[Moonman62]

If the 1994 Republicans had any affect then they made the dollar fall further from 87 to an all time low of 79 in 1995. Right now the dollar is trading at 92. If we say a trading level of 92 is a crisis, then we have to call Gingrich's all time low a disaster. That wasn't and this isn't.

Huh? It isn't so much the absolute level as it is the rate of decline (or rise). Even your own chart shows that what happened after 1994 was nothing compared to the drop between 1985 and 1987, or the current drop. Besides if you want to talk about levels, go back to before 1973 and be honest about it.

[expat_panama]

Huh? It isn't so much the absolute level...

It's good that we agree that the present value of the dollar is not important.  

Let's work together on the "rate of decline (or rise)" with hard numbers and see if the facts warrant the use of the word "crisis".  The biggest drop in recent memory was '85.  No recession and low unemployment for years.  We finally had a slight recession in '90, after years of a level exchange.  Our next recession was in 2001 after several years of a strengthening dollar.

Let's be honest with each other.  I like hard numbers because I believe people (should) have power over their feelings-- but I know most people don't..  If you don't like numbers ("numbers don't lie but liars use numbers") you're in good company and we can leave it at that.