Across the Eurozone, a chorus of 'save the dollar!' is rising

Europeans are freaking out, and the reason might surprise you. Their seven-year-old currency known as the euro has gotten too strong. That's quite a turnabout from the common currency's launch in 2002 when dollar bashing -- and euro boosting -- was as common in the Continent's financial institutions and coffeehouses as cigarettes and strong espresso.

Of course, times have changed since then, thanks to two wars, financial meltdowns and subprime loan losses, among other calamities. With the dollar now at a 14-month low -- the euro reached $1.4967 last week -- European governments fear the greenback's slide could threaten the region's still-nascent economic recovery.