Bailouts: $7 trillion and rising

Another CNN Report. $7 Trillion out of thin air.

The U.S. government is now willing to spend more than $7 trillion to help rescue the economy. That's about $23,000 for every American, and more than half of U.S. annual gross domestic product. It's a staggering and unprecedented amount of money. (more)

800 Billion Dollars of *New* Money

CNN reports the creation of $800 Billion dollars out of thin air.

... Together, the programs from the Federal Reserve and the New York Fed are more than Congress approved in October for a bailout of the nation's banks and Wall Street firms. The Fed said the money will come from an increase in its reserves -- in essence, it is creating new money. (more)

End the Fed protest mentioned on CNN

Zimbabwe Business Watch : Week 47

This is Zimbabwe has this report from the business front in Zimbabwe.

... The hyperinflation barrier was passed in January this year and there are no words to describe what is taking place now as no country in the world has experienced these proportions before. The OMIR has reached 443 qdrln and valuing the US Dollar has become a worthless exercise. The government, or shall we say the illegitimate government, has no answers and resists every practical opportunity to deal with the emergency simply because it incurs a high political cost. Companies are paying their workers in a variety of tradable commodities as the daily cash withdrawal limit cannot even begin to buy a loaf of bread. (more)

Wikipedia Explains Large Number Inflation

Wikipedia has a nice section about understanding inflation when the number get mind blowing huge.

Zimbabwe on a de facto fuel standard?

From the Zimbabwe Situation.

A leading Internet service provider is also demanding a monthly subscription
fee of 600 litres of fuel for corporate clients and 20 litres for
individuals.

A vehicle auctioneer was the first to introduce the fuel coupons payment
system around June as cash shortages began to worsen.

An eight-year economic crisis has rendered the Zimbabwe dollar virtually
worthless, with most transactions officially or unofficially now taking
place using the more stable United States dollar or South African rand
currencies. (more)

Competition in the creating money out of thin air.

The Zimbabwe Situation is reporting that Zimbabwe's printing presses cannot keep up with $40 sexillion (hexillion) worth of "fraudlent" checks.

...4. EXTENT OF HARM TO THE ECONOMY
4.1 During the week ended 14 November, 2008, fraudulent bank cheques
valued at $40 hexillion (21 zeros) were intercepted.
4.2 Some of these fictitious cheques had already been deployed on the
Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, whilst others had found their way in the
illicit parallel market.
4.3 Where a total of $40 sexillion (hexillion) is created from
absolute thin air, no Central Bank in the World, even with the best
printing machines can sustain the cash requirements of the market. (more)

Perhaps Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe should listen to their own wisdom. Creating money our of thin air is *harmful* to the economy.

Ron Paul Questions Bernanke, 11/18/08

Ron Paul once again questions the Fed about gold, inflation, money supply, and one world currency.

89.7 Sextillion

Cato's Weekly Zimbabwe inflation figures are out this week. Their annual inflation rate is 89.7 sextillion percent. That is nearly 90 followed by 21 zero's. Their monthly inflation rate is 79.6 billion. Last weeks inflation rate gave a a price doubling time of 22hrs 28 minutes, which was slightly better than last week.

10 least values currencies in the world.

Foxnews has a good review of the 10 least values currencies in the world.

Bernanke hints at rate cut

CNN is reporting:

8:40am: Fed chairman says policymakers are 'ready to take additional steps' as markets remain volatile and economy weakens. (more)

Rates are already at 1%, this cut would take the rate under 1% for the first time in US History. More cheap loans, increased money supply more inflation.

Zimbabwe bonds back by the full faith and credit of the Zimababwe Reserve Bank

Perhaps the worse investment bond every issued:

The interest rate is 450% a year. However, you are paid in Zimbabwe dollars. The inflation rate in Zimbabwe is currently running at 100% PER DAY. So in one year your investment would be worth fractions of a penny is terms of purchasing power.

Pictures of Zimbabwe's New $500,000 and 1,000,000 Notes

$500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand) Zimbabwe Dollar Note

$1,000,000 (One Million) Zimbabwe Dollar Note

These notes are available on ebay for $22 and $35 each respectively.
I haven't been able to track down a picture of the new 100K note yet.

Zimbabwe Situation is predicting that Zimbabwe will break the all time inflation record in 6 weeks. This would be prices more than doubling every 15.3 hours.

The latest figures put the country's annual rate at 516 quintillion per cent – 516 followed by 18 zeros – overtaking Yugoslavia in 1994 and putting it behind only Hungary in 1946.

With goods unavailable and official statistics widely distrusted, the Cato Institute in Washington calculated the figures based on exchange rate movements and market data.

In post Second World War Hungary monthly inflation reached 12,950,000,000,000,000 per cent, with prices doubling every 15.6 hours – Zimbabwean prices are currently doubling every 1.3 days. Read More ...

Peter Schiff

This is an amazing Youtube clip of Peter Schiff's predictions on the US economy from 2007. It is past time to listen to Austrian Economics.

Ron Paul warns about Inflation once again.

Ron Paul warns us in the USA once again today about the risk of inflation.

"...The Republican Congress never once stood up against the Bush/Rove machine that demanded support for unconstitutional wars, attacks on civil liberties here at home, and an economic policy based on more spending, more debt, and more inflation -- while constantly preaching the flawed doctrine that deficits don't matter as long as taxes aren't raised. ..." Read the whole commentary here in CNN...

28,400,000,000,000,000 to One

SW Radio Africa is reported today that the Zimbabwe Dollar Commercial exchange rate is 28.4 Quadrillion to one US dollar. I sure hope you don't have to pay in cash. Currently Zimbabwe's largest bill is one million dollars, so it would take 28.4 billion one million dollar bills to buy one us dollar. I don't think they have a wheelbarrow large enough to hold 28.4 billion bills.

Zimbabwe Monthly Inflation Rate: 13.2 Billion

Cato is reporting that the monthly inflation rate is 13.2 billion percent. Stated otherwise prices are doubling every 24.9 hours. The record inflation rate is price doubling ever 15 hours for a whole month. Hungary holds this record.

It looks like Zimbabwe is on pace to break the record. If you look at just the past week's data, prices are doubling every 22 hours 14 minutes. Interesting price doubling discussions here on Wikipedia.