Hoot and Sams Club don't mix

[RinglingRingling]

You are all right....Im sure that PBS had a HUGE agenda in their expose' on Walmart and their enviromental and worker abuses. And I don't want or need to make friends here. If you don't want to realize that the Walmart culture (and yes there are many many other big box retailers but none as big or as bad) is killing America (watch what happens when your beloved Walmart moves into banking with no federal insurance) you need to get you heads out of the sand.

Here is the rub....everyone go and have an early morning Margarita on me....cause this is my last post on this board. But lay off the wake and bake.
Sail on

WOW....I guess that was supposed to be a one-sided statement, not subject to debate?

I have no idea what that means.

[Capt.Flock]

The killer of America is not Wal-Mart but the true killer of America is people not be able to listen to each other point with an open mind and being able to discuss them.

But I will share a adult drink with you ParrotHeadDan because I heard someone say we should all love Mother Earth

[FINSUPinIdaho]

I bought some BBQ Owl wings at Wal-Mart the other day. They are very good, and do taste like chicken.

[LIPH]

Where is the debate Mike? I was attacked for being topical in my post. No debate there. All I did was suggest that people might want to get involved in a topic that directly effects everyone of us....and (GASP) actually read or take time to watch a documentary that they might (GASP AGAIN) learn somthing from about the company that they are buying things from. You may not beleive that Walmart is the most underhanded and destructive forces in this country but I would encourage you to atleast look at the facts and not just low prices.

Now I'm done

You were attacked? I didn't see anyone direct any comments like this at you:

I have to say that I am more than disapointed. I thought that the people on this board would be a bit smarter than to fall victem to the "Walmart is cheap so they can't be bad" ideology. But hey.....I suppose as Mark Twain once said:

Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass.
- Notebook, 1898

I'll be sure to dumb it down in the future.

[jbfinscj]

Where is the debate Mike? I was attacked for being topical in my post. No debate there. All I did was suggest that people might want to get involved in a topic that directly effects everyone of us....and (GASP) actually read or take time to watch a documentary that they might (GASP AGAIN) learn somthing from about the company that they are buying things from. You may not beleive that Walmart is the most underhanded and destructive forces in this country but I would encourage you to atleast look at the facts and not just low prices.

Now I'm done

WOW....I guess that was supposed to be a one-sided statement, not subject to debate?

[/quote]

HA YOU CAME BACK...Buffettnews is to addicting to stay away for long...

[Tiki Bar]

I bought some BBQ Owl wings at Wal-Mart the other day. They are very good, and do taste like chicken.

So wrong, but you cracked me up!

[MikeInNOLA]

But I will share a adult drink with you ParrotHeadDan because I heard someone say we should all love Mother Earth

Heck, I will even toast the poor Mexican aguave harvester over a shot of tequila with you!

[tjtryon]

Walmart is an "environmental terrorist"? That's a tad bit extreme, no?

Here is the thing. Perhaps a terrorist against everything that is "America" might be a better title. [/quote]

I occasionally shop at Walmart, though I do try to support the local small businesses, owning one myself...

http://wichitaliberty.org/node/191?PHPS ... f941994649

Currently it is quite fashionable to criticize Wal-Mart as the starting point for everything evil about American business. Critics allege that Wal-Mart earns too much profit, pays its employees too little, doesn't provide its employees health insurance so they have to rely on the government, it exploits low-paid workers in China, and might even be responsible for avian flu, for all I know.

There is no doubt that Wal-Mart is a powerful force in the economy. The Wall Street Journal on December 3, 2005, wrote "Wal-Mart employs about 1.3 million people, about 1% of the American work force. Its sales, at around $300 billion a year, are equal to 2.5% of U.S. gross domestic product."

But bigness doesn't necessarily translate to profitable: "It is not, however, an especially profitable company. Its net profit margins, at about 3.5% of revenue, are broadly in line with the rest of the retail industry. In fiscal 2004, Microsoft made more money than Wal-Mart on just one-eighth of the sales."

