I believe one of the challenges that Americans face is that they trust their government too much. The idea that the government would intentionally debase the currency or kill a few Americans to start a war (USS Liberty, Gulf of Tonkin, Pearl Harbor, 9/11) is inconceivable to them.
They assume that their government is a benevolent force that will take care of them and would never do anything to intentionally screw them over.
I believe that most Americans will be very surprised when they realize that the American economy has become a farce and that their paper assets denominated in the US dollar have become worthless.