Weak Dollar, Weak America

I was digging in the basement for some winter sweaters this morning, and to my dismay, I found that they were all pretty much trashed from the flood we had last June. It turned really cold here last night, and since it is December, I figured I would save money by wearing multiple layers, rather than turning the thermostat up. My coffee maker that A. bought last year made it's last steamed milk, and then died with a prolonged gurgle. A true crisis had emerged, no coffee, and nothing to wear. I figured that since Macy's had recently purchased up all of my favorite Washington department stores, that shopping would be more enjoyable, a bit like an afternoon trip to New York, but without the heartburn from a pastrami on rye. I would most likely have to spend a bit more money, but not as much as turning the heat up to 70 for the next three months, or going out to Starbucks every morning for an Americano.

So off I went to Macy's with my American dollars burning a hole in my pocket. But seriously, when I got there, I was really disappointed in the selection. Everything looked cheap, and there wasn't anything that made me happy about spending money. I am a fast shopper, and an easy size to fit, and as long as I can find things in dark colors, I am willing to buy without even trying things on. Today I circled the three floors of Macy's for an hour and 20 minutes, and then had to force myself to go back in and buy something, because if I didn't, I would freeze. Everything I bought was on sale, I got two turtleneck sweaters and a long sleeved T-shirt for $44 dollars, but I would have gladly spent the total amount on one sweater that was well made and would keep me warm in January.

I think the economy is in some pretty serious trouble if even an easy to please shopper like me, a person with income to spare, doesn't want to buy the crap made in China and Indonesia. And while the stock market rallies, the dollar continues to decline, which does us not one freaking bit of good if all it will buy us is cheap clothing and coffee makers that need to be replaced one year later. Some economists have suggested that the decline in the American dollar mirrors the decline of the American military as witnessed in Iraq. They could be right, arms after all, are one of our biggest exports.

The other worry is that oil, the thing that fuels our economy is traded in dollars. Already, OPEC nations are asking for a decline in production.

Despite recent rises, most officials from Opec countries are supporting a further cut in output ahead of their meeting in Nigeria on 14 December.
They are concerned about the dollar, which has been steadily falling on the back of fears that the US economy could be contracting.

I'm not an economist, I'm just a regular citizen who happens to get paid in American dollars. If the only thing my dollars will buy is crap that doesn't work, and clothes that won't keep me warm, then what is the incentive to work all of that overtime? Coffee in the morning and warm clothing are essential to our survival. Why can't Americans produce something that is worth buying? What is the point of buying crap that lasts a year when you only have to re-place it?

I'm an ardent consumer looking for a quality product, and I hope that American manufacturers can figure out how to produce it. If they can, our country will prosper. But we can't rely on our currency remaining strong when our country is weak.

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