It isn't really pegged to anything, that is one of our complaints.
I agree we are their biggest market so their prosperity is somewhat
pegged to ours but they also have a much higher tolerance to financial
pain.
At some point, as a nation, we're going to have to closely examine the
"system" we have in "prosperity," since what we have now no longer
really serves the middle class or those trying to claw their way into it.
--
The Tea Party's teabaggers are just the Republican base by another name.