It is truly jaw dropping that no one asks how a country (the US) with a massive trade deficit with the rest of the world, whose currency has fallen 50% against the euro, is supposed to have a lower inflation rate than in the eurozone. It must be an open secret that the dollar is toast, surely?

David Hindle, freiburg, Germany

Just as Paul from Coventry says, the long term disaster of the dollar loosing it's status as a reserve currency is deeply worrying. It will effect everyone. The signs are all there, with some opposition to accepting the greenback abroad. God help us if BUSH is in office in this next crisis

David Nammory, Liverpool,

Perhaps the Fed has realised the long-term danger to the US economy of the greenback losing its status as global reserve currency?

Paul, Coventry,

Words are a start; we now need action. No one is going to value the dollar if the Fed sticks to a 2% interest rate & no one is going to take the pain for US or UK consumers. They have to take the pain themselves as the economies move to a more balanced level of production & consumption.

Stephen Marchant, Broadhempston, UK

The FED get tough on inflation?
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
oh stop! no I can't take it!
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Its the way you tell 'em!

Mike, Tauranga, New Zealand

fine,the americans see the danger of a weak dollar but unless their prepared to take tough decisions-which their not-its all hot air

m marriott, torquay, uk

I'll bet that the USA has been told by the Middle East countries that they will depeg unless something is done about the Dollar due to spiralling inflation. It will not last long. The US will soon be forced to cut the Dollar as the second round of mortgage readjustments happen in Q1 2009.

Maritn Grelton, London, UK

The question is whether a few words from Mr. Benanke have any effect beyond a day or two. The U.S. dollar has fallen because the country is out of control financially. A salve from Gentle Ben is not the kind of medicine that's needed.

Tony, Chicago, USA

Bernanke said : Bla, Bla, Bla and he really meant it .Bernanke is a Greenspan's clone.He will not support the Dollar. He wants the Dollar to fall .

Sara Scherrer, Zurich, Switzerland

With USA printing and pumping more and more useless $ in the world, it is not only causing local inflation, but its a prime mover for gobal inflation. The gobal equivalent of the ZIM $. Soon to worth ZIP.

des, Perth, Australia

In U.S. government speak: zero inflation is a 3% rise in prices, a balanced budget has a $200,000,000,000 deficit, being unemployeed for two years means you no longer exist and being in the U.S. illegally means you will never be unemploiyed even though you lost your job.

Ray, Chicago, USA

Actions speak louder than words - or at least they should.
Interest rates in the US are still negative by 2% - and that is using the US governments own inflation statistics. The real figure is probably more like -5%. To get real interest rates back to netrual 7% is needed. It won't happen.

Matt, Sydney, Australia