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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: Kartographer

If you had said Bronies, I’d have disowned you on the spot...


161 posted on 12/27/2013 9:17:33 AM PST by Old Sarge (And Good Evening, Agent Smith, wherever you are...)
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To: Old Sarge

The first rule of Bronies is you don’t talk about them.
The second rule of Bronies is you don’t talk about them.
The third rule of Bronies is ................ ;-)


162 posted on 12/27/2013 9:19:52 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: Daveinyork
Not as much as a stovetop percolator that can be used on an open fire.

But, what will I do with my 5 years supply of K cups /S

163 posted on 12/27/2013 9:21:10 AM PST by Popman ("Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God" - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: Popman

“ut, what will I do with my 5 years supply of K cups /S”

Maybe you can find a hamster wheel to power your K pot.


164 posted on 12/27/2013 9:32:55 AM PST by Daveinyork (IER)
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To: Daveinyork; Kartographer
Just FYI and for your calculations, average smokers consume anywhere from 1/2 to 1 lb of tobacco per month. That's a measured number from my tobacco consumption.

I will grow and cure 24 lbs of tobacco in 2014 for my own personal use/storage surplus.

/johnny

165 posted on 12/27/2013 9:36:36 AM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: central_va; Kartographer
You said to Kartographer: “You do not have the mental capacity to survive a SHTF scenario, you FAIL.”

You don't have the mental capacity to know being nasty to Kart, our prepper leader on this website, may lead to your forum demise. He has standing and respect from thousands of people he has helped and you have NONE.

166 posted on 12/27/2013 9:47:34 AM PST by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.))
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To: SeekAndFind

There’s probably a lot of people here that just don’t have the funds to buy a stash of stuff - so here’s a tip:

Just buy a bulk plastic pail of pinto beans. You can get one from pleasanthillgrain.com.

You can use this as a food supply now and order another one when you have the money. One cup goes a long way and you can hide servings in nooks and crannies around your home if events warrant.


167 posted on 12/27/2013 9:56:35 AM PST by RushingWater
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To: nomorelurker
Mostly because those items are givens.

In other words we already have basic non-powered hand and gardening tools.

I do think a few pallets of construction materials are nice to have on hand but that is a personal belief.

168 posted on 12/27/2013 9:57:30 AM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (Proud Infidel, Gun Nut, Religious Fanatic and Freedom Fiend)
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To: MrB

These are interesting points of knowledge:

http://www.kamron.com/liberty/colonial_script.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0Nrm0ZQjqQ


169 posted on 12/27/2013 10:01:30 AM PST by BCW (Salva reipublicae)
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To: Marcella; Kartographer
I am not saying don't do the things he (Kart) said to "prepare". He is discounting hard currency as useless which is such BS as to be laughable. This thread is about denigrating the value of gold and silver as necessary commodities to have in an emergency.

I asked him some simple questions and he refuses to answer and dodged them, there in lies the rub. You cannot gain my respect if you refuse to answer simple questions. I am an open book and never refuse a question from a fellow Freeper. Look at this thread and look at his disingenuous non responses, then you make the call.

170 posted on 12/27/2013 10:16:48 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: MrB

“Gold is for preserving wealth until the recovery.”

Exactly. Well said. Many here do not ‘get’ that.

Of course, canned goods, ammo, TP, cigs for bartering and a clean water source are gonna get you through until the recovery phase. :)


171 posted on 12/27/2013 10:23:46 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: 3Fingas

Sandy taught me (or reminded me, really) of the great smell of coffee brewing in an agate percolator over a fire.

Also reminded me to check on all equipment every few months to ensure they’re in working order and you have easy access to them.

In a panic situation, those extra minutes count - as much as we like to think we’re calm cool and collected.


172 posted on 12/27/2013 10:27:35 AM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: Kartographer
I am a HUGE Walking Dead fan but not because of the zombies. It is truly an experience of what TEOTWAWKI could be. The motto last season was 'Fight the Dead, Fear the Living'.

It's fascinating to see how the different groups and personalities handle things, as well as the different takes on morality. Talking Dead, which comes on after it, allows the guests to discuss the options the characters had and whether they were right to do certain things.

They touch on a lot of things - a regular illness which killed a lot of people, and a herb they used to combat it while some went off in search of antibiotics at a vet school, trading vs fighting, joining together vs fighting, changing styles of team leadership, one minor character's addiction to alcohol, the importance of ammo, etc.

I think every prepper/survivalist should watch the show.

There are things that will cause some people's heads to explode - such as gas being still useable and seemingly somewhat easy to find. Season 4 (next year) will bring the zombies as a big danger, but seasons 2 and 3 focused on the danger of other bands of survivors.

