Mnemia: Of course, given that the U.S. is running massive trade deficits, the "balancing point" will be that we are much less wealthy than we were before. Our economy needs to compete on the fundamentals and not just the strength of the dollar.

True, but if american *consumers* really cared about the value of the dollar, they would be focusing on purchasing american goods. If american *companies* cared about the value of the dollar, they would focus on keeping jobs and production local. If the american *government* cared about the value of the dollar, they would focus on policies that encourage *domestic* production, employment, and consumption.

But as I said, before... it's not necessarily a bad thing, besides... half of my portfolio is invested internationally, because I don't particularly care about the value of the american dollar, other than to take advantage of it's decline against other currencies.

valenumr: Of course, as the products of American output become cheaper, demand should go up, and things will balance themselves out (theoretically).

One small problem with your theory.
Products of American output come from American factories.

Y'know all those closed American factories 'cause they shipped the production to India (or China or wherever).

mrshowrules: Do you really think the Canadian dollar won't surpass the US dollar?

heh,,,no i don't think that at all.

Overdose: Canada is like the attic over a really great house party.

I like how most of the people who say this live in either redneck towns or whitebread suburbs.

Sgian Dubh: I'm in a rather high tax bracket, and after sales tax, I keep ~50% of my income.

That being said, my wife needed all sorts of surgery the beginning of this year, and due to what turned out to be endomitriosis, we now have to have IVF performed to have a child.

Know how much all of that cost me? About $30 for hospital parking when I visited her.

Do you know how much I pay in tolls to drive across my country? $0.

I own my house on a fixed rate 5 year mortgage with a 25 year amortisation which I've paid down to 20 years in 1 year of owning.

I have watched my country stand up for itself, and refuse to get involved in the shiat slinging stupidity in Iraq.

I've watched your dollar fall from ~1.6:1 to 1:1 in the last 4 years.

I'll take the taxation; I'm damn happy and proud to be a Canadian.

yggdriedi: I'm an American going to university in Toronto

I got my PhD in Ottawa when the exchange rate was 0.67, so I'm really get a kick out of your reply.

/that was only ten years ago

LesserEvil: As a Michigander who has taken dozens of trips into Ontario (Mostly Toronto, but Niagara Falls, as well), this exchange rate has got to be killing the tourism industry there - between PST/GST, you are talking, what, 14% sales tax? Prices have always been naturally higher in Canada, too, so without the 20-40% advantage in exchange rate, there really isn't any incentive to go into Canada to buy anything.

You got that right, but we looooove shopping in Michigan. I bought two pairs of shoes for $30 each last time that would have cost about $90 each here.

bobbette: All the attic-dwelling countries have more fun. Let's invite the Scandinavians to the party

I'm for that. I like pretty much every Northern European I've met.

/Come to think of it, I've liked a lot of the Yanks, I've met too
//It's just that their government and intelligence agencies are either corrupt or just plain evil.

newmatic: Now they're worth what, $150?

$140.50 usd

This is good news in other ways tho. Now the Americans will be seeing Canadian tourists in greater numbers- tourists that get along just fine, spend lots of money and drive American cars.

Plus this might help certain sectors of the US economy-maybe even bring some manufacturing back(coupled with the China/lead/death toys issues). I have some real hope for our southern allies/neighbors.

mrshowrules: Oh, don't get me wrong, I'd take northern quebec strippers over American strippers any day.

Canada has the most beautiful women in the world. Even the ones with mustaches and who talk like men: at least they have all their teeth.

/just being a dick.

mr lawson: ProfessorTomoe: $1 CDN == $0.9982 USD

Thursday, September 20, 2007, 9:46AM ET

/you realize that means the US dollar is stronger, right?

Barely. By a fifth of a percent.

ACryer: Drive American cars? *looks out his window*

Nissan
Nissan
Pontiac
Nissan
Volkswagen
Toyota
Toyota
Hyundai
Toyota
Kia
Toyota
Volkswagen
Volvo
Toyota

... not so much.

Kar98: Barely. By a fifth of a percent.

hey...18 pips is a lot!

/just having some fun in this thread, thats all:-)

//full time currency trader

///yeah..i am getting a kick

I like how people correct me for not using commas while their capitalization is off.

ACryer: This is good news in other ways tho. Now the Americans will be seeing Canadian tourists in greater numbers- tourists that get along just fine, spend lots of money and drive American cars.

Plus this might help certain sectors of the US economy-maybe even bring some manufacturing back(coupled with the China/lead/death toys issues). I have some real hope for our southern allies/neighbors.

I've speculated that the sudden rush in "plastic is evil" and "Chinese toys are death-traps" stories has nothing to do with any change in the quality of plastic or Chinese products, and everything to do with the economic need to end the off-shoring of manufacturing. I wouldn't be surprised if a few economic think-tanks paid off some PR firms to whip up stories for the press and get that ball rolling.

drunkennewfiemidget: ACryer: Drive American cars? *looks out his window*

Nissan
Nissan
Pontiac
Nissan
Volkswagen
Toyota
Toyota
Hyundai
Toyota
Kia
Toyota
Volkswagen
Volvo
Toyota

... not so much.

