"I just wonder how the economic dislocation might play out. MAD worked with the Russians; in the end they loved their kids more than they hated capitalism. Not so with our Insane Death Cult adversaries."
Atomic bombs, plural, went off in Japan during WW2, yet the Yen remained in circulation.
As for our enemies, we are no longer under MAD but RAD, for Rest-Assured Destruction. It is no longer mutual.
Asymetrical attacks can certainly damage America, but they can NOT assure our destruction. In contrast, we already have the nuclear, chemical, biological, and conventional weaponry to assure the destruction of all non-American life on this planet.
The death cults may get what they ask for, but it will merely be their own destruction and no one else's.
Perhaps someone should have told the death cults that asymetrical attacks are lousy at defense...
As for gold, it is accepted in fewer places than is oil or Dollars. I suppose it might make some sense to have a small amount for some unforseen contingency, but clearly having guns, ammo, Dollars, oil, and various modes of transportation are all more important than holding onto an ugly yellow mass of metal that is worth a third of what it sold for 20+ years ago in non-inflation-adjusted Dollars...
Atomic bombs, plural, went off in Japan during WW2, yet the Yen remained in circulation.The hyperinflated dollar will still be in circulation also, but that doesn't mean you'll get your money's worth for the amount of work you put in to get those dollars in the first place.
As for gold, it is accepted in fewer places than is oil or Dollars.
Barter items are also accepted in few places. But barter and gold will rule if the dollar hyperinflates due to a disaster.
I suppose it might make some sense to have a small amount for some unforseen contingency, but clearly having guns, ammo, Dollars, oil, and various modes of transportation are all more important than holding onto an ugly yellow mass of metal that is worth a third of what it sold for 20+ years ago in non-inflation-adjusted Dollars...
You're cherry-picking a time frame. Take an average of the last 6000 years and you'll see that it has always bought appoximately the same amount of loaves of bread.
Perhaps someone should have told the death cults that asymetrical attacks are lousy at defense...They don't care, their marching orders come direct from Mohammed. Allah will take care of the details, and the more "martyrs" the better.