Enough of the BS analysis, it's all quite simple.
Nothing but M3 growth, still through repos. Liquidity that hits the ruling class and big institutions first, who keep getting more cash and need to put it somewhere. Leverage to hedge funds, prop desks, B/Ds, etc. Foreign nations also needing to find somewhere to put their US dollars, because there certainly are not enough US exports to spend them on. Where to put them to at least feel like they have any use.
The investors may feel like they are doing great by getting 10% a year, but their buying power decreases by more than that. This market has ways to go to adjust for dollar depreciation, assuming the economy has actually improved from 2001-2002.
Short or long, it don't matter. You can get knocked on both sides being right or wrong, thanks to leverage. Now that everyone and their mother is a trader, the chopping shakeout games are at full scale. I find it harder to put on a good intraday long during this uptrend than in 2005. Forget 2003, that was golden comparing to this.
There was a guest on CNBC who was critisizing the whole Dow 12,000 festival, one of the few who just says it how it is. He received little rebuttal, just a quirky smile as if he is not to be taken seriously. He basically said that Dow 12,000 means SH*T on real terms and a nation simply cannot borrow and consume its way to prosperity.
If all you bears get your reversal based on the recession idea, your profits might be worth more as firewood than actual currency.
Smoke & mirrors. There is so much other serious sh*t going on in this world right involving this nation. Don't get too distracted with this market "phenomenon".