Is Wal-Mart bad for poor people? Writing in The Washington Post on November 28, 2005, Sebastian Mallaby wrote: "Wal-Mart's critics allege that the retailer is bad for poor Americans. This claim is backward: As Jason Furman of New York University puts it, Wal-Mart is 'a progressive success story.' Furman advised John 'Benedict Arnold' Kerry in the 2004 campaign and has never received any payment from Wal-Mart; he is no corporate apologist. But he points out that Wal-Mart's discounting on food alone boosts the welfare of American shoppers by at least $50 billion a year. The savings are possibly five times that much if you count all of Wal-Mart's products."

That's a lot of money saved for consumers. Critics alledge, however, that Wal-Mart suppresses wages. It does, as it turns out. From The Washington Post article again: "Set against these savings for consumers, Wal-Mart's alleged suppression of wages appears trivial. Arindrajit Dube of the University of California at Berkeley, a leading Wal-Mart critic, has calculated that the firm has caused a $4.7 billion annual loss of wages for workers in the retail sector." Compare that with the amount that Wal-Mart has saved consumers. "Indeed, Furman points out that the wage suppression is so small that even its "victims" may be better off. Retail workers may take home less pay, but their purchasing power probably still grows thanks to Wal-Mart's low prices."

As for health benefits, John Tierney in The New York Times on November 29, 2005 writes: "Wal-Mart is often denounced for getting 'corporate welfare' because some of its employees rely on Medicaid for health care and on other government aid. But so do some employees at other companies or at government institutions like public schools. Wal-Mart offers health benefits that are generally comparable to what other retailers offer."

For those who claim that Wal-Mart receives corporate welfare in any form, I think that readers of this website know my feelings on that. Corporate welfare is wrong.

From The Wall Street Journal again: "But suppose Wal-Mart did look more like the company its detractors would like it to be, with overpaid workers, union work rules, and correspondingly higher prices on goods. It would not only be a less attractive place to shop, and hence a considerably smaller company. It would drive up the cost of living for the millions who shop there, thus hurting those in the bottom half of the income-distribution tables that Wal-Mart's critics claim to be speaking for. One might expect this fact to trouble the anti-Wal-Mart forces, except that their agenda is very different from what they profess it to be."

John Tierney of The New York Times again: "It's easy to understand the motives of some of Wal-Mart's enemies. Local merchants don't want to match its prices. Labor leaders know that they'll lose members and dues if unionized stores suffer. But why would anyone who claims to be fighting for social justice be so determined to take money out of the pockets of the poor?"

Whatever your feelings, Wal-Mart operates in the relatively free marketplace, so it must meet the needs of its customers, or it won't last very long. From The Wall Street Journal again: "To the extent that mom-and-pop stores are threatened by Wal-Mart, it's because the same people who supposedly so value their Main Street hardware store find that Wal-Mart's selection, or prices, or parking lot -- something about it -- is preferable."

That's the free market -- people voting with dollars rather than professed feelings -- at work.

[jbfins]

I have never shopped at a Walmart and never will. I also got rid of my SUV to save on gas. But most people just do not care. Do not blame JB though. His little tie-ins with most corporate entities do not outweigh the numerous things he has done for numerous charities.

[LittleMrMagic]

Politico's don't really make it too far at all on this site, regardless of how passionately they stand behind their views, or even how educated (or how well researched) that view may be.
In truth, the only reason I can get along with 7/8ths of the people on the site is that I check my politics at the door (or have for the last 70+ posts). This site is almost as liberally elitist as MoveOn.org.
Honestly, Nationalism of any type isn't thought to highly of here, unless it is Nationalism with a full salute to the National Anthem of Margaritaville.
For the record, I agree about WalMart. They are destroying the American economy, selling it out daily to the interest of the Chinese government and other third world countries. . . and yes, I do refuse to shop there.

