gym wrote:
Jwarren, are we talking about the decline and destruction of modern man or a recession. If it's the latter investmant grade diamonds would be a far better investment than gold or platinum or just about anything else, as they are transportable, you need to come up with a better one rather than pot-shoting the ideas that others came up with.
Don't get bent out of shape. You made a suggestion and I pointed out the MAJOR flaw in that line of reasoning.
If you read my post prior to your suggestion, you would see that I *DID* have a suggestion-- a few actually. Namely, I pointed out the suggestion that Consumer Durables and Consumables would be an equitable and liquid means of barter.
However...
I'm under no obligation to refrain from pointing out the major flaws in a suggestion-- especially a one-liner. You wanna hear constructive? Perhaps I dissuaded someone from actually following that suggestion. I'll call that constructive.
Do a search on "SHTF" and you'll see MANY suggestions by posters of this forum-- including me.
To answer your first question. I don't think that there HAS been a determination as to whether we are specifically talking about "decline and destruction of modern man" or a "recession."
If we are talking about the former, diamonds would frankly be a laughable means of barter. That kind of thinking-- much like precious metals-- is a non-essential needs mode of thinking. People are NOT interested in small, shiney objects when their stomachs are empty. A diamond becomes a pretty little rock with absolutely no use to the adverage person.
And then we are back to the point that you will NEVER get what you think the value of such would be in a barter-- nor would you be able to "break" it for smaller transactions.
If you had 100 diamonds in a little box, it would not be long before you had none and have VERY little to show for it when considering the monetary resources that went into stocking that little box.
And you foget the balance of power. It's NOT in your favor.
I'll illustrate:
You walk up to my house hungry, thirsty and in need. Well... bad example.. we'd likely help you anyway. But let's just say that I was not a person interested in helping without payment.
So... you walk up interested in getting food. "Sure... what do you have to trade?"
You say... "I have diamonds," and show a few. I may say... "What am I supposed to do with those?"
If you convince me that they would have use-- or if I DO believe that one day all this will be over and I'll be able to profit from them, I may take your deal.
So I'd say... "OK... I can give you a bag of food for one of your diamonds."
"What??? This diamond is worth thousands of dollars! I would need a truckload of food for this!"
I may respond... "well, I can't give you a truckload. We need food, too. Here's your choice-- Take a bag of food for that diamond, or walk away hungry."
You'll take the deal.
Now... if we are talking about a recession.
WHY exactly do you need to have a cigerette box full of diamonds???? We've been through a lot of recessions. We'll go through a lot more. People don't go on the lamb during a recession. They complain a lot. And they look for better options in their 401(k) or get new jobs. And they still watch American Idol.
At any rate, I doubt you'll appreciate this analysis, but hopefully it will be of use to others. I DO resent your comment regarding potshots. I won't lie to you. It smacks of a guy that got his underwear in a knot because their suggestion was found to be seriously flawed. I've devoted quite a bit of time to trying to help people understand the mentality of SHTF situations on this board, and have seen with my own eyes the progression of a fairly protracted one. Moreover, I've made numerous attempts to bring what I observed and learned to those that may not have to repeat dozens of mistakes that we made.
Do I have all the answers? Of course not. But why should I NOT point out serious flaws in a line of reasoning when I see them?
I could go on but what the hell.... I need a cup of coffee, and this is already mundane.
-- John