OT--re. shorting.
I think the thing that strikes me about shorting en masse is that it imparts a kind of negative energy, and this is perhaps in part what Brian is trying to express. When you short a stock, you are betting that the price of that stock is overvalued given its current environment, and that price will come down. Which is all well and good, but is there not then a naturally inherent desire to see negative publicity on a company that you are short, to see things begin to unravel causing the stock price to fall, the further the better (what shorter do you know who says, "oh I only want to see the stock price fall X amount of dollars, no more...")? And so, at its essence isn't shorting really about the desire for and encouragement of failure?
Sure, there are some "bad" companies out there, poorly run and destined for failure, but obviously these are not the sole targets of shorts.
Of course I understand the checks and balances that shorting brings to the markets, i.e; short-covering on rallies, etc., its just that I don't find it comforting cheering on the demise of a company or sector; to me, that seems "un-American" or at least unpatriotic. And negative.
So I choose not to, but to each his/her own.
Regards & Happy T-giving,
AJL |
