When people say such things to me, I ask them what government currencies are backed by. For most of them, it is debt or nothing. Perhaps we could say for some it is their military?
Either way though, the currencies being used are not backed by anything valuable anymore either. What currency is still backed by gold? Even the Swiss Franc is no longer backed by gold. All the currencies in use are just worthless, debt backed, 0's and 1's.
I'd much rather have crypto therefore.