What if all of a sudden the United States dollar became worthless?

Question

What would cause that to happen?

Answer 1

Nothing minus a sudden revolution, civil war that broke up the union could have that happen.

And what it would do is destroy the world economy.

Answer 2

That's not something that could *suddenly* happen under any circumstance short of a civilization-destroying meteor impact or some such event. People want and need dollars, which means there is demand for them, which gives them value as long as there is not an infinite supply of them readily available. Nothing else could make 300 million American just spontaneously not want dollars anymore.

Now it COULD happen gradually if the government and central bank for some reason lost all restraint in creating money, and massively flooded the economy with dollars and continued to do so. That would lead to hyper inflation and cause an economic collapse. Dollars could keep losing value so fast that eventually people find it more convenient to just barter goods.

But even that would take time to unfold. Such a hyperinflation is happening in Zimbabwe now.

Answer 3

I don't know that it will ever become totally worthless but many of the markets on the world are using other currencies so the dollar is becoming much closer to being worthless than it should be given the country as a whole.

Answer 4

If Ben Franklin came back from the dead and sued the Government for using his image on the 100 dollar bill.

Answer 5

We would hit a depression worse than in the 30's. It would makd the stock market crash look like a joke.

Answer 6

Not Enough Money To Back It Up?

Answer 7

We would all be screwed. Wouldn't be pretty!