THE reason for the current hate for Wal-Mart.

[Cephus]

Quote by: Morgan_Freeman The wage is an inherent feature of the job. The market determines wage rates.

But we're not talking about a rational market. We're talking about areas of the world that use child labor and virtual slave labor and pay starvation wages. If any company tried to do the same thing in the US, they'd be fined and probably put out of business, but because these factories are beyond US labor laws, US companies can get away with paying virtually nothing, polluting the environment, etc. and there isn't anything that anyone can do about it.

If some country enslaved it's poor, put them all to work in factories under punishment of death and then started charging US companies $1 per year per person to make products, would that be fine with you? After all, the market determines wage rates, right?

[Morgan_Freeman]

Quote by: Cephus But we're not talking about a rational market. We're talking about areas of the world that use child labor and virtual slave labor and pay starvation wages.

I don't know what you mean by "virtual slave labor". Either someone is a slave or they're not.

As for child labor, you may recall that children once worked hard jobs in this country. No, it's not because the evil capitalists forced them into it. That was the nature of the economy at the time -- in fact, for most of human history. Those children worked on farms with their family before the industrial revolution. Factories made more money than farm work, so labor shifted in that direction. It didn't take long before the entire country was catapulted into prosperity, and the need for child labor ended.
In other countries, the situation is often much worse. The job at the Nike factory may be the only thing keeping that child from starving, or going into prostitution.

As for "starvation wages", don't be ridiculous. No one wants their workers to be starving.

[Chris]

Funny ass song about Wal Mart and also the state of America.

[amana1man]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...rt/interviews/
A November 2004 New York Times article cites a study in Georgia that found 10,000 children of Wal-Mart employees were in the state's healthcare program at a cost to taxpayers of $10 million a year. The same article describes a hospital in North Carolina that found that 31 percent of its 1,900 patients were Wal-Mart employees on Medicaid, and an additional 16 percent were Wal-Mart employees with no insurance at all. And in California, a study released in August 2004 by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley determined that the healthcare expenses of uninsured Wal-Mart employees were costing the already economically-strapped state $32 million a year in taxpayer funds. Wal-Mart has disputed findings that the company encourages its employees to apply for public assistance and called the California study "biased," noting that the researchers at Berkeley did not contact the company for facts and statistics.

And look behind that yellow smiley face and see what's really happening to workers. Good American jobs like at Thomson Electronics in Circleville, Ohio forced out of business by Walmart -- that poor guy making $15, $16 an hour, now he's [going to be] making a fraction of that, $7, $8 an hour, working 32 hours a week; a meager health care plan that he's got to pay for now, token health care plan; no pension; no future. There's a revolving door at Wal-Mart -- workers coming in, seeing the reality of it. They've been duped by the yellow smiley face many times. Then they go right back out the same door they came in a week later, a month later, a year later, whatever, however long they choose to stay. That's what's happening behind closed doors. That's what's happening [behind] that big, yellow smiley face. ...Many companies following with part time help so they don't need to pay benifites. Factories and longtime American suppliers ... a lot of their jobs are getting driven overseas. Either they are moving their facility overseas, or they can't compete. They're shutting down, and they do, in fact, point to you. I mean, they point to Target; they point to Costco; they point to you as a group, and they point to Wal-Mart as the leader of the group. How are Walmart workers treated. Not well at all. I worked at Walmart. I told my superviser that Doctors paper filed with Walmart which restricted me to 8 hours a day. My superviser told me "I don't give a damn about your doctors orders, you will do what I tell you and you will work until I tell you you can go home." He was Jack, night manager at Coralville Iowa super Walmart. I walked out because of this and was denied unemployment because workforce said I quit without good cause. Bull shit!

[Osborn F Enready]

Wal-Mart uses unfair market advantage, to exploit the very workforce market it claims to help.

They have learned well from our system of government.

Say one thing, do another.

Hypocrisy builds capital, while the illusion of truth lasts.

[Mr.Vicchio]

Osborn, let me ask you, exactly how are they "using unfair business practices"

Are these practices legal?

Are they unfair because other businesses aren't able to do what wal-mart can do?

[RVonse]

I'm not Osborn but your question is so easy I will give you the answer.

Wal Mart has become a monopoly to its workers, suppliers, and even its customers.

When you are a monopoly you can and will probably exert unfair advantage to everything and everyone else. That is why the utility companies have to be regulated. And it is exactly why so many anti trust laws were passed during the days of the Taft administration.

And just because a practice is legal does not necessarily make it right. Oftentimes, the law needs to catch up.

[shield772]

I don't see Wal-Mart as a Monopoly, there is nothing you can get at Wal-Mart that you cna't get elsewhere, everyone has a choice. Wal-Mart is a shining example of our free market system that I have seen advocated for all over this site. Wal-Mart also does business in Europe and China.

[lili462]

i like walmart, one stop shop.....thats the way i like to do it. i dont buy my CD's or DVD's there, i dont purchase censored or edited content.

[shield772]

Well I work at Wal-Mart but not for Wal-Mart, I would say the majority of the employees are happy with their jobs and prospects, and they have better pay, work conditions, and insurance than people in the fast food industry and many other industries.

