Going the Zimbab'Way

Hyperinflation and Peak Energy preview

"Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank slashed three zeroes from its currency last Monday to help consumers battling with bundles of money on shopping trips which can cost billions and trillions of local dollars."
"At least 80 percent of the population lives below the poverty threshold often skipping meals and walking or cycling long distances to work as they battle to stretch income to the next pay-day."

"As hyper-inflation struck, millions became "millionaires" overnight carrying wads of notes to buy groceries."

http://servihoo.com/channels/kinews/v3news_details.php?id=135697&CategoryID=47

"Even those lucky enough to have jobs, in an economy with 70 percent unemployment, have trouble getting to work because public transport has become so scarce. It is not uncommon, workers said, for their daily commute to take three or four hours each way, most of it spent waiting in line for transportation. Many have resorted to walking, rising hours before dawn and returning home well after sunset."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/24/AR2005072401156.html
"Zimbabwe has begun using ambulances pulled by cattle in rural areas because there is no fuel for motor vehicles."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1580389,00.html

Hyperinflation of 1,000% within two months http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4665854.stm
"It's a very strange environment. There are a lot of pay rises, but they are meaningless. They are always eroded the minute they give us the pay rise. ... People are willing to lend money, but they are not willing to lend it for nothing. It's usually at a rate of 90 or 100%. Sometimes these are your relatives or people you work with, taking advantage of this. People are cannibalising each other."

Child carrying fiat in plastic bags
http://www.iwpr.net/?p=acr&s=f&o=260308&apc_state=henh

http://www.usagold.com/GermanNightmare.html

Renewable Energy update: PTF (Paper-To-Fuel)





Those who do not learn from history ...

Homeless refugees from jobless urban shantytowns (razed by the politicos), desperately dig for gold in a formerly scenic valley ...
“Once you start this panning business, you can never go back. The urge to make one more last dig from where you hope to uncover all the wealth of the earth is what keeps you going.”
"The central bank even imported a processing plant from China with the hope that the illegal gold panners could take their mineral to the plant for processing before selling it to the government. However, the plant broke down after a few months"
"... success depends on luck. If you hit a rich vein, you can go retire to your home." Ah, the suburban dream, ah the lottery dream ...
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=275220&area=/insight/insight__africa
It's a story of cumulative collapse after a long decline, a preview of "the Long Emergency". Who thinks faraway Chinese (or Americans) will not burn up to the last ounce of coal and destroy what might be left of the planet's climate, when the alternative will be freezing death or starvation? The "Riminists" (of ASPO with the Rimini protocol of regular progressive reduction of energy use) look like utopian diet doctors.

Speaking of witch ... Witchcraft legalized in Zimbabwe, after a 107-year ban.
http://www.sundayherald.com/56754

Gold may soon become the only legal tender in Zimbabwe.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=84&art_id=vn20040107020521346C950874&set_id=1
Not sure what good Gold is, when there is no more nature, no food to be bought ...