~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SANDY SANDFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'punks, Samuel Kaplin responded to Duncan's assertion that markets have ways of dealing with uncertainty, by writing: The main assumption here is that the populous and the markets realize that they are in a totalitarian state. We in the U.S. are evolving closer and closer to this and most seem not to see it, and if they do, not to care about it. I think this misses Duncan's point. Neither the populace nor the market (the economic interactions of the populace) need to realize they are in a totalitarian state, to take appropriate action. What the market does "know" is how to shift capital from lesser to more remunerative investments. This is a homeostatic flow just like water seeking its own level. The senario that I see, is [1] the borders being closed.... [2] All of the firearms and weapons being removed from private hands.... [3] The U.S. economy being isolated from the rest of the world.... Once your economy is isolated from the rest of the worlds who cares what a dollar is worth.... [1] If they stopped foreign businesspeople and tourists, the economy suffers. Without Mexican "guest workers" the price of agricultural products go through the ceiling. The US can afford to close its boarders. [2] I'm a gun nut; I know gun nuts. If you want to see a civil war, just try to remove the *200 million* guns from private hands. Gun ownership is *growing* not declining. These folks are *serious* about keeping their weapons. Contrary to popular belief, most cops strongly support the rights of civilians to keep and bear arms. Who are you going to get to grab the guns? [3] The US economy is broad, but not that broad. Without world trade (especially for petroleum) we would grind to a halt. In the meantime, the billions of people who depend on food grown in America would not quietly lay down and starve. The government can, of course, call a dollar whatever it wants. The more unrealistic the assessment, however, the faster black markets will bloom in the "alternative economy." S a n d y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~