From the Department of Stopped Clocks: this idea—brought to you by the Tea Party—should be adopted: abolish the paper dollar, replace it with a dollar coin. The guys at TPM are sneering at it the idea, it seems, because some teabaggers in Congress proposed it. Yes, dollar coins already exist and, no, they're not widely used. But that's because we haven't withdrawn paper dollars. Withdraw the paper dollar and people will use dollar coins... because they'll have no choice. You know, just like people will use energy-efficient light bulbs if we withdraw energy-inefficient light bulbs, people will use canvas grocery bags if we withdraw plastic bags (and charge for paper ones), low-flow toilets if we withdraw water-wasting toilets, etc.

But whenever we try to do any of those things someone inevitably screams "FREEDOM!" and then sensible idea/bill/proposal is quickly killed because freedom.