The US Economy Is Collapsing!!!@@!!!

Gold is not valuable anymore..

Meta materials have replaced EVERY instance of golds usefullness. So now its just a game for the fools to put their money into gold before its discarded like many of the other precious metals that have been replaced by polymers.

Buy gold if you want to look like a boob when everyone realizes it has the same value as pokemon cards.

Originally posted by LongbottomLeaf
reply to post by Drunkenparrot

 

I guess I could eat a lawyer...

Isn't that the only thing they are good for?

What about diamonds?

In Crichton's book Congo he writes that diamonds (Type IIb) will be what's in demand because computers will use them. He wrote this and published it in 1980. I don't recall any diamond rush, though.

Here:
en.wikipedia.org...

Type IIb diamonds make up about 0.1% of all natural diamonds. In addition to having very low levels of nitrogen impurities comparable to Type IIa diamonds, Type IIb diamonds contain significant boron impurities. The absorption spectrum of boron causes these gems to absorb red, orange, and yellow light, lending Type IIb diamonds a light blue or grey color, though examples with low levels of boron impurities can also be colorless.[1] These diamonds are also p-type semiconductors, unlike other diamond types, due to uncompensated electron holes (see Electrical properties of diamond); as little as 1 ppm of boron is enough for this effect. However, a blue-grey color may also occur in Type Ia diamonds and be unrelated to boron.[5] Type IIb diamonds show distinctive infrared absorption spectrum and show gradually increasing absorption towards the red side of visible spectrum.

If you must invest in precious metals as a hedge or whatever, buy junk silver coins. They would be more useful in a trade situation. In the long run, trade skills are a better investment. I have skill as an electrician, plumber, locksmith, mechanic, hydraulic and pneumatic technician, HVAC technician, painter, and I am now learning to weld. The great thing is that I no longer need a job. I make enough in 3 days to take the rest of the week off. I see no need to spend my time making huge sums of money that either the O or my ex-wife will just want to take.

Originally posted by jonnywhite
What about diamonds?

Try to buy a box of bullets or a few cans of food with a diamond. Now try with a few silver dimes.

reply to post by -Blackout-


Apparently the U.S. government has bought into that pyramid scam "Trasforming Debt into Wealth". We're not wealthy, we're just wealthy in debt.

Our country is like the Real Housewives of Atlanta which has women who are 22 million in debt but still delude themselves into living those lavish lifestyles because theyre in denial. U.S. government=in denial, even our national gaurd are in bankruptcy.

We're all gonna die!!!!! Say a prayer for me...the Rapture is almost here!

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Come on.....I've been waiting 3-4 years for a full blown economic collapse of biblical proportions.....still no dice.

The sun will rise tomorrow......

reply to post by -Blackout-


It's been crashing since 1913

reply to post by calnorak


That and I suppose target practice?

reply to post by jonnywhite


Diamond-based semiconductors have been a topic of research for a few decades, now. It's been slow to market because of the impractical marketability and the improvements in silicon die manufacturing that has continued beyond anyone's predictions in the 70s and 80s.

Another work of Crichton, "Sphere," mentions a computer system designed to function entirely out of photonics. This is highly probable to become the case as quantum computing becomes more main-stream (unlike voltage potential, light actually transmits a particle that can be used with entanglement principles as well as carry a super-position).

Diamonds, however, are highly sought after. People in Africa kill each other over them, though that little factoid is used to market "conflict free diamonds" - so... bask in the irony.

As for the topic...

Investing in gold is no different than investing in any other material asset. Its value is going to be greatly dependent upon the need and/or want for it. Gold is often valued as an exchange medium, and a high-value one at that. One really shouldn't invest in it with the goal of "becoming rich" - as you are really only converting your existing funds into a different medium.

Society will not cease to exist, even if the Dollar were to completely collapse. Bartering and third-party currencies (facebook credits..... you laugh... but look at how poised such token systems are to replace government-issued bank notes) will become the standard - but coinage was originally designed to be a certain metal of a certain purity and mass. A silver dollar from a coin company would have value as the exchange-worthy metal.

Now - we can debate the reasoning behind using gold and silver as exchange metals.. but that's neither here nor there.

The point is that investing in gold is not a move to "get rich" - but to provide a different type of savings account. Personally, I'd only ever invest in a piece of metal I could put in a safe on my property (a certificate is prone to fractional reserve systems...) - but that's me. In either case - when the price of gold goes up, it typically indicates inflation has gone up... so selling gold doesn't really result in more purchasing power (depending upon what you are buying and the dynamics of inflation or temporary market spikes).

Personally, I'll be looking at investing in laser eye surgery. I think that will be far more valuable and practical of an investment (apocalypse or no) than anything else I could possibly do. Weapons are nice, but I really have no need for anything that elaborate at this point in time - or for the foreseeable future. There are plenty of weapons that I could acquire should the situation dictate it (and plenty of unskilled individuals I could acquire one from). Ammunition will expire - and will experience market spikes when people perceive they will be needing a lot of it (when those of limited funds will be considering investing in ammunition).

Seeds are good - but also have a shelf-life, and care should be taken to ensure you can adequately defend the lands necessary to produce food. Not only will you have people who decide to "protect you" at your expense, you will have idiots who trample through, trying to eat seedlings.

Honestly, if you're concerned about food, you'll want to do a two-step approach. You'll want at least two years' worth of non-perishable food capable of meeting nutrition requirements, and seeds with very long shelf-lives. Allow all the stupid people to die off while you defend your food stores; then get the reasonable and resourceful together and start planting.

But that's more of an apocalyptic scenario as opposed to an economic crisis. This is straying from the original point I was trying to make....