I wouldn't blame fiat at all. It's an issue of governance, classes and growing poverty. Capital has been shrinking labour's share, year on year. Your inability to afford a nominal price has nothing to do with fiat. The capitalist class have just grown more brazen and they've realised no one will say "no".

https://fortune.com/2026/01/13/us-workers-smallest-labor-share-gdp-on-record/

If you want to quip about AI being mentioned in the above article do note that labour's share of GDP had been on the decline before 'AI' was a twinkle in your father's eye. It's been a set trend, with politician's endlessly arguing with the working class: you'll get your share soon(tm), but not now. It never came and it never will. The political promises are the same, but they increasingly sound ever hollower.

It's just more capitalists doing what capitalists do.