WSJ wrote: Custodian of a currency in free fall in a country ravaged by hyperinflation, Gideon Gono, Zimbabwe's central-bank governor, scoffs at "traditional economics" and seeks guidance elsewhere.
He says he reads the Bible.
This, says the guardian of Zimbabwe's monetary policy, has taught him the importance of obeying Robert Mugabe, the country's 84-year-old leader and architect of policies widely blamed for the destruction of a once-flourishing African economy.
"Anyone who says the bank governor should violate the head of state is violating a principle that Jesus Christ demanded of his disciples," says Mr. Gono, a churchgoing Christian and former commercial banker. ...
This is pure gold. The guy is a total Mugabe stooge, since his beliefs demand loyalty to whomever is in charge of him. The article goes on to talk about Zimbabwe's economic problems -- apparently, they've got 8 million percent inflation over last year right now, and an exchange rate of, for 1 USD, 16 billion Zimbabwe dollars. Jesus. (Edit: No pun intended)
More comedy gold: Lamenting in a telephone interview that he has "the most difficult job" in central banking, Mr. Gono says he would like to tame inflation but his hands are tied. Critics who blame him for the profligate printing of money, he says, don't understand that "traditional economics do not fully apply in this country." Politics, he says, are "more dominant as far as the country's economic difficulties are concerned."
Last edited by Surlethe on 2008-07-09 04:35pm, edited 1 time in total.
A Government founded upon justice, and recognizing the equal rights of all men; claiming higher authority for existence, or sanction for its laws, that nature, reason, and the regularly ascertained will of the people; steadily refusing to put its sword and purse in the service of any religious creed or family is a standing offense to most of the Governments of the world, and to some narrow and bigoted people among ourselves.
I am somewhat at a loss. Cant we.. just... assassinate these people? Certainly the harm done by killing them is outweighed by the good done by the same action, and the net utility is better than any other possible option
GALE Force Biological Agent/
BOTM/Great Dolphin Conspiracy/ Entomology and Evolutionary Biology Subdirector:SD.net Dept. of Biological Sciences
There is Grandeur in the View of Life; it fills me with a Deep Wonder, and Intense Cynicism.
Even ignoring any argument from utility, they've disrespected democratic elections, oppressed their own people, caused regional instability, harmed foreign interests, violated human rights, and probably some other stuff I forgot to list. We've justified full on invasions for these before, let alone bumping off a head of state.
Further ignoring utility (as I'm a good little deontologist), Mugabe and his lot are pretty clearly trampling on every standard of decency and responsibility of just governance there is. I would argue (had I not an exam in half an hour and had to hurry) that since the government has crossed over into the area of illegitimate and tyrannical we have a moral responsibility to see regime change there.
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Alyrium Denryle wrote:I am somewhat at a loss. Cant we.. just... assassinate these people? Certainly the harm done by killing them is outweighed by the good done by the same action, and the net utility is better than any other possible option
We're still waiting to see if they CAN hit bottom, or if Zimbabwe just fell off the edge of reason into the abyss.
Stuart: The only problem is, I'm losing track of which universe I'm in.
You kinda look like Jesus. With a lightsaber.- Peregrin Toker
Eris wrote:Even ignoring any argument from utility, they've disrespected democratic elections, oppressed their own people, caused regional instability, harmed foreign interests, violated human rights, and probably some other stuff I forgot to list. We've justified full on invasions for these before, let alone bumping off a head of state.
Further ignoring utility (as I'm a good little deontologist), Mugabe and his lot are pretty clearly trampling on every standard of decency and responsibility of just governance there is. I would argue (had I not an exam in half an hour and had to hurry) that since the government has crossed over into the area of illegitimate and tyrannical we have a moral responsibility to see regime change there.
Damn deontologists!
We're still waiting to see if they CAN hit bottom, or if Zimbabwe just fell off the edge of reason into the abyss.
No... exchange rates asymptote toward zero but never reach it, if only because the paper/cotton/metal the currency is printed on has value in and of itself to a certain degree
GALE Force Biological Agent/
BOTM/Great Dolphin Conspiracy/ Entomology and Evolutionary Biology Subdirector:SD.net Dept. of Biological Sciences
There is Grandeur in the View of Life; it fills me with a Deep Wonder, and Intense Cynicism.
I guess they decided to practice Mugabeconomics. At this rate they are going, I won't be surprised if they regress back to a barter economy.
STGOD: Byzantine Empire Your spirit, diseased as it is, refuses to allow you to give up, no matter what threats you face... and whatever wreckage you leave behind you.
Kreia
I won't be surprised if they regress back to a barter economy
They already have. This rate of inflation is merely a reflection of that, showing that money is worth nothing to the population.
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I won't be surprised if they regress back to a barter economy
They already have. This rate of inflation is merely a reflection of that, showing that money is worth nothing to the population.
I guessed as much. For all we know, they decided to start printing US Dollars instead of their own currency. Why waste paper printing a currency that's worth only in terms of its paper quality?
STGOD: Byzantine Empire Your spirit, diseased as it is, refuses to allow you to give up, no matter what threats you face... and whatever wreckage you leave behind you.
Kreia
The good news is, Zimbabwe has lots of toilet paper.
The bad news is, their money is too worthless to buy food with it, so there's nothing to wipe off of their asses...
"The 4th Earl of Hereford led the fight on the bridge, but he and his men were caught in the arrow fire. Then one of de Harclay's pikemen, concealed beneath the bridge, thrust upwards between the planks and skewered the Earl of Hereford through the anus, twisting the head of the iron pike into his intestines. His dying screams turned the advance into a panic."'
Inflation is a meaningless concept in the face of the total evaporation of any and all products on store shelves. Its not going to be that much longer before starvation really starts to kick in among a large portion of the population.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
It's not as though Mugabe would accept anyone less than a total stooge as his central banker. It hardly matters whether the banker's motivation is religion, fear, or greed. If he stood up to Mugabe, he'd be replaced, messily.
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There's just no arguing with some people once they've made their minds up about something, and I accept that. That's why I kill them. -Othar Avatar credit
Fingolfin_Noldor wrote:For all we know, they decided to start printing US Dollars instead of their own currency. Why waste paper printing a currency that's worth only in terms of its paper quality?
IIRC they, unlike the Norks, don't have the ability to do that. The German company keeping them supplied with paper for the printers was preassured to end it's contract recently.
Still I suppose they could go on, using toilet paper to print on instead - that way the people would at least have some use for Zimb$$.
I thought Roman candles meant they were imported. - Kelly Bundy
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