http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_08/ing092409.html "A study of some 20 hyperinflation episodes reveals that most lasted about five years and all were preceded by up to a decade of excess government spending such as today. And in all hyperinflations there was a common ingredient of loose spend and the excessive printing of money by these heavily indebted countries" Heres another link that lists the stories of 9 failed currencies in the last 100 years. http://www.mint.com/blog/finance-core/hyperinflation-the-story-of-9-failed-currencies/ Its getting pretty obvious to more and more people that fiat money does not work. Yes it can temporarily make some countries richer for a short period of time, but eventually someone has got to pay the piper. In normal times when inflation is 4% the average person is paying $1,876 in an invisible tax . That comes out to $576 billion dollars per year based on the 2008 $46,800 per capita income. If inflation goes to 10% thats $1.4 trillion in hidden taxes that the american taxpayer is paying.