What a mess! They should come to some official determination of what things are worth soon - schools need money to stay open, children need education to help them make better lives but the opportunity for abuse right now is huge.
I hope it doesn't to cows as currency here, because I don't even have a puppy to market. But I'm not making any definitive predictions.

Whoa, and I thought things were bad here!

Zimbabwe has been in a massive downward spiral now for a couple years thanks to the corrupt leader-President Mugabe. He is a racist and a murderer. He has dome absolutely nothing for his country and wins elections because he riggs them. The latest election he offically lost but then made up this new rule that one candidate has to get over 50% of the vote. The opposition pulled out since it would near impossible to have a fair election. I believe a power sharing deal has been worked out. People voted for Mugabe out of threats and intimidation. There is a massive food shortage too since he booted out the white farmers a few years ago. Mugabe's cronies have even made it very difficult for AID groups to deliver help.

Mugabe has the biggest house in Africa, yet unemployment in Zimbabwe is 80%, HIV rate is 25% and the average life span has tumbled down to 36. It is VERY sad.

wow - i wonder what would be done with the cows if they were to be used to pay tuition. i think that it kind of takes us back to the 'days of yore' when you were able to barter to get things, since this is exactly what they did right? you can offer up a few things like your fuel coupons etc. i wonder how this will impact what the schools are able to provide though since we all know that tuition goes to pay for books and things like that.

Mugabe and his party are horrible, deranged people that have totally DECIMATED Zimbabwe, using terror and intimidation tactics to bully and brutalise the people and remain in power under the guise of the opposition (Tsvangarai) being a puppet of the UK.

In his zeal to return the land to its people by murdering and running off the white farmers (who white or not, were productive and helped contribute to Zimbabwe being an agriculture powerhouse, often called Africa's "breadbasket"), he failed to empower the black population he claimed to support and embrace, instead letting the once-productive farms go to rot, or handed over to militia buddies while the great majority of the citizens were left to tumble into unbelievable poverty and fear.

He has helped nobody but himself and his party, and is a deluded old man. I can only hope that the recent powersharing talks will yield SOMETHING positive for this country.

I have been following politics in Zimbabwe a few years now, since living in the UK.

You would think the bank laws, at the very least, would be changed so people can take out more than 1000 Zimbabwean dollars - seeing as that's not even enough money to buy simple necessities much less pay for tuition.

We're facing recession with or without a bailout. If Congress puts off the day of reckoning, we'll just end up suffering worse, for longer.

In fact, we'll come much closer to the Zimbabwe disaster with a bailout.

Trust me when I tell you the USA is NOWHERE NEAR on a level as to what the Zimbabweans have suffered. And be grateful for it.

At least in the USA your family are not dragged off and shot for voting for the "other" party. At least in the USA you can still buy food, and drink clean water.