wyndhy,

Yess’m I agree with you. It is not it’s not just the trade deficit numbers that act as the sole standard for gauging an economy.

Here are a variety of numbers comparing the state of the U.S. economy from 1960 through 2003 to that of some of the nations with which it runs a trade deficit. From 1971, when the U.S. began to run the persistent balance of trade deficit which so alarms some people the U.S. economy has been ranked #1 every year.

In the table “Compared To The United States” I direct your attention in particular to the column of of Japan, a country with which the U.S. has run a large trade deficit for may years. Note that after coming ever closer to the U.S. standard, it achieved its closest approach in 1991 of 84% of U.S. and subsequently lost ground.

I'm afraid that the measurements fail to support the claims.

__________________
Eudaimonia