The frickin dollar

“The dollar has gone into the toilet. Last time I was in Canada a US dollar was worth better than 1.40 Canadian - now there is parity. In fact, with the money exchangers fee I get less than a Canadian dollar for my US dollar.

I haven't been in Europe since before Bush was president but then, I got more than one Euro for a dollar. Now its more than 1.40 US dollars for a Euro. The pound once looked like it was headed for parity now its 2 for 1.

This definitely made for sticker shock when I saw what the Canadian Hotel room for October would cost me and its definitely cut my enthusiasm for the Italy trip I've been promising my wife.

More seriously is the question of what it will mean for the US economy and inflation. With oil prices soaring - there is a risk that they could bring back inflation. Cheap Chinese imports have been mucking up our industry - but they've kept a lid on inflation, but how long until the weakness of the dollar leads to significant price rises. Add the cost of the new regulations China will have to put in place due to all the big contamination scandals. I wonder if China is keeping prices low to keep production high until after the Olympics - to prevent social unrest from mucking up their big PR event.

Just ramblings, but the dollar's plunge is already hurting and its hard to see how it won't take a bigger toll down the road.”

“holy cow, i just checked my converter, and youre right. the canadian dollar is worth just a few tenths of a penny under a dollar. wow. thats quite a drop”

“Borrow and spend when the republicans, even though dems. have majority, are still in charge. What will happen if the dems do get the WH and both houses of congress?? Consumerism has no true ceiling as long as long as the powers figure out some other scam to get play money into the hands of the american 'shop til yah droppers'.”

“The lesson of this is don't spend money in Canada.”

“Good for those who export.... (do we export anything anymore?)”

“WE export foreign aid and war paraphernalia.
The aid is for lobby money to get more and the left over is to buy the war stuff.
last edited: 9/21/07 8:08:57 AM”

“Oil goes up as the dollar goes down, because oil is traded in US dollars. To be able to really afford the oil we need, the dollar has a long way more down to go.”

“Movies.... weapons systems.... Windows Vista....”

“Vista, how can my other 6 puters live with XP Pro?”

“It should be good for exports and help domestic products compete with imports - but it definitely drives up the cost of lots of things.

Though Crash - if you are getting paid in Won, you might end up doing well, although the Won is only up 5% vs. the dollar in the past year. That's compared to better than 10% for the Euro and the Canadian dollar.

My guess is that the Bush administration won't be pressuring China to release control over the dollar/yuan exchange rater over the next year. Or, if they do, they will piss off a lot of republicans who are running for office next year.”

“New lows for the dollar. A record low against the Euro, 30 year low against the Canadian dollar.

Hopefully there will be some US manufacturing benefit from this - but the cost of my trip to Vancouver keeps going up.”

“Weren't we paying for another war 30 years ago?”

“ah.... the 10,000 Day War.

We just hopped on for the Second Half and the Big Finish (and wound up taking all the credit).

Speaking of US exports.... I hear the farmers are making out like bandits.  Good for them ---”

“Chindia has some influences on the dollar , but our debt is the biggest. With one foot on each of two chariots
(lenders and inflation) the ride can be uncomfortable when the Larry spread widens.”

“And we ARE still paying for a WAR the libbies started something like 40 years ago....you may have heard of it..THE WAAAA on Poverty?

Yeah we have blown something like 7 or 8 TRILLION (BIG T) dollars and cannot show ONE even small victory. Hell if anything every measurement of "success" is down and has been. (LOL) And the libbies are #&%!$ing about the WAR on Terror.”

“Welfare to da poor, Haliburton, American Airlines , Boeing (The great american fence company) Again, you should at least think in stereo occasionally. It's amazing what you can find when you look at the whole picture ,instead of the hole picture.”

“That damn Czech suds is going to cost thirty-seven dollars a goddam six-pack.”

““I would be willing to make a private citizen's donation (in real money, not Canuck Monopoly money).

Doug”
Gremlin
1:10:56 PM
1/22/07

How things have changed in less than a year (at least the US dollar is back to being worth more than the Canadian - even if only by a penny).”

“We are scrapping up all of the Canadian currency around here and taking them up to the bank for green backs.

You do see the Loony on par, or better than, the green back to often. You have to take advantage of it when you can. Not a lot of stores around here take Canuck bucks.”

“The frickin will soon look like it's gaining strength , but it's just dragging everyone else down.”

“http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23616851/

Dollar losing clout around the world
Even in South America workers prefer euros, other local currencies”

“The dollar is worthless now.... A twenty, that will buy you something...”

“The dollar is so weak I tore one in half with one hand.”

“I think the best thing we could do to save the economy is to do away with the corporate tax.”

“Please send all your worthless dollars to me. Thank you.”

“LOL...I was hearing some foriegn minister complain it is less expensive to buy American Items then their items produced In country....WHOA!!!”

“XL: I hope there is some benefit for exports and from people spending their vacation money at home.

It also means increased cost of living and of traveling outside the country.

Long term we run the risk of economic disarmament. Trying to maintain our international clout by military means, without huge economic power is a recipe for trouble.”

“A low dollar, because too many are printed is a subsidy for Cos and individuals with high debt( They pay back with cheaper dollars). Japan all over again ,but way bigger.”

“I think the best thing we could do to save the economy is to do away with the corporate tax.

Why not, so many loop holes make it that way already, but with lots of paper and whoopla they can cry about.”

“PARIS (Reuters) - The U.S. economy lost the title of "world's biggest" to the euro zone this week as the value of the dollar slumped in currency markets.

Taking the gross domestic product of both economies in 2007, the combined GDP of the 15 countries which use the euro overtook that of the United States when the European currency surged to a record high of more than $1.56 per euro.

"The curious outcome of breaching this latest milestone is that the size of the euro zone's annual output has now exceeded that of the U.S.," the economics department of Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street investment bank, said in a note to clients.

Taking official estimates of 2007 GDP -- $13,843,800 billion for the United States and 8,847,889.1 billion euros for the euro zone -- the economy of the latter passed the United States once converted into dollars, shortly after the euro topped $1.56.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSL1491971920080314”

“Not a huge surprise when we consider that the US has the second highest corporate tax rate in the world. If I owned a corporation I wouldn't be here either.”

“This country was not designed to rule the world, but the arrogant egos of some can't read plans.”

“Isn't it well past the time Europe quit freeloading on the U. S. and started providing for their own defence?
Get our troops out of Europe. Let them stare at the great bear.”

“Stovie's got bad bad case of the Ron Pauls
when he makes all those 'Bring Em Home' calls”

“�Not a huge surprise when we consider that the US has the second highest corporate tax rate in the world. If I owned a corporation I wouldn't be here either.�
Nigal
7:04:05 PM



Not so. Direct comparisons are impossible because of the complexity of the codes, but in this study of effective rates, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Japan and Turkey all have higher rates.

Certainly having access to an educated and mobile workforce with huge disposable incomes has to be worth something as well.
last edited: 3/17/08 7:37:47 AM”

“Grin and beer it. There you go again using my spelling.”

“Bye, buy, Bye,but don't ask why?????????????”

“What was that scale 1-8 4/2?

What'll a hundred basis point drop in rates say about 'Supply Side Slide' economics?? Last time was after 9/11, did you hear a boom?
last edited: 3/17/08 9:38:38 AM”

“".........did you hear a boom?"

No sir, but I saw a bust.”

“
� � � Go back to sleep, America.

� � � � � � - Bill Hicks (1961-1994)

”