[PA PAR8 HED]

We can't even get Jimmy to stop playing WDWGDAS, I doubt we'll have much success in financial matters!

[rednekkPH]

To all who refuse to shop at Walmart, I offer the a sincere thank you. For it is people like you who make the check-out lines shorter for the rest of us.

[ParrotHeadDan]

Quote:
"Indeed, Furman points out that the wage suppression is so small that even its "victims" may be better off. Retail workers may take home less pay, but their purchasing power probably still grows thanks to Wal-Mart's low prices."


TJ...Does Walmart subsidise their rent and utilities too? I now see the error in my ways.

Walmart does indeed need to boost its profits. They should do it by cutting wages and health care (oh wait they can't). How about by discriminating against anyone who is overweight because they will be out of work more often statistically? Oops...they already covered that too. How about by being the largest distributor of groceries....got that done. Lets see....maybe they can be the lowest wage pay in China (yep they even drove wages down there).

[rednekkPH]

Quote:
"Indeed, Furman points out that the wage suppression is so small that even its "victims" may be better off. Retail workers may take home less pay, but their purchasing power probably still grows thanks to Wal-Mart's low prices."


TJ...Does Walmart subsidise their rent and utilities too? I now see the error in my ways.

Walmart does indeed need to boost its profits. They should do it by cutting wages and health care (oh wait they can't). How about by discriminating against anyone who is overweight because they will be out of work more often statistically? Oops...they already covered that too. How about by being the largest distributor of groceries....got that done. Lets see....maybe they can be the lowest wage pay in China (yep they even drove wages down there).

I thought you were leaving...

[MikeInNOLA]

We can't even get Jimmy to stop playing WDWGDAS, I doubt we'll have much success in financial matters!

As they say here in Cali, RIGHT ON!

Heck, I would make a reasonable contribution to Save the Manatee to get WDWGDAS off the setlist!

[RinglingRingling]

We can't even get Jimmy to stop playing WDWGDAS, I doubt we'll have much success in financial matters!

As they say here in Cali, RIGHT ON!

Heck, I would make a reasonable contribution to Save the Manatee to get WDWGDAS off the setlist!

hmmm.......

[Soraya]

I agree with your opinion of Wal-mart...I would probably go even further with my low opinion of their often criminal, unethical, terroristic behavior....but business is business in some regards for their suppliers.

JB doesn't run Wal-mart and is not responsible for their actions. You can't blame a movie's producers for wanting to get the exposure for their flick in one of the largest retailers.

Yeah, in a perfect world, no one would do business with them....but the world just isn't that perfect yet. I'll buy the soundtrack and the DVD when it comes out from another store. I don't have to support Wal-mart to support the movie.

[Capt.Flock]

It is fact ,not for just Wal-Mart but overall in the job market that a person who looks healthy tends to receive more a favorable impression then a person who does not look healthy i.e. overweight . I am not saying this is right but this is the way our society works.

[Tiki Bar]

We can't even get Jimmy to stop playing WDWGDAS, I doubt we'll have much success in financial matters!

As they say here in Cali, RIGHT ON!

Heck, I would make a reasonable contribution to Save the Manatee to get WDWGDAS off the setlist!

You might be on to something here! Channeling charitable donations to get him to remove songs or add songs to the setlist!! He could do a song per week!

[ParrotHeadDan]

Quote:
"Indeed, Furman points out that the wage suppression is so small that even its "victims" may be better off. Retail workers may take home less pay, but their purchasing power probably still grows thanks to Wal-Mart's low prices."


TJ...Does Walmart subsidise their rent and utilities too? I now see the error in my ways.

Walmart does indeed need to boost its profits. They should do it by cutting wages and health care (oh wait they can't). How about by discriminating against anyone who is overweight because they will be out of work more often statistically? Oops...they already covered that too. How about by being the largest distributor of groceries....got that done. Lets see....maybe they can be the lowest wage pay in China (yep they even drove wages down there).

I thought you were leaving...

I lied