Please don't start that. They know that if things break down they can eat, drink, heat themselves, shelter themselves, and repel criminals and invaders with gold. Just HOW that happens has never actually been explained...
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It has never been “explained”, because that is certainly not the intended role of Gold accumulation. Gold is for preservation of wealth, while a semblance of social order still exists. If society completely breaks down, Gold will have little utility; no one is denying that.
Intelligent people prepare for a gradation of scenarios, not just flat-out survival mode.
Why can't we BOTH accumulate PMs, AND plan ALSO for Doomsday environments? They are not mutually exclusive.