The future of Gold as an investment

As a follower of the markets, and a trader, I watch with particular interest to Gold. The most obvious thought that comes to mind is "has there every been an asset which is so blatantly and in the open manipulated", or dare I say "rigged".
No, its not just a moan, its a serious observation to how fixed and faked some of the major instruments are in our markets today. It has now got to the point where, even if Gold should be there as an inflation hedge, a protection of wealth., that if the Elites ( big banks ) feel its a threat to their Dollar System, they simple dump a massive load of notational Contracts onto the exchange and for them, its job done. We have all read about the bank prosecutions and fines, and also the SMS messages sent between traders responsible for crushing gold, apparently finding it all highly entertaining and amusing.
However, at the same time, real investors researching price actions and metrics get stung because "the elites have decided", and for no other reason. I have been personally affected too. This now has spread to other areas so such an extent we can be certain to say that Bitcoin its routinely manipulated ( on the futures markets ) , and so are entire indices by central banks !! So where does that leave Gold ? Well, on its own, it should be something to rely on when huge uncertainties arrive but since 2017 really, not one asset class is left untouched from manipulation. Gold amounts the most affected. I cannot see it being a great investment unless a big negative event happens forcing panic investing. Where to run to , oh, maybe Gold. Thats about the only situation I can see it working. On too many occasions have I seen gold work its way up and be smashed back down BIG style.
I wish I could bring better news for Gold investors but I call it how I see it. Would be delighted to hear other experiences.