Charts are not wholly inanimate, as in relation to our discussion of other objects being wholly ignorant of our animation. They're not animate themselves, rather than being maps that show patterns in the animated behavior of market participants, after the fact...
So, if the behavior reflected is intended to be a lie, or if it is otherwise a function of lies... the patterns in the charts based on the telling of the lie, will tend to reflect that lie, and the chart patterns may themselves be made a lie, too.
If market participants find it useful to knowingly lie about facts and things as basic as fundamentals... not just "company fundamentals" but basics in truth functions ? The charts will tend to reflect the impact of the fact in the lies... rather than the value of facts in fundamentals... when lies dominate the conversation.
Not every disagreement... is an honest disagreement.
So, the truth function is the core issue... in the logic, but also in the analysis of other market participants interest, knowing some may value and respect truth too little.
That makes it telling... to observe argument that has some few flagrantly disputing even basic and obvious truths... as by claiming that inanimate objects are responsible for people's behavior... and not the people whose behavior it is...
There are market functions that may work to correct those sorts of errors... over time...
But, as a free market, by definition, is one in which there is an requirement for the absence of that sort of fundamental fraud ?
The choices made in what we will tolerate in others behavior, matter... and have impact that goes far beyond the limits of "manipulation" we're discussing, in a single stock...
And, that's why shorts have to be banned... if they're not going to be properly limited as in the past... because enabling them ensures the result that the market will be based on fraud.