Tuesday, May 02, 2006

You Think Gas Is Expensive?

What about taking out a mortgage just to wipe your ass? Today's New York Times has the lowdown on runaway inflation in Zimbabwe:

How bad is inflation in Zimbabwe? Well, consider this: at a supermarket near the center of this tatterdemalion capital, toilet paper costs $417.

No, not per roll. Four hundred seventeen Zimbabwean dollars is the value of a single two-ply sheet. A roll costs $145,750 — in American currency, about 69 cents.
When the defense of your economic status quo is basically "it's not as bad as Weimar Germany," you are in deep shit. So to speak.

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