Why wouldn't Watto accept Republic credits?

"Republic credits?"

Watto's use of the word "credit" implies that the payment is a form of credit.

"You think you're some kind of Jedi waving your hand like that? I'm a Toydarian- mindtricks don't work on me- only money."

Watto specifically says that he wants money. If "Republic dataries" (aka "Republic Credits") were a form of money (as opposed to credits) then this line would make little sense.

The tatooine currency is apparently "wupiupi." If Watto had a problem with the currency, then why didn't he name the currency he wanted?

And come to think of it, isn't there's a line later on in the film when Qui Gon goes to see Watto about entering Anakin in the pod race and Watto says something about Qui Gon not having any money for the entry fee? If Republic Credits were a hard form of currency, I don['t see how this would make sense- if it were a form of credit only valid within the Republic, then it makes perfect sense.

I don't understand why someone would cling to an interpretation of events in the film that makes little sense on it's own and no sense in the context of events (ie. credit=unit of currency), and reject one that does (ie. credit=credit).

#Shrugs#

 

How do you know they don't use coins and notes? We never see any one buying anything except on Tatooine from what I can remember, and on Tatooine they do use coins.

I was wrong there. It's simply impossible to discern what kind of money-implementation they use in the Republic (as Scott3eyez said, it's probably based on the credit-concept). The local currency on Tatooine, wupiupi or something, seem to have a coin-component. You hear a metallic sound when Watto gives money to some people (before Qui-Gon comes to claim his winnings after the race is over), and the money that Han tosses at the bartender seems to have a metallic shine. Then again, the money Anakin got for his reward doesn't look like coins, but the memorycard-like things I described earlier.

 

Why do you think Watto said Republic credits and not Republic credit. If something is plural it gives the sense that the is tangible, credit is not tangible, units of currency such as pounds, dollars are.

 

Why do you think Watto said Republic credits and not Republic credit. If something is plural it gives the sense that the is tangible, credit is not tangible, units of currency such as pounds, dollars are.

I can pay you 50 dollars (but I won't ) without using a single coin or note. IF the monetary implementation of the Republic is entirely based on electronic cards and credit cards, it's not tangible, though the unit of currency remains.

 

Okay if Watto wasn't prepared to be paid by credit why didn't he say "Republic credit is no good here" why did he say "Republic credits are no good here". From your argument it's the idea of credit that he has a problem with not the the actual unit of currency itself. Am I right in saying that?

 

The analogy is a credit card, but it's quite possible that Republic credits are distributed in fixed denominations. Think of a stack of pre-paid gift cards as opposed to a Visa.

 

Well in that case you are talking about a type of currency really. If you have a HMV voucher for £20 that's the same as having a £20 note apart from you can only use it in that one shop.

 

If you have a HMV voucher for £20 that's the same as having a £20 note apart from you can only use it in that one shop.

Hm, the HMV voucher should work in a limited number of shops differing from the HMV-shop. No, sorry, I don't get this example.

 

I don't understand why people need this explaining. Watto wouldn't accept the Republic credits so they had to find another way, thats all you need to know. It doesn't need to be explained in detail, maybe the explination is uncomparable to anything we do on Earth and its a totally different system in the GFFA, who knows? Its not important.

 

So basically you're talking about a currency which can be used in the Republic? Therefore Watto believes Republic currency to be useless on Tatooine. Then this just brings us back to the points about a) why could Qui Gon just not exchange this currency to the Tatooine equivilant and b) why was it useless in the first place if Tatooine is supposedly a busy space port with aliens from all over the galaxy there.

EDIT: Slave2 what you perceive to be important may not be the same for everybody else. If you don't want to take part in the discussion then that's your prerogative but don't belittle it. Rsterling78 thought it important enough to ask the question and we're doing our best to answer it for him/her.

 

"Maybe the fact that they don't use coins and notes?"

Han tossed a coin to the bartender in ANH. "Sorry about the mess"

 

So basically you're talking about a currency which can be used in the Republic?

