Comments on: The Origins of the US Dollar http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/ The blog of the free, simple personal finance solution. Track all your spending automatically, find the best deals, save more money. And save the world. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:46:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Pancake http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-42249 Pancake Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:31:22 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-42249 Read "Making Money" by Terry Pratchet. Read “Making Money” by Terry Pratchet. ]]> By: Pancake http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-42248 Pancake Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:29:52 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-42248 "inflation has reduced the buying power of the dollar to a mere 3% in under a hundred years..." So what? I make way more money than people did 100 years ago, and I can instantly communicate my thoughts by typing on this computational device and have it potentially read by anybody in the entire world who has access to the internet. And, health care is about 50x better than back then, too! I can travel to the other side of the earth in less than 24 hours, and it costs me less than half a month's wages. You people, you complainers, who think that America is so screwed up and going to he|| in a handbasket, I say to you: Modern life is better than it's ever been for any humans in the past, ever. Quit running around bitching about how "the government is screwing us all over", and "we need to revert back to some old method of doing things". We have some very fine minds working on keeping the system running. Quit being so negative. And don't call me naive because I ignore "The Problem". Don't call me "Part of 'The Problem'" because I accept things the way they are. Number one, I don't accept everything as it is; but I realize what I have the power to change and what I don't. If you're so concerned about everything, then you should be working toward actual change to the systems, not bitching in some random comments on some article on the internet. As I've just wasted ten of my minutes doing. but, hey! I live in a society that is so well structured, that I actually have the free time to do so. And I appreciate it. “inflation has reduced the buying power of the dollar to a mere 3% in under a hundred years…”

So what? I make way more money than people did 100 years ago, and I can instantly communicate my thoughts by typing on this computational device and have it potentially read by anybody in the entire world who has access to the internet.

And, health care is about 50x better than back then, too! I can travel to the other side of the earth in less than 24 hours, and it costs me less than half a month’s wages.

You people, you complainers, who think that America is so screwed up and going to he|| in a handbasket, I say to you: Modern life is better than it’s ever been for any humans in the past, ever. Quit running around bitching about how “the government is screwing us all over”, and “we need to revert back to some old method of doing things”. We have some very fine minds working on keeping the system running. Quit being so negative.

And don’t call me naive because I ignore “The Problem”. Don’t call me “Part of ‘The Problem’” because I accept things the way they are. Number one, I don’t accept everything as it is; but I realize what I have the power to change and what I don’t. If you’re so concerned about everything, then you should be working toward actual change to the systems, not bitching in some random comments on some article on the internet.

As I’ve just wasted ten of my minutes doing. but, hey! I live in a society that is so well structured, that I actually have the free time to do so. And I appreciate it.

]]> By: Pancake http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-42247 Pancake Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:14:34 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-42247 Assuming we are all being taken for a ride. what do you propose I do about it? Hmm? Or are you just all wind and gas? Rhetoric without direction is classified as "B.S.". Assuming we are all being taken for a ride. what do you propose I do about it? Hmm? Or are you just all wind and gas? Rhetoric without direction is classified as “B.S.”. ]]> By: Greebo http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-42022 Greebo Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:53:21 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-42022 Gold itself has no intrinsic value either. You can't eat it, you can't drink it, you can't realistically use it to protect you from the elements. Backing money with gold is just backing imaginary value with imaginary value. Anyone who was in New Orleans for Katrina could tell you that while that crisis was going on, water was worth more than gold. Gold itself has no intrinsic value either. You can’t eat it, you can’t drink it, you can’t realistically use it to protect you from the elements. Backing money with gold is just backing imaginary value with imaginary value.

Anyone who was in New Orleans for Katrina could tell you that while that crisis was going on, water was worth more than gold.

]]> By: Jon the Canadian http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-42002 Jon the Canadian Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:41:02 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-42002 "Ayn Rand is not actually a philosopher. No academic has–or probably will–ever taken her seriously. " Luckily we have MiSaNtHrOpE, who can speak for every academic. I'm guessing you haven't ready any Rand? Here's some info so you can be informed, which would be better than mere assertion and ad hominem. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045301792.html “Ayn Rand is not actually a philosopher. No academic has–or probably will–ever taken her seriously. ”

Luckily we have MiSaNtHrOpE, who can speak for every academic. I’m guessing you haven’t ready any Rand? Here’s some info so you can be informed, which would be better than mere assertion and ad hominem.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045301792.html

]]> By: crazynutjob http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-41740 crazynutjob Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:52:57 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-41740 There's one very powerful force that gives the dollar value domestically: any debt owed to the government (such as taxes) is paid in dollars. Since even bartered transactions are taxable in the US, you'll need those dollars. If you don't pay taxes, you go to prison (or become Secretary of the Treasury). How's that for value? There’s one very powerful force that gives the dollar value domestically: any debt owed to the government (such as taxes) is paid in dollars. Since even bartered transactions are taxable in the US, you’ll need those dollars. If you don’t pay taxes, you go to prison (or become Secretary of the Treasury). How’s that for value? ]]> By: Julien http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-41620 Julien Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:24:46 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-41620 Great piece, except that Ayn Rand is not a philosopher. She's a novelist, at best. Great piece, except that Ayn Rand is not a philosopher. She’s a novelist, at best. ]]> By: Bobby http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-41584 Bobby Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:29:26 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-41584 Great piece. Ayn Rand, philosopher?! Aye carumba. Great piece. Ayn Rand, philosopher?! Aye carumba. ]]> By: Peter Rietbergen http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-41570 Peter Rietbergen Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:21:48 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-41570 AFAIK, the dollar was named after an old Dutch coin, i.e. the Daalder. The Spanish origin is highly doubtful. Peter AFAIK, the dollar was named after an old Dutch coin, i.e. the Daalder. The Spanish origin is highly doubtful.

Peter

]]> By: Dr Peter Martienson http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/the-origins-of-the-u-s-dollar/comment-page-1/#comment-41549 Dr Peter Martienson Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:24:34 +0000 http://www.mint.com/blog/?p=6907#comment-41549 "Make money" could not have been a US phrase, as it is found in Shakespeare before the Americas were settled. See Othello, I,iii. “Make money” could not have been a US phrase, as it is found in Shakespeare before the Americas were settled. See Othello, I,iii. ]]>