It's my understanding the PA's now use a discounted price for gold. Somewhere in the $600 range in order to figure out if the operation is or is not economical. So, if gold continues going higher, much much higher, then even currently uneconomical PA's will get face over as their bottom lines get much improved.

Also, if a slumping Dow suggests that the economy is also headed down, might there be some benefit for miners as an increasing number of unemployed swells and more look for work? (This sounds horrible, but could there be any truth to it?).

Saddened,

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