In 1980, silver was $50 an ounce. Gold was $900 an ounce. It had bottomed out after Y2K at about $4 an ounce, and has been steadily climbing, now just above $7 an ounce. Gold was down around $300 an ounce, but I think it's above $400 now.
If U.S. debt becomes "high risk", look for silver, gold, real estate, and other commodities to soar. Interest rates will soar, inflation will skyrocket as foriegn good will quickly become expensive.
We need to be paying down our federal debt, not running perennial deficits.
Glen