Tuesday, July 13, 2010

"Money Laundering" in Zimbabwe: Literally

"Zimbabwe's coalition government officially declared the U.S. dollar legal tender last year to eradicate world record inflation of billions of percent in the local Zimbabwe dollar as the economy collapsed. $1 bills are essential currency in Zimbabwe and putting them through the washing machine is the only way to ensure they remain hygenic. 

Low denomination U.S. bank notes change hands until they fall apart, and the bills are routinely carried in underwear and shoes through crime-ridden slums. Some have become almost too smelly to handle, so Zimbabweans have taken to putting their $1 bills through a spin cycle and hanging them up to dry with clothes pins."

Link.

1 Comments:

At 7/13/2010 12:24 PM, Anonymous gettingrational said...

Zimbaweans need to go Sacagawean. Just a little Brasso applied occasionally to the Golden Dollar!

 

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