THE reason for the current hate for Wal-Mart.

[PatrickHenry]

That's interesting...What can this mean? Would the world's largest retailer refuse to market known big sellers for political reasons? That would upset shareholders if they heard about it. Or maybe the rules of the game aren't as we assume... Probably an oversight.

[SouthernLadyGA]

Why I refuse to shop WalMart...the stores are too crowded...they never have enough registers open...they treat their employees like shit...they treat customers with disdain...the merchandise they carry is second rate...their stores interiors and exteriors are junky looking.

[PatrickHenry]

Hi SouthernLadyGA, and welcome to volconvo. Yeah, but they beat every other store on price and some things either don't matter on quality or it has been standardized. Stuff like laundry detergent, greeting cards, music CDs or basketballs. Know what I mean?

[PatrickHenry]

Anybody see tonight's Frontline on PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/
This web presentation has more than the edited for TV version I saw. Very interesting questions regarding "free trade" and the loss of American jobs due to outsourcing in China. One person interviewed said directly that China and Walmart are the sources of hammering down the US economy. But an interview with an economist from the CATO Institute said that wasn't the case at all. A very even handed treatment of this vital subject.

[bullshitdetector]

I read in the news last week that Wal-Mart won't sell George Carlins new book either, and sure isn't a conservative nor is he religious.

[Technosoul]

Originally posted by argonak, Smokers- Targeted for health risks and high insurance costs Overweight people- Targeted for health risks and high insurance costs if you participate in an activity that raises your probability of injury, then it is in the best interests of your insurance company and all of its other members to raise your rates, because your probality of requireing money from it is higher than someone who does not participate in that activity. thats the way insurance WORKS. some people seem to be of the mind that insurance is some sort of automatic free health care system. they don't realize that the money an insurance company gives out comes from the people who use it.

Hog wash, first off all that money collected is not keeping our emergecy rooms open, they are shutting down faster then you can keep count, and I know in fact that the people who work in those emergency rooms often step outside for a smoke break.

The insurance companies absolutly do not cover any treatment program that could help a addicted smoker to quit the habit. The insurance companies would do so if they thought it would save them money which they would pay out for cancer or other mythological side effects of smoking.

You have been hoodwinked and don't even know why.

[Technosoul]

Walmart - okay I go there to buy coffee and cat food, because they charge about $4. for a can and Von's Market charges about $10. for a can of coffee.

But then, no doubt, if we could have slaves mow our grass we might welcome the savings.

Here is what I do not like about Walmart. They want to be a family store and wanted to sell movies and music that was first censored by the store.

They have been sued a number of times by women because men get most of the promotions.

The idea they go out of their way to hire black people is a total myth.

They give employees instructions on how to take advantage of certain government programs (paid by taxpayers) relative to health care needs and as compensation for low wages.

They expect a city to allow them speical rights when it comes to building codes and envirnomental impact regulations, by environmental I do not mean "trees" but because of the additional traffic the store might generate for a local community.
Relative to the "super-stores" (the smaller Wal Mart stores are not that much of a problem).

They buy most of their goods for sale from China and places that have "out sourced" to other countries.

A superstore is like a gaint monopoly and that gives them too much control once other competing places close up shop.

However other stores are now merging - Sears and Target are planning to merge as one "big store". Soon we will have only a few big stores and super-chain stores and that would prevent many small people from attempting to open a small busness as an upstart, plus it takes away the idea of "individualism" from the marketplace and it also would force all name brand product sources to cow cow down to their one-and-only outlet for sales.

Take for example McDonalds hamburger, they started off with cheap prices. I can recall the first one that was in my home town of Downey California. A buger was 25 cents and the cheeseburger was $35 cents. But no more, now you are lucky to get out of the fast food lane for under $5.00

When the competition is gone, when the Unions are gone, we will end up like it was during the great depression era of the 1930s. And that is called "backtracking".

Technosoul.

