The fact remains that the value of gold is and always will be manipulated just like stocks.
Very few people will ever have any practical use for physical gold, and it’s value beyond that is no greater than dollars or stocks.
"The fact remains that the value of gold is and always will be manipulated just like stocks."
Paper gold, derivative gold in the form of futures contracts is being manipulated right now. That manipulation is driving the price in the physical market, for now.
This kind of price manipulation was also evident recently in the crude oil market. Prices were basically set in the derivative (futures) market. Speculation drove the price. As we have seen this year the paper market could not drive the physical market forever and the true price of oil is now being discovered.
The same thing will eventually happen in the gold market. The derivatives are driving the physical price, but that will not go on forever.
"Very few people will ever have any practical use for physical gold.."
By that I take you to mean that very few people will use gold as an industrial metal. Agreed. Gold's main use is as money, specifically a store of value through time. Gold's use as money seems very practical to me, perhaps not to yourself. I hope your view prevails for a while longer.
"...(gold's) value beyond that is no greater than dollars or stocks."
Really? Then why did Holland just get over 100 tons of gold back from the Federal Reserve? Why not just get the Fed to issue the equivalent in US dollars? Why is China buying and hoarding gold instead of Apple stock or paper dollars or US treasury bills? Why is Russia still buying gold as their paper economy crumbles? What do you know that the world's central bankers do not?