Zim Dollar As Cultural Reference
Zimbabwe ordinarily does not much register on the cultural radar in the United States. But just to show how worthless Zimbabwe’s surrency has become, The Washington Post’s travel section this week wrote the following:
These days, however, frequent-flier miles are looking a lot like Zimbabwean dollars. The currency is being devalued with spirit-crushing regularity. There’s less and less to buy with it now that airlines are slashing their route networks and seating capacity. And today’s frequent-flier program managers have been given a mandate from their C-suite bosses: Generate fast cash by squeezing frequent fliers with a battery of fees — even though the new charges are destroying the long-term allure and profit potential of the plans.
The fact that the Post could make such a reference knowing that it’s audience of people overwhelmingly removed from the Zimbabwe crisis reveals just how much of a punchline Mugabe’s regime has become.