The big news on Monday was that oil prices, for the first time, plunged into negative territory.  That means that oil-producers, rather than getting money for their product, are theoretically paying other people to unload the product.  There are significant ramifications to this collapse (although overnight trading may make the long-term picture less grim).  While the execrable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrated the crash, President Trump immediately took steps both to strengthen America and to shore up the industry. The beauty of the free market is that nothing has a fixed value.  A commodity's value always reflects the amount a willing seller and a willing buyer can negotiate in an arm's-length transaction.  If an entrepreneur sees that buyers will pay well for a rare product, he will move into that market. As more entrepreneurs move into a market, the balance of power between buyers and sellers...(Read Full Post)