The price of gold is being actively managed by central planners and their proxies. The main culprit here appears to be the US authorities, as the manipulation is most apparent in the US open gold market. For the most part, this 'management' has resulted in letting the price of gold rise, but not too much, or too quickly.
The price of gold has always been an object of interest for governments and central bankers. The reason is simple enough to understand: Gold is an objective measure of the degree to which fiat money is being managed well or managed poorly.
As such, whenever paper money is being governed poorly, the price of gold becomes an important barometer. And this is why the actual price of gold is a strong candidate to be “managed.” Or “influenced.” Or “manipulated.” Whichever word you prefer, they all convey the same intent.
Some who are reading this are likely having an eye-rolling moment because they hold a belief that there is no conspiracy to manage the price of gold.
This is an interesting belief to hold because it runs heavily against the odds. It's similar to holding the belief that the house in Vegas does not have a statistical advantage.
We could spend a lot of time discussing how a belief such as “gold is not being manipulated” gets promoted and inserted into the popular consciousness, but we won't. Instead, we'll simply note that the people who hold this belief – and you may be among them – react to the concept at a visceral level, often with strong emotions such as anger or contempt, and even anxiety.
When a strong emotional response surfaces during a conversation of ideas, it usually means that beliefs are in play – neither facts nor logic. Experience has taught me that when someone becomes dismissive or angry or hostile when the idea of price manipulation is discussed, it's best to simply drop the conversation and move on. No combination of logic or facts is effective against a deeply-held belief. It's better to wait until some new evidence calls that belief into question, opening the door for revisiting the topic.
But for those with an open mind, there is a very interesting trail of dots to connect.
The Logic of Gold Price Management
Unlike beliefs, opinions can be discussed and even modified without first running through an emotional thicket. They rest on data and ideas that can be consciously accessed and are therefore easier to change.
It is my opinion that the price of gold is being actively managed and/or overseen by official parties. On a strictly qualitative level, I hold this opinion because if I ever found myself in charge of a system of money rooted in confidences, as is our current fiat regime, I would consider the active management of the price of gold one of my fiduciary responsibilities.
Gold is an important signaling mechanism, and our entire money system is faith-based. Of course anything and everything that could cast doubt on that system would be controlled if it could be controlled.
About the Author
Chris Martenson trained as a scientist, and completed both a PhD and a post-doctoral program at Duke University, where he specialised in neurotoxicology. He has an MBA in Finance from Cornell, and has extensive experience in corporate finance and strategic consulting. He is also the author of The Crash Course: The Unsustainable Future Of Our Economy, Energy, And Environment, and host of the website Peak Prosperity, where this article first appeared.