DislikedI know what you mean but considering the seriousness of the $ index, it has changed my mind. I thought that 75 was the ultimate support and that the US Treasury would do almost anything in it's power to support it in conjunction with the fed. Looking at the Trend that started in late 2001, it has been an ongoing journey down wards.
No, the ? that arises as to why? There are many that come to my mind and seem logical. After 9/11, there was a backlash against individuals of Islamic faith / countries. I know, because I worked for the government. They made it harder for legitimate students who came to the US to study. These students had to wait up to a year to get their visa's, once they did, they had to go special registrations upon entry into the US. Legitimate Businessman had to wait countless hours at airports to get documented and fingerprinted. If an individual was traveling with his family, his family also had to bear the hardship of waiting at airports. These individuals also had to inform and register once more when they left the country. Now, it was not only individuals from Islamic countries but also from N. Korea, Cuba, etc.
Now, would anyone in their right mind would want to go through hassle of coming to the US to study when there are other institutions in Europe that offer the same education of equal or better standards? Would any businessman want to have to wait 1-13 hours at an airport to get registered when he or she could conduct business via video conferencing / telephone? Or better yet, find some other buyer or supplier in Europe?
Let us not forget the Dubai World Port deal that happened to go down the drain because of a phobia that had no foundation. That was a multi-billion dollar deal.
Now if I were an investor, looking at the climate in the US, would I want to invest my money in the US? The answer would unfortunately be no.
So, we may see bouts of $ bullishness, here and there, but in the long run, I am bearish.
FYI: Iran is already accepting payments for oil in the Yen (from Japan). All we need is Mr. Chavez to announce that he will start accepting payment in Euros. I wouldn't be surprised if the Arab oil producers are or have been quietly converting their $$$'s into Euros.Ignored
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/ma...=1&oref=slogin
Patience + Humility + Study = Success