[bugsbunny04]

walmart sucks.

they sell movies that show graphic images of sex, violence and drug use. then turn around and censor songs about the exact same thing. apparently freedom of speech only applies to mofo's with cameras.

walmart sucks

I tried to buy a rifle at walmart. they claimed I needed a social security card and a state or federal documentation of my physical address. bullshit. all you need is a photo ID with your full name and social security number.

walmart sucks

target is cheaper than walmart

walmart sucks

target is clsoser than walmart

walmart sucks

there is less white trash in target

walmart sucks.

yay!

[shield772]

Quote by: bugsbunny04 walmart sucks. they sell movies that show graphic images of sex, violence and drug use. then turn around and censor songs about the exact same thing. apparently freedom of speech only applies to mofo's with cameras. walmart sucks I tried to buy a rifle at walmart. they claimed I needed a social security card and a state or federal documentation of my physical address. bullshit. all you need is a photo ID with your full name and social security number. walmart sucks target is cheaper than walmart walmart sucks target is clsoser than walmart walmart sucks there is less white trash in target walmart sucks. yay!

But Tarhet doesn't sell half the stuff Wal-Mart does. But by all means exercise your freedoms go to Target I work there too. LOL

[Zealot]

Quote by: shield772 I don't see Wal-Mart as a Monopoly, there is nothing you can get at Wal-Mart that you cna't get elsewhere, everyone has a choice. Wal-Mart is a shining example of our free market system that I have seen advocated for all over this site. Wal-Mart also does business in Europe and China.

Hate Wall Mart, are you kidding....10 checkouts going with six deep waiting to get Checked out.
It's the corrupt Unions that are producing the hate.

[Cephus]

Quote by: RVonse Wal Mart has become a monopoly to its workers, suppliers, and even its customers.

Walmart isn't a monopoly, people have plenty of other options, they can shop at lots of other places and Walmart doesn't go around buying up other businesses and closing them down so the public can either shop at Walmart or not at all. The same is true of it's employees and suppliers. They are free to work elsewhere and sell their goods elsewhere, Walmart has never once tried to stop anyone from working for other companies or telling their suppliers they can't sell to other stores. It just doesn't happen.

When you are a monopoly you can and will probably exert unfair advantage to everything and everyone else. That is why the utility companies have to be regulated. And it is exactly why so many anti trust laws were passed during the days of the Taft administration.

That's because utility companies are largely monopolies. You don't have a choice who you get your power, water, etc. from. The same is not at all true of Walmart.

And just because a practice is legal does not necessarily make it right. Oftentimes, the law needs to catch up.

There is nothing remotely illegal about anything Walmart does and if they are caught doing something illegal, they certainly should be fined or pay whatever penalties are assigned for such activities. No one has ever suggested differently.

[Cephus]

Quote by: bugsbunny04 walmart sucks. they sell movies that show graphic images of sex, violence and drug use. then turn around and censor songs about the exact same thing. apparently freedom of speech only applies to mofo's with cameras. walmart sucks I tried to buy a rifle at walmart. they claimed I needed a social security card and a state or federal documentation of my physical address. bullshit. all you need is a photo ID with your full name and social security number. walmart sucks target is cheaper than walmart walmart sucks target is clsoser than walmart walmart sucks there is less white trash in target walmart sucks. yay!

Then shop at Target. Duh.

Nobody is holding a gun to your head, you just like to whine.

[Mr.Vicchio]

Target doesn't sell Christmas Trees, they sell "holiday trees" I plan on going to Target on 01July06 and asking where the Holiday Trees are. Target banned the Salvation Army from the front of their stores. I won't shop there.

Wal-Mart is this era's McDonalds. In the 80's many of the SAME arguements and groups complaining about McDonalds are against Wal-Mart. The bigger and more successful a company is the more ripe you are to be a target of the jealous.

I have only this to say, if you don't like Wal-Mart, think all those claims against Wally World are true, don't shop there.

The rest of will save time and money.

[someguymp3]

Have you heard of Snopes, Vicchio?

[Kite]

I freakin love Wal-Mart. The only time I got angry at Wal-Mart was when I got a mini-pizza from their consession area, and it kind of burned my mouth. But other than that I love Wal-Mart. Target's pretty good too. How can you hate a store that sells almost anything you could possibly want, but really really cheap? I feel like I did back in 6th grade, when everyone wore like Abercrombie and Polo and Nautica clothes and they made fun of me. They said, "Ha ha, look at his Wal-Mart shoes!" I said, "So what?" They replied "I payed $150 for my shoes, how much did you pay?" "12.99" I said, "and unless you're shoes have a DVD player built into them, I think they do about the same thing. I think I'll go buy a 20" Color TV for my room with the $137.01 I saved." As I began to walk away they would snort, "Yeah right, where are you gonna find a TV for that much?" Without stopping, I'd casually turn and say over my shoulder, "Wal-Mart, where else?"

I <3 Wal-Mart

[bugsbunny04]

Quote by: Cephus Then shop at Target. Duh. Nobody is holding a gun to your head, you just like to whine.

No I was just pointing out why I shop at target instead of walmart.

[Cephus]

Quote by: bugsbunny04 No I was just pointing out why I shop at target instead of walmart.

Because you like to whine, we got it.