Tag Archives: Bretton Woods

If we want to better understand the answer to the elusive question of "When will the fiat U.S. dollar collapse?", we have to watch the petrodollar system and the factors affecting it.

Technically the U.S. left the gold standard in 1971 but, in reality, we abandoned it in 1913 with the creation of the Fed...setting the stage for the collapse of the dollar. [Given that this is] the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Federal Reserve, it seems only fitting that we should present a brief history of the U.S. dollar debasement since then. Words: 1144

World Bank president Robert Zoellick has stirred up a hornet's nest with his recent call for a return to a gold anchor in the global financial system. The usual suspects immediately denounced him - Keynesian Brad DeLong has [gone so far as to] anoint Zoellick the "Stupidest Man Alive" - [and I would like to add my voice to the chorus by explaining] the dangers of Zoellick's gold proposal, and why fans of the classical gold standard should be wary. Words: 1708

Inflationary periods are highly unjust. They undermine the ethics of hard work and thrift. They destroy solidarity, lead to widespread hardship and often to social unrest. Gold, in contrast, has been the best hedge as investors seek to protect themselves against the large purchasing power losses of inflated currencies.

Where will the dollar go from here? My answer: Though currency market volatility is likely to continue, I still see a stronger dollar over the longer term. Here's why:

This summer will confirm that the US Federal Reserve has lost its bet: the U.S. economy has, in fact, never left the "Very Great Depression" which it entered in 2008 despite the trillions of dollars injected... Unable to launch a QE3, the Fed will helplessly watch interest rates rise, US government deficit costs explode, the world dive into an intensified economic recession, stock exchanges collapse and the U.S. dollar show erratic behavior before suddenly losing 30% of its value. Words: 1157