EM, that river view of nothing moving is how people describe the eerie look of cities in North Korea. However, the US seems to have plenty of traffic when I last checked today at lunch hour.

But there are those who say we are running 'on vapors,' maybe to face a death of energy or of goodwill. Didn't Kerry hint in some recent speech that we need to mend fences because the widespread dislike of us could eventually show up in reduced trade? I have wondered about this. Maybe not a formal UN-sanctioned type embargo, just a "trade with each other rather than the Great Satan" grassroots movement that would not follow the faith we have had in the invisible hand of pure price/value motivations. Something the low dollar is covering up for the time being.
:terry