Hi y'all - I'm neither an investor in, nor a supporter of Wal Mart but I look at them from 3 different perspectives.
On the job side. There are more retail jobs in my small town now than there were before Wal Mart came. We have lost the personal service. Many inefficient stores have closed. I don't know if Wal Mart jobs are worse than other retail jobs, but I do know that if Wal Mart breaks the law in regard to its workers, a class action lawsuit soon follows, and I see the results of these all the time. Presumably they can't pay less than minimum wage without risking same. On the investor side. Wal Mart has been a good defence stock during this economic debacle. Their lower prices and small efficient profit margins cater to low or less income customers. On the customer side. Wal Mart has brought convenience as well as lower prices to my town. I can now shop on Sunday morning in peace, when everyone is in church. Prior to Wal Mart, I was forced to observe the christian sabbath with the majority, or travel. Wal Mart has also brought a wider range of products at much lower prices without the personal service. Parking is easy and even fuel is cheaper. >From these three perspectives, I think Wal Mart is a benefit rather than a detriment. If you would like to run Wal Mart out of business, have them employ me as a greeter. As for child labor in China etc. I blame the dictatorship. On Dec 14, 11:53 am, "Liz Purkrabek" <[email protected]> wrote: > I would give up rock bottom prices and convenience for benefits and better > wages for the employees. Same said for the Chinese laborers waist deep in > lead as they manufacture our poisonous toys. > > liz > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Clogtowner > Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 11:24 AM > To: Memphis Freethought Alliance > Subject: Re: WASHINGTON MUST BAILOUT RETAIL SECTOR > > Hi y'all - OK, if we didn't have Wal Marts, would prices be generally > higher or lower? Would shopping be more or less convenient? Of course, > we've lost personal service with the advent of Wal Marts. > > On Dec 14, 10:55 am, "Liz Purkrabek" <[email protected]> wrote: > > I've heard that about Walmart. I'd rather pay a bit more for my Chinese > > plastic goods if that meant that Walmart employees could afford to buy > > nourishing food and take their sick children to the doctor. > > > Walmart is not doing us any favors. > > > liz > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] > > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > > ornamentalmind > > Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 10:23 AM > > To: Memphis Freethought Alliance > > Subject: Re: WASHINGTON MUST BAILOUT RETAIL SECTOR > > > Nieman Marcus pays it's employees, Wal Mart doesn't. The people at the > > top of Nieman contribute to the poor, the Wall family does not. etc. > > > On Dec 14, 8:12 am, Clogtowner <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi y'all - I think we've been down this road before about what the > > > "poor" do with their money. I don't for one moment believe we have a > > > fair system - life is not fair. Nevertheless, a poor person's vote > > > counts just as much as a wealthy one in the polling booth. Of course a > > > wealthy person voting with a wallet has more effect on companies that > > > go bust or surivie and this was the root of the debate. In the present > > > economic environment Nieman Marcus is feeling the pinch. Wal Mart are > > > doing very nicely thank you. > > > > On Dec 14, 9:54 am, "Liz Purkrabek" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > No. It's not as small as you think, and even if it is small, how is > it > > a > > > > fair system when those most likely to benefit from enforcing a change > in > > the > > > > system are the least able to effect such a change? The neighborhood I > > grew > > > > up in is typical of thousands of others across this country, and I > don't > > > > like the idea that it is somehow not significant that because their > > wallets > > > > are empty, they are powerless to "vote" with them. > > > > > liz > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: [email protected] > > > > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of > > Clogtowner > > > > Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 9:40 AM > > > > To: Memphis Freethought Alliance > > > > Subject: Re: WASHINGTON MUST BAILOUT RETAIL SECTOR > > > > > Hi y'all - I'd like to see an accurate figure for the percentage of > > > > the population who have no money and are therefore unable to vote with > > > > their wallets. I suspect it would be rather small and entirely > > > > inaccurate. > > > > > On Dec 12, 8:23 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > "... For me this is true democracy. I vote with my wallet. ..." - > clog > > > > > > Typical...equating economics with governance! I know the media keep > > > > > pummeling us with this notion, but, of course, they are two entirely > > > > > different things. IF one even takes one second to consider the > people > > > > > who have no money, this becomes painfully clear. Of course, it is > all > > > > > too common to ignore or rationalize this truth. > > > > > > On Dec 12, 10:10 am, Clogtowner <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Hi y'all - yes I do like Wall St. and millions of stock holders. > For > > > > > > me this is true democracy. I vote with my wallet. If I don't like > a > > > > > > company (or a CEO) I'll sell the stock and if others do likewise > the > > > > > > value of the company will be diminished (unlike the Govt.) If we > had > > > > > > more stock holders, we'd have more democracy, and no, it doesn't > > cost > > > > > > a lot - I can