A lot of folks miss the fact that US currency comes with a disclaimer: "In God We Trust"
If you trust the paper instead, and lose out, don't say we didn't warn you -- there's only one place to put your trust -- and it isn't a greenback. If the US defaults, it can simply say, "see, we told you..."
< don't trust the pennies, either
The only way to solve the problem is to go back to the gold standard and eliminate faith from the financial equation.