It was shiny, easily workable, and didn't turn your skin green. As a jewelry metal, it was much more valuable than as a currency. It had uses other than just money...
Gold is used in a variety of applications. You're likely holding a device filled with gold right now. Even before the computer revolution, is was still used in medical applications. There are tons of uses for gold that don't involve currency.
In societies outside the Federation, where they don't have replicators, things have value due to being able to use them for other purposes. Latinum has never been shown to be used for any other purpose except to trade. Its not clear why a useless material is considered valuable, except for the fact that its rare.
Yes, but beyond its scarcity, what other purpose does it have? Lots of things are rare and can't be replicated, but their value comes from the need to use them for some purpose such the ability to build other things that you wouldn't be able to build otherwise. Latinum has never been shown as anything more than a currency with nothing behind it to give it value.
Define "post-scarcity". You can't replicate everything (without programmable matter, anyways...), and some raw materials are needed to build the replicators. And latinum is a rare commodity, though I don't know why it's so value beyond its scarcity. Greed will always be there as long as some things remain scarce yet required for a functioning society.
It's not even really a swear word. Slightly vulgar, maybe, but "pussy" isn't on the same level as "fuck" or "shit". It's not even the same level as "bitch" or "turd". Ironic...the site was built by pussies...
For ever crazy stunt pulled off in one of those games, even crazier shit has happened in real life. Humans under extreme stress in life threatening situations tend to get really creative.
When I was maybe 3 (I don't remember personally, I heard this story years later), my sister who was 9 at the time had this stuff bear. Blue fur, not much special about it, just an average stuffed bear. One day I decided I liked the bear more, and declared it mine. I was 3, that's what 3 year olds do. A great fight ensued, but since I was the baby Mom told my sister to just let me have it. It was stolen a few times, and stolen back a few more times. And then hidden away for a great many years. Until one day in our 30s, going through my old toy box at my father's house, hidden under some old report cards and junk toys, laid Blue Bear. And a great fight ensued, only this time with words and the occasional hip check into the wall to grab and dash. My step mother stepped in to tell us the smarten up and just give me the bear. And that was the first time I actually appreciated my step mother for something. She bought my sister whiskey to make up for it, but we all knew who won that day.
Blue Bear now sits in my living room display case.
The point is that we understand the actual paper has no value itself. It's the commitment of the government backing it that has the value.