If anyone has been following the metal market lately gold and silver have hit 5 year lows. And people are buying it like crazy, especially Chinese. The US Mint has literally ran out of American Silver Eagles and are scrambling to make more. Some attribute the drop in price to the US dollar strengthening. Others claim that this is only an illusion because people are dumping gold futures in huge quantities, thus driving down price.
This
article talks about the manipulation a bit. In short investors are playing the paper gold market and some are dumping huge amounts in situations that aren't financially strategic. Meanwhile other people are buying up tons of real physical gold faster than it can be pulled out of the earth. Simultaneously prices are so low that mining companies can hardly pull a profit. Mining companies have apparently considered halting sales temporarily because it is such a problem for them.
What this means for the economy is anyone's guess. Personally I think that things aren't as good as politicians are claiming. They are after all masters at massaging numbers and making things like unemployment, etc. seem better than reality.
Edit: Here is a price chart. I think chinese trading may have just started.
