Patrick Elliott wrote:
> Because, you don't have to worry about people "refusing" money at their 
> banks, because they don't trust you have the gold, don't like your hair 
> cut, or think your too <insert race/religion here>.

Of course you do. See, for example, Iceland.

 > With one single currency you don't get that BS.

That's why it's called the gold standard.

> And... Just to be clear, if all this 
> regulation, and taxation, and money based on pure money stuff is so bad, 
> why is it **only** the US, and countries filled with corrupt dictators, 
> which are currently screwed in health care, cost of living, 
> unemployment, etc.? 

See Iceland for example.

> How the hell is not having anything you "can" exchange for it, just 
> imaginary stuff, which you could "in theory" trade for it, then what the 
> heck is the difference from the current form again?

I'm saying you don't actually have to lug the gold around. You just have 
to have the money backed by gold you could actually get to if youwant.

> And, if people stop believing in gold, same thing. 

Except that people have been believing in gold for like 5000 years or 
so. Certainly since before the roman empire.

> Money is *not* gold, 
> it has been, and always was, a bit of paper that said, "in theory, this 
> will buy X". It doesn't matter if that is gold or rock, as long as 
> someone things there is some value to rocks. 

Right. That's fine. And that works. And when they stop believing, you're 
f'ed. See Iceland, for example. Or Zimbabwe.

> Removing such a stupid standard means the value is 
> based on what it really was in the first place, trust that you can spend 
> it, and get something back, including, if you have enough, gold bars.

No. Removing the standard means it's based on trust that someone who 
refuses to take your IOU will be shot.  There has never been a 
successful fiat currency that wasn't based on "you can pay your taxes 
with it!"

> A lot really. Dumb and gullible people are happy to buy into anything 
> that "promises" them something for nothing,

Including the government, printing money. :-)

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)

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