The greenback has been slipping against the euro, the Chinese yuan, and the pound for the past nine months or so, reaching record lows amidst a global credit crunch and plummeting real estate prices. What does this mean for US growth? According to the Federal Reserve, projected economic growth will slow from more than 2.5, and inflation remains a concern. But one figure does not an explanation give.

The dollar is an indicator of how strong and robust the US economy is, relative to other countries and currencies. As news of record mortgage defaults, volatile markets, and skyrocketing oil prices continue to trickle in from throughout the US, consumer confidence has tumbled and with it their spending has tightened. This signals an impending shift that Americans will have to weather, but which actually provides a useful impetus for making some fundamental changes in the economy.

If Americans are forced to actually save, (rather than going into negative savings, as the average American has within the past two years) a falling currency can actually be absorbed without causing economic devastation. Simply put, most Americans don't plan for their economic future very well, and are in fact in debt more often than not. No matter how much growth the US economy may generally experience, it is unsustainable for our present levels of spending to result in a beneficial outcome indefinitely. Therefore, a falling currency forces a necessary economic reality to be faced, which may have a much better end result, even if the transition is somewhat unpleasant.

A depressing currency also makes US exports cheaper for other countries, hence ensuring that demand for American labor will be attractive to foreign interests. While this may guarantee some growth, if US manufacturers aren't hiring Americans, (because we aren't willing to do the work and illegal immigrants are) the US cannot reap these benefits. Hence another attitude shift is in order: That there are no jobs in America that Americans should be unwilling to perform. This has been a huge strength in US history, as American manufacturing and industrialization fueled its development into an economic powerhouse throughout the twentieth century.