I think you may be jumping too quickly gloom and doom conclusions. Not that I don't agree there needs to be some changes, and not that I don't believe we elect crooks to watch over us in DC. But when I look at from this standpoint it is not that bad yet.

http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/

Time will tell. In any case I certainly disagree that the dollar "is worth less than 50 cents." Sorry, it's simply a lot more complicated than that.

Kitz