[bugsbunny04]

I just dont like Wally world because they dont sell CDs with PA labels earned over lyrics not near as vile as movies being sold ten feet away to anybody with five bucks.

Target carries unedited cds, cooler t-shirts, and just better stuff in general. And I have the fortune of being able to buy my groceries at this neat place within walking distance of my dorm called "Publix".

I have no use for Wal-mart's sorry ass.

[Sean]

I do not know if anyone else caught it last night, but my father had me watch a documentary on Wal-Mart that was on the public broadcasting network (go figure the networks would not show it). It showed me things about Wal-Mart that I had never realized (how they negotiate i.e. destroy companies), and how they have basically forced many companies that deal with it to move with it overseas to China.

It was funny because they were showing the ports in Cali. So many imported containers, and shit going to China. The director of one of the ports said that the US exports cardboard and raw materials, and receives cardboard boxes full of goods in return-sounds like we are becoming a dependent third-world country eh?

I think the resentment of Wal-Mart lies here. People who resent Wal-Mart do not shop there for reasons like this in my opinion.

It has nothing to do with unions. If Wal-Mart did form a union it would have a HUGE impact on the U.S. economy-for the good methinks. I am not a conspiracy nut, but I can imagine people dying if they mentioned the word union around Wal-Mart heh.

And I'm all for corporate busienss making profit if the consumers will buy it, but they are forcing business to move to China, and the trade is simply not fair with China. They under-value their currency and rape us with dumped exports.

[Osborn F Enready]

I agree 100% Sean, and I watched that special on Frontline last night myself.

People don't understand that by shopping there, they are cutting their OWN throat, as well as this nations.

Many people said the same thing, back when Japanese electronics started taking over the market (which they now have), many said it back when Japanese auto manufacturers were taking over the market (which we had to change completely to stay competitive, mainly in cutting jobs). Many said this, when foreign entities started buying large or majority portions of shares of in U.S. corporations ( which they now are laying off American workers, and moving overseas).

So now, all the sirens have gone off, the alarmists have cried foul, and still, the sheeple fill Wal-Mart to buy cheap goods at wholesale prices, because they feel "thrifty", or because they already feel the sting of lost wages and lost jobs, and are FORCED to buy cheap goods. Its like sharpening the knife the executioner is going to use to cut your throat.... and a sad day when people in our own nation can't see the forest for the trees.

Welcome to the New World Order.

Where monopolies rule, corporate giants control demand by limiting supply, and where only those with large amounts of cash or influence can get their voices heard.

We are seeing exactly why the forefathers spoke so cruelly on the topic of "democracy" right before our very eyes, and we have only ourselves to thank for it.

[PatrickHenry]

Sean, see my post on the previous page. It was that PBS broadcast that caused me to search for this thread and post, bumping it to the top.

Read the thread, big brother.

The website had a lot more material with links to media journals and other good stuff for debaters on this issue. I shop Wal-Mart, too but it IS noticeable that everything is from effen China.

How to unionize the Wallys?

[Sean]

Originally posted by PatrickHenry, Sean, see my post on the previous page. It was that PBS broadcast that caused me to search for this thread and post, bumping it to the top. Read the thread, big brother. The website had a lot more material with links to media journals and other good stuff for debaters on this issue. I shop Wal-Mart, too but it IS noticeable that everything is from effen China. How to unionize the Wallys?

haha sorry..I did not know this topic expanded so fast since that broadcast-wow

Also, try to unionize Wally and get destroyed lol. I heard they have like 1,000 lawyers, and are sued every 48 hours.

I think the issue here is just real "fair trade". American business is forced to conform to the standards of companies like Wal-Mart because Wally sees how one-sided this trade gap is.

[castille]

The funny thing is, people whine about big corporations, then they go and buy from them.

If you hate big corporations, don't fucking buy from them. Buy from small businesses. The only reason why large companies are making so much is because people buy things from them.

