https://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/5.aspxenCommunityServer 2008.5 SP2 (Build: 40407.4157)https://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/thread/416625.aspxTue, 26 Apr 2011 15:09:34 GMT944abf2b-d1be-4bf2-990d-438cb0e377e9:416625Esuric0https://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/thread/416625.aspxhttps://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=5&PostID=416625<p> I don&#39;t understand this question. Gold, a metal/natural resource, is employed in the production of various final consumer goods which means that an expansion in its supply necessarily constitutes a higher degree of wealth. An expansion in the supply of gold, if it is used as money, and only as money, does not constitute an actual expansion in wealth (an expansion in the supply of money, be it commodity money or paper money, never actually increases wealth; it only leads to inflation).</p> <p> Some individuals prefer commodity money (gold for example) over paper fiat money because its supply is not arbitrarily controlled by politicians with political agendas, who would gladly destroy the wages of laborers, inflate away savings, arbitrarily elevate investment beyond the sustainable level, etc, in order to get re-elected.</p> <p> So to answer your question once again: money can never &quot;buy you economic prosperity,&quot; even if it takes the form of gold, but commodity money assures that its supply is not arbitrarily manipulated by the state (it also creates equilibrating forces if it is employed internationally).</p><div style="clear:both;"></div>https://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/thread/416623.aspxTue, 26 Apr 2011 15:02:49 GMT944abf2b-d1be-4bf2-990d-438cb0e377e9:416623Jonathan M. F. Catalán0https://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/thread/416623.aspxhttps://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=5&PostID=416623<p> They&#39;re distinguishing between a capital good and a medium of exchange.&nbsp; Money is indirectly productive, in the sense that you can buy goods (like metals) and put them into the process of production or consume them (which is the consumption of wealth).</p><div style="clear:both;"></div>https://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/thread/416621.aspxTue, 26 Apr 2011 14:59:46 GMT944abf2b-d1be-4bf2-990d-438cb0e377e9:416621Merlin0https://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/thread/416621.aspxhttps://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=5&PostID=416621<p> Gold only allows prosperity to increase by letting people know how to act rationally. Inflationary money invalidates that.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div>https://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/thread/416619.aspxTue, 26 Apr 2011 14:57:59 GMT944abf2b-d1be-4bf2-990d-438cb0e377e9:416619wolfman0https://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/thread/416619.aspxhttps://archive.freecapitalists.org:443/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=5&PostID=416619<p> Money Can&#39;t Buy You Economic Prosperity. But a metal can???</p> <p> Gold is just a mineral. A metal.</p> <p> Just as paper can&#39;t buy you prosperity a metal would not if used as money.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div>