A disturbing article in the New York Times, released yesterday, describes the varied sources of gold used by the U.S. Mint. Despite a law passed by Congress in 1985, which requires the Mint to use only American mined or recycled gold to produce its coins, that policy has been ignored.
In fact, much of the gold comes from illegal sources, some run by drug cartels and terrorist groups. In such cases, environmental protection is nonexistent and workers are exposed to toxic debris. A variety of other non-American sources are also revealed in the article. Furthermore, the Times reports that this practice has occurred for decades, over the course of multiple Administrations.
As America's image across the globe takes a major hit from Trump's antics, we cannot deny the fact that our country has long abused the citizens of foreign countries in order to maintain our wealth and power. What can the average American do to protest such behavior? We might start by selling any gold coins or gold investments that we own and by not buying the Trump commemorative coins when they become available.
