The past couple of trading days it started to look as though oil had finally run out of steam and was coming back to "reasonable" levels. Well, prices are moving higher once again today following news that Iran has test-launched 9 missiles today.

After heading up to $145 a barrel last week, oil had fallen nicely over the past two trading sessions, and as of last night prices were down at $136.04. Today, oil is moving up $1.63 a barrel as the market once again is facing the hard reality of an unpredictable future in the Middle East.

Iran has been all over the news over the past couple of years, and the main theme is the country's nuclear energy ambitions. The West, and Israel, have been claiming for a long time now that Iran has one goal in mind... nuclear weapons. But Iran has been defiant in its claims that it is only after nuclear energy and that its nuclear program is purely for peaceful means.

Ahh, just in time for the 2008 U.S. Presidential elections, word surfaces that the standard of living in Britain is now higher than in the U.S. For a country that has prided itself on McMansions, luxury cars and overpaid jobs, the U.S. has been knocked down by those across the pond. Feeling sad, Americans?

Researchers at the Oxford Economics consultancy are now stating that variables such as free health care and increasing incomes are making Britons better off than their American counterparts. When it comes to health care, this is no surprise.

47 million Americans don't have health insurance and health care insurance premiums continue to be abhorrently high. While those that continue arguing about taking health care insurance public instead of private, about a sixth of those living in the U.S. live every day without that type of insurance. From this standpoint, those in the U.S. that do pay health insurance costs continually see price increases. Result: less money to spend elsewhere.

Those Oxford researchers also state the GDP per citizen figures are higher among Britons than Americans, and Britain's continued financial market success has created a soaring housing market at the same time America is feeling a housing bust and a mortgage crisis created by greedy loan providers and ignorant homeowners. The researchers did state that British citizens may not feel more rich due to Americans having access to much cheaper goods. So, while Americans may make less, they can buy more.

Many people like to dream up ways to get rich quick. Many people dream about inventing great things that could make them wealthy in a hurry. I often think about money also, but just in case you haven't figured it out yet, please be warned that I have some unconventional ways of thinking.

The money question I wish to place before you today is a concept which I have never gotten a decent answer to. When I pose this question I get blank looks, shrugged shoulders, an occasional sneer, and most often a good hearty "who cares!" Be that as it may, I place my query here for you today in the hope that I might get at least one good answer. Here's the question:

What would be the immediate and long-term economic effects if the United States, Canada, and Mexico were to equalize their currencies and maintain a neutral currency exchange rate?

There, now that's not such a stupid question is it? I'm sure that the question has already been fully addressed in other forums and I would very much welcome any links that readers could provide to appropriate discussions of this concept. I welcome any and all answers. Thanks in advance for your time.