I must have said something wrong . No, like Durwood said, it could be like a credit card where the credit is distributed in fixed denominations. That may be comparable with a currency-unit, but not with currency.

why was it useless in the first place if Tatooine is supposedly a busy space port with aliens from all over the galaxy there.

Tatooine, a busy space port? Tatooine has some moisture farms, and that's it. Tourists wouldn't go there, Republic citizens don't have business there (anyone needs some moisture?). It's controlled by the Hutts, which are gangsters, so the aliens that work there must be in the illegal circuit. They probably do all their dealings in the currencies of the Outer Rim territories (like the wupiupi on Tatooine), or with goods (like Kessel spice or something).

Han tossed a coin to the bartender in ANH. "Sorry about the mess"

MeBeJedi, I already said I was wrong there. Catch up!

 

Slave2 what you perceive to be important may not be the same for everybody else. If you don't want to take part in the discussion then that's your prerogative but don't belittle it. Rsterling78 thought it important enough to ask the question and we're doing our best to answer it for him/her

My appologies. There is no answer for this topic though...

 

The term "credits" has long been used in sci-fi settings to signify units of electronic currency; not like a Visa, but an ATM card. Paying with credit, singular, would indicate a loan of some kind. Credits, plural, would indicate more of a direct transfer from the buyer's account to the seller's.

The caveat here is that Qui offers 20,000 credits; obviously, he's not suggesting that Watto give him 20,000 individual loans.

The whole issue is a matter of narrative convenience. George needed to keep his cast on Tattooine, so he made their money completely worthless, despite the nonsensical effect that has on a spacefaring economy.

 

My appologies. There is no answer for this topic though...

Nope.

The whole issue is a matter of narrative convenience. George needed to keep his cast on Tattooine, so he made their money completely worthless, despite the nonsensical effect that has on a spacefaring economy.

What does Tatooine contribute to a spacefaring economy? Moisture? Power converters?

 

"It's apparent to me anyways, that credits are the Star Wars Universe terminology or equilvalent to dollars."

"is this merely opinion or do you have some factual evidence supporting that?"

Well, thank God someone else sees it.

"it could be like a credit card where the credit is distributed in fixed denominations."

"It's controlled by the Hutts, which are gangsters, so the aliens that work there must be in the illegal circuit. They probably do all their dealings in the currencies of the Outer Rim territories (like the wupiupi on Tatooine), or with goods (like Kessel spice or something)."

But there's nothing to indicate any of this, so all this reasoning is contrived solely to support your "interpretation". In addition, Han gets and will get the same "credits" from Obi-wan, both on Tatooine and Alderaan, a decidely different setting from the Tatooine which is known from the films, as well as the one you've created for this argument. Credits are credits are credits.

 

What does Tatooine contribute to a spacefaring economy? Moisture? Power converters?

Unless you want to argue that the planet exists in a complete vaccum--and to do that, you'd have to pretend that all its spaceports, and its plethora of offworlders, don't exist--it's obvious that Tattooine has dealings with other worlds.

 

But there's nothing to indicate any of this, so all this reasoning is contrived solely to support your "interpretation". In addition, Han gets and will get the same "credits" from Obi-wan, both on Tatooine and Alderaan, a decidely different setting from the Tatooine which is known from the films, as well as the one you've created for this argument. Credits are credits are credits.

These "credits" that Han gets are solely contrived to support your "interpretation". The OT never mentions "credits".

As Darth-Stryphe said : "There's no information in the movies to tell us if (or what) the difference is between Imperial era currency and Republic era currency, so everything in this argument is pure speculation". I don't care what the Official Site says, I'm discussing the movies, not the website.

These forums are built on personal interpretation. If you don't want personal interpretation, leave the forums for good, and go watch the movies. You seem to mishear "credits" in some of them.

Unless you want to argue that the planet exists in a complete vaccum--and to do that, you'd have to pretend that all its spaceports, and its plethora of offworlders, don't exist--it's obvious that Tattooine has dealings with other worlds.

What other worlds?

 

What other worlds?

How many different races do you see walking around Tattooine? Do you think all those races are native? Clearly, people come to Tattoine from all over.

