Uncle Sam

While reading the NZ Herald online about the current economic downturn it made me think: why do we, little ol' New Zealand suffer economically when the US market is low or other markets around the world for that matter?

If we have our own government, shouldn't the government be in control of making the economy better instead of going in a downward spiral?

So many questions, but is there a simple answer. Maybe the government is doing something that I am unaware of: I can be ignorant of politics at times.

Westpac senior economist Doug Steel stated in an article on the lower food costs "We are a food exporter so with world food prices falling that is unequivocally bad for the country."

Are we not exporting our products to the right countries to get adequate finances to uphold the New Zealand economy? Or is it due to the New Zealand dollar against the green back (US currency) being low that we are unable to import the required products to aid in the production of food to be exported?

America is such a large country that has such a strong hold on the world. This makes me think back to a poem from high school about Uncle Sam, America in terms of the war, if I remember correctly.

Does each country have it's own voice or is Uncle Sam depicting what we can and can not do?

Any thoughts???