substitutes – yes, you could even use PAPER MONEY, but the important bit would be whether it is backed by gold, which cannot be created out of thin air, or by “full faith and credit” in Ben Bernanke or whoever the head of the ECB is this week. The entire point of any “gold standard” is that banker cannot create infinite amounts of “money” at whim – which is what the ECB and FRB are doing today.
As for the eggs, I doubt it – in a pure barter system, society would have broken down so far that someone would have stolen and eaten your chickens and you would have starved to death already.
[quote=“Impaler”][quote=“formosahut”][quote=“Impaler”][quote=“formosahut”]Yea, and I’ve heard all this, but how are you going to use gold to buy a loaf of bread when gold is at $10,000/ounce? It might be useful to buy a plot of land or a cow, but a chicken? A squash? Seriously, how would that work? We’re talking minuscule flakes of gold here.
If hyper inflation hits, the issue is not going to be who has the gold, but who has the food, water, fuel, etc., and you can’t buy that with a substance that would have to be weighed in micrograms… well, maybe you could :discodance: .[/quote]
Well, you COULD make that argument, but you would have to be a complete idiot to do so. After all, how did people buy bread back in the good old days when a $20 gold piece would pay a month’s wages? Oh, that’s right, they had smaller-denomination coins made out of things like copper, which REPRESENTED a fraction of a gold ounce.
As for pure barter, it’s ridiculously inefficient for any number of reasons that should be obvious, such as you not wanting to exchange six fresh eggs for a brand-new nonvibrating dildo, which is what the person wanting to buy the eggs got paid with at the dildo factory last week, resulting in the two of you having to find someone with a bicycle inner tube who wants a dildo so that the dildo guy can trade the dildo for the tube and then trade you the tube for the eggs. . . .[/quote]
Yea, I have seen all those videos too. They don’t impress me. They appeal to some logic, yes, but ultimately they just don’t do anything for me (I’m talking about all the new-age, end-of-the-world, let’s-go-back-to-the-gold-standard, hyper-inflation-is-coming, peak oil, 911 flicks). I was being just a bit sarcastic with my gold remark. But still, if gold goes to $1,000,000/ounce (which some suggest it will, if a true gold standard were to be enforced), then our entire system will be completely shit fucked, and nobody will want your stupid gold anyway. You’re already talking about “REPRESENTING that gold with 'smaller coins made out of things like copper”… or… paper? Yes, basket of currencies, etc. etc. etc. So, you’ve only just sidestepped my question and contradicted yourself.
Standards of come and gone in the world many, many times. This change, if it happens, won’t necessarily be some cataclysmic event, and 99.99999% of people are going to be in exactly the same boat. What are you going to do, sit around and hoard your gold and the huge ‘basket of currencies’ you’ve amassed while your neighbours are starving?
Actually, they’ll just come and take all your shit. What bothers me about these ‘end of the world, protect yourself’ schemes is that they’re very hunker-down oriented. You might as well build a bomb shelter while you’re at it and start buying a lot of weapons.
BTW, I didn’t say that I don’t think hyper-inflation is possible. I think it could happen, but I don’t think stocking up on gold is going to help anybody, that’s all.
Why would I want a vibrating dildo in the first place? (I’ll be the one with the eggs.)[/quote]
I have no idea what videos you’re talking about.
You’ve completely missed the point of the substitutes – yes, you could even use PAPER MONEY, but the important bit would be whether it is backed by gold, which cannot be created out of thin air, or by “full faith and credit” in Ben Bernanke or whoever the head of the ECB is this week. The entire point of any “gold standard” is that banker cannot create infinite amounts of “money” at whim – which is what the ECB and FRB are doing today.
As for the eggs, I doubt it – in a pure barter system, society would have broken down so far that someone would have stolen and eaten your chickens and you would have starved to death already.[/quote]
People make out like its crazy talk, but the truth is gold was the standard for hundreds of years if not longer. Life with out the gold standard is just a few decades old. It has happened in the life times of many of us, a lot of things that happened in my life time didn’t work out, like the 8-track cartridge.
[quote=“Impaler”]
You’ve completely missed the point of the substitutes – yes, you could even use PAPER MONEY, but the important bit would be whether it is backed by gold, which cannot be created out of thin air, or by “full faith and credit” in Ben Bernanke or whoever the head of the ECB is this week. The entire point of any “gold standard” is that banker cannot create infinite amounts of “money” at whim – which is what the ECB and FRB are doing today.
As for the eggs, I doubt it – in a pure barter system, society would have broken down so far that someone would have stolen and eaten your chickens and you would have starved to death already.[/quote]
The $ was backed by gold, then the backing was dropped. Any new ‘standard’ could easily suffer the same fate whenever those who pull the strings decide that, well, this new standard or basket of currencies or whatever no longer needs to be held to the same ‘standard’.
