Governments change laws from time to time, and yes, it's possible that under the right circumstances some governments might try to confiscate their citizens' gold. But the motivation for confiscating gold that existed for FDR in 1933 has largely disappeared. Back then the US was still on the gold standard (Britain had been forced off 18 months earlier). Gold was the foundation of the US currency and economy; at the time of FDR's order, the dollar's value was tied to gold at $20.67 an ounce.