Two of the smartest people Scott Adams (Dilbert) knows are putting all their money in silver and gold, and he finds it absurd that they’re trading their ownership of American companies for shiny rocks:
If things go so badly that the S&P 500 becomes permanently worthless, I have a hard time believing that the people who own gold will rule the world. I think it’s more likely that the people who own steel that is conveniently shaped like guns will control everything, including all of the shiny rocks. At that point, the new currency will be something along the lines of “Wash my car and I won’t shoot you in the leg.”