Actually several years ago there was one conversion. He forsake liberalism and embraced conservatism. He concluded there was too much hypocrisy in liberalism, as I recall.
But so much for analogy, because it's not an actual straitjacket. As soon as the need arose, everyone took theirs off. It only takes one nation, willing to borrow from their kids, willing to risk inflation, and print money and generate economic activity, to build a war machine, and other nations have to follow suit (no pun). Reality trumps symbols, and gold is just a symbol. I believe a different goldbug here said even Paul's thinking includes borrowing scenarios for self-defense where's there's not enough gold available to properly represent the activity.
money , wealth greed,power,history repeats,they did not have to ,they saw a way that they could ,we were minding the store with one simple thing,our forefathers thought was important that they didn't have when they left england, a vote,we took things for granted and the inmates ,our employees by virtue of election,they work for us,robbed us, we still have the vote,the power to fire and rehire...but as you see in ,this thread a perfect example,we fight amongst ourselves,divide and conquer,while the help steals us blind
For self-defense for one thing. If you're currency short and can't put everyone to work turning plows to swords when trouble's coming, you're screwed. Not to mention the ROI on initiating a war. It might be inflationary to print the money to get everyone in the market and moving, but at the end you might have more territory, which would pay for it.
I could see that, maybe. What's the excuse for all the countries currently in debt up to their eyeballs that haven't had anyone trying to invade them for decades?
My answer to that, perhaps I'll have motivation to say more, tomorrow, comes from: http://www.amazon.ca/Empires-Food-Feast-Famine-Civilizations/dp/1439101892 The exploitation of oil has been very, very good for us. Fatally good I fear.