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It's strange how our society values things that are relatively worthless and convinces people that not only do they need them, but they should pay a lot for them. I've heard of blood diamonds and decided way before I got married not to get a diamond wedding ring. Precious metals also have a dark side to them.I recently came across this article published by National Geographic in January 2009 about the real price of gold. While 7 years old it still holds true today. With Incas, coca, pisco, an ancient lottery system that is still used today, Quechua, shantytowns, and the impracticality of gold it makes for an interesting read.
Gold is Peru's biggest export and Peru is the fifth largest exporter of gold in the world. All this comes at a price though.
At 13 pages it is a bit of a long article, but it's thought-provoking and makes me think how first world countries take advantage of third world countries. Other countries such as Indonesia, India, China, and the US are mentioned as the history of gold is discussed.
Some people believe that the bubble has burst and that gold will no longer be as highly valued as it is today.Gold Bubble: Profiting From Gold's Impending Collapse discusses the history of gold and talks about what the future brings.
