The global monetary system rests on a fragile foundation of trust. Thanks to the actions of central banks, pressure on the system will keep growing. Paper U.S. dollars sit at the heart of the global monetary system. Dollars are liabilities of the Federal Reserve. Just as houses are collateral for mortgages, Treasuries and mortgage bonds are collateral for U.S. dollars. A central bank’s balance sheet is essentially a self-reinforcing feedback loop: Government bonds are the [...] The Path to $20,000 Gold appeared in the Daily Reckoning . Subscribe to The Daily Reckoning by visiting signup for an Agora Financial newsletter .