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That's why they are getting bunkers. Stocked with fuel, food, water and weapons. Maybe money will be worthless, but their bunker will be valuable. And people wi

by GuB-42 4y ago

That's why they are getting bunkers. Stocked with fuel, food, water and weapons. Maybe money will be worthless, but their bunker will be valuable. And people will happily serve them for a place in that bunker. And about money, rich peppers probably have gold and a few other resources that can resist a financial system collapse. Feudalism is a typical result of a society collapse, and these guys are building castles. If you are rich and worried about society collapse, that the most logical thing to do.

vsareto 4y ago
That turns into a different dynamic. Your money no longer has power so you become much more accessible and vulnerable. If you happen to be rich and a great leader, you'll probably remain on top though.
- seanp2k2 4y ago
  > a great leader I doubt a post-apocalyptic society will look kindly upon aristocrats of the before time. I suspect it’s in at least some of their strategies to just blend in and not let their previous status be known. It’s a huge privilege in the current world to be an unrecognizable billionaire. The people on the Forbes lists are the narcissistic ones. There are plenty of people out there who don’t talk about their wealth and power, don’t dress or really live ostentatiously, etc. Some people would ask what the point of wealth and power is in that situation, and those are probably the same people who would be featured in Forbes articles if asked.
lamontcg 4y ago
> people will happily serve them for a place in that bunker. More likely a group of people will happily murder them for everything in that bunker. If you want to prep, be a fit male in your 20s or 30s with some military experience, charisma and the willingness to be cruel. Property rights won't exist.
seanp2k2 4y ago
>gold What good is gold when money is worthless? What intrinsic value does gold have in a society that isn’t manufacturing electronics? It depends on the exact circumstances if crypto, fiat currencies, gold, bullets, or potable water will be the most valuable.
- GuB-42 4y ago
  Gold has always been valuable in all civilizations I am aware of. It is rare, compact, easy to work with, hard to counterfeit due to its density, resistant to chemicals and doesn't degrade over time. And though it is subjective, most people find it beautiful. If you want to make a form of currency, gold is the perfect candidate. Fiat currency is worthless when the government that backs it fails. Cryptocurrencies are unusable without some global network (i.e. the internet). Potable water and bullets may be super valuable, but they don't make for good currency, and of course, any self respecting bunkers will have a lot of these too. Many things can be valuable in a post apocalyptic world. But gold is a pretty good candidate. Not only that but it is also a rather good investment now, apocalypse or not.
  - cyberge99 4y ago
    A cachet of nudie magazines would presumably become quite valuable in lieu of a global network. Gotta have those in the bunker, strictly for barter. ;)
  - tsimionescu 4y ago
    Gold has only ever had value in a trading network. All the properties you describe are important for long-distance long-term trade between parties who don't particularly trust each other. If the entire society you interact with is concentrated in a luxury bunker, gold is much worse than Monopoly money as a means of exchange. Not that you would actually need a means of exchange in a society where nothing is being produced, mind you. Rationing would be the key, and rationing is not trade.

by GuB-42 4y ago

vsareto 4y ago

That turns into a different dynamic. Your money no longer has power so you become much more accessible and vulnerable. If you happen to be rich and a great leader, you'll probably remain on top though.

seanp2k2 4y ago
> a great leader I doubt a post-apocalyptic society will look kindly upon aristocrats of the before time. I suspect it’s in at least some of their strategies to just blend in and not let their previous status be known. It’s a huge privilege in the current world to be an unrecognizable billionaire. The people on the Forbes lists are the narcissistic ones. There are plenty of people out there who don’t talk about their wealth and power, don’t dress or really live ostentatiously, etc. Some people would ask what the point of wealth and power is in that situation, and those are probably the same people who would be featured in Forbes articles if asked.

lamontcg 4y ago

> people will happily serve them for a place in that bunker. More likely a group of people will happily murder them for everything in that bunker. If you want to prep, be a fit male in your 20s or 30s with some military experience, charisma and the willingness to be cruel. Property rights won't exist.

seanp2k2 4y ago

>gold What good is gold when money is worthless? What intrinsic value does gold have in a society that isn’t manufacturing electronics? It depends on the exact circumstances if crypto, fiat currencies, gold, bullets, or potable water will be the most valuable.

GuB-42 4y ago
Gold has always been valuable in all civilizations I am aware of. It is rare, compact, easy to work with, hard to counterfeit due to its density, resistant to chemicals and doesn't degrade over time. And though it is subjective, most people find it beautiful. If you want to make a form of currency, gold is the perfect candidate. Fiat currency is worthless when the government that backs it fails. Cryptocurrencies are unusable without some global network (i.e. the internet). Potable water and bullets may be super valuable, but they don't make for good currency, and of course, any self respecting bunkers will have a lot of these too. Many things can be valuable in a post apocalyptic world. But gold is a pretty good candidate. Not only that but it is also a rather good investment now, apocalypse or not.
- cyberge99 4y ago
  A cachet of nudie magazines would presumably become quite valuable in lieu of a global network. Gotta have those in the bunker, strictly for barter. ;)
- tsimionescu 4y ago
  Gold has only ever had value in a trading network. All the properties you describe are important for long-distance long-term trade between parties who don't particularly trust each other. If the entire society you interact with is concentrated in a luxury bunker, gold is much worse than Monopoly money as a means of exchange. Not that you would actually need a means of exchange in a society where nothing is being produced, mind you. Rationing would be the key, and rationing is not trade.