A hard currency standard is the key to world peace

[zarus tathra]

Every major mobilization for war has been financed by a debasement of the currency.

The Union had to create a non-gold-backed currency to finance its re-conquest of the South. The South's currency was financed by a "promise to pay." Nazi Germany had a silver coin with VERY high silver content, but then abandoned it as soon as the war started. Before entering WWII, FDR seized private gold "hoards." And Britain's global empire was financed by the world's first fiat currency. Without the arbitrary government action that only a widespread acceptance of a "soft" currency could make possible, the world's governments would be completely incapable of waging war.

[Plu]

You mean people need to see through the myth that is money? They haven't been able to since its inception, I don't think it'll change anytime soon.

[zarus tathra]

Haha, too true, but having a "solid" currency that is difficult to manipulate would go a long way towards curbing the abuses of the system.

[Plu]

You can't have a solid currency, because there's no such thing as currency. There's only natural resources and their applications. Even the concept of ownership doesn't exist, it's just something  we made up. And as such, it'll always be subject to modification whenever we decide to change the rules.

[zarus tathra]

People will only follow a system that they trust. The crux of the current system is the trust that people put in paper currency.

[stromboli]

I seriously doubt there is enough of anything of worth, such as Gold or Silver, to back a hard currency. Thorium maybe, because of its potential as an energy source, and abundant. But you would be fighting every banking system on the planet to implement it.

[zarus tathra]

I was thinking of having a joule standard, in which currency could be redeemed for a reliable amount of electricity. It's much more relevant to the modern world, IMO, because it tracks real economic production so well.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Soon as the zombie apocalypse happens the currency will be the lack of the zombie virus..not to worry.  [-X

[mykcob4]

Every major mobilization for war has been financed by a debasement of the currency.

The Union had to create a non-gold-backed currency to finance its re-conquest of the South. The South's currency was financed by a "promise to pay." Nazi Germany had a silver coin with VERY high silver content, but then abandoned it as soon as the war started. Before entering WWII, FDR seized private gold "hoards." And Britain's global empire was financed by the world's first fiat currency. Without the arbitrary government action that only a widespread acceptance of a "soft" currency could make possible, the world's governments would be completely incapable of waging war.

Anyone that wants to start a war will do so inspite of a strick monitary standard, worldwide or otherwise.
Sidenote. I have a teaparty neighbor that bought 1 million dinars at the urging of FOX NOISE. He thinks that Iraq will once again start using the currency and he will be an instant millionaire for his 1800 dollar purchase. I told him that he could wipe his ass with the paper but that is all it will ever be worth. The actually have a portrait of Saddam on them. Of course conservaturds never study history. The confederate money is worth squat shit still to this day.
Even if Iraq uses a dinar as it's currency (highly unlikely) it won't be the same and the old currency is decertified and will never be certified again. But hey if FOX tells these idiots to do something they'll sure do it. They buy gold because Glen Beck told them to, even though the company that sold it was successfully prosecuted for misrepresentation. $400 a puchase for an ounce, but it wasn't even close to an ounce of gold. More like 1/100th of an ounce. My neighbor has plenty of those as well and a few Ronald Reagan coins that aren't woth the gumball that you'd get from a coin operated machine for one....if they'd accept it....and they won't.
Currency is a fluid commodity. It is really just a reflection of wealth and power instead of a real representation. President Carter knew this and wanted the WORLD to understand it. So he paid off a great deal of American debt with gold. He was crucifide for it politically even though he was correct.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Every major mobilization for war has been financed by a debasement of the currency.

The Union had to create a non-gold-backed currency to finance its re-conquest of the South. The South's currency was financed by a "promise to pay." Nazi Germany had a silver coin with VERY high silver content, but then abandoned it as soon as the war started. Before entering WWII, FDR seized private gold "hoards." And Britain's global empire was financed by the world's first fiat currency. Without the arbitrary government action that only a widespread acceptance of a "soft" currency could make possible, the world's governments would be completely incapable of waging war.

I'm not so sure of that.  Wars existed for tens of thousands of years, tied to fixed currency.

I'm rereading The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers right now, from Paul Kennedy, and it deals directly with the issue of war financing.  Without fiat currency, loans can still be floated, often. Inflation can happen, it's true, but that doesn't mean that wars are impossible on a fixed standard.

[Plu]

You don't even need money. All you need is raw materials and enough people willing to listen to your commands, because that's all money represents.

[zarus tathra]

I'm not so sure of that.  Wars existed for tens of thousands of years, tied to fixed currency.

I'm rereading The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers right now, from Paul Kennedy, and it deals directly with the issue of war financing.  Without fiat currency, loans can still be floated, often. Inflation can happen, it's true, but that doesn't mean that wars are impossible on a fixed standard.

Rome saw a massive debasement of its silver denari throughout its Imperial history. And before floating those loans, I'll bet that those governments had been consolidating power and "legitimacy" by buying power and influence with debased coin. You can't just float a massive loan like that without a massive superstructure already in place, one that's probably built up with bad coin.

Nobody has ever consolidated that kind of power on a massive scale without the usage of bad coinage.

[Johan]

Lacking the ability to pay for a war has never stopped anyone from starting one.

[mykcob4]

I'm not so sure of that.  Wars existed for tens of thousands of years, tied to fixed currency.

I'm rereading The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers right now, from Paul Kennedy, and it deals directly with the issue of war financing.  Without fiat currency, loans can still be floated, often. Inflation can happen, it's true, but that doesn't mean that wars are impossible on a fixed standard.

Rome saw a massive debasement of its silver denari throughout its Imperial history. And before floating those loans, I'll bet that those governments had been consolidating power and "legitimacy" by buying power and influence with debased coin. You can't just float a massive loan like that without a massive superstructure already in place, one that's probably built up with bad coin.

Nobody has ever consolidated that kind of power on a massive scale without the usage of bad coinage.

In Roman days precious metals had the value of the user. Rome wasn't constricted by a set standard. Egypt had a far lesser value on gold than did the Visagoths or the Hun for example. Rome could pay ransom do neighboring war tribes on a lesser scale than to others. However Rome demanded a tribute that matched what it valued gold and silver. It financed it wars in wheat and land.
Things are not so easy today. A nation that has a commodity that the world needs can price it at artificial prices and finance war or terrorism accordingly. Iran for example has used oil and other commodities like pistachios priced at an artificial rate to do so. The UN imposed an embargo but Russia, China, and India have virtually ignored them.

[zarus tathra]

That's the thing, people WERE able to pay for war because people "trusted" their means of financing them.