Many years ago the US dollar was about par with the Aus Pound. Then one pound became two Australian dollars - and you got about aus $1.60 - 1-80 from memory. the it gradually slipped to about 85 cents...

The Aus Dollar was about 85 cents to the US dollar several years ago. When it went down I stopped buying imported goodies (not food - don't have a choice there!). It went down to 40 cents, now is up to about 72-3. When it get near the 80 cents mark - I might consider US pleasurable purchases again. Of course this assumes I will have a future income...

The US owned global corporations first stuffed up other countries economies, then moved themselves offshore for cheaper labour, thus stuffing up the US economy. By careful shuffling they can pay very low taxes overall, as well as getting subsidies too. I have a friend who is a manufacturing jeweller. It is cheaper by about four times to send uncut stones to Sri Lanka (subsidies, and lower wages, cost of living) for cutting (good quality) rather than have them cut in Australia. Even after two lots of freight halfway round the world - it's still cheaper... and the Aussie jobs are exported too...

Robin