without understanding that a collapse is planned by both sides

This is still far from clear imho. I recall this was claimed during Trump's insane money printing/spending spree during plandemic, but thus far it did not pan out as confidently predicted.

I'll tell them flat out that the biggest reason I'm interested in gold, silver, and crypto, is Trump and what seems to be happening with MAGA and white hats. If not for that I'd feel like those things would be dead ends for the average consumer, ESPECIALLY crypto. If the establishment had the kind of power the doomers think they do, crypto could and would be shut down the second they decided they wanted it to be.

Bitcoin at the most technical level is not contingent on what happens with MAGA and white hats. "Crypto" shit coins are another story -- whenever there are CEOs, central controllers / servers, targetable exchanges, proof of stake substituting for proof of work, some entity of trust, etc then all bets are off.

But responsible self-custody Bitcoin --- and I am specifically referring to owners of Bitcoin consciously committed to self sovereignty -- is beyond the reach of worst case scenarios in U.S. political events; we will prove to be the vaccine for the fiat shit show, arcane censorship, blocking or confiscation of property, and medical tyranny. Mark my words that El Salvador is the current proof of work that this will be the case. Having started visiting there this year, I'm seeing up close how the Bukele administration is actively working towards decentralization and removing the state from the equation in terms of finance (BTC as legal tender) and health (a comprehensive medical freedom law is in the works, among other things prohibiting any more WHO/CDC/Fauci types weaponizing government public health policies against the people). They're proving that safety and freedom are not mutually exclusive.

Self sovereignty and decentralizing one's life in health, wealth and anything else where the state intends to intervene is how one becomes one's own white hat against an all consuming leviathan. That also means weathering these storms may not look like what patriotism and responsible citizenship has looked like in the past; its survival of the wisest and fresh perspective on adaptability, mobility, and anticipatory personal safeguards will be necessary.