Mr.Positive said:
But then, these aren't normal times. If the dust settles in Europe, I think gold will drop back down. IMO, at least temporarily.
The dust isn't going to settle in Europe any time soon. Many countries are extremely over extended and are at serious risk of defaulting on their debts, to the point where some EU economies are guaranteed to default soon.
Every time the IMF bails out a European country, you can consider that as the USA paying 75% of their bailout. Essentially USA taxpayers take an economic bullet for European economies.
Gold will continue to rise and when countries start to abandon the Eurozone to use their own currency again, gold will skyrocket. Expect this before February.
JP Morgan doesn't have much more gold reserves left to keep devaluing gold whenever it gets too high.
Gold is always a sound hedge against economic downturns, and many economic experts and forecasters see the debt crisis to continue for at least another 5 years. USA has a chronic cancerous financial system right now, and it won't get better any time soon:
Debt Overtakes GDP. To understand the charts, just put it this way: Every man, woman and child in your country owes the federal government $40,000 (over and beyond taxation and interest). That is public debt 101.
It's expected to rise by 3x in 7-10 years, so your public debt will be 3x GDP at around ~40 trillion. Once the creditors raise the interest rates on that debt, your population will be barely able to pay off the yearly interest on that debt to the point where you're going to have to sacrifice public/social services. Wait ... That's happening already?
If you want a crystal ball of your future along current trends, look at Greece. What have they done over there? Government cuts public services and various funding and raises taxes(ie. austerity), meaning that you work longer and harder while receiving less benefits.
I can't see any recovery on the horizon, and the main "bailouts and stimulus packages" are almost dried up. They have been propping up your economy and others to the extent that you've had sideways growth for over a year now. Once they are dried up you will see two options before you: 1) Another bailout 2) Extended economic depression(called 'double dip recession' by fools).
Expect in the next 1-3 months to see another round of bailouts worldwide, and further squeezing of the taxpayer to support the gambling addiction of federal governments and large "too big to fail(evolve)" investment firms.
This is bordering on politics, so I'll reign myself in and leave it at that.
cheers