Currencies are an important factor, but if I had to say what is fundamental "particle" in all of economics, I would say Interest Rates and below that maybe Inflation/Deflation, and below that Employment. Thing is, these all have postive and negative feedback loops. Some people belived (during the bubble years) that technology would take us out of this vicious cycle and make our economy into a StarTrek kind of Utopia. Well, it looks like the old economy is still in place. IMO, these things mean little without the "Human Captital." In the end, it is all the human qualities that make all the economic theories make sense (though Marx believe it was the other way around.) Without the integrity of a nation/people, their "Interest Rates" mean little (in the form of bonds) if they default on their debt. China has low wage inflation, but until recently, no one cared. Either way, this analyis is _way_ oversimplified. nitro