Hi y'all - hey you lot, as I've said, I'm no supporter of Wal Mart - presumably they pay minimum wage and if that's not enough to live on........ Nevertheless, I have to thank Orn for the best laugh I've had all week - "Does public transit go to Wal Mart?" Public transit? What's that? We don't have cable let alone public transit - our phone line is 1943 vintage. We don't have trash collection. We don't even have city water!!
On Dec 14, 6:04 pm, ornamentalmind <[email protected]> wrote: > “…There are more retail jobs in my small town now than there were > before Wal Mart came….” - clog > > Clog, IF this is a fact when adjusted for population fluctuations, > your small town is a true anomaly. > > “…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….” – clog > > Clog, perhaps we share different values. I don’t find efficiency to be > the first cause to be addressed for humanity. > And, when you say ‘worse than other..jobs’, they are when it comes to > pay and benefits. Always have been, except perhaps in the first year > or two of the company’s existence. > As to legal action by workers, seldom is anything like this done > ‘soon’. I do invite you to research this topic. It is one that I’ve > followed since at least the early 1970s. They became public in 1972. > > “…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…” – clog > > My belief, not fully researched this time, is that over the decades, > an ‘investor’ (not a worker) could have done much better with other > stocks. And, as I’ve pointed out since Wal-Mart is one cause of ‘low > or less income customers’, I don’t see how this is a plus for us. > > Oh, and when it comes to being able to shop on Sunday “in peace”! > ….hehe…I guess I just have to laugh here. It does look like you live > in a very small town. My true condolences. And, for the rest of us, > the result of these ‘super stores’ is a reduction in the diversity of > products. > > I am also happy for you that you can save some gasoline and can park > more easily. Does your public transit go to Wal-Mart? > > And, yes, some people are pro-Wal-Mart. No doubt. You and I simply > disagree here, apparently based on quite different experiences. > > I don’t understand your next line though. “If you would like to run > Wal Mart out of business, have them employ me as a greeter.” > > And, IF you blame the dictatorship in China for child labor, do you > also believe that the US was a dictatorship when we had child labor? > > On Dec 14, 12:04 pm, Clogtowner <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > 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 > > ... > > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
