“There are many paths by which political leaders may destroy a country’s economy through hyperinflation. But those leaders who follow the standard checklist of the most common components to collapse can generally be assured that the economy will be destroyed. War (Can be one major war, or, as in today’s world, perpetual small wars); Depletion of gold reserves; Excessive Debt (Create a debt level that is beyond the ability to repay); Devaluation of currency (Print massive amounts of currency to diminish debt); Loss of control of inflation (Inflation morphs into hyperinflation—a state in which citizens actively try to rid themselves of the currency, as it is devaluating so quickly.)”
http://www.internationalman.com/articles/not-worth-a-continental