benveniste (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} benveniste) wrote,@ 2009-06-25 08:48:00 |
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Think of it as money?
Since February or so, I've been carrying a 20 billion dollar "Special Agro-Cheque" issued in 2008 by the bank of Zimbabwe as a conversation piece. It is, of course, chump change -- I wouldn't risk carrying a 50-trillion or 100-trillion dollar note on the mean streets of Metro Boston. But that's only because they are crisp new bills -- the 100 trillion is worth about 0.23 USD.
Behind the amusement is, of course, a tragedy. Hyperinflation is only a joke when it's happening someplace far away. Knowing this,debgeisler pointed me to this story from the Guardian. There's also a Flickr Photostream showing other parts of the campaign. Each brings the point home better than I ever could.
Since February or so, I've been carrying a 20 billion dollar "Special Agro-Cheque" issued in 2008 by the bank of Zimbabwe as a conversation piece. It is, of course, chump change -- I wouldn't risk carrying a 50-trillion or 100-trillion dollar note on the mean streets of Metro Boston. But that's only because they are crisp new bills -- the 100 trillion is worth about 0.23 USD.
Behind the amusement is, of course, a tragedy. Hyperinflation is only a joke when it's happening someplace far away. Knowing this,
debgeisler pointed me to this story from the Guardian. There's also a Flickr Photostream showing other parts of the campaign. Each brings the point home better than I ever could.
