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-   -   Question on Euro (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/question-on-euro-382982/)

icithecat Dec 17th, 2003 06:29 PM

Just to interject some humour.

As someone from north of the border, I do not understand a political system with only two parties.

Americans may vote for movie stars, but........

Look at Italy. They have at least 30 parties at any given millisecond, and they vote for porn stars.

Sue_xx_yy Dec 17th, 2003 06:46 PM

Robert

You are trying to base your argument by impugning the motives of the current administration instead of providing supporting evidence. It is perfectly possible for any administration to be indebted to anything (including the electorate that voted for them) and yet not take any action in favour of the latter's interests. Consequently, your claim that this particular administration will run its monetary policy to the benefit of any particular party (including a particular business) merely because the latter assisted them into office is unfounded.

Again on the subject of basing argument on alleged motives instead of evidence, I also note the rather prejudicial language you use in your statements, such as 'big business' as opposed to, for example, 'big employer' which also fairly describes companies like Microsoft.

By all means express your opinions, but let us agree that opinions are not logical arguments.

illusion321 Dec 17th, 2003 06:50 PM

I thought i heard somewhere that the US actually does not base its currency on gold anymore?!? IF this is true, what is our currency based upon. I think this stopped sometime during the nixon administration, but again i am not sure. Also i am under the impresson that all other countries base their money on gold, is this right?

RufusTFirefly Dec 18th, 2003 04:25 AM

No, it's not right. While the USA dropped the gold standard in 1971, most countries dropped the gold standard before WWII. I don't think any country uses it now.

Currencies are largely based on the strength of a country's economy, the likelihood of a country's ability to maintain a healthy economy in the future, and the degree of trust people can place in a particular country's political/economic system and stability.

jg1234 Dec 18th, 2003 05:00 AM

while a lower dollar may mean US goods cost less for peoople in Europe it doesn't mean they will BUY them. ALL Americans don't shop at Walmart because of the cheap goods they offer.


Degas Dec 18th, 2003 05:11 AM

jg1234, speak for yourself sweetie, Wal-Mart sells a roasted, lemon-pepper chicken that is to die for. It puts that all that rubbery, tasteless stuff in France to shame. Americans still do a few things right and Wal-Mart is one of them.

ira Dec 18th, 2003 05:44 AM

Ah, the beauty of truth by assertion.

>...the fact is that it was the Supreme Court that put him in the White House. <

I guess that you are not aware that a "review of ballots conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago for CNN, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Palm Beach Post, The St. Petersburg Times and The Associated Press" (http://www.gore2004us.com/consortiumnews.html)
found that, under the rules in effect at the time, Mr Bush received more votes than Mr Gore in Florida. Those people who claim that Mr Gore won in Florida do so only by claiming that the rules should have been changed.

>The current administration is heavily indebted to big business and is not interested in supporting the dollar...When these companies need to sell more products, the government will move to support the dollar on the world market. <

A more expensive dollar *reduces* the demand for American-made products. If anything, a cheap dollar helps export products and keep jobs in country.

>..I do not understand a political system with only two parties.<

When I look at the Federal Government I see 536 individual parties: 435 in the House, 100 in the Senate and 1 in the White House. :)

>i am under the impresson that all other countries base their money on gold,...<

The world began to leave the gold standard during WWII. You might wish to read about the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944.
(http://canadianeconomy.gc.ca/english...ton_woods.html)

Degas,
The WalMart Lemon-Pepper chicken is good, I admit, but it doesn't compare to the Ingles BBQ chicken. ~:>






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