Do you think the average American has $15K - $20K in precious metals or savings? Mind you, this guy lives in effing Afghanistan!
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The average middle class American does not have access to the graft that this man and most of our ruling class does.
Also in third world countries people tend to put their money into portable assets. Most of the middle class would convert their current assets into much more than 15k of gold.
I'm pretty sure my interpreter's dad wasn't a shady corrupt grifter with nothing but a pot to piss in and 10 ounces of gold.