(For you, @akgo01. The Reply feature dropped when posting.)The...

(For you, @akgo01. The Reply feature dropped when posting.)

The thing to keep in mind here is that a rational speculative shorter in a futures market will always have their expectations of the future at the forefront of the mind. Their mindset won't necessarily be about 'fleecing' anybody, as you so emotively put it. They're usually more interested in correctly picking a downward trend to profit from.

Commercial (non-speculative) shorters are often the very producers that you allude to, or
intermediaries, who are forward-selling some future production to lock-in some current pricing as a hedge against future price deterioration. In a deliverable contract, those shorters can hold the contract until expiry and can deliver the physical to fulfill their obligation.