Let's hear it for Uncle Sam

I've steered clear of dreary economic analysis for a while now as I get the feel most people have had enough of it.
One thing caught my eye today, though.
The US economy – the real engine of the world – grew by 3.5% during the past few months. That's a sign that a huge lump of the world economy may be picking up.
Three points to think about.
With the economies of Germany and France – two of Europe's biggest markets – also beginning to pick up, it suggests that the global economy is finally on its way out of what was at times a frightening black hole.
But contrast that with last week's news about the UK economy – which was still stuck in recession during the same period.
That contrast won't go down well with Gordon Brown, who is desperately trying to find some good news he can sell voters as we approach election year.
It also raises questions about whether all the measures taken to stop UK plc imploding really were soon enough or big enough – just what has been happening to all the money the Bank of England has been pouring into the economy?
If our economy doesn't come out of recession in the next set of figures we'll be in danger of being seen as the sick man of Europe.
There is an opportunity in all this gloom, though. As anyone who's recently hopped across the Channel will tell you, the pound ain't worth what it used to be. The flipside of that is that Johnny Foreigner can get British goods on the cheap.
Now, it's all very well people talking about opportunities in China and India, but both of these markets are complex and - certainly in China's case - remain an awkward place to get a foot through the door.
British firms do need to make the most of foreign markets, because exports look like the most obvious opportunity for growth right now. So may be it's time to catch a flight to the States.