Man, this is something that's always bugged the shit outta me - the fact that the value of 'money' and rare metals is illusory... or, at best, very much arbitrary.
Personally, I think that a modern bartering system could work. Can you imagine Wall Street becoming an international center of barter? It honestly wouldn't look very different at all, especially considering that they really do that on a certain level (the value of what the world places coffee beans against the value of American Dollars).
Although, that would certainly make America that much more socialist - something that's been flying in the face of of those on the Left, and even a few on the Right. Think about it - on a barter system, the US Governent would have to pay all their employees with goods and services instead of money. (Though we in the Military know what that's like.
Contractors would be no different, probably getting paid in whatever food is acquired in trading with other countries and supplementing that with home-grown stuff. Possibly other materials they need as well.
The energy industry would have to change as well. Local production would be in vogue as people employ whatever works in their area - solar power in the sunniest areas, wind in the plains, geothermal in the mountains (hey, now there's a way to utilize those burning coal mines in the Apalachans), tidal along the coasts... and the Power Companies there to keep the network up and provide the extra little bit when Mother Nature is not enough. Given that the local populace produces most of the energy, some of it maybe even going into storage, the costs would be fairly small.
It could work. It might even fix problems like unemployment and healthcare. But it would be a very different America. Good luck trying to get Corporate America to go along with something like that.
Personally, I think that a modern bartering system could work. Can you imagine Wall Street becoming an international center of barter? It honestly wouldn't look very different at all, especially considering that they really do that on a certain level (the value of what the world places coffee beans against the value of American Dollars).
Although, that would certainly make America that much more socialist - something that's been flying in the face of of those on the Left, and even a few on the Right. Think about it - on a barter system, the US Governent would have to pay all their employees with goods and services instead of money. (Though we in the Military know what that's like.
Contractors would be no different, probably getting paid in whatever food is acquired in trading with other countries and supplementing that with home-grown stuff. Possibly other materials they need as well.The energy industry would have to change as well. Local production would be in vogue as people employ whatever works in their area - solar power in the sunniest areas, wind in the plains, geothermal in the mountains (hey, now there's a way to utilize those burning coal mines in the Apalachans), tidal along the coasts... and the Power Companies there to keep the network up and provide the extra little bit when Mother Nature is not enough. Given that the local populace produces most of the energy, some of it maybe even going into storage, the costs would be fairly small.
It could work. It might even fix problems like unemployment and healthcare. But it would be a very different America. Good luck trying to get Corporate America to go along with something like that.