The US Dollar recently posted new lows against most currencies. Most notably it now takes $1.39 to a buy a Euro, $2 to buy a British Pound and the Canadian Dollar is at 97.16–nearing parity with the US Dollar! This weakness in the once-almighty dollar may help boost US exports, but overall the weak dollar is bad news for Americans. Most importantly for those interested in preparedness, it is making some key imported items prohibitively expensive. This includes optics from Germany, water filters from England, and spare gun parts from Austria and elsewhere.
Since the Federal Reserve has opted for a slightly less painful way out of the current credit crisis–by lowering interest rates–I expect the slide in the dollar to continue. So I most strongly recommend that if you have been delaying buying any critical preparedness items that are imported, quit dawdling. Most notably, buy spare parts and accessories for all of your imported gear.For example, if you own a British Berkefeld water filter, now is the time that you should stock up on spare filter elements. If you own any imported guns–Steyr AUGs, FN-FALs, HKs, Glocks, SIGs, Berettas, Galils, and so forth–lay in your supplies of extra magazines and spare parts, now. And if you want to buy a Kahles, IOR, Schmidt & Bender, or other brand of imported scope, you had better buy it soon, because within a couple of years it will probably be unaffordable!