The French must be suicidal.

Yes, we are really enjoying how our USA $$$ are now worth 1/2 of what they were a few years ago.

Things are wonderful!

Hmmm, so American made goods are now twice the value of foreign made?

TCM

"Hmmm, so American made goods are now twice the value of foreign made?

TCM

Posted by TCM | "

Exactly, everyone talks about how American based manufacturing has been in dire straights for so long. A weak dollar is exactly the sort of thing American industry needs to spurn growth.

I love the people who bemoan the purposeful and necessary devaluation of the US dollar. If you are a currency trader still holding dollars in 2007, I think you should get out of the currency trading business right now. The cheaper dollar is boosting our exports.

Forget Europe. Learn to speak Chinese. Exports to China are growing twice as fast as imports from China.

Gee, AJ, I seem to be paying pretty much the same prices for just about everything here in Maine.

You're an idiot, is what you're saying, basically? Something about being too stupid to understand what an exchange rate is, and what it actually means? You say you're too dumb to notice that the things you actually buy haven't doubled in price, or anything remotely near it?

Yeah, that's what I thought you said.

I believe that the UK computes unemployment differently from the way we calculate it over here. You need to find numbers that are both measured using the same method.

In their defense, everyone the Guardian people know all think America is headed for the crapper, at least until January of 2009 when Hillary will make all things perfect again.

And with the dollar doing poorly against other currancies it seems more Europeans are likely to vacation over in the states (and yanks as well for the negative side of the same reason). Both factors helping the US economy.

Note to the Guardian: our national malaise ended January 20, 1981 @ 12 noon.

If the dollar strengthens, the whiners [complain] because it means imports are cheap and we buy a lot of really good stuff cheap from other countries. If the dollar weakens, the whiners [complain] because we don't buy as much cheap stuff from overseas but *sell* stuff overseas and buy stuff made in the US. They're just whiners, as demonstrated above. (And none too bright, either.)

rjschwarz: having recently returned to the Lower 48 from Maui I can definitely attest to the greater-than-past-experience number of German and Brit voices heard in the hotels and beaches, it's no doubt cheap for them now. There were surprisingly fewer Japanese this time, no fashion-victim Japanese girls walking along beachfront trails in high heels; this may not be the right season for them.

*sigh* As somebody who does trade currencies for a living (more like speculate), Their is both good and bad effects of the relative value of the dollar. Some people will try to spin it to fit their goals.

The Guardian places too much credibility in the front page op-eds of the mainstream media. Because the reporters at these outlets are in a funk doesn't necessarily reflect the attitude of the American people. If it did, we would have the same scenario we had in the 60's. The people are frustrated, that's definite. We have had a dysfunctional Congress for seven years. Issues like immigration, social security, energy and homeland defense have taken a back seat to the Democrats fight against Bush. They were elected the majority in hope of change and produced more of the same. Now, most of our presidential candidates are coming from that same crop of Congress. Yes, we citizens are frustrated but we are determined, the "we know better than you" immigration debacle proved that.

Heftyjo, I think you meant: "A weak dollar is exactly the sort of thing American industry needs to spur growth."

"If the dollar strengthens, the whiners [complain] because it means imports are cheap and we buy a lot of really good stuff cheap from other countries. If the dollar weakens, the whiners [complain] because we don't buy as much cheap stuff from overseas but *sell* stuff overseas and buy stuff made in the US."

It is just as a famous pundit once said, "All news is economic news and all economic news is bad news."

In fairness, it is mid-October in the UK. That means it's been overcast and raining now for 3 months, and yes everyone involved in that article actually is suffering from the seasonal depression they experience 11 months of the year. You cannot expect them to be objective and open minded at a time like this. God knows the only relief for my Brit colleagues is to travel here to funkland where it's sunny and they can enjoy enjoy Tex Mex, barbecue, optimistic people and free refills by the sparkling lake.

" if Americans are "despondent," does this mean Brits are pathologically depressed?"

Ever been to Britain? Ridden the tube, seen the looks on people's faces day in and day out? The answer to your question is YES.

"Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way" - Pink Floyd. Truer words were never written.

It is my understanding that the U.S. is actually manufacturing more goods than before, but requires fewer workers to do so. The U.S. has the most productive workers in the world in large part due to the efficiency of its industries, but all we seem to hear from the press and many politicians is that we are losing manufacturing jobs.

There may be fewer jobs in manufacturing, but that does not necessarily mean there is less manufacturing. The low unemployment figures would suggest that those displaced folks don't remain jobless for long.

Liberal Democrats- like the news media talking heads- are despondent about America.

AMERICANS are of good cheer and positive disposition.

Don't mistake one for the otherm as they are NOT the same.

What garbage. If Mr. Younge is in the United States at all, I suspect that he hasn't left New York City.

