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Zimbabwe's new $100,000,000,000 banknote.
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Yep, to "rob" it of resources at the expense and suffering of the locals.
Like others, I would buy some of those notes just to say that I have that much cash....
Interesting thread, and I agree with quite a bit of what some of the earlier posters have said. Mugabe is an AU problem, in more ways than one; it is not simply that he defeated the "white man" (leaving oil aside, any western intervention, whether EU or US would still be seen as some post-modern version of imperialism by most African states). It is also that he offered sanctuary to the one Government in sub-Saharan Africa which would have the moral authority and political credibility to undermine him, namely the ANC led Government of South Africa.
Some of the photographs from Weimar Germany were fantastic; yes, their currency famously collapsed when the German Government started an enormous print run in order to pay off war indemnities imposed by the Versailles Treaty after the French occupied the Ruhr (as retribution) in 1923.
However, there is another example of this which may be worth noting, again a situation of both tragedy and farce, which was just a little bit closer to home for some of our US contributors. By 1862, the Confederate currency was already showing signs of weakness; by 1864, it had all but collapsed as a serious medium of exchange, and the dynamic of the bizarre spectacle of endless zeros was witnessed in what was left of that state as it continued to defy economic and military logic by printing a worthless currency replete with countless zeros. Yes, in a bizarre and grotesque way, it is hilarious. Not when one lives through it, or has to endure the consequences of megalomania, catastrophic mis-judgement, and insane policies. Cheers.
Some of the photographs from Weimar Germany were fantastic; yes, their currency famously collapsed when the German Government started an enormous print run in order to pay off war indemnities imposed by the Versailles Treaty after the French occupied the Ruhr (as retribution) in 1923.
However, there is another example of this which may be worth noting, again a situation of both tragedy and farce, which was just a little bit closer to home for some of our US contributors. By 1862, the Confederate currency was already showing signs of weakness; by 1864, it had all but collapsed as a serious medium of exchange, and the dynamic of the bizarre spectacle of endless zeros was witnessed in what was left of that state as it continued to defy economic and military logic by printing a worthless currency replete with countless zeros. Yes, in a bizarre and grotesque way, it is hilarious. Not when one lives through it, or has to endure the consequences of megalomania, catastrophic mis-judgement, and insane policies. Cheers.
They did. A few years ago. They knocked 3 zeros off the price of everything.
What irritates me is that because there is no oil, America refuses to help.
Lets hope the Americans find oil there soon
How about the South Africans tell Mugabe he should do what his people voted for and go away? Instead, the South African government supports his "legitimacy" and insists that Africans can handle their own affairs.
Sad to say, this is one case where the South African president bears a lot more responsibility than (the usually incompetent) Mr. Bush. If the US tried to do anything of substance, the South African government would be the first to complain about US interference. Unusually, Mr. Bush seems to have handled this one appropriately.
My source for all things African is The Economist, so I suppose I echo their biases on this topic. Undoubtedly more objective then the local African press, though.
The article says their computer system, ATM, etc. cannot handle that many zeros.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7532702.stm
I'd like to see the gigantic size of their Gas Station signs!!!! I bet the signs gotta be bigger than the station.
Regular $220,000,000,000 / Litre
Regular $220,000,000,000 / Litre
Wow! I just don't know how in the world you are supposed to deal with that if you are just a working joe. No way wages are keeping up.
and to think what I had to go through to get a 3.5% raise this year. imagine trying for 3000% !!!
and to think what I had to go through to get a 3.5% raise this year. imagine trying for 3000% !!!
3000% wouldn't do you much good either - last I heard, inflation was running at 11,000,000% per annum!!