Friday Open Thread: WalMart Edition
by PubliusToday, in 1776, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution severing our ties with Great Britain. That is important, but we are more interested in the fact that the first Wal-Mart opened today, in 1962. Both events have had a profound impact on our lives.
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127 Comments
The only thing I can say about Wal-Mart is, that Sam Walton is probably rolling in his grave at what his descendants are doing with his dream! I doubt that his intention was to put every mom and pop store out of business, and take over the world of retail with goods from China! There was a time that Wal-Mart boasted about selling only American made products…pretty much impossible now, that nothing is made in America, except welfare checks, and food stamps!
It should be obvious to all but the most obtuse that Obama despises the Constitution and he despises the heroic men who wrote it, ratified it, and begat a great nation by it. His appointments Sotomayor and Kagan are evidence of that and those Senators who vote to confirm them should be seen as like minded. They, Obama and his cohorts in treachery, are consummate liars. Because they are liars and because they despise the Constitution, they should be despised in return by all true Americans.
Retail lives or dies at the whim of the consumer. If Americans were interested in higher quality goods, that is what Walmart would carry. Walmart is not the evil, our desires are the evil and Walmart is just the honest truth of what our desires look like.
Don't hate Walmart, hate the "I will only pay the lowest possible price for ______", or the "I will buy total crap if it is cheap enough" mentality.
As for the Continental Congress, severing our ties with Britian at that stage was the right thing to do, but ObaMao pissing on our staunchest ally of the last 100 years is NOT the right thing to do. At least he is consistent and has not done a damn thing right since he started.
I was in walmart yesterday, i stood at the register as the clerk slowly finished up her personal conversation with another clerk and bothered to check me out. I paid over a dollar for an onion i bought and when i got home i unloded my items and guess what…no onion. Talk about crappy service!
I have to admit I like Walmart…I like that they are a big company that has been
fighting the unions ever since they opened up…..I do most of my grocery shopping
there, gardening supplies, pet supplies, and stuff like that…I don't buy clothes or
furniture there though….I like the concept of not going to 20 different stores and
finding most little things there…The unions have tried for years to get into Walmart,
and they started a campaign against them, bad mouthing them etc…I say, stay
firm Walmart!!!
woops, they blinked. Just the other day the local news was reporting that in exchange for permitting them to build stores in "blighted" neighborhoods, they are going to use Union labor for construction. They have started their slippery slope officially. Also, as another mentioned above, Sam is turning over in his grave as the "made in America" policy of the store has been tossed down the toilet.
I love Wal-Mart. I can buy clothes, groceries, and ammo all in one place.
David, I read this a while back…It's probrably the reason Obumble hates, or
appears to hate the Brits…..If it's true he hates them, he really shouldn't have
ran for president in my humble opinion, cause it shows he doesn't know how
to control his feelings, and I don't think a President should be making these
big decisions with hatred towards groups of peoples……
Barack Obama's Grandfather Loathe the British http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/afric...
The northern portion of the Gulf of Mexico is dead.
Thank God Sir Paul is singing to the Wookiee. I'm just glad the wookiee is having a good time.
That's all that matters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ni-0eXQ-rs
I hope they don't blink any more then that….As far as I know, they still don't
have Unions in their stores….I hope they don't cave in there, but like you
say, this might be the slippery slope!
Walmart has become a pariah to the left because of their failure to unionize the employees.The left should support Walmart because it gives an option to the poor.
I usually try to avoid Walmart at all costs, but sometimes, cheap is good. During a pay period in which all of my bills came due at once, and my car needed a pricey transmission service, I needed to buy new running shoes and new headphones (which I needed for work). Usually, that would be around $100 for the two of them together, but I found them both at Walmart for a grand total of $13.87. Neither is amazing quality, but they're both holding up well so far.
Where else are you going to go to purchase an abundance of Chinese made garbage? Pretty hard to find local retailers to patronize that's competitive, when you have a Mega-Walmart hocking all the cheapest crap in town, at prices "nobody can beat". Crony capitalism at it's finest. Just ask Billary Clinton, and look at all the fine things she did with Walmart…
Sam Walton would NOT be proud of his company today!
Buy American damnit…!
I find it somewhat ironic that Sam Walton, whose Wal-Mart stores would become so dominate, started out in 1962 going in the wrong direction.