Ultimately, what really matters is power, not the value of whatever currency you’re using, because that value can always be changed by people more powerful than you or me.
Or, put another way, whoever is holding your gold can simply say, “You know what, we want your gold and we’re going to just keep it.” Or you could bury your gold in your backyard or under your mattress, at which point somebody could come to your door and say, “Give us all your gold, or we’re going to kill every mother fucking last one of you.” (What a great line.)
People will always be able to create limitless amounts of currencies. What’s to stop them? A law? They need only change the law, or ignore it.
So, all this talk is meaningless, really.
[quote=“Fox”]
People make out like its crazy talk, but the truth is gold was the standard for hundreds of years if not longer. Life with out the gold standard is just a few decades old. It has happened in the life times of many of us, a lot of things that happened in my life time didn’t work out, like the 8-track cartridge.[/quote]
True, but dropping the gold standard has worked out fabulously for a very privileged few.
[quote=“Fox”]Old Fart Rants gives some insight into Ron Paul.
So what do you make of this very succinct and insightful rant on Ron Paul?[/quote]
OK, I owe Fox an apology because I ranted without having first actually watched the video he posted. Having watched it, I tend to strongly agree with Old Fart’s points.
Having said that, I’m somewhat of a cynic, and I can’t see those in power giving that power up. The elections are a sham in my view. It doesn’t really matter who is elected. I think George Carlin, in his later years, touched on a lot of this quite eloquently.
[quote=“formosahut”][quote=“Fox”]Old Fart Rants gives some insight into Ron Paul.
So what do you make of this very succinct and insightful rant on Ron Paul?[/quote]
OK, I owe Fox an apology because I ranted without having first actually watched the video he posted. Having watched it, I tend to strongly agree with Old Fart’s points.
Having said that, I’m somewhat of a cynic, and I can’t see those in power giving that power up. The elections are a sham in my view. It doesn’t really matter who is elected. I think George Carlin, in his later years, touched on a lot of this quite eloquently.
[/quote]
George Carlin is brilliant.
[quote=“Fox”][quote=“formosahut”][quote=“Fox”]Old Fart Rants gives some insight into Ron Paul.
So what do you make of this very succinct and insightful rant on Ron Paul?[/quote]
OK, I owe Fox an apology because I ranted without having first actually watched the video he posted. Having watched it, I tend to strongly agree with Old Fart’s points.
Having said that, I’m somewhat of a cynic, and I can’t see those in power giving that power up. The elections are a sham in my view. It doesn’t really matter who is elected. I think George Carlin, in his later years, touched on a lot of this quite eloquently.
George Carlin is brilliant.[/quote][/quote]
I suppose the correct thing to say is may George RIP, but I’m sure he won’t and I hope he doesn’t; I hope he keeps it up wherever he is.
Ron Paul would destroy America faster than any terrorist. Iran, North Korea, and Cuba are pulling hard for him (along with countless other internet meatsticks).
[quote=“formosahut”]The $ was backed by gold, then the backing was dropped. Any new ‘standard’ could easily suffer the same fate whenever those who pull the strings decide that, well, this new standard or basket of currencies or whatever no longer needs to be held to the same ‘standard’.
Ultimately, what really matters is power, not the value of whatever currency you’re using, because that value can always be changed by people more powerful than you or me.[/quote]
On the other hand, if you have your stash of gold coins, you can simply hold on to them, let the assholes “revalue the currency”, and then cash out – or better yet, hang on to it some more, since the “revaluation” will probably keep on keepin’ on.
[quote=“formosahut”]Or, put another way, whoever is holding your gold can simply say, “You know what, we want your gold and we’re going to just keep it.” Or you could bury your gold in your backyard or under your mattress, at which point somebody could come to your door and say, “Give us all your gold, or we’re going to kill every mother fucking last one of you.” (What a great line.)
People will always be able to create limitless amounts of currencies. What’s to stop them? A law? They need only change the law, or ignore it.
So, all this talk is meaningless, really.[/quote]
You assume someone else is holding on to that gold. Mine’s in my safe. No, I won’t tell you where I live.
Spoken like a true status-quo supporter. 
Who’s YOUR candidate, Obamney or Rombama?
Impaler -
POI…DD is a proud Canadian - 
…as far as I know…he is not supposed to be voting in U.S. elections.
Now whether he is registered and does vote in U.S. elections is another matter.
DemosAbroad did their free-beer and register program here on Taiwan last cycle and did add a few ‘foreign’ votes to the count.
Of course some of those shenanigans was caught by election officials… 
But hey…free beer is free beer…
Good lord, that Carlin bit is dreadfully insipid with the exception of the last line.
really?