A “gold war” is an attempt by the government upon the constitutional rights of the individual. Why do governments resort to gold wars? Sometimes they want to wage shooting wars without raising taxes; at other times they want to indulge in “social engineering” through the redistribution of income. But in every instance there is one common thread: governments have correctly identified gold as the only antidote against their effort to build the Tower of Babel of irredeemable debt.
This book is much more than a chronicle of gold wars. It is also an account of the historic failure of “Esperanto money”. Over a hundred years ago a Polish physician by the name Alois Zamenhof created a synthetic language in the hope of removing the curse of Babel from mankind. According to the Bible man had become so conceited as to challenge God by proposing to build a tower that was to reach to High Heaven. God’s punishment for the temerity was to confuse the tongues of nations. The tower could never be completed for failure of communication due to the confusion of different languages. Zamenhof called his new language “Esperanto” meaning “the hopeful”. However, the hope was in vain as other synthetic languages such as “I do” sprang up. The confusion of tongues, and the curse of Babel, has remained.
Calling irredeemable currency “Esperanto money” is apt. The Biblical story may be interpreted allegorically as an admonition not to challenge God by attempting to build a tower of irredeemable debt that is to reach to High Heaven. But the admonition fell upon deaf ears. Now God’s wrath is upon us. Currencies of nations have been confused. The tower can never be completed for lack of compatibility of means of payment. The hope of Esperanto money to remove the curse of Babel is in vain. Other synthetic currencies spring up such as the SDR (special drawing right), the euro, and so on. The confusion of currencies, and the curse of Babel, remains.
Ownership of gold is not about lust: it is about liberty of the individual. The gold standard is not a “game”: it is the embodiment of the timeless principle “pacta sunt servanda” (promises are made to be kept.) Official hatred of gold bordering on the neurotic appears less irrational if we contemplate that gold, and gold alone, can spell out the bad faith behind the promises of the authorities.
Mr. Lips has written a wonderful book for the discriminating reader who wishes to understand why the Tower of Babel made of irredeemable debt is an abomination in the eyes of God.