Shorting in it's raw form as an individual would do it, is hard work and equal to longs.
BUT this is not how the investment banks/ hedges with bots do it. They don't put in a short and cross their fingers. They systematically sell short all the way down to where they want it, cap with the bot until they can buy them all back, and then some, then ride it back and do it all again.
It's much easier to create fear and panic than it is to gee somebody up. Margin loans and stop losses create the freefall as was perfectly executed last night. Yes, for shorters, it can go the other way, but people aren't as likely to follow a share up without questioning why. But when your money is disappearing you tend to jump.
Hopefully, last nights plunge gets some investigation and regulation on Bots and shorting because at the moment it is all in favour of Goldmans etc.
