Big Box Stores and Jobs

[lanego]

I am moving this from the 10" DVD at WallyWorld topic to here as I unintentionally stepped on some toes when questioning the wisdom of buying from THE BIGGEST box store since they routinely outsource American jobs to other economies, chiefly in the Orient. I apologize for "high-jacking" the post.

That said, I am against buying anything at WallyWorld though I do occasionally buy from other box stores. Not because they are so conscientious about keeping jobs in America, but because WM is the worst offender, in fact, is an offense to working Americans on every level. Therefore, I feel an example should be made of WM, showing the power of the American worker withholding his dollar. If you can prove to me their altruistic works on behalf of the working joe in this beautiful country of ours, I'll stop boycotting them.

I believe if you sell in America, you should have to build in America - free trade ain't free; just look at our trade deficit with China. And when the developing nations catch on and demand more than slave wages for a day's work, we won't have any thing but obsolete factories, equipment and technology left to compete with and WILL BE FORCED TO PAY EVER HIGHER DOLLARS FOR FOREIGN GOODS, sending us into an irreversible societal and economic decline if we aren't there already.

And I don't think all our troubles can be solved by returning factories and jobs to America, BUT without those factories and jobs, we will not have the economic base to address any troubles at all, including the poverty we can look forward to as our legacy to our children.

I've stood on my soapbox; now it's your turn.

[sid]

I like your kayak in your album...

Know where it came from?


yep... China.

[halfdome, Danny]

There no need for argument to your statement about Walmart even though I occasionally shop there. They have the distinction of being Washington states employer that has the most workers on public assistance. The cheap prices aren't cheap when we have to subsidise Walmart workers while they keep making large profits. There must be a lot of greed at the top end of that company. The local paper made a side by side comparison of Walmart and Costco. Costco won hands down as a fine company overall. China... I've always said that if they were ever to get it together they could bury us economically, it's starting to happen. Danny

[Ken J]

At the same time we are passing minimum wage laws.....we can't have it both ways - Americans just expect too much

[lanego]

It is from China, but it's not from WalMart! I know you can't get around having foreign products; I've already admitted that. But, you can use your buying power to show your insistence on an at least equal number of American made options. The only thing corporations, their lobbyists and their politicians respond to is the spending or withholding of money. I withhold my money from WM.

[lanego]

Danny, I've seen reports on Costco, too; it proves you don't have to be the devil's disciple to make a profit. Costco has weather some hard times and stayed a pretty decent company. I used to shop there when I lived in San Diego; I'm not near one now.
L.

[elmo]

I do shop at Wally World for the simple fact that I can go to the Super Center that is approx. 4 miles away...open 24 hours...and get a loaf of bread, milk, a tv, a t-shirt, hunting license, a gun to go hunting and buy a can of Krylon Fusion paint to paint some side panels on the motorcycle.

Honestly where else can you do this? If I don't go there it would be four different other stores. I would rather spend the time with the kids playing instead of lugging them in and out of the store.

Besides...they know if they are good they get to play in the game room next to the Subway when they are done.

Elmer

[Joseph]

It is from China, but it's not from WalMart! I know you can't get around having foreign products; I've already admitted that.

Old Town makes kayaks and they're all still made in Old Town, Maine, USA. I paddle one of their Pack canoes. Soooo, what's your excuse again...?

Joseph

[asianflava]

I shop Wally-World all the time, why? Because they are open when I'm awake. Since I work nights and my wife works days, I try to spend as my time with her instead of shopping. There was a Home Depot that was 24hours but they stopped doing that.

My mom is a big Wal-Mart boycotter and my dad tries to buy things that are made anywhere besides China. I just tell them, knock yourselves out, I'm stil shopping there and I'm buying your Christmas presents there too.

Besides, I can't throw a rock without hitting a Wal-Mart. They are building a new one down the road. That will be the third Super Wal Mart within 4 miles of my house.

