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The biblical mark we have always assumed to be literal, like a chip under the skin or something.

But it is excellent allegory to the situation in Venezuela, where you must accept Chavist rule or you cannot buy or sell. Only Chavists will be allowed to buy dollars, so if your business requires parts or materials or products from overseas, you need dollars or you are out of business. Since Venezuela doesn't manufacture much besides petroleum, this applies to almost every business. This will force his opponents to either toe the line, or go under. It is primarily aimed at the newspapers, but will affect almost every businessman in the anti-Chavez movement.

If you buy the allegory, accepting the authority of Chavez is to accept the mark of the beast. I'm not saying this is biblical prophesy, but it should give us a good look at what such a thing would look like.