Peter's Blog

Tocqueville and Overreach

Alexis de Tocqueville warned us of the dangers of paternalistic government in no uncertain terms. He visited America and was able to see the unique strengths and weaknesses of our Democratic system. He saw how much of our activity was controlled by the community, and the unique freedom that was possible in our country. While […]

The One Type of Person at the Heart of the Fed

The current Federal reserve board chairman and his successor share a very specific trajectory. They both went to an Ivy League for undergrad, got elite law degrees, went into the banking industry, and then transitioned to the public sphere. Their specific path should not be surprising to anyone, but we must critically ask whether people […]

Why Hasn’t the Iran War Pushed Gold Even Higher?

Gold prices reached record highs in early 2026 following an epic 2025, fueled by central bank buying, inflation concerns, and demand for assets outside traditional finance. Since then, gold has pulled back significantly. Conditions created by the US-Iran war that began last February have contributed to this correction, but why?  While gold is usually pumped […]

The Warning of Iran

While in every nation people have a long list of grievances against their own government, it is generally assumed that this is a normal experience accepted by most. The overreaches of central control and the ever-growing layers of bureaucracy seem to be significant, but always manageable. This normalization of poor governance seems to only have […]

The UAE and the FTC

The FTC was founded on the premise that collusion can be sustained indefinitely, and only regulation can destabilize it. This hypothesis has been questioned many times and in many different ways, but in the last six years, the FTC has had an unusual amount of utilization, primarily spurred by political motivations. Even the FTC acknowledges […]

Why You Should Have Hope in 2026

While constantly predicting the inevitable decline of the dollar and the governmentally-entwined systems of commerce that our society is centered around is not often a joyful job, there are still some things that should give you hope for the state of our country and the world. SchiffGold is so often focused on the negatives because […]

$5k Gold is Repricing Marriage in South Asia

In South Asia, gold isn’t just a popular ornament for jewelry, and as a display of status. It plays a central role in weddings, not merely as a decoration, but as a transactional component that crystalizes arranged unions, confirms economic compatibility, and protects brides with real wealth in a culture where marital value can take […]

Lying Flat & Agency

The Chinese government anti-spy agency has recently been warning the youth to avoid lying flat. In a time of more limited economic mobility than the past, and with the same Chinese intense work culture in full effect, young people have started doing what they call lying flat. This is where they find ways to avoid […]

Don’t Let AI Steal Your Tacit Knowledge

A recent, and extremely controversial, Palantir essay advocates for a deep enmeshment of the state with artificial intelligence for the purpose of national security. Karl et. al make the case that those who are unwilling or unable to integrate artificial intelligence into their nation’s security infrastructure will become overtaken by those who do. Businesses and […]

The Private Credit Infection

We are constantly being worned by politicians about the threat of private credit. Even some business leaders have warned the world about how private credit has the potential to destroy the banking system. This exposure to private credit could actually end up being quite similar to the 2008 financial crisis for the same reasons that […]