That malaise? The inability to "bring our troops home now." The rest of us are doing quite well thank you.

Methinks he's playing to his audience. The parade of commenters are each more asinine that the previous. Some are glum because the Military-Industrial Complex overran our democracy.

BTW, it is refreshing to read comments here from people who have a clue about basic economics.

The Brits and the Euros are in no position to pass judgment on anyone. Who cares what they think?

"I believe that the UK computes unemployment differently from the way we calculate it over here. You need to find numbers that are both measured using the same method."

True. The US counts those who aren't working, while the UK counts those who are unemployed. You'll never reconcile that.

It's worth pointing out that 4.7% unemployment is effectively zero unemployment. One out of twenty people are changing jobs at any given moment, which is 5% of the labor market. When your economy dips down below 5% unemployment, you have a labor shortage.

"America, in short, is in a deep funk. Far from feeling hopeful, it appears fearful of the outside world and despondent about its own future. Not only do most believe tomorrow will be worse than today, they also feel that there is little that can be done about it."

Translation: Damn those Americans and their Revolution!

Maybe the brits should focus on THEIR country and then maybe the subjects won't have to pull their own teeth out! haha!

Speaking as a citizen of US blue-collar working class, we are doing just fine, thank you.

We may not all be millionaires, but all most of us need to be happy is a job, a roof over our heads and good friends and family around us. It certainly doesn't hurt that we live in a country that has natural beauty within driving distance in every direction.

Uh, it's in the EU's best interests to devalue the American dollar. To do that, it needs to devalue the American economy. The article quoted is yet another example of the economic warfare being waged against the dollar for the purposes of encouraging Europeans to sell their dollars in favor of Euros. It doesn't matter how good the American economy is; the picture will be painted as gray as possible.

Follow the money, honey.

Economics Lesson:

The idea that the dollar is "Weak" is a red herring! Actually, the reason that the dollar is "Weak" is not that there is a problem with America. The problem is with the horrible economies in Europe! They make up for this by bloating their currencies! Haven't any of you ever read Dr. Walter E. Williams articles on this? The US Economy is better than any economy in the history of the world right now! I'd love to hear hear any arguments to the contrary! Most unemployment rates in Europe are running between 12 and 18 percent! Britain is the exception. They also don't talk about how a cheaper dollar helps our Universities because an American Education is a bargin right now. This money is also not factored into our trade numbers. If it was, we would be showing a net cash trade inflow into the US. Economics is all in what people tell you it is! Don't believe half of it! And always be really skeptical of the other half!

The British have always had what I call "America envy." They just can't stand it when a former colony of thiers turns out to be the most powerful nation on the planet. What also drives them insane is seeing how strong our economy is and how well our people are doing while, at the same time, we're fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and we're fighting a global war on terror. They are struggling with a horrible health care system, while most Americans are healthy and happy with the coverage they have. That, coupled with the fact that inflation is still very low, mortgage rates are still low, and the stock market is still around 14,000 drives them nuts. So, they do what all Europeans do, if they can't be better than you, they'll insult you. I say, that's not being a jolly good sport about things, is it?

Remember the Liberals in Eurostan and North America are always depressed about something. They should be now that I think about it. There are glaring holes in the American economy - try Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. But we are definitely going into a labor shortage. The boomers are retiring, and the illegals are staying busy. When Billary takes office in 2009 suddenly "all will be well" again with "robust" growth. It happend axactly that way in 1st qtr. 1992...look it up.

Let us pause for a moment. Are Washington Times readers actually being asked to take The Guardian's view of the United States or "Americans" seriously? Why? Since WHEN has The Guardian ever had any astute insight into the American psyche?

At the Republican conference in Macinac in Michigan last month I had an interesting conversation with the BBC's correspondent (BBC radio, which often plays in an edited form on NPR). This journalist, a Welshman by birth, was wholly ignorant of the difference between "Conservative" in the British Tory Party sense, and "conservative" in the Republican sense. He understood "republican" in relation to the Irish Republic, but just hadn't considered WHY he (and the BBC) were receiving such a hostile reception from the GOP campaigns. He didn't know that the modern Republican Party was first formed in the midwest out of the abolitionist movement, nor had he ever even READ the Declaration of Independence nor U.S. Constitution. And this was the BBC producer!

The Guardian (formally the Manchester Guardian) isn't remotely concerned with accurate or honest representations of Americans or U.S. policy. This is a paper that defers to Noam Chompski as a serious authority... So let's be serious.

"-- Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor, The Washington Times"

In the future I would suggest penning these diatribes anonymously, it's embarrassing.

And they must be doing something right. They have one of the largest web presences of any newspaper (over 6 million unique American visitors per month) and recently launched Guardian America (online).

They also have a tendency to question authority which perhaps explains their success. For instance they didn't blindly support the War on Iraq and don't whole-heartedly support invading Iran... (it's the small details).