In 1962 we were seeing the first of the big box discount stores such as Atlantic Mills, that, after some trial an error, launched the era of the big box retailers, and sounded the death knell of the 5 and dime stores like Walton's.
Walmart tip of the day: Sam's Choice arabica coffee for $5 a bag. Costa Rican is my favorite.
Here's my video on Obama in Racine. I think it's going virus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BlpmZOL6rw
Watch the prices soar if and when they do.
you economic moron, crony capitalism is making economic choices based on things like where an item is produced, idiot! capitalism is when a consumer makes choices based on his self interest. So according to your pathetic logic i should sacrifice myself and make decisions against my self interest simply because a product was made in one country over another. Keep trying someday you may get a grasp on reality but its highly doubful considering other posts i wasted time reading that you wrote.
Pedro & Cardon,
Thanks for the reminder I LIKE Walmart because it is NON-UNION!
Amen Brothers!
Einy,
Typically I am a HUGE Buy American guy myself but it just dawned on me we may be getting played. Right now I wish MOSTLY to buy NON-UNION American goods.
SEIU and Al Queda have far too much in common and just like we need to rid AQ of Opium and Oil $$$'s, we need to STOP giving our hard arned $$$"s to the UNION GOONS who then skew elections to the commie side and kill our ability to earn and keep our own money.
DAMNIT, we've been played!
Obama has that annoying, dictator-like quality of loving to hear himself drone on and on, even when he is saying nothing. Chavez, Khadafi and Imadinnerjacket all have this syndrome. Obumma was in high form in Racine, looks like, where all the folks were secretly dozing with their glazed eyes open. I think the nose-touching is a sign of nervousness and lying, but I could be wrong.
Is Obama the worst president ever? Find out in this podcast: http://www.cashbeechcroft.podomatic.com
From a rising star in conservative talk radio.
Hmmm, maybe the cashier ate your onion!…..lol
[...] » Friday Open Thread: WalMart Edition – Big Government [...]
To begin to express the incompetence you routinely display, would be a huge waste of my time…I also see that you're unable to convey a point with out calling names, or trying to make yourself look smarter by attempting to portray others to be an "idiot"…You need to look in the mirror sometime!!!
The good news is, it appears that you HAVE learned how to use spell check…It's a Christmas miracle.
Troll along now, Troll…
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Yes we have, and 9 out of 10 people would rather just pay their low prices, then help the people in the community that Walmart helped destroy, let alone take the time to do the research on this company…
I have seen it first hand. Walmart moves in, and people lose their jobs, and people lose their businesses. That is the cold hard reality. There is no arguing about that.
And I will still pay more for the same products, locally, then to patronize an organization like this! I don't care what morons like Libtard666 have to say about it. It's people like that, that allow a company like Walmart to thrive. They prey on the less fortunate, and less intelligent in a society. Not to only work for them, but to buy their garbage as well…Ahhh Isn't ignorance bliss? LOL
I have a specific SMALL list of stuff I buy at Walmart. MOST of my money goes to smaller, more local vendors, including buying dierct from a small family farm.
There are legitimate reasons why Walmart is not always good. BUt there are good things about Walmart.
This is still supposed to be a capitalist country, and I won't ever justify price fixing or related efforts.
When you buy in HUGE volume you get a better price. The problem mom and pop shops have when Walmart moves in is mostly due to lack of differentiation.
You cannot ask people to buy the exact same stuff for more money because you are a small business, but you totally can stock DIFFERENT Goods with a different value proposition.
Mostly my point was that the "Buy Amrican" was probably originated by labor unions. Unions are destroying American business far, far worse than Walmart is.
Sorry.
Yeah, and now, after the horses are all out of the barn, they start bringing in the help from other nations. Obangup has done a real bang-up job on the gulf coast cleanup. I really feel for those folks down there, seeing their livelihood and all that beautiful marshland destroyed in LA, as well as the beahces elsewhere. And to think that so much of it could have been prevented if our sorry-assed president had gotten the equipment down there that was needed. This presidency will indeed go down in infamy, when all the toll of his devastaing policies are taken into consideration.
you dont even know what capitalism is fool…you say crony capitalism is bad then advise crony capitalism as a solution, you and Obama would make good buddies, a couple of dumb shi%s
Ahhhh, wallyworld. The place people love to hate, and yet spend their money at. Like anything else, they are good at some things, and bad at others. Personally, I avoid most of the locations in the city, and when I am outstate I have been in some very nice stores. My girlfriend lives in the great white north, and in her town they rely on Walmart for most of their day to day needs.
