I create jobs and provide affordable housing for people, so I’m hardly a parasite. When you decide to end your victimhood freepmail me and I’ll brainstorm with you to help you however I can. You are too smart to go on like this. Good luck with your endeavors.
“The government we have will be the ruination of this country. A few simple changes, basically reverting things legally back to the way they were about 15 years ago, would work wonders.”
Right. I’ve said that for 30 years. We agree there. I went ahead with my plans anyway, luckily.
Commodies exchanges developed to give some level of certainty between producers and manufacturing consumers of commodities. There was speculation around the margins, and the occasional lunatics such as the Hunts trying to corner a market, but the primary purpose was still to allow producers and consumers to lock in prices at the time the materials would be ready to sell and buy, so they could plan accordingly.
But ever since 2000 and the CFMA, that worthwhile relationship has been overwhelmed by speculative positions - during the oil bubble of 2008, it was estimated that some 85 percent of the futures contracts were held by speculators. And now that bubble malaise has spread to just about every sector of commodities - so it cannot be just about shortages in one sector or Obama's idiocy in not allowing robust development of energy resources. Something this broad-based is reflective of very large trends.
In a way, it is the inevitable results of central banks policies - if you pump that much money into circulation, shrewd people will figure out how to make a buck from it, or at least hedge against the devaluation that can come forth from such.
And that is my point - the system now rewards those who hedge and speculate - at the expense of producers, manufacturers and consumers.
I am sure you are much more shrewd that I am. And I can't blame you for hedging and investing when government sets up the masses to get hosed - you are looking at the cards the government is dealing in this rigged casino and figuring out how to make something with the hand that is dealt.
But once again, this isn't what makes for a healthy economy or a healthy country. I am not pleading victimhood for myself, I have my own way of hedging - I drive about 10-20 miles a month, so the price of gas doesn't impact me that much directly - I am simply concerned that the commodities bubbles are causing global damage - and the root causes need to be addressed.