You can’t eat savings bonds or stock certificates either. That’s just about the dumbest thing anyone can say about gold, with honorable mention going to “it’s heavy” or possibly “assay is required.”
Without regard to whether owning gold makes sense, gold is not an “investment”. By definition an investment is something other than money, and something that provides a return or dividend on that investment. Stocks are an investment. Gold is a form of currency speculation, sort of like buying swiss francs or australian dollars.
Nowhere did the article mention taxes - which are currently 28% on gold and silver. That’s not a good way to “invest” - the underlying measurement in currency loses value, one has merely preserved purchasing power, and the government comes along and wants nearly a third of the “gains”. Nice.
It’s a relevant point when you’re talking about severe economic disruption to the point of degrading to a barter economy. Gold or silver won’t help you much in that situation. If you have extra cash after getting yourself to the level of being able to survive, then as a store of value gold or silver makes sense.