Written by: gfesadmin on January 31, 2013

No guts… No Glory…  This was the phrase used by Jack Hoffman in the season opener of “Gold Rush”, Discovery Channels number one rated reality show over the past three years.  Three years ago my family and I decided to watch the pilot episode of six down on their luck family men from the Pacific Northwest, go for broke, leave their jobs and head north in search of gold.  We were hooked!  It was similar to watching someone go “all in” at a poker table, with their life savings at a local casino. You’re nervous for the person, think it’s a really bad idea, but can’t turn your eyes away.  I’ve never seen so much risk and instability.

This past week while reading “The Great Transformation” by Karl Polanyi I was struck by the invention of the “Gold Standard” becoming the basis for the integrated global marketplace.  With this great intellectual achievement, countries, businesses and individuals could now buy and trade in a world market.  For most, the belief existed that this new standard would bring peace, tranquility and even a passive world. In reality the need to gain prominence and value launched a world into a “Gold Rush” of risk and instability for the past 150 years.  The following three concepts were pillars in which countries believed they could strike it rich, or hit good pay dirt!

A New Global Economy

Countries set values… Each country was responsible to set the value of their currency based upon a fixed amount of gold each would collect and retain as collateral.  Countries were then asked to adhere to a fixed priced in which all nations would buy and sell gold.  Overnight, those countries which had great access to gold, were rich, wealthy and received the privilege of increasing their wealth on the international market.  Those who did not have access, found themselves in a desperate race to accumulate.  100 years of peace, gave way to two World Wars.

Countries base domestic supplies… Each country would base its domestic money supply on the quantity of gold it could secure and hold in its reserves. The basic premise being, paper money not backed by gold is simply useless.  A few years ago I traveled to the country of Haiti.  Upon transferring my U.S. dollars into Haitian currency I realized the Haitian gourde was worth very little.  A clerk at the transfer center looked at me, shrugged their shoulders and said, “We have no gold”.

Countries empower their residents… Each country was to encourage their citizens to engage in international economic transactions.  No longer were industries within countries simply asked to buy and sell from their country of origin.  Money and wealth could now be made through international buying and selling.  Those countries who had more gold, became the power brokers in the international seen of the day.

A 2013 Reality

The Hoffman “Gold Rush” crew over the last three years has brought great entertainment to my family.  However, each season they have gone further in debt risking more and more with the hopes of some day hitting the mother load.  With out great accountability, sometimes our desire for stability can be the very act that brings great risk an instability.

How similar are countries to the Hoffmans?

How fragile is our current system of assigning value to money?

Is our personal security found in our gold assets or in the One who cares for the birds?

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