I know that I stop there for camping supplies, and i have gotten a couple different tents there that have given me good service over the years.
Oh yeah, did you hear that crap from Pelosi that paying unemployment is creating jobs? Really?Really?
November can't come soon enough, and I can't wait for my new glasses to arrive so I can spend some quality time at the range.
einy you and your tiny brain, you give the john birch society a bad name
You're absolutely correct. And just because Walmart isn't a "union shop" doesn't mean they act any different or better for that matter.
If the small businesses got the same tax breaks, and political edges huge companies like Walmart receive, things would be much different. But profit is the bottom line (I don't think I intended a pun there?) Walmart has it's place, and I think that place should be China…Just saying.
But it's easy to talk negatively about places like this. It really does little good though. The only way to make a difference to companies like this, is to not patronize them. If they don't sell anything, they will leave in lieu of a better "market". And until we collectively remain the greedy society we are today, Walmart has nothing to worry about!
From the Drudge Report:
Walmart CEO Michael Duke's $35 million salary, when converted to an hourly wage, worked out to $16,826.92. By comparison, at a Walmart store planned for the Windy City's Pullman neighborhood, new employees to be paid $8.75 an hour would gross $13,650 a year. …'nuff said!
[...] » Friday Open Thread: WalMart Edition – Big Government [...]
Wow! I had no idea I was actually older than WalMart! Kewl!
You make a compelling case.
Yes, but they did support ObamaCare.
I have long wondered when we entered the Disposable Age. Looks like 1962 is the answer.
This is simply a matter of basic economics. Sam Walton saw a need and he filled that need. Don't blame Wal-Mart for the economic woes of American business. One person touched on part of the problem and that is Americans wanting to pay as little for something as possible. A second problem is American unions. If it costs an American company $10 to produce a product and a Chinese company can produce it for $4 (the other $6 being due to wages and benefits), who is more competitive? We had better wake up here in America or we are all going to be looking for jobs.
Second, I take issue with the stab at the Wal-Mart CEO's salary. This is a class warfare tactic used by the liberal left. He runs the largest retailer on the planet. His decisions affect millions of people. He works more hours than any hourly employee. He lives, breathes, and eats Wal-Mart. If he wasn't worth it, Wal-Mart would not be paying him that much.
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Daviiiiiid,…….
I kinda liked your take on this Wal-Mart being a reflection of what we are,……..
I do not buy Pedrosito's,……"give an option to the poor,…." take,……
I would rather give the poor multiple options to find employment than,…….
options of where to spend a welfare check,………
The more things made America,….the more "options".
Wal-Mart,………
if this country is to provide foreign aid,….
I suppose getting something in return is better than what was happening before.
However, as result of this form of foreign aid,…….
shopping at Wal-Mart is no longer an option, but rather a necessity.
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And I'm sure Walmart is holding a gun to every applicant to get them to apply!
Reality is merely a mirror through which we can see ourselves and the consequences of our actions.
Walmart is flawed because we are flawed. All here on Earth is flawed…
Ralph,
How about my point comparing the SEIU to Al Queda?
It is not greed to be frugal….I purchase the products I need at the best value…..If that leads me to Wal-Mart…..then so be it…..The employees are still local residents……and the taxes are still collected by the city and state agencies…..Your assumption that Americans are a greedy society has been implanted in you by the education system and media….Niether of which is free of malevolence…
I have to disagree with the first portion of your statement. We've got a bunch of Mom-and-Pop stores surrounding our local Walmart, and they seem to profit from putting themselves close by.
Today in 1776 was the day Freedom was born.
Today in 1962 was the day Main Street died.
