Buying legal currency, Kugerrands, Pandas and American Eagles, could accomplish the same, eh?
I am not certain. The government, any government, could enact any controls they like.
More and more, as I watch things unfold, it begins to make me wonder if the end game is going to be a planetary digital credit system. While people would likely acknowledge PMs as currency for a while, eventually, there would simply be ignorance and therefore avoidance. For example, right now, there are so many folks, mostly younger, who never use cash and don’t carry checks. They swipe a debit card or a credit card that awards *stuff* and which they pay off at the end of the month. In some universities and I gather, from reading, in some urban venues, people just let an RF reader log their card number or use a thumbprint.
In the 80s, we were jewelers. When gold and silver got too high for most folks, the trends shifted to reactive metals and glass or enamel. And that was $800 gold and (IIRC) $8 silver.
I see more deflation than hyper-inflation in the medium term, so that could defuse barter, at least for a time.
I also think that with a universal digital credit system, we could easily see the left’s desired Guaranteed Income become reality. A few good harvests anywhere in the world, barring commodity trade wars, and food would become affordable, leaving scant reason to prep or garden, aside from weather-related or personal preference reasons. Presently, we are already seeing energy discoveries deflating the costs and prices of fuel, so transport would be less of a factor, not accounting for environmental controls. Lots of research into alternative materials other than oil-based plastics would also keep energy prices down.
Just trying to look at things from outside the echo chamber and factoring in what the oligarchy might do to protect themselves and tighten their control short of forcing all-out revolution. I am not advocating any specific action for anyone, because we all have different world views. For ourselves, we try, as much as possible, to stay flexible just because we don’t have any real control over the larger picture.
Thanks. I appreciate this sort of thinking.