# Can anything be done to strengthen the U.S. dollar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 15, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572 "2008-07-15T15:30:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/1 "2008-07-15T15:30:57Z")
Followup on [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=475007) thread. Economist Philip Verleger cites the weak U.S. dollar as one of the causes of high oil prices in the U.S., but, apparently, as a cause about which nothing can be done. Can anything be done? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/2 "2008-07-15T15:41:56Z")
Raise the interest rate. 😉 Essentially noting really…the dollar will eventually recover on it’s own. The US has already started to produce goods and services on the world market at an increased rate due to the falling dollar making our products more competitive. Eventually this and a strengthening economy will cause the dollar to start to climb (IIRC, it actually has started a modest climb already, but I might be mis-remembering). I know it’s hard to understand for some, but sometimes you don’t need the government to take a hand in such things to ‘fix’ them…and in fact, sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/3 "2008-07-15T15:44:26Z")
Didn’t we just have a thread about the dollar? Ah, yes, here it is: [Fixing the Declining US Dollar](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=474551). A weak US dollar is what we need to fix what ails us. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/4 "2008-07-15T15:53:52Z")
Use a polymer substrate like the Australians do. Makes 'em last longer, you can wash them and if it helps bring down the price of oil, it’s all good. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/5 "2008-07-15T15:56:15Z")
They put funny pictures on their money though… (Also, they won’t be able to buy Fallout 3 when it ships…so what good is their money?!?) -XT ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/6 "2008-07-15T16:29:33Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] They put funny pictures on their money though… [/QUOTE] You don’t think Andrew Jackson and Abe Lincoln look strange? Not to mention that pyramid with a eye on the top: I have no idea what that means. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/7 "2008-07-15T16:33:21Z")
All seeing eye of providence…and what’s wrong with Lincoln and Jackson’s pictures??? 😉 Ok, fair enough. Still…there is the Fallout 3 angle, no? -XT ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/8 "2008-07-15T16:39:56Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] Still…there is the Fallout 3 angle, no? [/QUOTE] Yes, it’s a bit like Americans not being able to buy Cuban cigars – not the same reasons, but reasons just as silly. But seriously, the US probably needs a weaker dollar, to reduce imports, increase exports, and reduce the real value of the national debt. That means the average American being able to buy fewer imported goods, but being more likely to find a good job in an export industry. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/9 "2008-07-15T16:46:14Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] But seriously, the US probably needs a weaker dollar, to reduce imports, increase exports, and reduce the real value of the national debt. That means the average American being able to buy fewer imported goods, but being more likely to find a good job in an export industry. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I agree. Every time the dollar is weak, you get people bemoaning its weakness. Then when it strengthens, we here the moans about how we can’t export stuff. There is nothing inherently bad about a “weak” currency. Sometimes it’s a good thing and sometimes it’s a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/10 "2008-07-15T16:47:15Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Not to mention that pyramid with a eye on the top: I have no idea what that means. [/QUOTE] It means the Illuminati really run America! Sheesh. I thought _everybody_ knew that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/11 "2008-07-15T17:23:47Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] It means the Illuminati really run America! [/QUOTE] That’s what they **want** you to think! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/12 "2008-07-15T20:08:38Z")
1. Making people think the Illuminati run America. 2. ? 3. Profit! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anything-be-done-to-strengthen-the-u-s-dollar/456572/13 "2008-07-15T21:27:42Z")
[QUOTE=RTFirefly] 1. Making people think the Illuminati run America. 2. ? 3. Profit! [/QUOTE] Actually, I was thinking of a [different episode.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_of_the_Urinal_Deuce)