But I'm A Cheerleader!

Central banks 'shunning dollar'

This has actually been going on for a while, particularly in oil-producing countries, which are transferring their reserve holdings over to euros.

Ah, but Himself has that Harvard MBA, does he not? So there must be a plan....after all, these guys would never be so stupid as to undertake anything major without a plan....oh, never fucking mind.

The last three months of 2004 saw the dollar slip by 7% against the euro, taking it to repeated all-time lows of more than $1.30.

The US is running a budget deficit of close to $500bn a year, funded largely by China and Japan buying large amounts of US government bonds.

Some economists have suggested that the two could ease their purchases, making it more difficult for the US to support its borrowing.

Yeah, they could do that. They could also get tired of propping our stupid asses up, realize that they've got us by the short hairs, and not only stop purchasing, but start selling what they've got. After all, if it's just going to keep declining against an ascendant euro, and Caligula might as well appoint his horse to run the Treasury Dept. for all the economic acumen are tax dollars are getting us, why would China and Japan want to keep taking it in the shorts? Trade deficits only get you so far. Right now we're just a loss-leader for them, until they achieve market saturation in cheap DVD players and such.

I'm not an economist, nor do I play one on TV, but I recognize the thrashing of a dying animal when I hear it.

Similarly, the current account - the difference between the amount of money going out of the US and coming in - is deeply in the red, the result largely of large trade deficits.

Both factors have helped to push the dollar lower. However, the falling dollar does mean that central bank holdings of dollar reserves are losing value.

Yeah, but at least he's firm and resolute about not letting SpongeBob SquarePants get married to Squidward. Thanks again, values voters!