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Forum Post: When the world economy collapses ... what will be more valuable... gold & diamonds .. or... coal ?

Posted 12 years ago on Feb. 12, 2012, 10:48 a.m. EST by BradB (2693) from Washington, DC
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

well ... ?

45 Comments

45 Comments


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[-] 4 points by HitGirl (2263) 12 years ago

Friends.

[-] 2 points by FreeDiscussion4 (70) 12 years ago

Iphone. I could still check my stocks and keep up with obama while he is on vacation.

[-] 2 points by untold (24) 12 years ago

Should we not do everything in our power to prevent the global economy from collapsing? The FED is a blank checkbook. Abolishing something that's rooted in our economy without first creating a new entity to oversee market regulations is economic suicide. The PEOPLE should create the new entity.

MONEY has no value. Money was created for complex bartering. Money is an I.O.U. for goods it is not a GOOD itself. This is a big reason our economy sucks. Let me explain.

i.e. (I'm only using a few examples here) We have a village and this village has its own economy. An economy is a bunch of people trading shit. So we have... Someone makes food. Someone makes swords. Someone makes clothing. Someone makes houses.

Let's say the sword-maker is hungry so he goes to the food-maker. But the food-maker already has a sword. However, the food-maker needs a house. Ironically enough, the house-maker needs a sword. So the sword-maker gives a sword to the house-maker. In return, the house-maker gives an I.O.U.(a house) to the sword-maker. But the sword-maker has a house; he really needs food. He's hungry, remember? So he goes back to the food-maker (who needs a house) and the sword-maker gives his I.O.U.(a house) to the food-maker in exchange for food.

In this awful example, we have three makers- sword-maker, food-maker, house-maker. I.O.U.'s develop out of necessity. When there is few makers, I.O.U's are easy to manage. But when there our hundreds of makers, an entity must be established to keep track of all this shit. Markets can't go unregulated. Banks had to develop. The problem is that citizens need responsible and creative problem-solving individuals to govern these market regulations. These market regulations all depend on the collective needs of the citizens. Our needs are the only thing with TRUE VALUE.

Gold and Diamonds have little VALUE because they address the needs of few individuals and not the collective. Gold and diamonds have little material value and high materialistic value. Coal can give you energy so as a material, its TRUE value is higher than gold and diamonds.

The mind will always be the smartest investment; not just on a personal level, but on a societal level. Fuck a gold standard. There must be an education standard.

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

Love and knowledge.

[-] 2 points by freewriterguy (882) 12 years ago

food, and us food hordes will be trading one case of beans for one house. the same extreme price the land hoards were asking from us. Or we can just let them starve and move into whatever home we want. Unless by some miracle, people start growing food in their yards and it matures before the oil and gas run out out of trucking our food in from 1500 miles away, and or if the people go against city ordinances like i do and own a chicken or two, or three and get their own eggs, or go against city ordinance and own a cow so they can have milk, and meat, Nah, im convinced people are too dumb, and their fate is sealed, Id put my money on them starving to death, (like it says in the bible, in the last days, men shall eat the flesh from their own arm to satisfy their belly). Oh wait i just said something politically incorrect and unpopular to some

[-] 3 points by ThunderclapNewman (1083) from Nanty Glo, PA 12 years ago

"Your beans or your life!" :-)

[-] 2 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

Family, shelter, food and love.

Everything else will be extraneous.

[-] 2 points by BradB (2693) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

sounds like fun actually ... ;)

[-] -1 points by slammersworldwillnotbecensored (-184) 12 years ago

without protection all those things are at risk......

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

Love is never at risk.

[-] 2 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

Bullets over Broadway for you then???

[-] 0 points by slammersworldwillnotbecensored (-184) 12 years ago

we'll see what transpires.....but, in the event of a collapse....I would suggest not coming within 600 yards with any sort of weapon....

[-] 2 points by freewriterguy (882) 12 years ago

im with you, for several years, anytime anyone comes up to me I put my hand on my gun. When was the last time someeone did anything FOR me? half past never. Usually a person wants something FROM me.

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

Have fun loving your gun and befriending your bullets.

Be sure and save your brass, you may be pressed to "invent" new ammo.

[-] -1 points by slammersworldwillnotbecensored (-184) 12 years ago

I've got plenty of components to recycle my brass...thanks, and a working formula for black powder and the weapons to utilize that too......thanks

and there is no lack of love in my life, and I know it's not a masquerade of sympathy or codependency.....

[-] 0 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 12 years ago

Schmuck

[-] 2 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

food

[-] 0 points by slammersworldwillnotbecensored (-184) 12 years ago

the ability to grow food will be much more valuable....

[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 12 years ago

I understand the whole nations has become dependent on food

[-] 2 points by FriendlyObserverB (1871) 12 years ago

Solutions , ideas, recovery , a contingency plan. When the titanic sank, life boats were highly valued. The main idea to be concerned with is prevention of a collapse. We are all in this together. We must chart our course wisely.

[-] 1 points by Lacombe (4) from Sofia, Sofia-grad 12 years ago

Common sense, respect of others, community of people helping each other. The moral compass. The mankind went through many crisis and catastrophes for the last 5000 years. Read the history of the old and wise nations.

[-] 1 points by Progression (143) 12 years ago

If the world economy collapses, I don't see how gold or diamonds would retain value. Both valuable commodities do not serve much practical applications. I believe clean water, food, medical supplies and weapons will rise in value with the collapse of the world economy.

