APEC which stands for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is designing a plan to ensure the region remains the top emerging economy in the world. While the rest of Earth is in economic turmoil, APEC is thriving. This is due to the deflated currency. If Asia valued its currency at fair values, there is no way they could ship steel or many other products to the United States for less. A devalued currency, cheap labor and low human rights values will continue to grow the Asian economy.

As these countries emerge as wholesale king, U.S. policies implemented under a veil of economic stimulus plans will certainly sink the small business and individual. Higher retirement ages, free trade, higher tax rates and fewer tax breaks will ensure the middle class and small business class will become the welfare class. Before Congress decides to increase wages for Civil Service employees they should consider the veterans who devoted over 20 years of their lives to the military along with the first generations of Americans to fully pay into the Social security system. Neither of these groups have received a cost of living increase in the last 2 years. The government should listen to the mandate handed to them by the US people this past week. The mandate that says “listen to the man who makes his living by the plow.” In other words, it is time for the US government to find out what helps regular Americans on a day to day basis and follow through.

Now it seems the OPEC is raising doubts and questions about the pace and extent of economic recovery of the US and the ability of the country to effect a turnaround. It seems there is a great deal of uncertainty about the pace and strength of US economic recovery, which could get reflected in lower than estimated oil demand. The OPEC feels that the level of economic recovery would be a function of the kind of governmental support in terms of economic stimulus package and efforts to stem the tide of unemployment which is at a whopping 10% at the current time.

But it is also clear that the way back out of the woods was still some time away given the magnitude of the problem. It does seem as if the double dip recession is receding little by little. But the employment report is seen to have thrown up some encouraging trends. As GDP increases, the economy sees better demand for goods and services. After this comes longer work weeks, which are in turn followed by greater demand for employees by the private sector, fueling more job creation within the country. All of these positive signals of economic recovery have been visible in the recent past which seems to signal a claw back from the recession of the past.