Thursday, January 27, 2011

An Original Libertarian

I've probably read a dozen books by libertarians over the last two years. When I started reading "The Day After the Dollar Crashes" by Damon Vickers, I toyed with putting it down as just another tired rendition of Glenn Beck, who endorsed the book. But, when I read "I believe that the primary source of our discontent comes from the advertising media," I knew the author was an original thinker and willing to incur the wrath of libertarians.

While he agrees with Ron Paul that the Federal Reserve system has done more harm than good, he also advocates a one-world government that would require sovereign nations to protect their environments, take the poison out of foods, and show respect for all religions. Good luck on that one!

He wants to abolish fiat money and would advocate a new currency that is backed by something, such as gold or anything. He likes investing in farmland and precious metals. And, of course, he expects inflation to rise to staggering levels after the dollar's collapse. Too bad he doesn't tell us when that will be.

The most chilling part of the book was a fictionalized account of how the world markets would react, almost minute-by-minute, on the day the dollar crashes. It was well-written, plausible and chilling.

This is not another "sky-is-falling" book. It is an easy read that delivers a different perspective on a surprising number of subjects.