I think that the essential question is: What is their motive for naked shorting the hell out of ECU for the past 5 years ?

If the answer is to make illegal money, then why is this stock so particularly targeted ?

If the answer is to acquire the assets cheap a some point in the future, then sit tight and wait for your payday.

But, if the answer is that it is the policy of the US Fed to empower third parties to do illegal shorting activities and steal with impunity for the purpose of marginalizing all silver / gold investors, then I think our future is best described as: "I fought the law and the law won".

It is probably a combination of all three reasons - That is why I am 80 % in metal and will be 100 % in metal by the end of the year.