Venezuelan President presented Good Living Card prototype

[Phil The Cat]

http://www.avn.info.ve/node/15573

Caracas, 05 Sep. AVN .- Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez presented on Saturday two prototypes of cards to purchase products at the grocery store network Abastos Bicentenario: the Good Living Card and the Bicentenary Banking Card.

( snip )

The Card will be used to purchase on credit and it may be even used to finance trips of tourism and leisure.

President Chavez expressed that this card would be soon delivered to all Venezuelans, with the aim to begin a war against consumerism.

( snip )

The Good Living Card, announced this week by the President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez, will make easier the purchase of basic-need basket products and household appliances at state-run grocery stores. This credit will be useful for citizens who have their payroll account in the public banks Venezuela, Tesoro and Bicentenario.

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Something like this can go a long way towards stamping out loan sharking, black markets and hoarding! Perhaps eventually eliminating physical currency!

Naturally the Hugo haters are out in force, calling this "Rationing" and a "Subsidy" (as if those were bad things)!

[Billy Burnett]

1. The only rationing acceptable to American corporatocracy is poverty

The golden rule.

[MyNameGoesHere]

2. "Naturally the Hugo haters are out in force.."

Well I say fuck 'em. Their capitalism has worked out really well huh? Capitalism is a dinosaur that doesn't even deserve a decent burial. Viva la revolución Bolívar!

[billlll]

3. loan sharks have TV ads here

Payday loans auto title

Even cc's when rates hiked

Status?.... Of european income FLOOR level?

Dollars/month?

[Phil The Cat]

5. Instead of the sharks

Venezuelans will have publically run credit sources which are responsive to the people, and geared towards helping them meet their basic needs, as opposed to individuals or corporations who lend for speculation and frivolity!

[Pavulon]

15. How is a credit line effective for basic needs?

Want to split up 10,000 dollars of airfare into 90 day chunks they are great.. If you are using revolving lines for food or housing you are done, just digging a hole you can not get out of.

[NoPasaran]

4. A war against consumerism?

Issuing everyone a credit card is certainly an unorthodox strategy.

[Phil The Cat]

6. It helps focus spending towards necessities

Towards what Venezuelans NEED, not the useless, unproductive garbage the capitalists want them to HAVE!

It sounds like a "Credit Card", and appears to fulfill that motive! But it is so much more!

It can cut down on reckless spending and hoarding, especially if it ends up replacing physical currency!

It can help develop metrics on consumption and distribution!

And it pi$$e$ off the RW!

[Pavulon]

16. So a bank run by Bush controls every dime you spend, and where..

he is steering the money into his system. You can use EBT cards at multiple stores, not just ones Bush controls..

[David__77]

7. We need to move past currency.

Paper money is nonsense. I do believe we should have a constitutional right to meaningful work, and a right to health care, housing and medical care for those who engage in productive labor or are disabled. I also believe children should be the most privileged in society, receiving health care, education, recreation, food, etc., as a matter of right.

[Odin2005]

11. I disagree with you on physical currency.

a lack of physical currency makes it much easier of a government to control people it doesn't like.

[David__77]

21. Really? But they can manipulate that at will too.

The thinking that it seems espousing is the same things as the "buy gold" crowd. I don't have the answer. But I do wish we could create a society where people are culturally and socially motivated to work hard for the common good.

[Archae]

8. It looks like to me...

And correct me if I'm wrong.

It looks like a "economy by decree from Chavez" and that sort of economy was tried before, in the old Soviet Union.

People lined up for a whole day to buy one loaf of bread, while state-madated manufactured skiing togs were on display.

[naaman fletcher]

9. No doubt,

these cards will become the equivalent of ration cards within a few years.

[WinkyDink]

29. Why is there "no doubt"? Because Drudge says so?

[naaman fletcher]

35. Because,

That is what always happens everywhere the state takes over production and/or distribution and/or pricing of food goods.

[Regret My New Name]

12. Should be interesting to see how it works out...

Maybe it will be an awesome success.

[Archae]

18. If it fails you know where the "Hugo can do no wrong" people will fix the blame.

Anyone *BUT* Chavez.

