[Kartographer]

I thought this really tells the story of what we are approaching:

So long as the economic situation in America continues to deteriorate, these black markets will continue to expand. This is exactly what happened in crumbling economies of the East Block, where cigarettes, alcohol, food and Western goods became hot commodities in underground circles.

This, and the crime that will come with it, is an inevitable outcome of a nation that has bit off more than it can chew.

[Kartographer]

Preppers PING!!!

[q_an_a]

This is an internet fake story

[KarlInOhio]

Tide is pretty bulky for an item to steal. It's not something you can just slip into your pocket or under your shirt. Other than throwing a bunch of bottles into the cart and just walking out knowing the store isn't going to give chase, how you you steal enough of it to make a living?

[PUGACHEV]

What’s so special about Tide?

[nascarnation]

This is just crooks stealing something they can pedal easily to make money for buying drugs or whatever.

To me “black market” implies that the product is not available in quantities that people want to buy. I’ve not heard of any shortages of Tide or other laundry detergents.

[OB1kNOb]

Shades of Weimar Germany circa 1919-20 before the hyperinflation kicked in. The black market bartering stage cranks up.

[JerseyHighlander]

Found another article on this... drug dealers are accepting Tide as barter store of wealth:

http://bastiat.mises.org/2012/03/tide-as-money/
Tide as Money

Posted by Douglas French on Mar 15, 2012

“A number of things have served as money throughout history: shells, tobacco leaves, even cigarettes in POW camps and prisons. Now those operating in the urban drug trade are using Tide detergent as currency.
Supermarkets and drug stores in some areas of the country can’t keep the detergent on the shelves. During a recent police raid on a drug dealer’s home in Washington D.C., the police found what they expected—cocaine—but also noted the 20 large bottles of Tide on the dealer’s shelves.
It turns out users paid the dealer in Tide rather than U.S. dollars. And why not, Proctor & Gamble’s best selling laundry soap is holding its value better than the government’s greenbacks.”

[cincinnati65]

There’s a reason it’s just Tide. My guess is that somehow, someone has figured out how to distill a “street drug” from Tide. Maybe a certain scent. Not sure, but I’ll bet before too much longer we’ll find out what it is.