Not the US Dollar of course: why would the only country to successfully overthrow [10]the chains of banker tyranny and default in their face want to ever have anything to do with the USD, the source of all the world's problems. No, the dollar in question is that of Canada. According to the Globe and Mail [11] tiny Iceland, "is looking longingly to the loonie as the salvation from wild economic gyrations and suffocating capital controls...And for the first time, the Canadian government says it’s open to discussing idea. There’s a compelling economic case why Iceland would want to adopt the Canadian dollar. It offers the tantalizing prospect of a stable, liquid currency that roughly tracks global commodity prices, nicely matching Iceland’s own economy, which is dependent on fish and aluminum exports." Yes, yes, there are all the fundamental reasons, but more importantly, it is a huge slap in the face of those statists (and the United States of course) who keep repeating no matter the facts that the USD will never lose its reserve status. Here's a hint: it can and it will. And so much for the thought experiment of printing endless amounts of currency in non-reserve format and getting away with everything unpunished. Finally, there is this startling dose of reality from an earlier and calmer time, when S&P, back in 2006, released its long-term baseline scenario of sovereign debt ratings. This oddly prescient table speaks for itself.
[12]
And yes, reserve currencies come and go [13], not talking of Michaelangelo but of endless currency devaluation.
[14]
And some more from the Globe and Mail:
In brief remarks to be delivered Saturday in Reykjavik, Canadian ambassador Alan Bones will tell Icelanders that if they truly want the Canadian dollar, Canada is ready to talk.
But he will warn Icelanders that unilaterally adopting the loonie comes with significant risk, including complete loss of control over their monetary policy because the Bank of Canada makes decisions only for Canadians and the Canadian economy. He’ll caution, for example, that giving up the krona in favour of the Canadian dollar (CAD/USD-I1.01-0.004-0.34%) will leave the country with few levers, short of layoffs, to counter financial shocks and fluctuations in the loonie.
A group of prominent Icelandic business leaders approached Mr. Bones last year about the idea. And his speech Saturday, to a meeting of the opposition Progressive Party, marks Canada’s first public response.
Which is all well and fine, and congratulations to Canada, however remember that in a Keynesian world it is all relative, and the second one scale is tipped in your favor, it immediately starts the countdown on your own self-destruction, if one proceeds with reckless abandon. Such as the US.
So be careful Canada: with great power, comes great a desire to distribute wealth. And we have all seen what happens next.