My longtime co-worker is a "zimbie" (as they call themselves). He was actually drafted during the civil war and lived thru it. After the civil war he escaped to South Africa and eventually migrated to UK (company I worked for had UK office where we met).
Too many stories to tell, but some that stick out.
  • During hyperinflation suddenly coins get utility value. Soon everywhere you look coins have holes in them and are used as "washers" or spacers, etc. Why buy a washer for $500,000 ZWD when a 25c coin is so much cheaper?
  • All prices disappear from store shelves, because the prices need to be adjusted so frequent, it would be physically impossible to adjust the prices constantly. Instead, there is a large blackboard in front of the store and a man there with chalk and a rag updating prices as you shop.
  • Workers were paid 2x per day. Lunch and days-end. The wives would line up outside the office and husband would give her his lunch payment and she would run to store and immediately buy whatever she could afford on blackboard (see above).
  • Price controls are attempted but they intentionally create loopholes otherwise everyone would starve. So the government passes a law that "Bread can only cost $100,000 ZWD" however they exempt "artisan bread" from the price controls. So when you go to the store there is no $100,000 ZWD bread available....however there is the same loaf with a single raisin in bottom of bag that has now been termed "raisin bread" to fit the legal exemption for price controls.
As an aside. My friend is the one who introduced me to Rhodesian Ridgebacks (mine is sitting next me right now). They are great family pets if anyone is looking for medium-large dog that is good with families.
Thanks for the informative post. Also, Rhodesian Ridgebacks are very cool dogs. I knew a few.
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Price controls are attempted but they intentionally create loopholes otherwise everyone would starve.
This was a fascinating detail, I never would have thought of it! Thanks for the additional color.
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Yea, really was to me too.
Said it would be regular brand name box-bread. Same branding on bag, same name, etc. It would just have a shop-placed sticker that said "Raisin Bread" and they would drop a single raisin into each bag....hahaha
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Panera Bread tried to avoid California minimum wage law by calling itself artisanal bread maker
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Hahaha. Aren't politicians great?!?
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Snopes is also left leaning
Their take is usually the opposite of the truth
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