I agree with your gold statements. FYI, certain financial instruments, like covered call funds, can generate passive income on commodities, however.
dividend or compound interest
This is where, looking forward, the American economy gets dicey. Here's my perspective - not advise, just thoughts on why "buy the S&P/Dow and hold forever" isn't a sure bet moving forward.
The country got out of the Great Depression by fighting a war and spending a

load of money, taking the country deep into debt. But we got out of that because domestic industry was poised for a huge amount of innovation and
real economic growth - not just on paper, and well out-pacing inflation. So between the 1940's and 1980s-90s there was a very unique condition for growth that no does not exist today. It's absolutely true that investors historically have done well, and the American economy has too. There's definitely been real GDP growth since the 1980's, but it's been accompanied by huge federal borrowing and more recently by driving down costs by offshoring the industry that grew the economy in the 40's. Unfortunately, bringing those jobs back doesn't work - again, economic sectors have been able to grow by driving down costs. Bringing them back will cost more and risk negative growth (which we already saw in Q2 from tariffs - and now we're missing out on data because of the shutdown). Historically, transparency in US federal economic policy has been hugely attractive to foreign investors - that transparency is eroding rapidly.
Will equities do well in the near term? Probably, yes. Equities even tend to do well under authoritarianism, so that isn't an inherent issue. But longer term, it's worth asking what sectors are poised for
real growth and whether the US dollar will continue to enjoy international reserve status.