Originally Posted by Tokenconservative

Hmmm....

Inflation compared to what?

Do you even know what that means?

I am not going to provide links--LIIIINNKKKSSSSS!!!!--neither....but the reality is (and anyone who wants to, who is not prevented from doing so by their socilaist perspective can find this data) that REAL income has risen something close to 20% (if I do not misremember) since 1980, most of that taking place in the 1990s.

Anyway...I AM the "common man" and the economy is just fine for me. You are right though, there are not a lot of jobs out there for buggy whip makers or typewriter repairmen.

And this means the economy is spiraling down to doom?

I don't think I or whatsisname is trying to "impress" you. I don't believe either one of us gives a rat's ass what you think.

Still, you are just as wrong as he is with his piechart, only you base yours even more illogically, on personal feelings or very localized impressions: Bob down the street lost his job down to the tire recycling plant, ergo the economy is about to collapse.

Run!

Hide!

We can pine for Mayberry where ever'body had a job that paid a "living wage," and everything we ate or used was grown or made no further away than Mt. Pilot, or we can live in the here and now and a place I like to call "Reality."

We have an unemployment rate in the US that Keynesians like wahtsisface believe cannot occur (their models do not permit a rate below about 10%). Other than a year and a half or so starting in 1999, we have had economic growth no lower than about 5% for longer than any other time in our history, and so long as the Ds do not muck things up too badly, or so long as enough Rs stay in office to prevent that, all economic indicators suggest there's really nothing to stop it from continuing at a pretty steady 5-7% for a while.

So where is it that people are in breadlines and selling apples on street corners? Where are the tens of thousands of kids being given up to the state because the parents can't afford them?

Where are the people starving in the streets?

Seems to me, that our left-advocacy media would be SAYING something about this if it were going on, especially just now, when they are working SO very, very hard to get a socialist electe president.

Tokie

Originally Posted by satv365

Consider that the purchasing power of the United States Dollar goes down 5% every year, on policy. Throw in the standard fluctuations of the Dollar's value caused by. Governmental budget deficits, which usually end up in the printing of more money. Stock market fluctuations, and so on.

Then you have negated most of the income gains in the past 10 years.


The only constant commodity that you can not corner the market on is Silver. You can use Gold, but the limited supply would end you nowhere.

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is Fiat, debt backed money is one of the biggest problems.

I'm not gonna ramble on about how The FDA indirectly causes Industry to leave. but I think if the Fed was gone, for good. It would do wonders for the economy.

Originally Posted by Tokenconservative

And how does one deal intercity, interstate, international with big piles of gold and silver? Should we move by pack trains and clipper ships?

Tokie

Originally Posted by satv365

Currency backed by Gold and Silver is a good way. Although most people of the austrian school would only allow for Silver Notes to actually be redeemed for the face value of silver.

It's like asking us how did we trade internationally with Commodity backed currency before FDR. We did it rather well, actually.

We managed to help fund a war against the Austrian, German and Turkish Empires. With that money.

You can tip toe around it all you like. The idea that Gold and Silver Notes are somehow regressive or outdated kind of baffles me. They are, in fact; the best guard against hyperinflation and out of control Congressional spending.

Originally Posted by Tokenconservative

Yes, and those means were clumsy and slow and would not work today.

Better: force everyone of the 320+ million people in American back to the farm or at best to open a little shop where they, and at most a single apprentice make buggy whips or pewter bowls or some such, and everyone is paid in silver and gold coin.

It could work!

We just have to figger out a way to wind the calendar back to 1785....no biggie, right!?

Tokie

Originally Posted by satv365

Not really, they where used the same way we use money today. Paper money and metal coinage...

Originally Posted by Tokenconservative

Very infrequently, today (and for oh, the past 20 years, anyway) do you see big boxes of actual notes and coins being exchanged in large transactions.

Of course, in 1785, you would see this, since there really was no other way to do it. The Louisiana Purchase was just that: we sent the French big piles of gold and got the Western half of the N. American continent.

Just as the invention of "notes" allowed people to engage in exchange without hauling cartloads of actual gold or silver coinage around, our means of such transfers have continued to advance and improve.

Look at all the illegals who "wire" money back to Mexico. In your desired scenario, they'd have to pay someone to physically carry it there for them. And since they all work for minimum wage, that'd hardly be worth it, would it?

Tokie

Tokie

Originally Posted by satv365

You know what happens with that Money in mexico? It is usually taken to a socialized bank where the Government gives them Pesos for it. Unless they live in a tourist area where most North American and European Currencies are accepted.

How did we spend Silver Notes before Nixon criminalized Silver?


Truth is, it spends like other money. Yet it's value stays the same. Thus being the ultimate safeguard of Inflation.

There is enough Gold, Silver, Platinum and Other precious metals to back all the money this Nation needs.

Originally Posted by Tokenconservative

It's an attractive (possibly falsely) idea, but there are practical reasons this does not always work in a large economy.

Yes "fiat" money as you put it has it's problems too, but we've learned since/by the Great Depression and by looking at more socialistic and Keynesian approaches elsewhere what to do and what not to do.

Is it POSSIBLE they'll throw all thist to the wind and just start printing notes by the wheelbarrowful?

Sure. It's also possible the Duchy of Andorra will invade and conqure the US.

Tokie