@dubbub @TrevorGoodchild @Hertz @brigrammer @BattleDwarfGimli @PraxisOfEvil @sickburnbro They could have handled the space program, the war, or, ugh, the outbreak of nigger-love, but not all three.
Arguably the oil reserve currency status brought more power to the empire than holding on to some 19th century currency standard ever would, and it also ensured that debt spending would continue unabated since debt generation is all but required for a reserve currency in order to make sure there is enough liquidity to conduct transactions in it around the globe.