I wish Walmart would carry more American made products but then I wish that were true of Target, Macy's, Kohl's, Sak's etc. It isn't just the wage issue that causes manufacturing to move overseas, it's also the ease of doing business there versus here. I call it the hassle factor. Can anyone here please cite for me that last time a government entity actually made it easier to do business? I'm not talking about some crony back room deal like the 500 million loan to Tesla (Al Gore is involved) or the 500 million dollar grant to Solyndra here locally. Business/manufacturing are fleeing California and ultimately the country due to what I call the hassle factor. It isn't just wages, it's because the business environment is becoming more and more unfriendly. For those of you ripping on Walmart, I suspect most, but not all of you, are union trolls. I shop there for two reasons. Number one, tremendous savings (often 50%) on staples, 99% of which are made here, and two, the knowledge that none of my money is ultimately going into the hands of labor unions (at least not from Walmart employees) whose goals are diametrically opposed to my own.
Seriously? As if you know me personally, know my age, my academic records and the like?
You should try not to assume so much when you know not what you speak of.
And greed can manifest in many different ways. Being so frugal that you put your own well being above others is becoming a typical attitude these days. I shall still prescribe to the notion that we take better care of ourselves than the government ever shall. But that's okay, keeping shopping at Walmart. The Chinese economy depends on it.
Perhaps, just maybe, if you ever lose your family business to a new Walmart you would have a different opinion…? Or is that just me being "greedy" <sigh>
I don't get why a lot of people seem to think Walmart is evil. As I responded to someone else above, local stores that are around my local Walmart do pretty well for parking themselves so close. That and it allows you to stretch your budget a little bit farther. It's not really high-quality stuff, but it lets you save a little money so you can buy other things you really want in higher quality.
[...] » Friday Open Thread: WalMart Edition – Big Government [...]
I often 'imagine' how the former Gov of TX, GWB would have handled this man made disaster.
When Haiti was devastated by that hurricane (don't rem the name), o trotted out GWB and Slick
Will to raise $ and speak out for the victims.
I call on o to appoint GWB (a former oilman) to oversee the process of plugging that 'damn hole'.
Bush understands how to manipulate the working environment to obtain the most from the brilliant
minds,engineers, & specialized laborers we need working on this problem. He knows how to step
back and give them ALL the credit when they succeed, and he knows how to take the blame, if they
don't. He learned that in TEXAS. That's how we operate, down here.
WHY THE HELL ARE TEXANS SITTING BY WHILE A DEBACLE OF THIS MAGNITUDE CONTINUES ?
This disaster caused by a British based Co, and ignored by an Illinois Chicago thug politician. WHY?
Walmart is building a lot of small neighborhood markets. Actually with Obama choking lending, walmart construction is very strong. Independents can't borrow money and build.
We need to help folks get the truth. The consumer products from China at Walmart are not in the grocery side. Walmart is groceries first and non grocery consumer products are not that much.
You missed my point completely!
Saw that about Uglosi on Drudge. She's such a freakin' genius, isn't she? These progs keep trying to pull the wool over our eyes, and we ain't buyin' it.
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I missed nothing. How much will they be paid if they don't work there?
And I was born in '62- the same year. Time sure do fly.
There's one way to get me to stop shopping at Walmart: Unionize it.
*Also, for editorial purposes, the correct usage is "Walmart" when referring to the stores themselves. If you refer to the company, it's Wal-Mart. Sorry, the newspaper editor is comes out in me sometimes.
Agree. If govt., which IS the problem as Reagan so aptly said, would back off, and give tax breaks to these so-called wealthy businesses (not just WM, but all businesses), the economy would start roaring back almost immediately. We can all argue the pros and cons of Wal Mart Vs. the other Marts, but the ultimate evil is government intrusion into the private sector. And the ultimate evil in govt. is the current regime.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/walmart-ceo-pay-ho...
I did not assume to know you or your "record"…..I only pointed out what your words have said….Greed can manifest it a number of ways …true…..but you blamed American society as a whole..That view has been promoted by academia and the media to subvert the independent American attitude…Class warfare…..My well being and the well being of my family IS my only goal….You are responsible for yours….I purchase what I require….If an American company does not produce it….then what is my choice?….I buy American when it is available and is the quality I desire….
Agreed, but I wish to highlight something you sped by too fast. The disparity between Chinese and
American labor. IMO, this IS the problem. American minimum wage is getting close to being too high,
and the Chinese pay their workers slave labor wages. Speaking of minimum wage, wonder why the
Left has not jumped on the band-wagon of raising it, after all they DO have the majority, Teddy would
have doubled it by now. Maybe they're saving that issue for a Labor Day surprise, forcing the RINO's
to vote against , leading into that UNION holiday.
