Government is the natural phenomenon wherein the "insiders" take wealth, power and status from the "outsiders."

Lawrence G. McMillan reviews the options market in his weekly column for December 12.

In America, the news has been good and bad. The good news was that unemployment was not as bad as it had been. But the bad news was that the good news was largely fraudulent.

It is no coincidence that the next and probably the most highly anticipated Euro-zone Summit is scheduled right in the timeframe for a low in the recent cycle in spot gold prices.

The automatic cuts probably aren't going to happen -- at least, not the way they were supposed to happen. The pols are negotiating now. Their challenge is how to scam the voters and investors by pretending to cut spending, without really cutting much of anything.

Governments will pretend to tighten up. The ECB will lower interest rates and print up some new ersatz money. What could go wrong?

Geopolitical headlines and event-risk remain a potential powder-keg issue for crude oil prices.

There must be limits on how much debt an economy can take. And by all indications, we blew by those limits long ago.

The gold (GLD) pattern carved out off its October 21 low exhibits bullish structure.

If the problem were one of liquidity, then this week's central banks action would be enough. But the problem is solvency.