sharky:

It is only a matter of time. The US$ will join the Euro and many other of the western currencies in the used trash bin of history. In actuality the US$ needs to devalue by about 6% per year for about seven years in order to wash away our fiscal transgressions and monetary transgressions. Other areas of the World, like Europe need to do the same. Will the Euro survive? Such is questionable. Will the US$ survive? Likely, but in a significantly devalued state relative to some of the emerging currencies of Asia, the Middle East, Russia and other currencies tied to significant physical resources. There is a good chance the US$ will ultimately be only one of a basket of currencies making up the monetary standard of the world. Of the currencies to likely come out ahead is the Canadian $ as Canada avoided many of the excesses which infected Western Europe and the United States and it is a commodity based currency. Do not be surprised if we see currency, at least in part tied to the monetary metals of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, etc. Ultimately, the world needs something to keep the monetary authorities honest. Which by nature they definitely are not, and never have been!

Brian