Sorry but can't resist posting this for my American neighbours from one of my favourite commentators re economy and currencies.
From Cuck Buttler in his Daily Pfennig for Feb.22,2012:

<Then There Was This. from the Economist. "The European Union has lower government debt levels than America. Gross government debt in the 27 nations of the EU was 80% of the region's GDP at the end of 2010; in America gross federal debt at the end of 2010 was 94% of GDP. Furthermore, government debt is growing more slowly as a percentage of GDP in the EU than in America, because pretty much every nation in the EU is implementing austerity measures. The general government deficit in the EU-27 in 2010 was 6.6% of GDP. In America the federal deficit in 2010 was 9% of GDP."

Chuck again. I tell you this not as a "hey they're better than us" type of thing. This article caught my eye, because, we're going to hear over and over again during the election campaign that we are "becoming Europe" because of the debt. But, if that were true, then we as a country, would be cutting deficit spending, and implementing austerity measures. watch out for that!>