30 years seems a very short time frame to view monetary history BW. My 4 year old son believes that money takes the form of gold and silver coinage because every story he reads says the same. Its natural attributes make it the best form of money that we have.
Fiat money is something that is un-natural and has had to be learnt through government indoctrination. It has never, ever, worked in the past for any extended period. What makes you think the current 38 year experiment with fiat will last?
Governments are debasing their currencies at a rate never before seen. It won't take many investors to run to the safety of the monetary metals to take prices to a multiple of their current levels. Gold went up 24 times in the 1970's. Same multiple this time takes us to $6000 and the situation is worse.