[Regret My New Name]

26. I'm sure we will see some of that.

On the flip-side, if it works, the detractors will not give much credit. It's an amusing game.

[EFerrari]

23. It's more like a national Costco card. There are plenty of privately owned

stores in Venezuela so your comparison is a wee bit over the top.

[WinkyDink]

28. Okay, you're wrong.

[Odin2005]

10. They do something similar for food stamps here, I don't get the outrage.

[Imajika]

13. Is this a debit card or a credit card...

..and if it is a credit card, how is encouraging people to charge food/necessities a good thing? And how does it help fight consumerism?

Normally if you see people charging basic necessities, you know they are in deep financial trouble.

On the other hand, if all this is is a debit card available for use for necessities and the money is direct debited from people's bank account I don't see how this is really much of anything good or bad.

[Phil The Cat]

19. Maybe it is short term, interest-free?

Designed to tide you over until payday?

"Normally if you see people charging basic necessities, you know they are in deep financial trouble."

And I suspect that is what this is designed to tackle: People starving while waiting for their paycheck!

"And how does it help fight consumerism?"

It appears to be oriented towards necessities, not luxuries!

Perhaps they can develop a rewards system to encourage pro-Venezuelan purchases, and discourage or prevent economically unfavorable ones!

[EFerrari]

22. It also helps predict buying trends so the state stores

can be smarter about purchasing and stocking.

Very smart.

[Recovered Repug]

34. From the article it sounds like a little of both.

Trips can be financed and the money later withdrawn from the account. In this case "consumerism" is the buying of expensive disposable things and not the necessities. After all, socialist people have to economize.

[Pavulon]

14. So what happens if you default on your state run credit line?

having been around Venezuela you may be surprised to know that many places dont have PCI card readers.

Hoarding by consumers?

[Imajika]

20. That is what I am not clear on...

...is this a credit line, or just a direct debit from people who have accounts at the participating bank(s).

If it is just a direct debit to make it easier to get the necessities, then there isn't too much negative here. It could even be a positive, innovative program.

If it is a credit line that people could just default on, then the state is basically just giving people money to buy government approved items from government approved shops - and can just wipe out the debt as the government sees fit.

Generally speaking, you want people to not be in a position of having to charge (and carry a balance) for basic necessities. Anyone charging basic necessities and unable to pay off those charges each month are probably in financial distress.

[comrade snarky]

17. A State supplied credit card for use at the State store

So the State can ensure I use my money for the right kind of "good living" purchases. Oh yeah, no potential for abuse there.

Maybe I'll be able to buy all my "right think" books while I get my "good living" approved groceries and appliances. If we do away with paper money maybe we can make it impossible for people to make "bad living" purchases!

Doubleplus Good!

[WinkyDink]

30. Food. Travel. Eradicating loan-sharks. Horrors!

[Pavulon]

31. I wonder how many of those shitty slum stores on the hills around carcas are set up for PCI?(nt)

[comrade snarky]

33. Not so much eradicating loan sharks

As the OPs desire to control another persons life.

For their own good of course.

[Phil The Cat]

36. Not just for their good

For the common good of all! The sacrifice shared by ALL! The reward shared by ALL!

Yes, some individuals have to learn to live within their means! They will cry and moan "My Freedom! My Rights!"

Universal food, housing, education, and health care are THE most important rights! Profiting off the labor of others? Not so much!

When EVERYBODYS needs are met, then maybe people can have access to bling and toys!

But universal basic needs come first in the Bolivarian Revolution!

If an individual's toes are stepped on, they should not have had them sticking out in the aisle!

[Codeine]

24. There isn't enough information in this article

for me to even begin to have an informed opinion about it.

[Billy Burnett]

25. Hugito hasn't gotten THE word.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iUpoNBZyaBc/TEXuCx5vweI/AAAAAAAAD-A/--VSYE7v9gM/s320/goldline+and+Beck.jpg

:rofl:

[WinkyDink]

27. I use cards when I shop, and the stores keep track of my purchases.

THIS ARTICLE IS DRUDGE POSTURING.

[Phil The Cat]

32. Story was from the official Venezuelan News Agency

Not El Universal or the Miami Herald, who each have RW slam articles!