"Messrs. McKinnon and Hanke are right that there is a common interest in maintaining the stability of the dollar but jawboning to convince foreign governments and their central banks to support the dollar will not solve the problem.

The best way to support the dollar is to balance our trade. The economic literature is full of the gains from trade that accrue to all trading partners, but every example to prove such gains shows trade to be in balance. Our goal should be free and balanced trade with emphasis on balance."

Another impact of our poorly managed trade situation is the 'recycline' of these exported $'s into ownership of our own manufacturing base.  Warren Buffett, along with Carol J. Loomis commented on this as far back as November 10, 2003, in a Fortune Magazine article available online:

"In effect, our country has been behaving like an extraordinarily rich family that possesses an immense farm. In order to consume 4% more than we produce--that's the trade deficit--we have, day by day, been both selling pieces of the farm and increasing the mortgage on what we still own.

To put the $2.5 trillion of net foreign ownership in perspective, contrast it with the $12 trillion value of publicly owned U.S. stocks or the equal amount of U.S. residential real estate or what I would estimate as a grand total of $50 trillion in national wealth. Those comparisons show that what's already been transferred abroad is meaningful--in the area, for example, of 5% of our national wealth.

More important, however, is that foreign ownership of our assets will grow at about $500 billion per year at the present trade-deficit level, which means that the deficit will be adding about one percentage point annually to foreigners' net ownership of our national wealth. As that ownership grows, so will the annual net investment income flowing out of this country. That will leave us paying ever-increasing dividends and interest to the world rather than being a net receiver of them, as in the past. We have entered the world of negative compounding--goodbye pleasure, hello pain."

In fact, that is exactly what has been happening in America as we have been finding ourselves selling, and yes even seeking to sell our own asset base as our 'farm' is under distress.

Dubai is moving ahead with its investment in 19.9% of the NASDAQ.  

As reported the other day:

"January 2, 2008 (FinancialWire) Nasdaq Stock Market Inc. (NASDAQ: NDAQ)
has received approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the
United States to give Dubai's state-owned bourse a stake in the U.S.
electronic exchange.
The New York Stock Exchange completed its acquisition of Paris-based
Euronext this year to form NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX).
The approval is the first step in allowing the Nasdaq to continue with
its plan to acquire Stockholm-based exchange operator OMX. The new
exchange will be known as Nasdaq OMX Group Inc.
Borse Dubai Ltd. will own a 19.9 percent stake in Nasdaq, though its
voting stake will be capped at five percent. It will also receive
Nasdaq's stake in the London Stock Exchange.
Nasdaq will make an investment in Dubai International Financial
Exchange, which is owned by Borse Dubai.
CFIUS is a committee with representatives from 12 federal agencies
established to review how acquisitions of American assets by foreign
companies might affect national security."

Other notable 'recycling' of dollars includes the $7.5 billion investment in Citigroup by Abu Dhabi:

"ADIA is the world's largest sovereign wealth fund with assets of $875 billion, derived from the country's oil surpluses. The fund, which will take no role in Citi's management, will buy securities that convert into 235.6 million shares starting in 2010 and yield 11% in the meantime -- almost double the bank's normal bond yield, and 4% higher than its shares' current dividend yield. Between March 15, 2010 and Sept. 15, 2011, the securities will convert to Citigroup shares within a $31.83-37.24 price range. "The structure of the deal suggests that Abu Dhabi is very bullish, effectively participating in the upside beyond $37.24, and sharing in the downside below $31.83," said George Nikas of Deutsche Bank. The purchase will make Abu Dhabi Citigroup's largest shareholder, followed by LA-based Capital Group Co. and Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal."

Foreign investment in America is occurring at a torrid pace.

As reported:

"Merrill Lynch & Co., Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Inc. and Bear Stearns Cos., based in New York, sold $20 billion in stakes to bolster capital eroded by credit-market losses. International purchases of U.S. financial assets totaled $114 billion in October, the Treasury Department said Dec. 17, the fastest pace in five months."