Gold was $200 in 1999, down from peak $850 in 1981

Gold was $200 in 1999, down from peak $850 in 1981. By using a complex strategy involving central banks and big financial houses, the gold price was suppressed for years. For one thing, there wasn't enough gold in the vaults and depositories to cover the paper short positions. For another, a rising gold price is a barometer of inflation and systemic economic problems. They needed to keep the real estate and stock bubbles going and debt issuance increasing. Gold is honest money that historically warns of problems like these, so they needed to silence the mesenger.

For now gold is cheap. Taking 15% of profits from mmj trading and buying gold is good insurance against unforeseen circumstances.

The US is in deep swamp of debt (another increase in nat'l debt on the way) and unfunded liabilities.  Nat'l debt ~$17tril (bigger than GNP - RED FLAG). Unfunded liabilities over $100tril (obligations US taxpayers must pay but not budgeted for like Soc Sec, Medicare, Medicaid, other entitlement programs, pensions, loan guarantees like student loans, housing loans etc. O'care will add trillions more liability.)  Any other country with these high risk stats would not be able to sell bonds without offering very high interest rates which would collapse any recovery. The only thing propping up value of dollar is US$ is the global reserve currency, Much int'l trade uses dollar as base currency. Buyer converts local currency to US$, buys product from seller who receives US$. This  is why 65-70% of global foreign reserves are US$ denominated, maintaining a big demand for US$. But the increasing trend now is that a number of  countries are working out trade deals that swaps their own currencies and circumvent US$. If world reduces US$ role as global reserve currency and substitutes gold and a basket of  commmodities, it will not be good.