re: “And for those who think that fiat money is at the root of all evil, there’s this:
There are many differences between our world and the world of 1914. Etc, etc.”

The culprit is not strictly fiat money but Fractional Reserve Banking. Booms and busts are inherent in systems that use Fractional Reserve Banking.

Ironically the book ( still in print ) that explains this was published in 1912 by Ludwig von Mises: THEORY OF MONEY AND CREDIT. It would be useful to read this book if one wants to understand what is happening.

Dan Kurt