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Gold bugs love to show how the dollar has decreased in value over the years. But they conveniently overlook the fact that people have far more dollars than they did back then. Yeah, $20 might have bought you a new suit in 1920. But the average worker only made about $15 a week so he couldn't afford it anyway. Today, the average suit costs $250, well within the affordability range of the average worker who makes some $600 a week now.

But they conveniently overlook the fact that people have far more dollars than they did back then

Due to the yearly ~4% ripoff known as inflation. Someone's making trillions a year off that perfect scam.

Do you see any value in gold as a failsafe wealth instrument in a scenario that some here ponder? What event would trigger a collapse of our currency? It is better to invest in bottled water, canned foods, batteries, freeze dried veggies and meats, rice, soap and firewood. Nobody is going to trade gold coins in an American economy and government so ravaged and chaotic that paper currency is worthless. Sellers aren't going to exchange vital life stuffs for gold when there is no existing valuation standard or market maker. I don't get that use of gold ... I can see it as an investment vehicle, but as a doomsday lifeline? Escapes me completely.

Perhaps Herbert Kornfeld can lay some mad economic skills on me? Sam, that was one of the funniest things I've ever seen here, your Herbert commentary regarding the contentious FR software changes. Damn! I hope you saved that - you had the Onion patter dead on.

Gold bugs love to show how the dollar has decreased in value over the years. But they conveniently overlook the fact that people have far more dollars than they did back then.

Too bad our tax rate increases based on the number of dollars we earn, not the adjusted real value of those dollars. Just something to put in your pipe and smoke.