Is this time different?

[Oscar77]

The thing is, there are other factors involved which typically are not included.

I make zero premise of understanding stocks or crypto, so will address neither, but both seem artificially inflated.

We do need to consider the amount of US currency in circulation, as well as the actual amount of our gold reserves (even though we're long off the gold standard).

Biden had the presses at the Mints printing USD 24/7 for 4 years... and China was sending us CONEX containers filled with pallets of "super bills"... so there is WAY more currency in circulation than there should be. This effects wages, food prices, energy prices... and then there are shortages and shipping issues. MANY things effect the actual realistic value of the USD, which has dropped sharply since the 1980s.

Some very well informed sources claim that value is but a small fraction of what official sources claim... and it could collapse at any time, as it's all held together with duct tape and lies, because "We can just borrow more money, print more bills, and use Social Security as a slush fund."

You make some well founded points but consider this:

We arent remotely close to a financial collapse. And collectively noone is concerned that we are. The proof of that is that we remain the Economic and Financial leader of the World. And Foreign companies and countries continue to invest in us and yes, loan us money because they know that. They wouldn't do so if they didn't trust our future stability. I mean would you loan someone money if you believed you wouldn't get it back? Even with our large deficit, we are still capable of repaying our debts.
If somehow, thru a bizarre set of situations, one or both of these happen, then yes, we might be in trouble: we begin to default our debt loans or people/govt's refuse to "buy" our debt (provide us with loans) then yes, we are in trouble.
But we are SO FAR away from that right now.

A Govt manipulating it's countries money value is a long accepted and used tactic. We do it though indirectly. And yes, one way to affect it is literally by how much paper money is in circulation. Simply put, keeping a check on its value helps with imports (they remain cheaper) and exports (our goods don't become too expensive).