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Why Gold Would Be Useless in an Economic Apocalypse: Seriously, stick with the canned goods
The Atlantic ^ | 12/27/2013 | JORDAN WEISSMANND

Posted on 12/27/2013 5:44:30 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Since November, financial advisor David Marotta has been publishing a series of blog posts on how to manage your money in the event of a financial apocalypse—as in a world of hyperinflation, governmental collapse, and anarachic mobs. You know, the standard stuff of a doomsday prepper's fever dreams. While Marotta admits he has some fears about the direction of the country (the man's not an Obamacare fan, to say the least) most of it seems to be fairly tongue-in-cheek material aimed at talking potential clients down from investing in some of the crazy, survivalist scams advertised on conservative talk radio. (Sadly, The Washington Examiner seems to have missed the humor).

And the first scam on his agenda? Plowing all your money into gold, of course. Here's his biblically inflected explanation of why toting around a suitcase of gold come the end times—and at today's prices, a $1 million in gold coins would fit in a suitcase—would be a suboptimal strategy:

If there really is a collapse of the money supply it is difficult to believe that your briefcase of pretty coins will still have any purchasing power near $1 million. In the 1970s, Christian singer Larry Norman made popular the Apocalyptic song lyric, “A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold” based on Revelation 6:6. In The End, I’d rather not have bought as much gold as possible.


(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: apocalypse; cannedgoods; gold; preppers
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To: cuban leaf

See post #65 or #113 this thread.


121 posted on 12/27/2013 7:52:51 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: Ghost of SVR4

Likely wont be coming to your fortress, likely won’t be coming anywhere that isn’t on a shoreline in a warm place,

maybe not even in this country

LOL at concept there won’t be anyone anywhere to trade shiny metal world-recognized denomination currency for other things

people looking to trade ammo will looking for traders with a certain type of weapon, a rather limited market, and how far from their fortresses and by what mode of transport are they going to travel to barter ammo?

the people looking to trade for seeds are those not hungry now, those who have 3 months with time and place, weather conditions and safety to plant a garden, water it, and defend it. Again, a rather limited market....your needs and those of your trade partners will be rather small isolated groups, which is probably fine for your situation, if you have thought it through and things go as you expect weather and safety wise and there is no need to change your plans, I always expect the worst, which is the unexpected


122 posted on 12/27/2013 8:00:48 AM PST by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
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To: Kartographer
I would take cover and consider that I was most likely in an ambush or that there was a hidden IED near by and get the hell out of there<

Since gold is worthless in this scenario, according to you, would not the trap require something of value for bait? Like a can of beans?

So you won't answer the question. I will take that as a yes you would pick up the gold piece and try to barter with it.

123 posted on 12/27/2013 8:00:52 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Daveinyork
"tobacco will be restored to value."

Considered that why I placed sacks of bulge-boy in canning jars.
124 posted on 12/27/2013 8:01:32 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: Fightin Whitey

People that trash hard currencies are economic idiots.


125 posted on 12/27/2013 8:02:01 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: central_va

Did I not say a trap for a fool? Did you read the post or just make a snap reply?


126 posted on 12/27/2013 8:02:51 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: Kartographer

This is why I moved to central, rural KY. No cities near us. They will have to forrage their way through 80 miles of people like me to get to me. It will significantly cull the herd.

There was a mini-series about nuclear war about 20 years ago that had a scene that made a lasting impression on me. The family had survived the attack and had a large beef ranch in the middle of nowhere and horses to get around. They were doing pretty well. Then dad rode up on a small family at the edge of his property bbqing one of his cattle. He really wasn’t going to chastise them or anything, knowing what the score was, but as he rode up and started to ask them where they were from, the head of that family pulled up a rifle and shot him off his horse, dead.

If SHTF really happened, you’d want to get most of your lessons about how to deal with strangers from that old movie, Road Warrior, and hope you have more ammo and are a better shot than the rest of them.

But I don’t think that is the way it would go down. In small countries like Zimbabwe, maybe. Our government is too big. It will be more like how the bible describes it, IMO. The government will be supreme, rather than non-existent.


127 posted on 12/27/2013 8:03:00 AM PST by cuban leaf
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To: Daveinyork

Funny you should mention tobacco. A rebel tobacco seed wound up in my fall potting soil and took off. Normally, I start my tobacco in Feb, but this guy was doing well enough that I brought it in and let it live. That pic was taken just a few minutes ago. Shotgun shell is for scale. ;)

/johnny

128 posted on 12/27/2013 8:03:32 AM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper
"Shotgun shell is for scale."

I was wondering just what kind of plant that was... and where I could get one!

129 posted on 12/27/2013 8:07:02 AM PST by Flag_This (Liberalism: Kills countries dead.)
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To: cuban leaf

So what really happened in Sarajevo is the same as a ‘Road Warrior’ movie? How do you figure that?


130 posted on 12/27/2013 8:07:06 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: cuban leaf

The government will be supreme, rather than non-existent.

This is what I fear the most — fighting off the government “representatives” that are sure to be out, harassing the self reliant and rounding up the desperate stragglers so they can take them to their camps.


131 posted on 12/27/2013 8:08:02 AM PST by LibsRJerks
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To: Flag_This
If I find a plant that grows shotgun shells, I'll post that on the Friday gardening thread. ;)

/johnny

132 posted on 12/27/2013 8:08:37 AM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: LibsRJerks

There will be excessive gov’t force in some areas,
and none at all in others.

They just don’t have the resources to be cracking down everywhere.


133 posted on 12/27/2013 8:09:04 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Most people use a quarter or a dollar for scale...


134 posted on 12/27/2013 8:09:31 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: MrB
Didn't have any spare change. Did have 00 12 ga shells by the door though. ;)

/johnny

135 posted on 12/27/2013 8:10:19 AM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: driftdiver

Six feet is all my tractor mounted 3 point backhoe can reach. I pray with all my might that our nation doesn’t go down this road... However, if it does, we have a spot where the deed could be done and keep things healthy...


136 posted on 12/27/2013 8:10:28 AM PST by JDoutrider
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To: SeekAndFind

BookMark


137 posted on 12/27/2013 8:11:13 AM PST by thesearethetimes... ("Courage, is fear that has said its prayers." Dorothy Bernard)
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To: JRandomFreeper
"If I find a plant that grows shotgun shells, I'll post that on the Friday gardening thread."

I am holding you to that Johnny! ;-)
138 posted on 12/27/2013 8:13:44 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: JRandomFreeper

I have plenty of barter goods to trade for some of those shotgun tobacky seeds of yours!


139 posted on 12/27/2013 8:16:39 AM PST by JDoutrider
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To: central_va
People that trash hard currencies are economic idiots.

People who trash those who are their stated, demonstrated allies are beyond hope.

140 posted on 12/27/2013 8:17:07 AM PST by Fightin Whitey
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