If you really want to know what the dollar is backed by, you should read Confessions of an Economic Hitman.Yes, some may take what was said in the book for hype

If you really want to know what the dollar is backed by, you should read Confessions of an Economic Hitman.Yes, some may take what was said in the book for hyperbole, but i firmly believe that the dollar is backed by the power of the U.S. Military.But what the dollar is backed by is irrelevant. Currency values will rise and fall with the general prevailing theories of economists;in the end all modern monetary systems are simply backed by the belief in the system.For the US dollar, that belief stems largely from the network effects of the dollar, as well as the relative ease of doing business and fair regulation in the U.S. Pearls to swine, people will continue to lose money shorting the dollar. Its like Microsoft...you can love it or hate it, but its not going away.