DOW scares me

With all the software stock brokers have their volume buys and sells would affect the prices and don't forget the vultures who target under performing companies. They would probably short sell their stocks to raid the company. Or as they say they will play on the bad news to scoop up bargains like Buffet did with Goldman Sachs.

Socialism? No way, comrade.

roger, That's the basic fear about all these bailouts and rescue plans; what happens after we socialize the banks and finance companies? What are the pros and cons for the future economy, not only for the US but the world? Do future governments bailout all future financial crisis? What's the limit, if any?

I didn't call my financial advisor during the worst of the crash. Thanks to Dys' advice a few months earlier, I changed my savings investments. I lost prox $4,900 in value for the month of September. Hated to lose that much, but I'm better off than a lot of people.

I view the stock market as the greatest form of legalized gambling. That's what it really is.

BBB

Why did the Feds ban short selling only for a few days? Why don't they ban it all together?

BBB

The feds does things many of us do not understand; that's the biggest worry, because I don't think they understand it either.

because there's nothing wrong/illegal/unethical about short selling.

This must be the one day in the year when you and I agree on something. Then again, I think gambling should be legalized, just as prostitution and pot should ... different subject, of course.

There is money to be made by pension funds as they get extra cash for lending their stocks in addition to the dividends from them. It is a sweetener with little or no risk. The short seller makes money if he is right about the market. Then there is the corporate raider who is obtains capital from the hedge fund(s) he creates or some sort of financial entity to sell high interest bonds or junk bonds to either get control of the target corporation like Icahn or to sell off the assets like T. Boone Pickens. These players have a lot of money and influence with the bush league crowd as supply the campaign funds to the Republicans.

As far as this "lefty" is concerned the market crash--caused as it is by unregulated greed and cronyism--has the positive aspect that it will change the way capitalism operates. Granted, the crash IS a high price to pay, but I feel that it will be worth it in the long run. We must tame or cage the wild beast of unbridled capitalism rather than kill the taming forces of regulastion.