simply put

Fiat.
Paper money.
If you tear up a $100 bill into 8 pieces ,what have you got?Torn pieces of worthless paper.
If you cut a gold bar into 8 pieces, what have you got?
8 pieces of valuable gold.
If you apply heat to a $100 bill, what have you got?
Worthless carbon atoms.
If you apply heat to gold, what have you got?
Valuable molten gold that will solidify and be negotiable for the currency of the day and for good and services.
It's quite simple really,when all else fails, meaning the valueless fiat paper currencies, gold has a history of negotiability and value over thousands of years.
Such facts cannot be refuted.
2009, gold to shine! Watch it.