I'm in America, and looking in our lot, I'm getting about the same. Sounds pretty American to me!

/Don't blame us, we didn't vote for them! The machines did!

drunkennewfiemidget:

A toque is a hat, a chesterfied is a couch, and it is pronounced 'zed' not 'zee', 'zed'!

techmom: Mr_E_Squirrel: Just waiting for books and magazines to drop in price and $10.00 Paperback is still about 12.95 Canadian

CBC Radio had some guy on this morning who said that it may take up to 2 years for the near-parity in the dollars to affect consumer prices here in Canada... which means 'never'.

We should start a letter-writing campaign to Chapters/Indigo (who sell like 90% of all books or something, I'm sure that figure is incorrect because I just pulled it out of my ass, but it's still a high number) to make them insist to the publishers that prices on their stock reflect the high dollar. Especially of books that are published here (like Random House Canada) - why are we still forking over fistfuls of extra dollars?

Ebay, US Amazon, Canadian-exclusive publishers like Douglas & Macintyre and used books until the publishing industry gets the message. I'm boycotting new books sold in Canada.

/I buy a LOT of books
//Probably about 30 this year so far
///Yeah, nobody will take any interest in my boycott whatsoever

drunkennewfiemidget: ACryer: Drive American cars? *looks out his window*

Nissan
Nissan
Pontiac
Nissan
Volkswagen
Toyota
Toyota
Hyundai
Toyota
Kia
Toyota
Volkswagen
Volvo
Toyota

... not so much.

Hey, I'm a Canadian, and I drive a Pontiac*

* a Vibe, so it's an American-branded version of a Japanese normally built in Ontario, but the American-branded version is built in California. In other words, a Corolla that desperately wants to look like an SUV.

TripTheLightFantastic: And yeah, a $1 CND might be worth $1 USD, but you still pay $20 in CN that's about $15 in the US.

Yeah, that also helps. All things being equal, goods in Canada cost more because of greater sales taxes.

So there was already that incentive for cross-border shopping. The strong Canadian dollar only helps further.

Far as I'm concerned, anything that encourages Canadians to cross the border and spend their money on the US side is a good thing.

kent_eh Products of American output come from American factories.

Don't be ridiculous, America has long since moved to a service-based economy. The real boom from our deflated currency will come from tourism. That is if the gov't doesn't keep raising visa requirements and insulting Europeans.

/stick your freedom fries up your ass, we need those surrender-monkey tourism dollars!

bobbette: Ebay, US Amazon, Canadian-exclusive publishers like Douglas & Macintyre and used books until the publishing industry gets the message. I'm boycotting new books sold in Canada.

There's reason enough to boycott that biatch without the price difference. I've been browsing in Chapters/buying on Amazon for years now.

Doc Daneeka: Yeah, that also helps. All things being equal, goods in Canada cost more because of greater sales taxes.

Well, unless your trip is long you're supposed to pay the Canadian taxes when you cross the border. Still cheaper.

/heheh, just reading Catch-22 right now for the first time. Nice handle.

Pxtl: Yea, I realise the Toyota count might be biased here; I live in Cambridge where the Toyota plant is. I drive a Nissan, but I'll never buy a Nissan again (they treat you like shiat once they've got your signature).

My next car will be a Toyota. But yea, the Vibe & Matrix are the same damn thing. Literally. Made in the same factory by the same people in California, and designed/engineered by the Japanese.

The Vibe/Matrix are a fantastic car though. Enough room to comfortably seat 5 people, plus enough room behind them to put your groceries/dog/whatever. It'll be my next car. Matrix XRS. 6-speed with a 180hp engine that gets ~30mpg. Can't argue with that.

Overdose: Canada is like the attic over a really great house party.

I dunno guy. All the pot, sex and fun seems to be up here...

newmatic: The real boom from our deflated currency will come from tourism. That is if the gov't doesn't keep raising visa requirements and insulting Europeans.

You've got to do something about those unbelievably dick-ish airport security guards, too. Being treated like a prisoner is a lousy way to start a vacation, and it's been the deciding factor in picking somewhere else for a few people I know.

LesserEvil: As a Michigander who has taken dozens of trips into Ontario (Mostly Toronto, but Niagara Falls, as well), this exchange rate has got to be killing the tourism industry there - between PST/GST, you are talking, what, 14% sales tax? Prices have always been naturally higher in Canada, too, so without the 20-40% advantage in exchange rate, there really isn't any incentive to go into Canada to buy anything.

Well Toronto's likely farked for US tourism, yes (and living in the GTA, I can't imagine why anyone would vacation here... it's a big east coast type city, whoopee)... however Niagara Falls and Windsor still have the Casinos.

mrshowrules: drunkennewfiemidget: Mr_Ectomy: If you go to Quebec for the strippers, stay in the better parts of Montreal. The strippers in the rest of Quebec have mustaches and sound like men when they talk.

