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I’d argue the base layer is money. The men with guns need to be paid so they can feed their families.

Fair point. "How to control the men with guns" occupies the minds of billionaires. A lot.

> Finally, the CEO of a brokerage house explained that he had nearly completed building his own underground bunker system, and asked: “How do I maintain authority over my security force after the event?” The event. That was their euphemism for the environmental collapse, social unrest, nuclear explosion, solar storm, unstoppable virus, or malicious computer hack that takes everything down.

source: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/sep/04/super-rich-prep...

"The billionaires considered using special combination locks on the food supply that only they knew. Or making guards wear disciplinary collars of some kind in return for their survival. Or maybe building robots to serve as guards and workers – if that technology could be developed “in time”"

It's not really money though right? It's the power that money gives. Food, shelter, health care. The CIA might add sex into that list.

Without a US government the US greenback is worthless, and so is any power.

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