A fistful of bolivars buys… well, next to nothing. A sad state of affairs in Venezuela.

Is this how the economic crisis will play out in America? A cash strapped population, forced to the brink and stripped of their dignity?

Unfortunately, it is already underway in Venezuela.

Of course there is a higher standard of living in the United States overall, but tens of millions of people are already on the edge of poverty and tens of millions more can be brought to their knees in a matter of hours.

Some 46 million Americans are already on food stamps, and reliance on digital systems, EBT debit cards and electronic transactions could make Americans more vulnerable than they appear on the surface.