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Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

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Re: Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

#221

Post by Frost1x »

ratsmack wrote: post #135
jvm___ wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're already being tracked by the grocery stores, wouldn't it be better to be tracked by someone who at least tries to have your best interests at heart vs. the grocery industry who just wants to sell you more?

>tracked by someone who at least tries to have your best interests at heart I don't know if that was sarcasm or you being really naive.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I'm fairly certain this is how many view this issue and supporting government over privatization in the current environment. They may not be your friend but they may help compete against and regulate those currently suppressing you.

For that to change, privization needs to stop focusing on minimizing its alignment for personal gain and has to look at shedding a bit back towards society, realigning more at a slight loss of gains, not capturing gains purely for itself.

If that doesn't happen, you're going to continue to see surges of support for government, ideas of socialism, etc.

Re: Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

#222

Post by SoftTalker »

taylorius wrote: post #204
jvm___ wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're already being tracked by the grocery stores, wouldn't it be better to be tracked by someone who at least tries to have your best interests at heart vs. the grocery industry who just wants to sell you more?

At least you (hopefully) know what the Supermarket is up to - as you say, they just want to sell you more stuff. The government on the other hand - who knows what plans they might cook up.

This was my take on it. The supermarket can't reach into my paycheck and take more money at their whim, nor can they put me in jail.

Re: Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

#223

Post by marklubi »

bbddg wrote: post #213
concordDance wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is when you don't trust the lawmaking process is acting in your best interests. And distrust of that process is extremely high atm (I believe trust in politicians is below 50% in the US).

Well we don't really have a functional democracy in the US. That's really the core problem to fix before you can start trusting the government more.

> Well we don't really have a functional democracy in the US.

The United States isn’t a democracy, it’s a democratic republic. Unfortunately, most of that was thrown out with the 17th amendment, and we’re paying for it now with increased federal control.

Re: Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

#224

Post by inawarminister »

jonahbenton wrote: post #142
hammock wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Grocery stores who track me are subject to the pressures of competitive enterprise. The government is not. And that's to say nothing of the fact that, at least in the US, about 50% of the entire population at any given time tend NOT to believe that the government has their best interest in mind

Quoted post unavailable.

Yes. Walmart, Amazon, or another disruptor coming in to eat the incumbents' lunch money.

Nations don't do that... Actually, they do - the wheel of history has moved, now we have the incumbent hegemon and her close allies pulling everything to stay on top, though it might be too late.

Still, the free-ish market is a much more benign mechanism than international competition, as long as the relevant supervision is there. Maybe.

Re: Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

#225

Post by mdmglr »

axg11 wrote: post #81

There's a general reaction that big government is bad, more tracking is bad. Norway ranks highly in most metrics of development and quality of life. Perhaps in a high trust society this type of data collection is a positive.

What do you mean by “high trust society”? The people trust the government agencies?

I agree data collection can be positive. I think next they should start collecting any tweet, comment, or text file citizens write so they can see how good the public education system is doing. Actually the state should run an SSO service. Every computer, phone, tv and device must use the states SSO so that the person behind the device is tracked. State should also run an MDM solution. Every Smart watch should send all vitals to see how good nutrition is. Add microphones and camera everywhere to see if any crime is happening. (If you can’t tell by now I’m not being serious.)

Re: Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

#226

Post by Broken_Hippo »

madeofpalk wrote: post #75
monkeybutton wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or "you've reached your monthly quota of alcohol purchases". Which isn't far fetched at all! In parts of Canada, up into the 50s, you had to bring your permit booklet to buy alcohol from state operated stores where they recorded your purchases: https://www.tvo.org/article/buzzkillers-a-brief-history-of-t...

I mean, > Vinmonopolet (English: The Wine Monopoly), symbolized by Ⓥ and colloquially shortened to Polet, is a government-owned alcoholic beverage retailer and the only company allowed to sell beverages containing an alcohol content higher than 4.75% in Norway. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinmonopolet

Vinmonopolet is nicer than any liquor store I was at in the US, though (Am american, lived in norway the last 9 years). And there are options to get it delivered to your house. Plus, it is really easy to order something if they can get it (and ways to import it yourself if you don't see it on their website). My liquor store experience improved greatly upon moving here.

Do they close early? Sure, but that's easy to work around. Are they expensive? Sure, but I don't drink heavily so it isn't a big deal.

Plenty of places have such a solution, including some US states.

Re: Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

#227

Post by lambdaba »

swader999 wrote: post #209
kzrdude wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meat is part of a healthy diet. Sure, some survive on other stuff, but in general, meat is healthy.

It's essential.

Seconded. I'm on an all-meat diet and I turned my health around thanks to it. Most often people who advocate eliminating meat look sickly, because they are.

Re: Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

#229

Post by mikkergp »

I’m not totally insensitive to libertarian arguments about a free society and limitations on government, but I also wonder given all the constraints on a government and societal pressures, what tools does a government really have if they want to offset climate change or reduce public health costs, or ration limited resources.

I guess I think most of us, if we were actually in that position and wanted to stay in that position would have to choose interventions that are less than ideal.

Re: Norway to track all supermarket purchases?

#230

Post by Broken_Hippo »

kzrdude wrote: post #190
Iv wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

*illegally Sure, there are illegal ways around all laws. That does not make laws useless.

Norway is already the country where it's quite normal to drive to Sweden to buy tobacco, alcohol and yes meat, and other stuff that's cheaper across the borders. Restaurants source cheaper meat illegally this way etc. Unfortunately, Sweden is in the EU and Norway is not so there's quite a lot of customs rules on that border.

And I should point out that this is a day trip: It takes me less than 90 minutes to get to Sweden. There are busses and trains that go as well. There might be a lot of customs rules on the border, but I've never seen them actually stop folks either.
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