这篇文章介绍了美国人对信用卡的两种不同态度。一说是信用卡引诱人们过度消费,滋长了享乐主义的消费文化(hedonistic consumer culture),败坏了这个国家勤勉工作、节俭自律的新教伦理价值。连美国政府也加入了这一谴责之声。另一说是信用消费由来已久,信用卡的出现为一时缺钱的劳工阶级及临时失业者提供了免受高利贷剥削的保障。两位美国经济学者最近著书为信用卡辩护,指出信用卡所鼓励的欠债消费同样是具有生产性的(productive debt),即多花就得多挣的意思。其实,正如文章作者在结尾所说的,不管争论如何,信用业在美国还是大获成功。一卡在手,出门无忧,既方便,也更保险些,再加上因特网交易的蓬勃发展,这种诱惑力恐怕是难以抗拒的。 This article describes two different American attitudes toward credit cards. One is that credit cards tempt people to overconsumption and to hedonistic consumer culture, ruining the Protestant ethical values ​​of diligence and self-discipline in this country. Even the U.S. government joined in this censure. The other one is the long history of credit spending. The emergence of credit cards provides protection for the labor class and temporary unemployed who are short of money from being exploited by usury. Two U.S. economists recently defended credit cards by arguing that credit-card debt consumption is also a productive debt, meaning that more money means more money. In fact, as the author of the article said at the end, no matter what the controversy is, the credit industry has still achieved great success in the United States. A card in hand, go out worry-free, convenient and more secure, coupled with the thriving Internet transactions, I am afraid this temptation is irresistible.