Hellifiknow,

There is more than what you are saying which needs to be said. The biggest thing...

Bush sort of did devastate the economy by himself. The previous office had decreased the national debt and secured a surplus. He did not inherit this problem, but rather birthed it, and then nurtured it and helped it to grow up big and strong. His father did something similar, but on a much smaller scale. No, in this instance, his hand in "devastating the economy" was massive and significant.

You have some good points, but that which you point to is only part of it. People are often loathe to admit it, but a part of the Dollars value is psychological. At this point, we are disliked and barely trusted. We have recently backed out on treaties and agreements that we swore too as a nation. We are perceived as war crazy and a rash of recent import related health problems makes our Government seem understaffed and incompetent. Now if you had heard all that about a company you wanted to do business with, would you still want to do business with them? Our financial problems are growing from far more than just our financial choices. Much needs to be done if we are to grow past where we once were.