My letter to The Times, London re: Legal Tender Laws Protect Unsound Money

Dear Sirs:

I will not take the time required to refute point-by-point Mr. Ed Conway’s latest attack upon a gold-backed currency. It is obvious that he is completely ignorant of monetary theory and history. Rather, I will ask Mr. Conway why governments must erect legal tenders laws around their fiat currencies, using the police power of the state to force citizens to use their currencies? The answer is obvious: were it not for legal tender laws, sounder private monies would drive governments’ fiat monies out of the market. I do not advocate a gold-backed, government currency, because I know that all governments will suspend specie redemption for any myriad of reasons, all of which can be placed into two general categories: fund wars or buy votes with welfare payments. Only private monies can be trusted, because they would be subject to the rule of law. Money issuers who did not surrender specie upon demand would be declared bankrupt and thrown in jail. When governments do the same thing, they are lionized as patriots and philanthropists of the public purse. I repeat–if Mr. Conway believes in the superiority of government issued fiat money, then abolishing legal tender laws would have no effect upon the pubic’s demand to use government money. I dare Mr. Conway to recommend such a policy.
Patrick Barron
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