Could you be more blunt? I gave my respects to Viva and admitted my lack of knowledge regarding these matters. It was a question, not a statement, to Viva... geesh! A little f'ing common courtesy too much to ask for?
Do "we" know when these short positions were established? If not...we might as well be guessing. They may have even taken these positions well over a year ago...they would have covered already based on the Viva argument.
Wrong, Short sale is considered two transactions (buy and sell) no matter ho long it is kept open. If the time the stock is borrowed then sold is less than a year, it is a short term, no matter how long it is left open.
I do not remember the 6 months for long term capital gains being changed back to 1 year. If it changed when but as far as I no LONG TERM IS 6 MONTHS. Correct me if I am wrong.