"I suppose if I asked whether there's relatively more or less gold, compared to all the stuff being traded that isn't gold, every year, it would be very silly to expect an answer about that from a country where Governance does not know its own annual budget, and can't measure the value of all goods and services produced annually inside the country?"

"Actually no, I can ask that, do prices usually go up a bit or down a bit over time?"

"I suppose if I asked whether there's relatively more or less gold, compared to all the stuff being traded that isn't gold, every year, it would be very silly to expect an answer about that from a country where Governance does not know its own annual budget, and can't measure the value of all goods and services produced annually inside the country?"

"Actually no, I can ask that, do prices over time usually go up a tad, or down a tad?"

"I suppose if I asked whether there's relatively more or less gold, compared to all the stuff being traded that isn't gold, every year, it would be very silly to expect an answer about that from a country where Governance does not know its own annual budget, and can't measure the value of all goods and services produced annually inside the country..."

"Actually no, I can ask that, do prices over time usually go up a tad, or down a tad?"

"I suppose if I asked whether there's relatively more or less gold, compared to all the stuff being traded that isn't gold, every year, it would be very silly to expect an answer about that from a country where Governance does not know its own annual budget, and can't measure the value of all goods and services produced annually inside the country..."

"Actually no, I can ask that.  Do prices over time usually go up a tad, or down a tad?"