buy or sell any amount of stock for $7. There are > > > > > > brokers who help small investors get started by offering $4 trades > > and > > > > > > they will deal in fractions of a share. > > > > > > > On Dec 11, 9:00 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > > > “…If Govt. becomes involved in a business it necessarily sets up > a > > > > > > > huge bureaucracy in its own image to > > > > > > > run it. I've seen these grow from nothing - layer upon layer. It > > > > > > > drains the economy slowly and exhaustively. I've never seen one > > > > > > > function efficiently in the long term…” – clog > > > > > > > > Yeh, sorta like Wall Street and millions of stock holders. Talk > > about > > > > > > > a huge bureaucracy! And, the government claims to regulate all > of > > this > > > > > > > too!!! Capitalism bureaucracy built in it’s own image for sure. > > > > > > > Clearly, the ‘economy’, whatever anyone wants to mean by the > term, > > is > > > > > > > drained fully by CEO’s with BILLIONS of dollars in stock and > > having to > > > > > > > give additional profits to the stock holders. Anyone who wants > to > > buy > > > > > > > stuff has to pay so much more because of this grossly > inefficient, > > top > > > > > > > heavy and greedy system. > > > > > > > > On Dec 11, 7:12 am, Clogtowner <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi y'all - "First, ‘the Govt.’ (We the people.) can be in any > > > > business > > > > > > > > ‘we’ want > > > > > > > > to be in. ‘We’ set it up that way. There is no ‘should’ about > > it. > > > > > > > > And, ‘we’ in fact have little to no control over spending. At > > least > > > > > > > > not directly. Also, there are no real ‘strings’ when it comes > to > > > > such > > > > > > > > things. If studied long enough, this will become obvious. And, > > as > > > > > > > > contradictory as it looks, you now seem to think it is OK for > > ‘us’ > > > > to > > > > > > > > turn a profit! Strange! " > > > > > > > > > Indeed I have only been in this country for 21 years but I > have > > > > > > > > studied the effect of Govt. ovwnership of business in the > > Eastern > > > > > > > > Bloc, and I've seen the results. If Govt. becomes involved in > a > > > > > > > > business it necessarily sets up a huge bureaucracy in its own > > image > > > > to > > > > > > > > run it. I've seen these grow from nothing - layer upon layer. > It > > > > > > > > drains the economy slowly and exhaustively. I've never seen > one > > > > > > > > function efficiently in the long term. > > > > > > > > We can't say what strings are attached to the Auto deal yet as > > it > > > > has > > > > > > > > not been completed, but so far it looks more promising, from a > > > > > > > > taxpayer point of view, than the Bank debacle. > > > > > > > > During the recent collapse of many banks the FDIC (and I don't > > > > > > > > normally praise the Govt.) has done a fine job of ensuring > > stability > > > > > > > > and guaranteeing accounts. Note the difference in the UK where > > no > > > > FDIC > > > > > > > > existed and we were treated to videos of Building Society > > customers > > > > > > > > lined up and screaming for their money. Eventually the UK > Govt. > > were > > > > > > > > forced to step in and offer their version of the FDIC. > > > > > > > > > On Dec 10, 11:30 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > “Hi y'all - I can't agree with you on this. Neither the > Govt. > > nor > > > > the > > > > > > > > > whole citizenry of this country should be in the car > business. > > As > > > > the > > > > > > > > > Govt. controls the spending I have no objections to loans in > > the > > > > > > > > > interest of the country with strings to ensure repayment, > and > > > > > > > > > hopefully, a profit. The Govt. does a good job of backing up > > our > > > > bank > > > > > > > > > accounts FDIC (so far.) > > > > > > > > > I do agree about the banks. They should have been offered > the > > same > > > > > > > > > deal.” – clog > > > > > > > > > > Clog, I know you weren’t born here nor are you old enough to > > know > > > > what > > > > > > > > > all has transpired when it comes to such issues here in the > > US. > > > > So, I > > > > > > > > > don’t blame you much for being what appears to be quite > naïve. > > > > > > > > > > First, ‘the Govt.’ (We the people.) can be in any business > > ‘we’ > > > > want > > > > > > > > > to be in. ‘We’ set it up that way. There is no ‘should’ > about > > it. > > > > > > > > > And, ‘we’ in fact have little to no control over spending. > At > > > > least > > > > > > > > > not directly. Also, there are no real ‘strings’ when it > comes > > to > > > > such > > > > > > > > > things. If studied long enough, this will become obvious. > And, > > as > > > > > > > > > contradictory as it looks, you now seem to think it is OK > for > > ‘us’ > > > > to > > > > > > > > > turn a profit! Strange! > > > > > > > > > Anyway, no, the Govt. (We the people.) do not do a good job > of > > > > backing > > > > > > > > > up our bank accounts. Think “Savings and Loan Crisis’. The > > thing > > > > that > > > > > > > > > McCain was deeply involved in among others. > > > > > > > > > And, what is ‘common knowledge’ (about the banks) is in fact > > not > > > > the > > > > > > > > > reality. IF one reads the 108 pages or so of the first bank > > > > bailout, > > > > > > > > > what it said was that the banks should just take the money > and > > buy > > > > > > > > > other banks! It said nothing about helping people and > > businesses > > > > who > > > > > > > > > couldn’t get loans. Look it up. Most of what is presented on > > > > corporate > > > > > > > > > TV is > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