What are those spaceports for, if not interstellar commerce?

How would offworlders pay their docking fees, if Tattooine wouldn't accept or exchange their money?

And MeBeJedi has a point: According to Han, 2,000 units of Tattooine currency, gotten from a random used car salesman, combined with 15,000 units of currency from Alderaan, add up to an even 17 grand, no difference in value whatsoever.

 

How many different races do you see walking around Tattooine? Do you think all those races are native? Clearly, people come to Tattoine from all over.

How would offworlders pay their docking fees, if Tattooine wouldn't accept or exchange their money?

Are they from Republic/Imperial worlds, or from the Outer Rim territories? Where are docking fees mentioned in the films?

And MeBeJedi has a point: According to Han, 2,000 units of Tattooine currency, gotten from a random used car salesman, combined with 15,000 units of currency from Alderaan, add up to an even 17 grand, no difference in value whatsoever.

Who says Han was going to be payed 15.000 units of currency from Alderaan? Where do you get this stuff?

 

"These "credits" that Han gets are solely contrived to support your "interpretation". The OT never mentions "credits".

As Darth-Stryphe said : "There's no information in the movies to tell us if (or what) the difference is between Imperial era currency and Republic era currency,"

Dude, Han got 2,000 "somethings" on Tatooine, and expected to get 15,000 more "somethings" on a planet other than Tatooine! "Somethings" are "somethings" are "somethings"!

There's nothing to indicate a difference between what was used on Tatooine and Alderaan, and Alderaan is in the Republic. How much of a stretch is this?!?

 

Dude, Han got 2,000 "somethings" on Tatooine, and expected to get 15,000 more "somethings" on a planet other than Tatooine! "Somethings" are "somethings" are "somethings"!

There's nothing to indicate a difference between what was used on Tatooine and Alderaan, and Alderaan is in the Republic. How much of a stretch is this?!?

We have Dataries (Republic) and Wupiupi (Tatooine) in TPM. Never did Obi say "Han, when we land on Alderaan, I'll get some Alderaanian money from the local bank". He never says he doesn't have all the money right there on Tatooine (Obi may be in the possession of the 17.000 Wupiupis for all Han knows), yet you chose to interpret otherwise.

Anyway, you're still believing then those rewardboxes contain "Imperial credits"? Still waiting for you to point out where Qui-Gon stowed his boxes in his Jedi suit.

 

But when Han asks for 10,000 and then Obi Wan says 2,000 now 15,000 later, it's clear Obi-Wan isn't going to almost double the fee for no reason. The conclusion in Han's mind and the audiences is that he hasn't got 10,000 credits or whatever on him.

 

The conclusion in Han's mind and the audiences is that he hasn't got 10,000 credits or whatever on him.

That's true. It may also be that Obi is very generous so Han doesn't go look for a reward in turning them in to the Empire right there. Han very much knew they were in trouble with the Empire. Look at the rest of the reward as holding a carrot in front of a mule while riding it.

 

Are they from Republic/Imperial worlds, or from the Outer Rim territories?

The Rodians, to name just one example, clearly have a place in the Republic, and are also seen on Tattooine. Ditto for Dugs--and, of course, humans.

Where are docking fees mentioned in the films?

No matter where you go, docks need cash to pay their workers and cover maintenance. A dock without income can't function.

Besides which, offworlders don't just come to Tattoine to sit in the docking bay. How could they do any business at all if the planet inexplicably refused to accept or exchange their money? (And they clearly do business, as evidenced by the multitude of offworlders at the races.

Who says Han was going to be payed 15.000 units of currency from Alderaan? Where do you get this stuff?

"We can pay you 2,000 now, plus 15 when we reach Alderaan."

Even if you want to assume that the 15 grand would have come from somewhere else, it's obviously somewhere else besides Tattooine.

He never says he doesn't have all the money right there on Tatooine (Obi may be in the possession of the 17.000 Wupiupis for all Han knows), yet you chose to interpret otherwise.

Why on Earth would Ben make Luke sell his speeder if he already had the money?

And again: What is the purpose of a spaceport if not interstellar commerce?