Myths of the Gold Standard | The Twilight of Gold Series | Episode 13 (WiM361)
Sep 4, 2023
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Lester, a fellow student of money, joins the host to discuss 'The Twilight of Gold' book series. They explore the shift from gold to Bitcoin, inflationary and deflationary forces, the influence of politics on money, and the attributes of civilization inherited from money. They also touch on Bitcoin's growing demand, money as a consensus technology, and the concept of price and its effects on markets.
Bitcoin offers a better alternative to gold due to its decentralized nature and ability to serve the self-interest of economic actors.
The Bitcoin standard presents a better alternative to the US dollar as a neutral reserve asset, as it prevents debasement and externalizes debt.
Expanding Bitcoin's rule set through sidechains may risk deviating from its core purpose and should be approached cautiously.
Deep dives
Gold as a Monetary Medium
The podcast explores how gold has historically served as a monetary medium and why it has been favored by centralized power structures. It highlights that gold's characteristics make it suitable for centralized control, allowing regimes to maintain a centralized power structure. The podcast also discusses that while gold may not be ideal for the future, governments might attempt to reintroduce it as it serves their political agenda. However, it argues that Bitcoin offers a better alternative to gold due to its decentralized nature and ability to serve the self-interest of economic actors.
The Rise of Bitcoin and the Demise of the Dollar
The podcast delves into the concept of de-dollarization and how the Chinese capital account opening and the Shanghai Gold Exchange International Board are challenging the status of the US dollar as the neutral reserve asset. The discussion focuses on the mistakes made post-Bretton Woods, such as pegging the US dollar to gold, which eventually broke, and how the US had to ship out gold to settle deficits. It argues that the Bitcoin standard, rather than the dollar, presents a better alternative and that the value of Bitcoin is driven by software and its automaticity, creating an elaborate rule set that prevents debasement and externalizes debt.
The Limitations of Drivechains on Bitcoin
The podcast briefly discusses Bit300 as a potential way to put sidechains on Bitcoin, enabling the creation of multiple pegged cryptocurrencies. However, the discussion raises concerns about this approach, stating that expanding Bitcoin's rule set through sidechains may risk deviating from Bitcoin's fundamental nature. It emphasizes that Bitcoin is strongest when it remains focused on its core purpose and argues against trying to make it govern the pagan pegging process. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding the history and characteristics of monetary systems when considering the future Bitcoin standard.
Growing demand for Bitcoin due to increasing government coercion and inflation
The speaker highlights that as government coercion, compulsion, and violence swells in a fiat-based paradigm, individuals become more interested in Bitcoin. Factors such as inflation, wealth redistribution, and capital controls lead to heightened demand for Bitcoin as a means to protect against these issues.
Exploring the myths around the gold standard and its relevance today
The podcast delves into various myths surrounding the gold standard and its role in the Great Depression. It challenges the belief that capitalism caused the depression and highlights the misconceptions around a gold shortage being the cause. The episode emphasizes the importance of dispelling these myths and understanding the true dynamics of a gold standard, exploring its potential value in today's economic landscape.
My friend and fellow student of money codenamed "Lester" joins me for a multi-episode conversation exploring the excellent book "The Twilight of Gold" by Melchior Palyi.
// OUTLINE // 00:00:00 - Coming up 00:00:21 - Intro 00:01:54 - Helping Lightning Startups with In Wolf's Clothing 00:02:40 - Introducing "The Twilight of Gold" Series 00:04:05 - The Twilight of Gold: Myths and Realities 00:09:07 - A Shift in the Currency Standard 00:10:55 - Debt Monetization Leading to Currency Graveyard 00:13:52 - Monetary Prism: From Gold to Bitcoin 00:15:35 - Interest Coverage Ratio of the Government 00:19:15 - Calculating the Federal Debt 00:21:01 - Inflationary Forces and Deflationary Forces 00:26:50 - Negative Real Yields 00:27:50 - Money is the Mirror Reflection of the Economy it Serves 00:29:46 - Political Influence on Money 00:33:35 - Civilization Inherits the Attributes of the Money 00:36:08 - Secure Your Bitcoin Stash with the iCoin Hardware Wallet 00:37:05 - Bitcoin Wouldn't Work in a Perfect World 00:40:52 - Money is Essential to Human Rationality 00:43:23 - Myths of the Gold Standard 00:44:47 - First Myth: Britain's Shift to Gold Standard in 1925 00:46:00 - Second Myth: Capitalism Led to the Great Depression 00:47:17 - Third Myth: Gold's Shortage Caused the Great Depression 00:49:31 - Probability of Hyperinflation 00:50:55 - Lester's Updated View on Gold 00:56:20 - China's Capital Account 00:58:24 - Post Bretton Woods Mistakes by the US 01:00:46 - A Bitcoin Wallet with Privacy Built-In: Wasabi Wallet 01:01:38 - Contemplating Drivechains of BIP 300 01:06:32 - Problems of Pegging Fiat Money to Gold 01:09:12 - Shanghai Gold Exchange 01:13:53 - Political Role of Gold 01:16:53 - Using Gold Revaluation Account to Cover Losses 01:22:19 - Estimating the True Size of China's Gold Reserve