It seems to me that a basic understanding of money is part of our problem. I recently found this to be very helpful in this regard:
Money as Debt by Paul Grignon.
It is a 47 minute animation on the nature of money that, for non-economists, is a real eye opener.
If you are inclined to research this after having seen this you will be amazed at the amount of material available on this poorly understood concept.
Your trip to the bank might never be the same again ;-)
The American problem is solvable, not so much by a gold/silver based currency but by the constitutional process of Government issued currency.
The pressure placed on US for Sept 30th may be both choreographed and ludicrous.
Were the US$ to collapse, I am of the opinion that the European bankers are hoping for a reversion to Gold/Silver backed currency, maybe not for the Amero but perhaps for something later. This is because they have "prepared against that day" for more than a hundred years (most likely). It was the Gold and Silver trade that gave them the preeminence they have now and it is their stock and trade. Whether we use the Fed or Gold/Silver, they have both of those avenues sewn up.
Love to get your take on it ;-)
Regards, nodrog.