I resent the idea that only crappy people shop at Walmart. My parents have a limited budget and Walmart delivers things they can use at prices they can afford. It isn't always about wanting to pay the least; sometimes, it's about having to.
My parents work for their living, but their budget is often limited to Walmart. Pedrosito's take is also correct in that sense. Heck, my husband and I are painting and re-flooring our front room, and we'll buy cheap drop cloths from Walmart because why should we spend more for something that only needs to be used once?
Watch another company or companies step in to fill the void if that happens. Walmart won't even be able to sell cheap Chinese stuff and pay for union wages and pensions.
You're so right. My parents should totally put themselves into bankruptcy buying stuff they can't afford just to avoid the evil Walmart that provides the same stuff at prices they can afford. You speak like someone who actually has enough money to really have a choice, but not everyone is that lucky.
Keep paying your taxes. The Chinese economy depends on it. Are you going to stop paying taxes so that you don't have to service our Chinese debt, too?
It's a different world than we grew up in…that's for sure and for certain.
Why should I be worried about paying my taxes when roughly 67% of just the legal citizens don't?
But I catch your drift…
For any of you attempting to play the class warfare card vis-a-vis the CEO's salary, get out your calculators.
Let's see, 2 million Wal-Mart employees working an average of 1000 hours per year equals equals 2 BILLION HOURS. Divide that by the CEO salary/pay and we get less than two cents an hour.
Heh, the proofreader in me screams as well.
It's called living with in your means. It's hard to do, and most Americans aren't able to comprehend that, let alone achieve it. And for the record, I'm not a rich person, but I live well with in my means, and carry no debt other than my mortgage. It's called being responsible and it's what my parents instilled in me. Not everyone is capable of that. Just look at our welfare system to prove that.
It's unfortunate that your parents don't have enough capitol to buy the things they need and are forced to shop at Walmart. But I find it hard to believe that your parents would become insolvent by NOT shopping at Walmart. Give me a freaking break!!!
aharris,
That is not what I meant and I apologize if I offended you.
I was speaking about macro economics and how the current society does not value quality or personal relationships. It is all about me me me and I want it cheap cheap cheap.
I have spent the far majority of my life with more bills than income. I too shop around for the best "value" and I do shop at Walmart regularly. I refuse to pay $3 more for a box of disposable diapers, or a pound of Millstone coffee, etc.
I meant no offense.
I do the same thing. It is foolish to pay more across town just because Walmart is Walmart.
Not me you old fart! PLBBBBT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just wanted to lighten things up for a second!
Have a happy 4th!
Freedom is not free, it is precious, and some soldier, seaman, airman, or marine died so we can have it.
Not offense. I'm just trying to say that the situation isn't always that simple.
There are people who will pay the least no matter what, but I have trouble thinking that's a majority view especially in our society where we are marketed so intensively on brand names.
When I taught inner city school, I had a lot of kids whose lives were lived on welfare. You better believe that they weren't wearing Walmart clothes and shoes. They had all the name-brand stuff.
oh do not misunderstand me there Aharris,.i am not passing judgement
on Wal-Mart customers,………
however,……..as the old mexican saying goes:
Lo barato quest caro,…..which means,……..
the cheap is expensive.
I liken shopping at Wal-Mart like dieing of thirst out in the middle
of the ocean.
Great post donnyvee….My sentiments exactly…Those that don't shop there have listened to
the union propaganda against Walmart, or some of the MSM stories….Yes, there is Chinese
made products, but there are as many American made products there too..As you said, most
stores have Chinese or Indonesian, or some other foreign countries goods that they sell…….
I never really took a stand on union made things…We always bought American made cars,
but after this last election, our eyes were opened, and we will try our best not to buy any union
made stuff….
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And then Target or Kmart or someone like that will bounce back into the picture and fill the niche that Walmart had dominated.
And the Chicago assemblymen who whined about it makes $110K a year.. and his assistants? Er.. they don't actually have a salary….
Sorry rck, but I don't get the complaint…
I have some news for you, Wal-Mart is one of the biggest reasons why there is so little manufactured in the USA anymore. They are an evil company and many of their practices are illegal. You can disagree all you want, but that doesn't change the truth.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv...
They no longer resemble the company that Sam Walton founded. I am a capitalist, but Walmart's practices have helped to weaken America. That is unacceptable to me and I will never shop there.
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