Although Shiff's performace has been sub spectacular, do you believe the market is not being manipulated by the gov't/fed .... The lack of transparency in tarp funding is a massive concern for me given the potential of how it is being used and who are the true recipients.

When it is too late we will know who received tarp and how much and how it was used. In the meantime given the government's interference in the market and lack of transparency and massive explosion in ongoing debt ... I disliked to despised dubya ... nonethless I would never have believed that when the record 400 mil+ deficit of 2007 occurred we'd be looking back and calling that the good old days.

Oil prices above $60 which seem like a fact of life will continue to have inflationary impacts which is held back by a massive demand drop. An increase of 5% after a drop of 30% is not a recovery, it is simply the end of the bleeding ... in other word we have a long way to go to get back to pre 08 demand.

Interest rates out of gov't debt necessity will remain low until such time that demand for short term debt sours (that will come).

IMO this is the mother of all financial storms but is not one that comes and goes in 2-3 years ... it is a 10ish year event ... we have several more years for our patience to be tested and the truth to be known.

I'll stick with Shiff ... I tend to prefer a safer course in times of uncertainty rather than bold statements about US invincibility.

orgy