>1) Why do large wall-street houses pay exhorbitant amounts of money to analysts so that they give their opinion for free to the public? Are they a charity or is it manipulation?<
This line of thinking depends on the premise that it is the capital of Joe Public that moves markets.
I think it is pretty clear that retail purchasing power is not what makes the market move on a daily basis. It is the institutions and hedge funds.
Therefore, either you believe that institutions and hedge funds put out reports to fool themselves, or your premise falls flat on its face.
>3) Why does the financial media (including CNBC, Forbes, Wall street joornal, reuters, and all the rest...) put such a concerted spin in reporting about stocks and companies, and why is the spin always identical for all the media? Is it to inform the public or is it because they get dictated to them by the crooked hedgies?<
See above.
>2) Why does wall-street allow shorting (legal or naked does not matter). Is it really for "liquidity and efficiency" or is it for manipulation?<
Given the finite dollar amount that stocks can fall, and given that the market is net long by a large margin, your constant worry about shorting being pure manipulation screams of inefficiency. If the market was going to manipulate, and use the public as lemmings in their plans, it would be in their best interest to increase prices. At least then they could amplify their manipulation with Joe Public's money. Most indications suggest that retail's mentality towards a fall in price is to fall in love with the stock, and clinch harder to their shares.
If you want to talk manipulation, let's talk about your never wavering 1000% annual profit.
I can't believe I replied to this. Again.