this is from gene arensberg's got gold report. "lc" means large commercial:

The obvious conclusion is that with silver in the $17.80s in April of 2010 the LCs were less motivated to “hedge” than they were in October of 2009 with silver then near the same price in the $17.50s. (We use the term “hedge” loosely because the CFTC does.)
As we have written in the past, we believe the LCs are also the traders who have the most potential to drive silver prices lower disproportionately from time to time – by virtue of virtually unlimited exemptions to position and accountability limits under the present conditions on the U.S. futures exchanges. We think and believe that the LCs routinely pressure the silver market lower than it otherwise would be with the weight of their own trading – because they can – because it is profitable to do so, and because the CFTC has given them an unfair trading advantage.

But, that may change soon. If the CFTC really does impose Federal position limits in silver futures and removes the scandalously over-sized position and accountability limit exemptions currently afforded an elite few traders on Ney York bourses. We know the CFTC is considering the matter now and that if there are to be proposed changes they are imminent.
Having said all that, we also know and believe that even if there is no change to the COMEX status quo, the effects of the LC’s manhandling of the silver market are, and always will be temporary in nature. Not even they can hold back the silver tide over time.

http://treo.typepad.com/got_gold_report/2010/04/got-gold-report-gold-survives-post-goldman-selldown-attempt-.html

the full report is here:

http://treo.typepad.com/20100425GGRUpdatePDFR.pdf