I just went into walmart for the first time in months... I feel physically ill

[Vesayen]

Originally posted by Ramo
Walmart is evil incarnate, rather closing a story than allowing it to be unionized.

Incidentally, I just read an article by Jim Hightower about Costco. They pay their workers three times the amount Walmart does, have better health care, allow them to collectively bargain, and their labor costs manage to be half of Walmart's. Treat your workers decently, and they work better, who'd a thought!

Costco treats their workers well, pay them well and have awsome benifits.

Yet it consistently turns a profit... HMMMMMM

for costco, way a big corporation like that should be run.

[Vesayen]

Originally posted by Ned
V, I think something has gone seriously wrong in your perceptions of the world. Walmart brings you products at low cost and great convenience. And you are nauseated?

You are indeed sick and should go to your local mental institution to be committed ASAP.

I feel sick because I knowingly supported something I know to be well, evil.

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
Ned:
Would you rather pay low prices or buy American?

(Trapped! )

I wont buy any clothes made in a sweatshop, if that is what you mean.... so basically nothing made in asia, or south america...

[Tuberski]

If you haven't noticed, the people in Wal-Mart aren't exactly geniuses. Unless they are retirees, they don't have a whole lot going for them anyway.

ACK!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Because when you ignore that, jobs dissapear.

I haven't seen that at all. In fact service jobs have only increased in the last few years. Which jobs have dissapeared? What the little shopkeeper who has expensive crap now has to work for a company? Boo hoo.

This 'culture and identity' you are so dismissive is the very fabric of the American democracy.

Bull****. The 'fabric' of American democracy is the Constitution, not some small, useless local store which can't hope to compete with the bigwigs. And I wouldn't mind wiping out the 'fabric' of municipal government, which in most areas is as close to a one party machine as you'll ever see.

Would you rather pay low prices or buy American?

Ah, you have indeed trapped Ned . As for me, give me low prices.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Target rocks!

Those mom-and-pop stores suck. You have to drive around too all these shops just to do get some shopping done. Why should I drive to a DVD seller and then a clothing store and then an appliance store when I can go to one store that sells all of them?

And who cares about the 'culture and identity' of my community. Screw that.

Well... I live in a very nice place, where you can do all of this without a car and without walking more than 2 or 3 kilometers. Oh sorry, I must be a commie or something?

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Which jobs have dissapeared?

Hmmm... the manufacturing jobs?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Which would have disappeared even if a WalMart didn't exist. How has Walmart destroyed manufacturing jobs?

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Which would have disappeared even if a WalMart didn't exist. How has Walmart destroyed manufacturing jobs?

It's sending them overseas. I wouldn't be against it, of course, if at least they required from sub-contractors that they offer decent working conditions.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's sending them overseas.

As are every other manufacturing company. The small business and shopkeepers buy their goods from those overseas manufacturing plants as well. So how is Walmart destroyed those manufacturing jobs when if Wallmart didn't exist, those jobs would be overseas anyway?

I wouldn't be against it, of course, if at least they required from sub-contractors that they offer decent working conditions.

Compared to the status of other jobs in those country, they do.

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by Vesayen


Costco treats their workers well, pay them well and have awsome benifits.

Yet it consistently turns a profit... HMMMMMM

for costco, way a big corporation like that should be run.

Yes. Their profit margin's somewhat smaller than others although.

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

As are every other manufacturing company. The small business and shopkeepers buy their goods from those overseas manufacturing plants as well. So how is Walmart destroyed those manufacturing jobs when if Wallmart didn't exist, those jobs would be overseas anyway?

No. Wal-Mart has a choice. They could open those jobs they need to meet their needs here in the States. But they chose not to.

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
[Bull****. The 'fabric' of American democracy is the Constitution, not some small, useless local store which can't hope to compete with the bigwigs. And I wouldn't mind wiping out the 'fabric' of municipal government, which in most areas is as close to a one party machine as you'll ever see.

That's my point I'm making. We allowed those municipal governments to become an 'one party machine.'

Constitution is the heart of the American government yes but basically it's just a piece of paper - equally useless as a receipt or expired ticket stub. What gives the Constitution 'life' is the system of check and balance. To ensure this system is functioning properly, we need a citizenry that's actively involved in the politics, to force accountability into the system. You can't have this kind of citizenry and civic commitment if there's no culture and identity binding each other together.

[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
As are every other manufacturing company. The small business and shopkeepers buy their goods from those overseas manufacturing plants as well. So how is Walmart destroyed those manufacturing jobs when if Wallmart didn't exist, those jobs would be overseas anyway?

Not exactly. Small boutiques don't have as much financial incentives as large warehouses do, they don't have shareholders, etc. Customers go to them because service and quality are often better, and are less picky about the price.

Compared to the status of other jobs in those country, they do.

Not always. In Asia and Africa, it usually is better to work in a sweatshop, but in semi-developed places like South America, sweatshops have brought disaster. Besides, I believe there are some minimum work standards that every corporation should follow, regardless of country or economic conditions.

[Imran Siddiqui]

They could open those jobs they need to meet their needs here in the States. But they chose not to.

Why should they when it is cheaper to buy items from overseas manufacturing plants? And if you don't think Target and Costco don't buy products from overseas manufacturing, you are delusional.

We allowed those municipal governments to become an 'one party machine.'

Yes, but Walmart didn't exist in the 1820s .

we need a citizenry that's actively involved in the politics, to force accountability into the system. You can't have this kind of citizenry and civic commitment if there's no culture and identity binding each other together.

Such an idealistic view. The most corrupt years of US politics were when the citizenry were actively involved in politics. They backed a party because everyone was that party and that fostered the one-part city. They had 'culture'. They had 'identity'.

So you can take your culture and identity and shove it. It just leads to blind party following and mass corruption (much more than today).

[MarkG]

they hire illegal aliens

we have legal aliens on this planet??