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 they are truly more urgent, there are still some Gleemer of hope on the horizon that could become extremely relevant at any point. Yes, the dollar will most likely devalue. Yes, the American people will continue to degrade the institutions that protect them. Yes, the federal government seems to show a little intention of ever returning to a manageable size, but a few tectonic plates are beginning to shift. Most people have begun to seriously suggest things about the Fed that would not have been possible even three years ago. The Fed’s inherent institutional instability is now plastered on the morning news anytime Trump and a governor go head to head. People no longer trust the Federal government at a higher rate than ever, and the impulse from both left and right to return power to more local sources has an appeal that will overcome the most centralized power structures. Finally, huge technological breakthroughs, and a growing rejection of pointless consumerism have the potential to put a new level of resources in the hands of people who can actually enjoy them.

When Trump began to question whether the Fed could deny his commands, he said something that, while legally untrue, recognized a hidden truth. The Fed has never been independent, and it is a good thing that Trump is calling attention to that, whether he means to or not. The uneasiness that everyone feels about having one individual in control of monetary policy will make it easier for people to see through the illusion of the Fed. Whether it’s Trump or the Board of governors, letting humans through coercion control the very currency in which all transactions are made simply gives them too much power. Those on the libertarian right have always known this, and now people on the left can see it too. Even people on the right now have precedent to worry that a president ideologically opposed to them can abuse the Fed, as Trump has been attempting to do. Only time will tell whether this will actually cause the Fed to restructure, but it has not faced more skepticism about a strength as an institution since its inception.

People on the left are fed up with military spending, and people in the right are fed up with fraud. Everyone can see the truth that consolidated power has extreme risks. Whether it is liberal states fighting against Trump‘s mandates or conservative states fighting to stay open during Covid, state power has begun to be exercised in novel ways. Most people who live in these states are happy about this, as they should be. Allowing the states to have more control over their own governance makes it far more likely that government power will be held in check. As hard as it was for the founders to resist Britain, it would be far harder for any state to resist the overbuilt federal government in a war, so the best thing that can happen is state power growing in time of peace. There’s almost no expansionary action that the Federal government can take without an associated large reduction in the satisfaction of the citizens. While states fighting for more power might seem to be empty posturing, growing national tensions seem to be evidence that this will be the only way that the nation can stay together. A decentralization of functions from the Federal government to the state and local governments will allow a far wider range of ideologies to function within the same governing system effectively. Even if an increase in the power of state or local government ends poorly in some places, it presents a limited risk that people can move away from, rather than the practically unbounded risk of the federal government’s constant expansion. 

While many people are still engaging in constant consumption like they did in 2015, the COVID-19 crisis and further societal stratification let people wake up to the downsides of the default culture they grew up with. At the same time, numerous technologies that have potential to boost productivity emerged in recent years, from artificial intelligence to a wider range of alternative energy sources. For some people who are still mindlessly consuming as they once were, these technologies will result in no increased welfare as they will simply raise their consumption expectations to their higher level of possibilities. However, for those who can reduce their expectations or at least slow their ascent, this technological increase allows for a lifestyle margin that has been previously unseen. While these three examples are only parts of a much larger story, they are things that are undeniably good and should balance out your nihilism.