Why is it always reported that the Dollar is at a historic low instead of what currency is at

[RB TexLa]

a historic high? Or reported as greater equalization of world currencies?

[melody]

1. Because the dollar story has more relevancy inside the US, of course

If the story is generated from elsewhere, it's often phrased differently.

Also, the big focus for some of the international community is on destroying the dollar, ergo ...

[Extend a Hand]

2. we're not really needing any outside help

the fed is doing a great job destroying the dollar without any help at all.

[melody]

6. That's where the fed came from -- the Bush Co buddies outside n/t

[kristopher]

3. Because the other currencies are remaining static relative to each other while the dollar declines

We're printing too much paper.

[RB TexLa]

4. The british pound is on a decisive downswing against the Euro

Yes there has been more volatility with the Dollar but not everything else is static.


Corrected the direction, but still there is movement that doesn't involve the Dollar.

[spag68]

5. british pound

has remained about 1.92 to 2 =$ as the euro is up from 1.2 to 1.45=$. Therefore pound weakens against the euro. on edit, the yen has fallen from1.2 to 1.07 =$

[RB TexLa]

8. Sorry, it is down.

but why add the Dollar into the determination?

[TheMadMonk]

17. that better be hundreds v a v the yen or you really are fucked. nt

[tuvor]

7. What a myopic comment.

[sepulveda]

10. laughably wrong

the other currencies are not remaining STATIC relative to each other

please feel free to pull up a chart of

GBPCAD GBPEUR GBPAUD GBPHKD etc

and those are just some of the more common crosses that don't use USD.

and you will see how laughably wrong you are.

but the other poster was right, the reason we report on the dollar vs. other currencies IN THE US is because we use, get paid, and put in the bank - dollars

but the idea that the other currencies remain static relative to each other is the funniest thing i have read this week.

don't just make stuff up

[kristopher]

14. help me understand then

I don't pay a great deal of attention to the financial sector. If my understanding is wrong, that's fine, but I'd like to get a clearer picture of what I'm missing.

My impression was that over the course of about the last 18 months the dollar has been sliding relative to the other major currencies, which have been reasonably stable.
My understanding (again, just a generalized, haven't thought too much about it) is that this is related to rising energy prices together with our high per capita energy usage and the costs of the war. While the higher energy prices are affecting most of the other advanced countries, their penchant for encouraging conservation via tax induced high energy prices has mitigated the damage relative to the US.
Also of course, they haven't the costs of the war to absorb.

Is it possible we are talking different time frames? If not, can you direct me to a succinct source to get myself up to speed?

[tuvor]

9. Because you're reading from US sources?

Up here, it's mostly about the "soaring loonie".

[RB TexLa]

11. I've noticed it from sources outside of the US, granted not as many

I think it goes beyond the idiotic American belief that we always have to be number one. Anytime you hear we are number whatever in some educational category it's always because of how bad we are doing and nothing about how smart the others are and how well they are doing.

[Yavin4]

12. Because the "Other" Nations Are Supposedly "Socialist"

So, reporting that their kids are smarter, their health care is better, and their currencies are stronger than ours puts to lie the Reagan myth that has dominated our politics and governing for almost 30 years, which is that nations that spend their wealth on their people instead of their military are doomed to failure.

[DLnyc]

13. In order by how they're doing against the dollar, over the last year.

CAD(Canadian Dollar), EUR(Euro), JPY(Japanese Yen), CNY(Chinese Yuan), GBP(Great Britain Pound)

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?t=1y&s=EURUSD%3DX&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=jpyusd%3Dx%2Cgbpusd%3Dx%2Ccadusd%3Dx%2Ccnyusd%3Dx

All, except GB Pound, have gotten much stronger relative to the dollar. Canadian 'loonie' has done the best of these.

[Historic NY]

15. Want to get scared see what its worth to the Canadian dollar....

or the British pound.

[RB TexLa]

19. What is scary about that?

[Angela Shelley]

16. It is reported both ways, depending on the point

which is being made.

US news will always talk about the dollar in comparison to another currency, for example, "the dollar is falling in value relative to the Euro" if you want to compare the economic health of the two currencies when talking to another person in the US.

If you are in Europe, you would say "the Euro is at a record high relative to the dollar", because you would be wanting to make the point that things are going better, at this time, in Europe than in the US.

It´s all relative, there are two sides to every currency discussion.

[eilen]

18. Currency values

are perhaps more stable in Europe since many European countries adopted the euro. There you have many different economies using the same. I would think it has a stabilizing effect much like index funds have a stablizing effect on investment.

The dollar woes are multi causal but basically, they are printing too many and with the lowered rates, the saved dollar is losing money relative to inflation.