Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

I was watching through the Bond films on Prime and was set to wondering how plausible were the schemes of the villains. Note I am not thinking about technological plausibility, that clearly isn't here (yet) but, if the technology were available, would their plan actually work how they intended?


For example, GoldFinger. Would irradiating all the gold in Fort Worth really help him destabilise the gold market and create a huge profit for him.Would flooding Silicon Valley corner the chip market?


I guess there are different ways of looking at the plan. Would they work then, would they work now? Silicon Valley maybe less "important" now when chips are built in Korea and other sites around the world. Is the gold reserve at Forth Worth worth so much now if other reserves hold more gold?


This doesn't have to be limited to Bond.

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

I know what you mean.


I think it's more cyber now, I mean I could ask any of you in the street for your banks PIN and I'd be told to go away (well something stronger).


Yet if I sent it from an email looking like your bank, a small percentage would probably be forth coming.


Plus there are people out there with the technology and no how to build and do such nefarious stuff.

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

On Her Majesty's Secret Service would work a treat, destroy the crops, sit back, watch the world implode. You think the oil wars were bad, just wait for the water and resources one to start.

Casino Royale kind of happened too, after 9 11 suspicious activity was noted with large numbers of shares in airlines and insurance companies sold off just before the attack, although to be fair that plot probably came about based on those conspiracy theories.

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

The goldfinger plot wouldn't make much sense today because we on fiat currency instead of the gold standard. Some question if there is much gold in fort knox any more.

But yes, irradiating the gold of a gold-standard backed currency would have consequences.

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

GoldenEye would work. Unleashing an EMP over London would indeed wipe most of its records - and while there are offline backups, it would likely take years to restore them. Imagine trying to run the LSE with nothing more sophisticated than abaci.

The trouble is, it's likely to happen naturally. CMEs have hit before, but we didn't have electronics then to be affected. Now we do - and CMEs still occur. :shocked:

But I did laugh at Bond seducing his evaluator. Surely M knew what would happen?

"Seems your hunch was right, 007. It's too bad the Evil Queen of Numbers wouldn't let you play it – (Bond coughs to indicate M is right behind them: Tanner winces as they both turn to face her)
"You were saying?"
"No, I was just, just–"
"Good. Because if I want sarcasm, Mr. Tanner, I'll talk to my children, thank you very much."

"Walther PPK 7.65mm. Only three men I know use such a gun...and I believe I've killed two of them."

- GoldenEye

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

Yes donnie being one of them, mind you after his special audit I suggest popping down to his gaudy florida safespace and checking the bogs, just to be on the safe side

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

Their plans are never plausible because they insist on monologuing half an hour before execution, when they briefly capture Bond. So when he inevitably escapes he knows how to stop it happening. Super-villains have terrible OpSec.

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

Shh scene Austin Powers...

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

Unlikely, as I don’t believe there’s very much gold in Fort Worth………


But if you are meaning Fort Knox, remember what Jeremy Irons in Die Hard 3 says after breaking into the US Federal Reserve in New York…….

“$140 billion! Ten times what's in Kentucky. Fort Knox? Ha! It's for tourists.”

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

Currently, there are 73.65 million ounces of gold in Fort Worth.

https://www.usmint.gov/about/tours-a...%20Fort%20Knox.

At the current price of gold of $3,242.42 per ounce, that equates to approximately $238.8 billion…

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

I don’t think there is.

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

OK

Actually, I got it wrong - it’s about double that amount…

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

No, you got it wrong.

There are no gold bulllion reserves at Ft Worth.

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

Source, please?

Scott Bessent, Trump’s Treasury Secretary, disagrees…

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...#goog_rewarded

Re: Plausibility of a villain's scheme
 

Are Fort Knox & Fort Worth getting confused here ?