Rawles' blog feature a guy a month or two ago reporting his surprise at how much his son and his friends loved the show and that it gave him an 'in' to discuss 'system down' issues. And he said that some of the things his son told him about what to do first in certain situations gave him (the father) reason to rethink his strategies!

173 posted on 12/27/2013 10:32:09 AM PST by Patriotic1 (Dic mihi solum facta, domina - Just the facts, ma'am)
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To: silverleaf

“by what mode of transport are they going to travel to barter ammo?”

Reminds me of the trade routes for obsidian to make tools and arrowheads. Researchers can track a sample back to the volcanic source, using chem and spectro analysis.

Seems like they find Calif desert rock all the way to the Pacific coast.


174 posted on 12/27/2013 10:37:21 AM PST by Scrambler Bob ( Concerning bo -- that refers to the president. If I capitalize it, I mean the dog.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Never understood the logic behind the whole "gold" thing. I constantly see people advertising their gold, warning us that the economy is going to collapse. Well if the peddlers of gold actually believed that, then why would they be so eager to exchange their precious gold for these "soon to be worthless" dollars?

I sense a scam.

If you truly want to survive the collapse of the U.S. economy, focus on bartering your skills in exchange for goods and services. The more things you can do with your hands (i.e. carpentry), the more valuable your skills will be in a post-apocalyptic society. On the other hand, if you can't drive a nail through a piece of wood or provide any other valuable service, all the gold in the world isn't going to save you. You will simply become a disposable person.

Medical skills will come in handy as well. Lawyer skills...not so much.

175 posted on 12/27/2013 10:42:59 AM PST by SamAdams76
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To: central_va; Kartographer; Old Sarge
You said to Kartographer: “You do not have the mental capacity to survive a SHTF scenario, you FAIL.”

Now you say: “I asked him some simple questions and he refuses to answer and dodged them, there in lies the rub. You cannot gain my respect if you refuse to answer simple questions.”

You were major disrespectful/nasty to Kart and that is not acceptable. Gaining your respect is on my list after a root canal. I severely do not want your respect.

176 posted on 12/27/2013 10:43:55 AM PST by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.))
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To: RushingWater

A sailors trick for cooking dry beans with limited stove fuel: put the beans in a thermos, add boiling water and set aside, after a few hours they finish quickly in the pot with your other ingredients.


177 posted on 12/27/2013 10:59:09 AM PST by Anton.Rutter
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To: Kartographer; Old Sarge; greeneyes; All
I will tell you the one item one absolutely must have - it is SWEET PICKLE RELISH. Yes, it's true, my kingdom for sweet pickle relish. Here is why it's the most important item to have: BECAUSE I'M ALMOST OUT OF IT.

The smallest of items becomes the most important one if you don't have it. I am on a self imposed lockdown due to H1N1 deaths in this county, so I am living on stored food. I made tuna salad yesterday evening and there was no pickle relish in the fridge. I thought there was some in the pantry, but no, there was not. I looked everywhere, no relish, then went back to the pantry and unloaded items until I could see every can and bottle - there was one smallish size sweet pickle relish. Aha! now, I could have tuna salad.

But, that one bottle won't last long at all. How did I miss not getting bottles of that?

The point is, whatever you don't have and you want, will be the most important item to have and that will happen over and over.

In an emergency situation, I couldn't turn gold into relish but that is not why it's good to have some silver and gold - anything you have will be useful at some time. I agree with Kart, one needs to have shelter, water, food, light, medicine, safety and other major needs before one stores silver and gold unless one has so much money, all can be done at the same time. Nothing is either, or. Do both if you can but be sure to have the basics of life.

Right now, I'd give $5 for a bottle of sweet pickle relish so I wouldn't have to leave my house. Once the remainder of that bottle I have is used, I have no pickle relish. Darn.

178 posted on 12/27/2013 11:09:43 AM PST by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.))
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To: Marcella

I asked him if in a SHTF scenario if he saw a gold coin on the ground if he would walk by it or pick it up. He made up some cockamamie story about it being a set up ambush. He dodged the question. LOL. If you want to take the advice of someone like that then go ahead.


179 posted on 12/27/2013 11:10:05 AM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: P.O.E.

Agree on all points; however, I prefer tea to coffee. Yeah, I am confident enough to say that. :-D


180 posted on 12/27/2013 11:13:18 AM PST by 3Fingas (Sons and Daughters for Freedom and Rededicaton to the Principles of the U.S. Constitution...)
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