[elmo]

I will add whenever I do have the option to buy American I do! Just alot less options as days go on!

[Ira]

Let's face it, guys:

The old days are over, and Wal-Mart has won.

I'm not spending 25% more for something just to make a point. I know it stinks, but that's the reality nowadays.

[sdtripper2]

YuP ... The big corporations have won. Wally-World is just the big guy on
every block and small state to crush the competition. As Ira says an average
large savings and one stop shop usually wins for the old and the young on
fixed incomes alike.

The labor that the companies want is slave labor. That beast has always
wanted low overhead and so the pressure is on for jobs in the USA. Our middle class
is on its way out, just as fast as the illegals are coming in to keep the down
ward labor costs in the sweet spot for the slave masters of the corporate mind set.

The political will of the politicians are paid for by the big business interests
to let the tax payer foot the social costs of the cheap labor that floods our
boarders. The corporate interests like Walmart enjoy the idea and lower
overhead associated with schooling, medical and all manner of other social
costs not to be paid by them. They then have slave labor and the benefit of
the downward pressure on the middle class is a plus and good for their
stock holders. The Baby-Boomer's who are getting old and facing incomes
and mindsets of retirees is a massive bubble and will more and more want
cheap Wally-World prices.

Oh shucks ... Give it uP ... Ira is right. We as Americans have lost the
battle to buy American. Just give it uP. To fight Walmart is to fight a
Tsunami ... I feel your pain ... but we as consumers have been trained
well to buy according to the thinness of our wallet. Our Politics from
the Fed's has allowed so many NAFTa's or unfair trade agreements as
to stick it to the American worker to the glee of the real power brokers of
our country... who set in board rooms.

You talk of COSTCO ... wonder why they do so well with people? The CEO
gets no more that 10 times the highest salary in his pocket. So truly all
boats rise in his corporation but you will be hard pressed to see this lack of
greed in many other companies. This thought of the CEO's getting less
money just isn't popular for the ruling class.

Bottom line bye, bye old school America. Hello, sucking sound of cheap
slave labor that depresses most life styles of real true America, while
decimating schools and hospitals alike starting from the edges of the
boarders where the desperate come like locus to save their families
plight from other lands to the grins and smiles of our corporate owners.
Yes Walmart uses these people on their doorstep but also have worked
the foreign lands peoples as well.

This thread is depressing if you would have the American worker feel good
about herself, but reality is not always nice and nobody promised us nice.

[Joseph]

"There is hardly anything in the world that some man can't make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." John Ruskin, 1819-1900

Seems like that's damn near everybody these days...

Joseph

[lanego]

Joseph, you're right that there are alternatives, I will look for an American product if I buy another one. I keep working at being a better, wiser, more moderate person, and I hope if we make an effort to temper our greed with thoughtful purchases, the masses (me!) can make a difference. I actually am not alone in this belief.
As for the end of the Republic, pockets of faith in mankind and hope have always kept the light of reason burning though that light often has to hide very far underground. Every time freedom rears her hoary head, the human lust for power beats her back to her knees, but she never abandons the faith so how can I? Nobody ever misled me that my beliefs would be easy to follow or that I wouldn't stumble often. But I don't want my grandson to grow up believing only in a corrupt corporate world. Maybe, someday, we will learn from history's lessons.
And don't even get me started on our greed leaving no resources for our future generations to even have an opportunity to learn those lessons.
I may suck, but I try.

[Classic Finn]

Ok I thought Id join in on this .... if many of you remember... I accidentally found a RARE Canoe here...And just earlier I had every intention of ordering it from the States or the Kit to build...

Well Im proud to say the drawings are USA Made but built from scratch here in Finland ... so what country is it from in reality....? Id buy USA made if its for sure its made there... and I definitely would enjoy it..

Im happy with it... I even had a chance to use it once this past summer since I stood by my Voyager build all summer... The previous owner who also built it used it but a few times...



Classic Finn