Overly High Expectations: One of the best-performing investments this year has been in precious metals. There are several good reasons for this: rising inflation, a weaker U.S. dollar, concerns about ballooning government deficits, distrust of Washington’s policies, and the desire of large international investors to reduce their exposure to the United States. These are all structural factors unlikely to change quickly, which is why many expect precious metal prices to continue climbing in the near term. Yet, when one looks at the silver chart, the picture is striking