Washing........................from Rico

A Christmas movie called "Trading Places" also happens to be the best explanation of how commodities brokers operate.

- As the Mortimer and Randolph Duke characters explain to Valentine "they make their money on every trade, whether their clients do or not."

A lawsuit filed in federal court this week on behalf of three commodities traders alleges (with some VERY specific examples) that the commodities futures market is "rigged" against public investors, and that the CME Group (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) and the CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) through side deals and secret side arrangements now conduct fully 50% of ALL futures trading as "wash trades."

"Wash trades" are illegal under present rules and regulations, and none of this could exist without a corrupt relationship between the government, the regulators, and the operators of the CME and CBOT.

A "wash trade" can artificially drive a price in any direction desired.

- There is NO risk with a "wash trade" since both the buyer and seller are either the same entity or financially linked entities.

For those who stayed with me thus far, you should know that the CME operates the COMEX (Chicago Metals Exchange which trades Gold and Silver futures and sets the 'spot' prices for them), which for very good reasons has become known as the CRIMEX.

- With half of their trades being "wash trades" an obscene amount of money can be made by manipulating the paper (spot) prices of bullion.