(Duh)

[Osborn F Enready]

Thats why I dont shop big stores, buy from corporations, or support China in any way that I don't HAVE to.

I did however support China when I bought my SKS, and Wal-Mart doesn't carry those.

[Technosoul]

Originally posted by castille, The funny thing is, people whine about big corporations, then they go and buy from them. If you hate big corporations, don't fucking buy from them. Buy from small businesses. The only reason why large companies are making so much is because people buy things from them. (Duh)

That and other simular views posted make sense, why not just shop with the mom and pop stores and stay away from Wally?

I had to examine my own actions in the past, and this is what I noticed.

I walked into Vons which is close to my house, and they offered Yuban coffee for 10 bucks. (the store brand, which I do not care for) was cheaper. That made me mad because I knew that Walmart had Yuban for about 5.00 - the reason is Vons have a store brand they must sell for 7 to make a decent profit and so they hype the name brand price so people will buy the brand with the store name on it. Now if wally can see it for 5 then Vons should at least only charge the same for the name brand as they do for the store brand. Now I expect to pay a little more at a normal store but resent it if they try to rip me off so they can make a drastic profit that is uncalled for.

It seems just as bad, in my book, to hype their profit margin when they could at least be more reasonable and still be ahead of the game, then for a store to sell cheaper because they have less overhead costs.
(RE: employee wages).

So that is my beef, if wallmart can sell the same product for 5 why must Vons ask 10.00 - twice the amount?

All over the store they have signs "compare the savings of our brand with the name brand". But the quality is always up to the standards of the name brand. Such as bread, etc. So they have a policy, buy junk or pay through the nose. To heck with that I said to my self and went over to Walmart, I reasoned it is up to the Walmart employees to get a union or up to the political people to regulate world trade and etc. I am only able to manage my own budget.

So that was my thinking about it. Perhaps not very liberial of me, not being concerned about the fate of Ameirca and all.

Now the buck might stop in the White House, but it starts out in pocket, and that is my busness at hand.

[bullshitdetector]

The trouble with Wal-Mart is they use a auctioning concept when getting manufacturers to supply good for their stores. For example, if the coffee makers want a spot in their store to sell their product they bring each of them in one by one and ask what their lowest dollar amount they will accept for the contract. When that is all done they drag them all into one room and auction off the opportunity to the lucky guy who all but gives his product away for a 5 year contract with WallyWorld. They then go back to their dens and decide to move their business to China because the labor there is like 20 cents an hour, driving their profit margin back up. WallyWorld uses the excuse they are selling for near wholesale so in order to keep their profit margin within projections they screw their help over. They don't actually say that but you can bet if there were held accountable for their shitty employee relations that would be the excuse du jour. I don't know anything about this Von Market you speak of Technosoul, I imagine it is like any other small chain, they may charge twice as much but they sure aren't paying what WallyWorld pays, this is where the manufacturer gets an edge as well, they get to charge more to the smaller chains to make a quick profit at lower volumes. They are also held by contract with WallyWorld to keep their product price jacked so the small has to drive the price up. Wally World is a sad excuse for a shopping experience, I will admit to that, but being a consumer with a family to raise and a home to maintain I find myself driving to WallyWorld just so I can grit my teeth and curse under my breath.

[Sean]

I wonder up if someone could come up with a ratio of how many Americans it takes to shop at walmart to increase their risk of losing their job

Castille,

It's not about shopping with big corporations for me-that was not my point. It was the lack of "fair trade" between the US in China, and we allow it.

[Osborn F Enready]

We not only allow it, our government ADVOCATES it.

[bullshitdetector]

Our government advocates for free market and the opportunity to be successful. Not that I like how Wal-Mart treats their people, that is why I don't work there, but they can as they please just like any other entity in this land of the free.

[Osborn F Enready]

NO BS, they USED to advocate Free Trade, back when we were a Constitutionally Limited Democratic Republic.

NAFTA, CAFTA, Free trade? LOL

This is a huge issue best dealt with in its own thread.