RE: Money Is the Ultimate Form Of Agreement
“pieces of metal or paper which can be exchanged for goods”
Money is an item that holds value in exchange for goods and services.
Gold and Silver became the defacto method of exchange because it was easier to lug them around than cows. Also, they were divisible. But, on top of the obvious beauty of the metal, gold and silver have multiple uses. Not only can they made into impractical things, like jewelry, they can be made into practical items like eating utensils and current conductors.
Gold has many uses and will never be worth zero.
Dollars and other paper currencies used to be backed by gold and silver, which made them just as valuable. They used to call them silver certificates and label them as such. But, since we have gone off of the gold and silver standard, the paper bills are worth no more than the 0s and 1s on the computer.
You're extracting conclusions from a way too small period of time. Before gold and silver we had salt (and in some parts of the globe, salt is still the de facto currency). Before that we had good and services. There was always some form of agreement, adapted to the current context of those implementing the agreement
The bottom line is that value comes from the mind and it arises only when there is an agreement. There's no "extrinsic" value of money.
As hard as that may be to digest.
Tulips, seashells, etc....
Gold and silver outlasts those. When everything crashes down, gold and silver will come back as the method of trade.
I will bet on salt, though.
If humanity really shits itself to the point of using material representations of money again, the situation will be so dire that salt will be really more in demand than gold or silver.
Just my 2 (virtual) cents.
I buy salt and sugar in bulk...hahaha
that's THE way!
Haha, it's epigenetic!
Most people won't know that's what they need to survive. ;)