Before I married I use to do the strip club scene everywhere in Canada. I've seen strip clubs in Boston, Washington and Orlando and the girls were not nearly as attractive as the strip clubs in Quebec (Montreal, Quebec City and Gatineau). The woman in most Quebec clubs are so beautiful it is hard to believe.

Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver also get honourable mention.

I don't know... any girl can walk by a strip club in downtown Montreal and she will get offered a job. I speak from my own experience of walking by numerous strip clubs and having promoters ask me if I wanted to "audition" and I'm not hot enough to actually be comfortable with being a naked sex object as my day job.

They aren't very choosy about who strips in a strip club... all you need to do is be willing to take your clothes off and "danse contact".

Mercutio74:
/Come to think of it, I've liked a lot of the Yanks, I've met too
//It's just that their government and intelligence agencies are either corrupt or just plain evil.

That might be a little strong, but I won't argue with you there

Mercutio74: Well Toronto's likely farked for US tourism, yes (and living in the GTA, I can't imagine why anyone would vacation here... it's a big east coast type city, whoopee)... however Niagara Falls and Windsor still have the Casinos, strip clubs, easier access to drugs, and lower drinking age. The Ontario/US border makes for a million little sin-cities for New Yorkers and those poor, poor Michiganites.

mr lawson

Given the recent trend in the value of the US dollar (declining) and the recent trend of the CDN dollar (v.slowly rising), what makes you believe we won't see parity, if not the CDN dollar surpassing the US one?

Do you see a coming recession in the North American market?

Mercutio74: Niagara won't be hurt anyway, they charge so much bloody money for everything they wouldn't care what anyone's currency does.

That place is the definition of tourist trap nightmare.

Gogo weak dollar policy!

This president's stated fiscal policy was to weaken the dollar so that American exports would be cheaper.

/true story
//worked better than most of his other ideas

Mercutio74:Well Toronto's likely farked for US tourism, yes (and living in the GTA, I can't imagine why anyone would vacation here... it's a big east coast type city, whoopee)

I don't know why anyone would want to go on vacation in Toronto. It's not a tourist city. But we do get a lot of long-term visitors, like kids on homestay. It's a very good place for someone like that.

Wombatron: Gogo weak dollar policy!

This president's stated fiscal policy was to weaken the dollar so that American exports would be cheaper.

/true story
//worked better than most of his other ideas

Yep. Probably good for the USA in the long run, but in the short run it will have a negative impact on American quality-of-life, since most Americans rely on imported goods.

Baby Diego: Given the recent trend in the value of the US dollar (declining) and the recent trend of the CDN dollar (v.slowly rising), what makes you believe we won't see parity, if not the CDN dollar surpassing the US one?

although i might have said it poorly, I do, indeed, believe the CAD will over take the US dollar.

Wombatron: American exports would be cheaper

What exactly do we still export, besides maybe F-16s or Kelly Clarkson?

/ok, Clarkson has gotten cheaper

Cubicle Jockey:
You don't fight inflation by increasing the money supply, numbnuts.

You do if you live in Bizarro World.

/badbye

GuyCaballero: bobbette: Ebay, US Amazon, Canadian-exclusive publishers like Douglas & Macintyre and used books until the publishing industry gets the message. I'm boycotting new books sold in Canada.

There's reason enough to boycott that biatch without the price difference. I've been browsing in Chapters/buying on Amazon for years now.

Oh hell, I don't shop there much, though I do like to browse and occasionally read a book at Chapters IF I can nab one of their comfy chairs (I read fast and there is coffee in store). I support independent bookstores. If I notice a particularly good deal at Chapters in store (a rarity) I'll go for it though. I've bought maybe 5 books there this year, total.

T-Servo: What exactly do we still export, besides maybe F-16s or Kelly Clarkson?

services. and quite a lot of them.

"danse contact" "danse contact"

C'est brulant!

drunkennewfiemidget: Niagara won't be hurt anyway, they charge so much bloody money for everything they wouldn't care what anyone's currency does.

That place is the definition of tourist trap nightmare

Oy Gevalt... you hit the nail on the head there. I was born and raised in Niagara Falls, ON. The only reason locals go to the tourist area is to pick up drunk American teens, to work there as a summer job or generally cause trouble. A meal at a fast food joint is at least 150% the cost of the same meal 4 kms away. And the best stuff to do there (like take a nature hike down to the whirlpool or stop and look at the falls) is free anyhow. They just attract dumb people with their wax museums and houses of frankenstein. It's so lame, I can't even bear it.

FUBAR FTW!

/that was for bobbette

GuyCaballero: But we do get a lot of long-term visitors, like kids on homestay. It's a very good place for someone like that.

True... I really enjoy living here, but I wouldn't want to visit.