Quote:

If you judge strength (ie weakness) by comparison of the US economy to the economies of its major trading partner ( US $ vs. Canadian $ 5yr chart) , the US is crawling around on all fours in a ditch looking for its teeth. That's on W's watch.


As said, currency ratios and economic strength are only loosely coupled, usually with a long lag. It's made even worse when the currency is being subtly manipulated as I think the US dollar is being manipulated: I think some of the fall is a result of "talking down" in order to make exports cheaper and cool import demand.

(example: European policymakers are NOT smug about the euro's climb against the dollar: they're actually in a panic over it. Canada's economy is so tightly bound to the US that this is less of a problem: even if the currency issue hurts Canada, the dominant fact will be that anything that helps the US economy will help Canada too)
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"If they can't picture me with a knife, forcing them to strip in an alley, I don't want any part of it. It's humiliating." - windsock