That's a neat point, Ebbie! Still I think gold and silver are clearly worth WAY more than paper (or digital) money. They are metals which are quite malleable, so you can easily make things out of them. They are beautiful to look at, when formed and smoothed properly. Gold doesn't ever tarnish! That alone puts it in a special category. I would say they ARE "intrinsically inspirational"...as are all the phenomena of nature. It's generally the scarcity of a thing that raises it in value, I find. Almost no matter what it is...

However, water, air, bananas and cotton are clearly more useful and more vital to our lives in a practical sense than are gold or silver. But when there are vast amounts of clean air or water available, no one gives it a second thought, do they? It's only when it's running out that people start taking notice.

I believe the complete elimination of money would be a step in the right direction...coupled with a genuine effort to provide for community needs of all humanity on this planet on a pretty egalitarian basis. That would require a world society, as opposed to competing nations and power groups.

Ever watch Star Trek Next Generation?

I am NOT talking about Communism.

- LH