Which catastrophes would make money into just paper?

I recently placed some of my very moderate income into 'Guaranteed" bonds that I can't withdraw for two years. I'm not that interested in economic speculation involving the factors that may or may not drive the world's economy further down the toilet, though I realize these issues are very important, particularly for poor people in all parts of planet Earth.

My question is .... what events could occur in our world that would make banks
permanently lock their doors. What are the events that could change a $20 bill into mere paper overnight?

What about the following admittedly unlikely scenarios?

1. widespread nuclear war
2. a large object either hitting Earth, or flying close to Earth (such as what zapped the dinosaurs and many more species)
3. disclosure .... ufos filling the skies, cnn totally covering it
4. magnetic pole reversal, leaving all engines non-operational, or physical pole reversal, leaving most humans, and other animals, non-operational.

I know these outcomes are highly unlikely, but what would it take, in your opinion, to make paper money worthless?

IMO, it would take everyone waking up tomorrow to discover that money has absolutely no value anyway, that it hasn't been backed by gold since 1970 and is nothing more than a big scam to make the 'rich' stop living the same as the 'poor'.

It's a bit of a catch 22 though.. if everyone was rich, there would be no poor, but nobody would be rich either... as stale as that might sound, at least everyone will have the chance to live a good healthy clean lifestyle rather than having to work 14 hours a day at 0.25 cents an hour in a sweatshop to make things that sell for 6 months wages in other countries.

The realization that indeed money is just paper.
Think about that for awhile - oh, the catastrophe wouldnt be on our end though with this realization. (I suppose it could be if your story and identity is tied up in it.)

But money is not needed to survive - its a tool, an energy...a very old, misused form of energy/tool.

Peace

dAlen

Originally posted by droid56
I recently placed some of my very moderate income into 'Guaranteed" bonds that I can't withdraw for two years. I'm not that interested in economic speculation involving the factors that may or may not drive the world's economy further down the toilet, though I realize these issues are very important, particularly for poor people in all parts of planet Earth.

My question is .... what events could occur in our world that would make banks
permanently lock their doors. What are the events that could change a $20 bill into mere paper overnight?

What about the following admittedly unlikely scenarios?

1. widespread nuclear war
2. a large object either hitting Earth, or flying close to Earth (such as what zapped the dinosaurs and many more species)
3. disclosure .... ufos filling the skies, cnn totally covering it
4. magnetic pole reversal, leaving all engines non-operational, or physical pole reversal, leaving most humans, and other animals, non-operational.

I know these outcomes are highly unlikely, but what would it take, in your opinion, to make paper money worthless?

Do a search on Torrent for a documentary called "The Day the Dollar Falls" or "The Day the Dollar Collapse". Very scary - they paint a scenario about the US dollar falling against the Euro, and what could/will cause this.

Even if money was backed by gold it has no worth when there is no food to buy. Money has become worthless many times when people are faced with death. It can be burned for heat, that is all.

Any catastrophe will make cash worthless to the people involved, mate.

edit: apologies for the one line post, but it's a serious point.



p.s; i can't believe i put paper instead of cash...



[edit on 20-5-2008 by Anti-Tyrant]

Indeed money is nothing more than paper and numbers on a computer. That is why, in order to rob a bank, you don't actually have to physically rob it. Just reroute the numbers. But some people will always live in the past. United States money isn't worth the paper it's printed on. Real money is in your assets and tangible things you can touch and trade. I'd rather have a $200,000 home than have $200,000 in cash. If I were you, I would have used my money to invest in actual Gold Bars. Take $5000 and buy you a gold brick. I guarentee it will be worth more when civilization collapses.

It already is...just ask the federal reserve.

Most money isn't even paper, its just a bunch of electrons.

It is not just money, but gold too. For something to be worth anything it has to have a value to someone else. For me, in the case of complete and utter economic collapse, gold is worthless. I would rather have bullets. Those would have value for me. I could get my own food and protect my family. A big old chunk of gold is going to get me nothing but problems in a Mad Max style world.

[edit on 22-5-2008 by Rook1545]

Hummm,
How about a World Court Finds Your Government Illegal and demands immediate surrender or else.
I think that would pretty much destroy any currency

now WHY would 'full alien disclosure' cause this?

You think if people all acknowledge them the earth will just implode?
I don't understand that line of thinking.....