Spain bans short-selling of shares as markets fall

Which is partly what got us into this mess in the first place. Bad behavior should not be rewarded. When the market drops, real people and real money suffers and so it should not be encouraged.

Also, i am generally against profit making practices which create wealth out of nothing. Wealth should ideally be created from the production of goods and services, or at least be somehow related to those activities.

Short selling produces nothing of value except cash for the people doing it, it has no positive effects for society what so ever. And when you're encouraging that kind of wealth generation you are far, far away from the kind of capitalism that Adam Smith envisioned.

Not entirely true.

While I agree that certain types of selling short are predatory and/or unethical (Naked shorting, for instance) what it DOES do is ensure a buyer for a falling share price. One who sells short must at some point, buy the shares. Also, short sellers can act as sort of a flashlight in the dark, if you will, by finding companies that have faults or problems and then by their actions, force the shares to trade at a more realistic level.

Again, I am not defending naked shorting nor do I think this type of trade is without issues, but it does serve a purpose.

Limits should be placed on the practice at appropriate times, but they should be done carefully.

Problems that those in a long position would actually have an incentive to hide.