This reason... that reason.... his fault.... her fault..... There is a lot of gnashing of teeth going on and it certainly is making the water muddy. Would I be wrong in stating that people are here because they wish to make money in the market? If that is the case then it would fair well to keep that in mind and not get distracted by the side shows. Regardless of whether you are long or short, investor or trader....the bottom line is... to protect the bottom line. Even longs should have points at which they will accept no further losses. It is not my intent presently to have anyone sell and I'm not buying, but to be long simply means to stay in a stock that you believe has value for a period of time with an expectation of value added. It doesn't mean to hang on to the bitter end in staunch opposition to the manipulators.

If you know that stocks and market are being manipulated and that there is great volatility along with the many interests competing for profit, then you know that you must likewise roll with the punches and note the ebb and flow of the ups and downs. I've been out of NOT since the .50's just as a discipline. I see the market and very little works as it used to with profits now not lasting long before they become losses. I sold some Zen at 2.02 and today bought back in at 1.93. I've been doing this for a while as a discipline. If it goes up and then begins to slip I sell. I force any thoughts about trains and rockets out of my head. I wait for lower prices, never buy on a run, wait for things to settle. This is my very simple approach and it works for me. I note the politics, the posts, but then I just look at the price and momentum to decide what to do. I don't get uptight, I don't worry about the politics though I used to. My health, peace of mind and quality of life are more important. I'm not as much a victim and when I make a trade decision, it's usually from a stronger position than the last trade. It works but as long as one gets caught up in anything but the bottom line then you'll make less than fulfilling decisions. Others rely on your high emotional state so you'll make mistakes.

Reflect.....are you happy with your present position? Think about what you can do when you are in a position to do something. Seek help from those making it work.