Smilies of this type are extremely dangerous and should carry a...

Smilies of this type are extremely dangerous and should carry a very big warning sign.  Consider it in context.

To use a humorous metaphor it is calling all Mercedes useless because you saw a 1996 Hyundai broken down at the side of the road.

To the time poor looking for something positive to hang out to stories of this ilk lead to bias traps.  

A different way to look at this is: if there was a collapse in western economies on the scale of Zimbabwe then there would no point in holding anything perceived to be a store of value.  There would be nothing to buy as factories closed, farmers no longer farm and trucks stop rolling.  Civilisation would revert to a dark age.

Yes printing money without productivity will inevitably lead to hyper-inflation on a grand scale.  The missing commentary is debt is required to facilitate growth that fuels a modern economy.  Naturally debt could get out of hand, we'll know if/when debt-fuelled inflation is on a sustainable upwards trajectory it will across headlines and visible in the streets.  

In my view, the good news is:  today it is not a problem and neither will it be tomorrow.  There will be adjustments in the cycle and down periods but long term economic growth will prevail and standards of living will improve with it.

Invest in gold on the premise of an economic meltdown at your peril.  Invest in gold because you like the look of it fine, you won't go broke but you'll only marginally keep your wealth above inflation.  Range bound it is.