[-] 1 points by gestopomillyy (1695) 12 years ago

because even if the economy collapses.. the rich will still be rich.. the government will still be in power.. you will have to buy that water and food from them.

[-] 1 points by Quark (236) 12 years ago

The basic needs will always be most valuable. What we trade in does not matter. It can be the actual things themselves that we trade or a tally stick. The point is to have fluid economy that promotes barter & trade.

[-] 1 points by Skippy2 (485) 12 years ago

I stock pile ammo,cigars and whiskey.....good tade items.

[-] 1 points by mvjobless (370) 12 years ago

Land and farming your own food, and you don't need alot of land.

[-] 1 points by BradB (2693) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

how bout seed .... wonder what monsanto will do ? hehe

[-] 2 points by mvjobless (370) 12 years ago

there's still lots of organic seed saving going on out there and plenty to be had. I think Monsanto has a fight coming on the GM seed.

[-] 1 points by larocks (414) from Lexington, KY 12 years ago

to be honest since money will no longer be of value. id say the man with all the cigerettes will be a rich man. after the collapse ciggerettes will be more valuble than anything.

[-] 1 points by shield (222) 12 years ago

Money is a medium of exchange which represents (and can be exchanged for) goods that exist. Money is first and foremost a tool for storing value. This benefits those who use it in two ways: It allows them to save up for large purchases and extends the life of the value of the goods they produce but cannot use themselves. Money is a tool only useful to advanced (and somewhat stable) societies. Gold functions as money. What we now call money is merely a bank note created, in this country, by the Federal Reserve. It does not represent goods and has no value, other than what those who control it enforce.

"a new entity to oversee market regulations... The PEOPLE should create the new entity." The people ARE that entity. This is what is called a MARKET and is so denounced by anti-capitalists.

[-] 1 points by JPB950 (2254) 12 years ago

Gold has always been an international medium of exchange. Coal, oils, tar sands and oil shale may move up the ladder. If climate disrupts things food may be more valuable. We'll have to wait and see how bad any collapse gets, as well as what is desired and what is needed by people first.

[-] 1 points by ThunderclapNewman (1083) from Nanty Glo, PA 12 years ago

If you're the owner of a coal mine, gold and diamonds are more valuable to you. If you own a gold or diamond mine, then probably coal is more valuable to you. If you own neither coal nor gold nor diamonds and you live where it's cold, coal is more valuable. What I'm saying is that it's all relative, according to regional market.

Which commodity would be more widely traded?

[-] 1 points by BradB (2693) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

gold would be worthless... the coal trader would rather sell the coal for something useful .. no ?

[-] 1 points by ThunderclapNewman (1083) from Nanty Glo, PA 12 years ago

That, it would seem would be the common sense approach. If one owns a fairly good-sized coal mine I think other values might be at play. Across the ages gold (and precious commodities generally) has always been held as something of great value and that fact, I think, can't be diminished or dismissed.

Gold and diamonds may become "relatively less valuable" should the necessities of life (food, shelter, warmth, safety) become more important.

More correctly put perhaps, the value of necessities would increase in an economic collapse for those who lack the wherewithal to "wait out" such a calamity, if history is any indicator.

[-] 1 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 12 years ago

I've learned to turn my feces into fertilizer. I will start a feces trade organization when the world economy collapses.

[-] 1 points by PandoraK (1678) 12 years ago

To be honest none of those things will be high on anyone's list, at least anyone with common sense.

Food, yes, shelter, yes, security, yes...immediate needs.

Then a community because it will take community to maintain the above three.

After that it's build.

[-] 1 points by ClearView (73) 12 years ago

First to discern the real economy of people, places and things from the abstract,symbols/ formulas symbolic of so called economic value. The greatest value moment by moment for me is my humanity accessible and connected to all living things and others. Resources of earth, wind, fire and air are there for all living things. Trying to own,control and commodify these things are the folly of fools in our current system. Our greatest resource is to know thy neighbor and be available to work side-by-side in a win-win world.

[-] 0 points by smartcapitalist (143) 12 years ago

Only in a forum full of idiots is such a thing ever discussed.

[-] 0 points by BlackSun (275) from Agua León, BC 12 years ago

An amazing, and frightening, display of ignorance by some of you. If the world economy collapsed it would change all that we know.

[-] 0 points by asauti (-113) from Port Orchard, WA 12 years ago

Most valuable: Coal first, then gold, and finally diamonds.

With modern technology, diamonds can now be created (from coal), they are therefore the least scarce resource of the three.

[-] 0 points by BlackSun (275) from Agua León, BC 12 years ago

Food and ammunition will be the most valuable initially.

[-] 0 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 12 years ago

It will be valuable to have lived before the collapse, by not standing on someone Else's back.

Having good Family Friends and Neighbors will be valuable.

[-] 0 points by slammersworldwillnotbecensored (-184) 12 years ago

Ammunition and Weapons........

It will be a jungle if that happens.....

[-] 2 points by BradB (2693) from Washington, DC 12 years ago

true... actually bullets & gun powder might be the most valuable ...

[-] 0 points by slammersworldwillnotbecensored (-184) 12 years ago

much more than that...guns, cartridges, reloading components, blades, etc.....and, the skill with which to use them.....that will be valuable too....especially to those who have stockpiles of other things....