Gold is not born on Earth. Its peculiar physical properties, independent of almost all natural substances, are both immortal and fragile, heavy and soft. But it cannot be denied that gold is indeed a good thing. After its scarcity and immortality were recognized by the human world, it continuously gained power and military force, gradually became aristocratic, unified ideas and values, and finally achieved monetization, circulating in the world for more than 2000 years.
What is even more magical is that gold can be exchanged for credit, and it is beyond the government's credit: anonymous, it can cross national borders to exchange for war supplies, weapons, drugs, and all kinds of light and dark information can be obtained. All the most violent people love gold and prefer to eliminate the weak to plunder it.
When violence merges, the capitalized gold begins to have a soul and autonomous will, not only able to choose its master, but also able to influence its fate, just like the Lord of Rings in the movie always unconsciously seeks the strongest guardian of violence, constantly abandoning the weak.
Gold has indeed sparked many conflicts in human history, such as the plundering during the colonial period and the Spanish conquest of America, which led to wars and disasters. Gold, as a currency reserve, may bring about economic instability, such as the collapse of the gold standard system. Different cultures have different views on gold, some consider it sacred, while others believe that excessive pursuit can bring misfortune. The presentation in literary and film works, such as the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings, symbolizes power and corruption.
Due to war, the violent nature of gold has been strengthened, and the sovereign credit of various countries is no longer reliable. Gold has replaced paper currency as the main means of settlement between countries. For invaders, killing, robbing gold, and robbing the treasury became the most realistic means, which intensified Hitler's invasion. The Swiss central bank alone settled over 300 tons of gold for Germany, of which 100 tons were stolen from the Belgian central bank.
What were the consequences of the Swiss National Bank, contaminated with blood red gold, becoming the settlement center of Europe at that time? With the help of Swiss banks, Hitler obtained valuable foreign exchange and bought precious metals such as chromium, which was essential for manufacturing armor piercing shells, and tungsten, which increased the strength of tank armor, greatly enhancing his combat effectiveness. However, due to the embezzlement of Jewish assets, Switzerland was stigmatized and handed over the highest level of trust in the financial market to New York.
Due to the violent logic of gold, in almost all Chinese and foreign legends, gold treasures are accompanied by first-class monsters such as dragons, which is not accidental.
If credit equals gold, then it inevitably leads to ultimate violence. Killing and setting fire to the Golden Belt, repairing bridges and roads without any corpses. The more violent, the more gold, the better credit, the stronger payment ability, the more political power comes out of the barrel of a gun, and the more credit comes out.
Gold and the strongest violent one will ultimately be one.
The real world is the best metaphor, where billions of people shed their blood and sacrifice, and the United States, the strongest in violence, has gained equal status as gold. This is not accidental, it is the autonomous will of gold.
So, a common misconception emerged in the entire market: having gold that travels alongside the strong can bring good luck to oneself.
However, gold may just be a terrible curse. Or perhaps it's just a conspiracy from an extraterrestrial civilization! After all, humans can kill each other for gold!
Gold itself has no good or evil, it depends on how humans use it. Whether it becomes a 'curse' depends on human behavior and institutions, not on gold itself.
1. Historical perspective: The double-edged sword of gold
Prosperity and plunder: Gold has been regarded as a symbol of wealth and power since ancient times, driving the development of trade, art, and civilization (such as ancient Egypt and the Inca Empire). But at the same time, it also triggered countless wars and colonial plunder, such as Spain's invasion of the Americas (the 16th century "gold fever"), which directly led to the destruction of indigenous civilizations.
Resource curse: Some countries rich in gold resources (such as Congo and some Latin American countries) are trapped in a vicious cycle of "the richer, the more turbulent" due to uneven resource allocation, corruption, or external intervention. Economic dependence on gold actually hinders the development of other industries.
2. Culture and Mythology: Metaphors of Gold
Warning in mythology: In Greek mythology, King Midas almost starved to death due to the curse of "alchemy", symbolizing the price of greed; The tragedy of the "cursed gold" in Norse mythology triggering the battle of the gods. These stories reveal humanity's complex attitude towards gold - both longing and fear.
Religion and morality: Buddhism, Christianity, and other religions often associate gold with material desires, warning that excessive pursuit of wealth may lead to spiritual degradation. The "Golden Calf" incident in the Bible is a criticism of idol worship.
3. Economy and Society: The touchstone of human nature
Greed and Alienation: Marx once criticized currency (gold) for "alienating" human nature and simplifying interpersonal relationships into transactions. In reality, the moral collapse during the gold rush (such as the violence and fraud during the 19th century California gold rush) and the crisis caused by modern financial speculation (such as gold market manipulation) both reflect this point.
Class differentiation: The concentration of gold may exacerbate the wealth gap. For example, gold mining in South Africa was closely linked to the apartheid system, where miners were exploited and wealth flowed to a few elites.
4. Supernatural legends: mystical imagination
Cursed Gold ": There are legends of" cursed treasures "in many cultures, such as Inca gold believed to carry a guardian's curse, or stories of pirate treasures causing bizarre deaths. These legends reflect a psychological fear of unjust wealth and also imply a reflection on colonial history.
Archaeology and Taboos: Although the "Pharaoh Curse" in Tutankhamun's tomb has been scientifically proven false, the tomb raiding and mysterious deaths caused by gold burial objects have strengthened the association between gold and misfortune.
5. Philosophical Reflection: Gold as a Mirror of Human Nature
Tool or purpose? Gold itself is a neutral metal, and its value is endowed by humans. It often becomes a 'curse' due to human greed, shortsightedness, or institutional flaws. As economist Thomas Piketty pointed out, excessive concentration of capital (including gold) can exacerbate social inequality.
Transcending materialism: Taoism advocates that "the sage is cherished by the brown jade", while Buddhism emphasizes "letting go of attachment", both reminding that the true "curse" is not the gold itself, but the human obsession with it.
So, whether gold is a curse or not depends on human choice!
Gold can be a catalyst for civilization progress or a cause of moral decay. In history, it has ignited wars and supported magnificent art and trade networks. Its' curse 'is essentially a microcosm of human society's failure to balance desires, power, and responsibility. Just like the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings - the problem is not with the ring, but with who holds it and for what purpose it is used.
In the future, what countries really compete for is a complete military and technological system. Sometimes, nuclear bombs are more valuable than gold!
Conclusion:
If numerous private enterprises in the world promote the leap of aerospace technology in the future, the cost of gold mining in outer space will be greatly reduced, and the scarcity of gold will be completely eliminated. In space, theoretically all precious metals are in unlimited supply, just a bit troublesome to mine, but sooner or later they will be very cheap.
So, I think black technology is the most useful credit in the future. The future of gold is bleak. If personal wealth and even the future of a country are pinned on an alien metal, perhaps it is the greatest curse of humanity.
Leave a comment