It's responses like the above that make me realize an intelligent discussion on the issues with you is a waste of time. Insulting you is much easier and takes a lot less effort. Tim Geithner, Bernake etc. have actually been pushing for a weaker dollar through massive and systematic inflation (an "orderly transition" from the dollar being the # 1 global currency was the term of art that has been thrown around to explain why a fundamental downgrade in the value of US currency is acceptable). A weak dollar leads to inflation which leads to the basic credo of Obama's ideology-- spend less, consume less, produce less, be happier with less and let the rest of the world trample on the influence of the United States. Obama has preached this mantra from day one on everything from energy to the economy to foreign policy. Speculators make decisions that are spearheaded by politicians and their policies to a large extent. Obama's idiotic and incoherent middle eastern policy+ his idiotic energy policy+ his administrations idiotic monetary and economic policies have unquestionably played a huge role as to why gas prices and food prices have skyrocketed. If you can't figure that out, then you probably lack the common sense to wipe your own ass without a team of medical experts by your side.
When the dollar is strong, prices drop-- when the dollar is weak prices rise. When we print more money our currency is worth less. Under Obama we have printed more monopoly money than any President in US history. In case you missed it, our nations credit rating is about to be downgraded. Why is that exactly? Sarah Palin? Rush Limbaugh? What predictable and moronic leftist talking point is it this week? For someone who allegedly works in finance, you don't appear to have the slightest clue as to how basic economics work.
Emerging markets consuming more and droughts? 
Your responses seem to multiply exponentially in terms of stupidity on a daily basis. Were those the new vocabulary words you learned on Rachel Maddow today?
Straw Man has been avoiding the thread I've been spamming about the S&P downgrade for 2 weeks now so I'll just say it here:
Straw Man thinks Obama didn't spend enough on the stimulus and thinks we're not spending enough now. He actually argues that we can spend our way out of this. He knows things the experts at S&P and the IMF don't know.
Good post.
