Wednesday, November 19, 2014

the golden question


GOLDEN QUESTION

Last week the Druid Dude spoke out quite forcibly on gold ownership during a civilization decline, reminding us that the Yuppie Scum of the day in Rome escaped to the countryside and buried gold to preserve their wealth and in the end it remained there until recently discovered availing the previous owners for naught.  And he also reminded us how spending any would spread the word to nefarious elements and you painted a target on yourself for future theft after torture and family member assassination.  How, granted, on the face of it this is all true.  And it is true that those with a less detailed grasp on history who claim You Can’t Eat Gold are also grasping a fundamental truism.  But does that invalidate gold ownership ( assuming ALL other provisions are first procured and then secured )?  I would argue that gold might still have a place for the more financially comfortable survivalist ( as a luxury item, not as a necessity- the very few individuals who might have such a surplus of wealth as they must spend it on something are obviously not reading this blog since their butler already made an appointment with Rawles for an in person consultation ).  Since any paper wealth instrument is guaranteed to be swallowed into the black hole of a central banker implosion very soon, you still have few other options in transporting your wealth intact to your children and grandchildren ( obviously, out of the way farmland is the first necessity- I remind you we are talking about what to invest in AFTER all the beans and bullets ).

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Gold has always been primarily an inflation proof intergenerational savings account, not a daily necessity for trade for the average Joe.  Of course, the Druids point is that once that wealth is needed somewhere down the road that is when it turns and bites its owner on the ass.  True.  But what is the alternative?  Continue your starvation or sickness or refuse to move out of the way of danger?  You are trading a slightly lesser hopefully lesser probability future evil for a present guaranteed worse evil.  Better to have an imperfect insurance than none at all.  And gold ownership is not the only reason for your children to be kidnapped ( it isn’t just the rich you are targeted in a decline but the middle class.  Hide your wealth PRIOR to a breakdown in law and order- and, no, they won’t care if it is all the result of indebtedness rather than savings ).  A few thousand bucks ransom will soon be a good enough target for the criminal gangs who will start to take over when local governments cease to properly function ( there will be multiple contesting entities and the less successful will lower their expectations ).  Then, after trade begins breaking down, you will be invaded and tortured for information as to where you hide your food.  The issues with gold are far down the road in your worries.  And, now is probably the last chance you will have to buy it ( the artificial dampening in price through derivatives has a finite shelf life ).  No time like the present if you so desire.

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10 comments:

  1. Anything of value will make us potential targets for enterprising thugs. Food and food production. Solar panels that are visible, livestock, gardens, a wood pile. I agree that if you have the financial resources precious metals do have a place. I, like you, have a few years worth of property taxes in silver rounds. Gold is not happening for me anytime soon.

    I have other precious metals in the form off brass and blued steel. Not that it is advisable to barter guns and ammo but if I ever had to I have a few I could spare if needed.

    Part of the problem with barter is going to be having trusted trading partners. I may take a while for things to settle down enough to do any trading safely.

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    1. I think too many of us assume no disruption in trade, as if the die-off is just happening to Other People.

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  2. As you pointed out, anything you have that someone else wants will cause you to become a target. Gold, food, green Orion slave girls, etc. you only have two options (besides giving the valuable away); hiding (my personal favorite as it has worked for man since he was a rodent hiding from dinosaurs) and making them pay too high a price for what they think you have. Number two can be highly satisfying right up to the point in which you die. Fighting off those with little to lose can be very expensive.

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    1. But isn't life just like a video game-unlimited ammo and multiple lives?

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  3. "A few thousand bucks ransom will soon be a good enough target for the criminal gangs who will start to take over when local governments cease to properly function "
    close- but it will be the local governments demanding the ransom as often as possible (bail money don't you know!) Think more of local governments will become criminal gangs (they are already well on the way) and criminal gangs will cover themselves with a patina of legality. This is the face of the future, the velvet glove wearing out over the iron fist leaving only tattered rags covering tyranny.
    That's why I say you need to get to know your local community. meet the mayor, sheriff, their friends and family and dogs.
    The last thing you want to do is shoot the sheriffs dog when it gets loose on your land- and then call the sheriff about cleaning up the 'stray dogs' body.

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    1. More likely than not, you are paying off two to three entities at the same time. Govt., and one or two strong gangs. Think of the South Vietnamese farmers caught between the Cong, their own govt. and the US forces.

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    2. True, and that is where coinage becomes useful. And receipts. Always get receipts!

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  4. Gold (or other precious metal) is your 'escape clause' small, light, portable, and valuable. Using it as your ability to carry wealth. Across borders, across time, is all a good reason for it. You can carry in a pocket enough silver to buy a years worth of supplies, while carrying a years supplies takes a U-Haul truck or two. Not that you shouldn't have both. So if you don't have your land yet to put your years supplies on, you should go half and half on precious metals to supplies while hunting your land.

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    1. while you have a semi valid argument,"a pocket full of silver to buy a years of supplies",who will you barter with? If I had a years worth of supplies to spare,what good is a handful of useless metal,unless I know someone with 2 years of supplies to spare? If SHTF,I want to keep my supplies,not wait for the precious metals market to come back.Sure,you will find some greedy person who will accept it.When they starve,just go get your silver back for pennies on the dollar!

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    2. Producers. People who raise chickens will have chickens to spare, but need a list of things that you cant easily carry as a refugee- BUT you can give them the silver that they need to trade for those things.
      Some form of trade will have to exist for most things to have at least barter value. Silver is actually useful for anti-biotic and industrial purposes- so I pursue silver in place of gold in most cases. Gold is rarer/more valuable BUT has less utility so get less of it. Copper Steel Lead Brass Iron Nickel etc start getting bulky for a given value- But are still worth holding onto any useful forms you come across. (wire, ammo, coins, nails, etc).

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