Gambling?

Something worries me.

1.IS Fx just gambling or does it serve some useful purpose? sorry if i offend anyone with the seemigly stupidity of this question.

2. Would it be better for the world to have one currency? Why? Why not?

3. Does a floating market (ie. price fluctuations) hurt producers in a country...? or hurts anyone?? or is it better for evryone that the floating market stays as opposed to introducing one world currency, or fixed currencvy rates ...??

 

Are you a trojan?

 

what the .. ?

 

does anyone have any thoughts on this at all ?

 

Currencies serve as part of the economic system. They will move to stabilize economies, for example when overheating could be a problem (appreciate). etc, etc.

One world currency would probably only be a good idea when the world is as integrated as a country today. But that can take a long, long time.

So yes, floating currencies are important.

 

Thanks for that. Could you elaborate please if you have time..

 

1. Define gambling first.

2. It would be nice, eliminating volatility risk and it surely more practical. However, I don't think that's possible for now. Even the birth of euro as a regional currency took quite some time.

3. Of course it hurts. If you're a European businessman, and selling your goods/services to US, a fall in EUR/USD will reduce your profitability because your goods/services will be selling at a cheaper price (although the price tag (in $) remains the same). For business planning purposes, fluctuating exchange rates makes budgeting more complex. In projecting business plan, especially for businesses exposed to forex, assumptions of forex rate is crucial for projecting sales, costs, funding of overseas projects, etc. A universal currency will surely eliminate this. But then again, is it possible? Will US let go of dollar hegemony? Will Europeans give up their euros? Universal currency is still far away from now.

Cheers!

 

Floating currencies relieve pressures in the system when exports/imports unbalanced. Anything fixed goes against the natural order/equilibrium - think fixed prices in communism.

 

Why then has a fixed rate system been classified as a failure and the only way out to be the floating rate system ?? see article below.

Also, why ten doesn't a common world curency exist now? IS it possile for it to exist in the furute ? Why is it better if it is better to have different currency's compared to having one global currency ??




TIMELINE OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE

1944 – Bretton Woods Accord is established to help stabilize the global economy after World War II.
1971 – Smithsonian Agreement established to allow for greater fluctuation band for currencies.
1972 – European Joint Float established as the European community tried to move away from its dependency on the U.S. dollar.
1973 – Smithsonian Agreement and European Joint Float failed and signified the official switch to a free-floating system.
1978 – The European Monetary System was introduced so other countries could try to gain independence from the U.S. dollar.
1978 – Free-floating system officially mandated by the IMF.
1993 – European Monetary System fails making way for a world-wide free-floating system.
1997 – Global Forex Trading begins offering services to clients previously unable to enjoy the opportunities in the foreign exchange market.
2000 – GFT introduces DealBook® FX and wins the respect of forex traders around the world.
2004 – GFT introduces a second generation of its proprietary software, in addition to DealBook® FX Mobile, a wireless forex trading platform.

History of
Foreign Exchange
The foreign exchange market (fx or forex) as we know it today originated in 1973. However, money has been around in one form or another since the time of Pharaohs. The Babylonians are credited with the first use of paper bills and receipts, but Middle Eastern moneychangers were the first currency traders who exchanged coins from one culture to another. During the middle ages, the need for another form of currency besides coins emerged as the method of choice. These paper bills represented transferable third-party payments of funds, making foreign currency exchange trading much easier for merchants and traders and causing these regional economies to flourish.

From the infantile stages of forex during the Middle Ages to WWI, the forex markets were relatively stable and without much speculative activity. After WWI, the forex markets became very volatile and speculative activity increased tenfold. Speculation in the forex market was not looked on as favorable by most institutions and the public in general. The Great Depression and the removal of the gold standard in 1931 created a serious lull in forex market activity. From 1931 until 1973, the forex market went through a series of changes. These changes greatly affected the global economies at the time and speculation in the forex markets during these times was little, if any.

The Bretton Woods Accord
The first major transformation, the Bretton Woods Accord, occurred toward the end of World War II. The United States, Great Britain and France met at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, N.H. to design a new global economic order. The location was chosen because, at the time, the U.S. was the only country unscathed by war. Most of the major European countries were in shambles. Up until WWII, Great Britain's currency, the Great British Pound, was the major currency by which most currencies were compared. This changed when the Nazi campaign against Britain included a major counterfeiting effort against its currency. In fact, WWII vaulted the U.S. dollar from a failed currency after the stock market crash of 1929 to benchmark currency by which most other international currencies were compared. The Bretton Woods Accord was established to create a stable environment by which global economies could restore themselves. The Bretton Woods Accord established the pegging of currencies and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in hope of stabilizing the global economic situation.

Now, major currencies were pegged to the U.S. dollar. These currencies were allowed to fluctuate by one percent on either side of the set standard. When a currency's exchange rate would approach the limit on either side of this standard the respective central bank would intervene to bring the exchange rate back into the accepted range. At the same time, the US dollar was pegged to gold at a price of $35 per ounce further bringing stability to other currencies and world forex situation.

The Bretton Woods Accord lasted until 1971. Ultimately, it failed, but did accomplish what its charter set out to do, which was to re-establish economic stability in Europe and Japan.

The Beginning of the free-floating system
After the Bretton Woods Accord came the Smithsonian Agreement in December of 1971. This agreement was similar to the Bretton Woods Accord, but allowed for a greater fluctuation band for the currencies. In 1972, the European community tried to move away from its dependency on the dollar. The European Joint Float was established by West Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg. The agreement was similar to the Bretton Woods Accord, but allowed a greater range of fluctuation in the currency values.

Both agreements made mistakes similar to the Bretton Woods Accord and in 1973 collapsed. The collapse of the Smithsonian agreement and the European Joint Float in 1973 signified the official switch to the free-floating system. This occurred by default as there were no new agreements to take their place. Governments were now free to peg their currencies, semi-peg or allow them to freely float. In 1978, the free-floating system was officially mandated.

In a final effort to gain independence from the dollar, Europe created the European Monetary System in July of 1978. Like all of the previous agreements, it failed in 1993.

The major currencies today move independently from other currencies. The currencies are traded by anyone who wishes. This has caused a recent influx of speculation by banks, hedge funds, brokerage houses and individuals. Central banks intervene on occasion to move or attempt to move currencies to their desired levels. The underlying factor that drives today's forex markets, however, is supply and demand. The free-floating system is ideal for today's forex markets. It will be interesting to see if in the future our planet endures another war similar to those of the early 20th century. If so, how will the forex markets be affected? Will the dollar be the safe haven it has been for so many years? Only time will tell.

THE QUESTIONS AGAIN:

Why then has a fixed rate system been classified as a failure and the only way out to be the floating rate system ?? see article below.

Also, why ten doesn't a common world curency exist now? IS it possile for it to exist in the furute ? Why is it better if it is better to have different currency's compared to having one global currency ??

 

Gambling as I would lossley define it would mean the making of profit without providing a service needed by people. Also, nzbryant, you spoke about things i am not familiar with. I request a simpler and detailed explanation of what you are trying to tell.
Thans