[e-gold-list] Re: Rerrorists and gold

Sat Dec 9 22:36:35 MST 2006

Hey WB,

> There are 3 reasons that terrorists (and other assorted criminals and
> freebooters) prefer gold as a currency.

Thank you for the suggestions, but I don't think they fit. For one, you seem 
to believe that terrourists think the same way Westerners do, which they 
don't. Not even remotely.
Instead they think the way our tribal herdsmen ancestors did. If terrourists 
did think the way we do, then they wouldn't commit the acts they are 
committing, but instead tackle the perceived problem of Western meddling in 
a more rational manner.

Second, neither criminals nor terrourists particularly like gold. It's 
bulky, it's heavy, it's difficult to transport, one looses substantially 
when turning it into cash (because someone somewhere down the line has to 
sell the gold and get cash, and contrary to popular fiction, you do NOT get 
market rates when you walk into a dodgy bank with a few kilos of gold in a 
bag). In fact, you don't get anything for several days while the gold is 
being tested, smelted and and turned into a stamped bar with a serial 
number.

Ideologically most terrorists don't have a clue. Period. They are peeved 
about something and at someone. Then they fall into the hands of someone 
good at manipulating people in general, who chose a religeous theme. If the 
mentality among the terrorists was more pro-something else, then that leader 
would be the incarnation of that something else.
It is very rare that terrorist leaders really and truly believe the rubbish 
they are claiming to fight for. Of course, the foot soldiers do, but as any 
good fanatic, they have a very limited scope of understanding and a very 
narrow focus. It's how things have to be, to ensure unquestioning loyalty, 
willingness to self-sacrifice, and to allow the leader to change course, 
swapp allies and foes where necessary and accomodate the highest bidder 
where practical.

Osama's success is simply based on the fact that hating America sells, 
because of the way the US behaved in many places. If the Americans left, 
he'd be stuck and would have to find a new scape goat to keep the funds and 
volunteer supply rolling. Of course, America ain't be goin anywhere anytime 
soon, and there are always Jews in general as a fall-back.

But despite all that, you can bet a lot on the assumption that Osama and all 
other like him, will alsways prefer a suitcase of cash (USD) over a few bars 
of gold. $60,000 are just 6 bundles of $100 bills, easily stacked into three 
pockets of a combat fatigue. Put three gold bars in them and you risk 
ripping the fabric, can't get a burger for them and will be given the thrid 
degree by anyone you try to sell them to.

The only thing I could imagine Osama to prefer over a bag of cash, is a 
couple of American Express or Visa cards in someone elses name.

The assumption that gold would play any role in terrorism, beyond the 
theoretical and prosaic blabberings about a future of Muslim prosperity with 
honest weights and measures (I know, that's not from the Q'oran), is simply 
fiction. Terrorists are practical minded. That is why they are so dangerous.

Cheers,
Robert.

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