It's come to this: Tide laundry detergent being used as currency in some U.S. neighborhoods

Didn't this happen in Zimbabwe just before their currency collapsed under a tidal wave of hyperinflation?

...Theft of Tide detergent has become so rampant that some cities are setting up special task forces to stop it and retailers like CVS are taking special security precautions to lock down the liquid.

...Tide has become a form of currency on the streets. The retail price is steadily high -- roughly $10 to $20 a bottle -- and it's a staple in households across socioeconomic classes.

Tide can go for $5 to $10 a bottle on the black market, authorities say, and some thieves even resell it to stores.

"There's no serial numbers and it's impossible to track," said Detective Larry Patterson of the Somerset, Ky., Police Department, where authorities have seen a huge spike in Tide theft. "It's the item to steal."

To paraphrase Mark Steyn, when laundry detergent becomes a de facto currency, you're pretty much done for.

You feeling stimulated yet?


Hat tip: BadBlue.