Currency Devaluation: Then and Now
The devaluation of money has been the driving force behind the collapse of great empires throughout history. Be it coin clipping in the days of the Roman Empire, alloyed metals in the Feudal period, or limitless printing and fractional reserve lending in this modern episode, the egregor of greed has been the downfall of many great nations.
Scarcity of money can be enforced by rules of public consensus, or physical laws of nature. Currencies without scarcity have a short shelf life of approximately 50 years. The US dollar left the gold standard in 1971, abandoning its anchorage to reality. Since then, the military dominance of the USA has been the soul enforcement of its dollar´s perceived value. Today, this once-unrivalled superpower is on its last legs. 50 years was 2 years ago. It is buckling under its own weight, as new superpowers rise to fill the void of its absence; hungry to establish their own currencies as the new global medium of exchange.
Price of various commodities over 5 year period
Contemplations on economic analysis
It does not require significant intellect to observe that the “cost” of the above commodities has risen significantly since the dollar reached the end of its shelf life. However, we can and ought to look at this another way. In the case of commodities, one equals one. An ounce of gold equals and ounce of gold. A pound of wheat equals a pound of wheat. A bitcoin equals a bitcoin. The inconsistency here is not the commodity, but the metric of value we´re observing it with.
If we measure a distance with a shrinking ruler, we may believe that it is the distance which is growing. Do you see the perversion?
The value of attention and creative energy
The illusion is falling, and along with it all its dependents. The devaluation of the dollar was set in stone in 1971, but it is us living today who will endure the consequences of the greedy from years long passed. The collapse does not hang on a matter of if, but a matter of when; though nobody knows the hour, nor the day. Therefore, let us not be paralyzed by fearful analysis. Analysis takes away from time spent in preparation. We have time to prepare, but no time to waste.
Attention is the allocator of our creative energy, and it is through creativity that we will survive and thrive in whichever circumstances we find ourselves in. This is what our species does; survive, create, and prosper. If we are to preserve the progress of our ancestors, we must invest our attention on things that matter. Food, water, shelter, warmth, community, self-defense, medicine and sound money are all foundational to prosperity.
Our attention is the most valuable commodity of all. To what will you give yours?
