Written by Bryan Lutz, Editor at Dollarcollapse.com:
So, every Sunday morning I sit down to write a few short thoughts.
Sometimes these thoughts end up being about life, other times they are on gold, geopolitical issues affecting the markets, or the economy.
But before I start, some house cleaning. A number of people have contacted me saying that they have been having trouble viewing dollarcollapse.com.
Every person so far has been able to solve this issue by clearing their browser cache and deleting their cookies. To keep your browsing experience smooth, clearing your browser cache is usually a good idea once every two months, or more frequently depending on the kind of experience you want.
OK.
Here are three thoughts for this morning:
1. Raising minimum wages won’t fix the fiat problem.
Fixing the fiat problem requires cutting government’s off from the money printer umbilical cord. It requires returning to a financial system that can hold governments accountable for their spending.
One of big government promise is to make income “fair” without requiring workers to improve their skill sets.
So the solution for many is to simply work more hours.
Young workers, immigrants, and even middle-class parents are turning to part-time gig work for extra income.
But, for progressive politicians, and fiat-fed non-profits (filled with career social justice warriors) the problem is minimum wage. People just aren’t getting paid enough to live.
Here’s one recent example of what happens when governments attempt to fix minimum wage.
KUOW reports:
Seattle’s gig worker law was supposed to boost pay. It did at first, until orders dropped
“It’s been two years since Seattle’s gig worker minimum wage took effect. It was intended to boost labor standards for app-based drivers who deliver food for companies like DoorDash or Uber Eats.
How has it worked out so far? Kim Malcom spoke with KUOW’s food reporter Ruby de Luna for some answers to that question.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Kim Malcolm: Ruby, what are gig workers saying? Did the law raise their pay?
Ruby de Luna: Initially it did.
That was the experience for many workers like Michael Lowe. He’s retired, but to supplement his income, he makes food deliveries through DoorDash. He remembers the first month the ordinance went into effect.
He told me, “I delivered one order on a Friday night, that was two deliveries from Queen Anne to Wedgewood, and the traffic was so bad… if you get stuck in traffic, you get paid well.”
He said those orders took close to an hour to deliver. For that he was paid $58….
…A few months… and then what?
Things slowed down. Orders weren’t coming in; they still aren’t coming in like they used to. One worker told me she can be logged on for hours without receiving an order. Customers still want the convenience, but many balked at the fees that the apps tacked on after the new law. The companies say the fees are necessary.
That pattern is consistent with a recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research —wages were higher in the first few months and then dropped. The study also found that months later, drivers have more unpaid idle time, and drive longer distances between orders.”
2. Gen Z’s wild lifestyle bets on crypto are another red flag that the global monetary system is at its end.
The fiat-driven monetary system is at its end.
Here are the biggest signs coming from our youngest income earning generation.
It’s not the popularity of Polymarket. It’s kids playing Polymarket with their own financial future. Gen Z’ers are making wild attempts at a successful future.
This one gent is running full-throttle in all the crypto commotion. He’s living in two cars while spending the majority of his paycheck on cryptocurrency.
Homeless. Working Full-Time. And Investing every paycheck into crypto
This is the Gen Z playbook pic.twitter.com/EDKZZ5ouaR
— Financial Dystopia (@financedystop) August 13, 2025
3. Silver stackers shouldn’t be worried. It’s time to enjoy the volatility.
In my opinion, it’s time to enjoy the volatility. In the long run, silver is going up. It’s ok to keep buying silver.
So, looking back on the past year, it’s been one wild ride for gold. Especially for silver.
The anticipation before seeing silver skyrocket was one wild ride. Yet, it’s still undervalued.
If you’re like me you’ve been watching the gold and silver brokers talking about their sales. It gives you a “boots on the ground” perspective of what’s actually happening. As much as people are calling in to sell some of their physical precious metals as a profit, others are calling in to buy.
The silver chart is going sideways…
And that’s a good thing.
