Shopping at Walmart is UNPATRIOTIC and UN-AMERICAN

[JMDEM]

I don't understand why people don't directly perceive this simple fact. Shopping Walmart is unpatriotic and un-American. Among other reasons, shopping at Walmart:

1. Encourages the destruction of local economies (local stores)
2. Encourages the destruction of nation-wide economies (made in America)
3. Unfairly increases the tax burden of people that have to pay for Walmart Employee health care benefits via public assistance.
4. Strengthens our #1 or #2 (potential) enemy in the world -- China.
5. Causes the destruction of the environment in China, and therefore the world
6. Encourages the massive misery of child labor in China and in other countries.

I view Walmart as a foreign invader. As far as I'm concerned, every Walmart store should be required by law to fly a Republic of China flag with a banner under it saying F* America.

Last night we were visiting friends on Thanksgiving, and they said they had to go to bed so they could get to Walmart by 4:30 AM on "Black Friday". I bluntly and directly said "shopping at Walmart is completely Un-American". At first they thought I was joking, but when I made it clear that I was not, they became somewhat offended and gave 50 excuses why it was okay. We then left with less than pleasant feelings between our two families.

Don't shop at Walmart. Just don't do it.

[cali]

1. I've been in a WalMart exactly once

and don't want to shop there for a lot of the reasons you list, but I completely understand why so many do, and I think making the judgment that they're Unamerican is silly and demonstrates a lack of understanding.

[JMDEM]

5. Hey Cali

I'm not nearly as prolific a poster as you, but we always seem to butt heads on issues, don't we?

No, I think the issue is extremely simple. Shopping Walmart causes huge damage, whether people realize it or not. One of our jobs as progressives is to educate people to this damage, and to encourage them to stop causing the damage.

[cali]

30. people who are struggling financially are understandably

less concerned about the issues you raise. And then there's the matter of education; how can you possibly educate them by condemning them?

[Suji to Seoul]

183. Poor people standing in line to assist in their own subjugation by shopping

at a business that destroys local economies and imports cheaply made crap from China that could potentially poison them.

Sadly, ignorance is bred like this. You can't educate people living hand-to-mouth. Maslow showed that in his hierarchy of needs.

[Midlodemocrat]

2. This will go well.

Not.

Some people have no choice and to state what you are stating is freeperish at best. :eyes:

[JMDEM]

6. Typical

You don't like what someone says so you whip out the Freeper label. Even on an issue as politically neutral is this. (Neutral in terms of being left or right wing).

[Midlodemocrat]

8. LOL.

What you said is just as freeperish as the right wingers claiming that not supporting the war was unpatriotic. Some people have no choice but to shop at Wal Mart. Claiming that they are Unamerican is disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. You should be ashamed.

[JMDEM]

9. LOL -- I bet you are a Walmart stockholder

Or have some sort of investment in the behemoth. Hence the attacks.

Do you have tobacco stocks too?

[Midlodemocrat]

10. I'm neither. Nice assumption, though. You're on a roll.

I know for a fact that there are several DUers who have no choice but to shop at WalMart because they have no alternatives. Calling them Un-American because they have no other shopping venue is disgusting.

I can think of several who are far less Un-American than you are for posting this.

And, yes. There's a Wal Mart near here. I think I've been in it about three times in 20 years. There are alternatives here for me; others, not so much.

You need to put the broad brush down.

[malta blue]

13. Thank you Midlo.

I can no longer shop elsewhere - my monthly mortgage payment is what I make every month. I have to use my childsupport income to pay my other bills.

[Midlodemocrat]

15. You are welcome, my friend.

These types of posts make me crazy. :hug:

[malta blue]

22. I used to not shop there, but now I have no choice.

When the products I buy are up to $1 less per item, that might result in an extra tank of gas or even taking the little to a movie.

:hug:

[Midlodemocrat]

28. Last time I went there, I bought some groceries in addition to

whatever else it was that I needed to buy. (I think it was stuff for TM to go to school)

Anyway. I was astonished at the price differences. Astonished. I could easily save $100 a week on groceries if I shopped there. Easily.

I like Kroger's better, because of the produce selection, but boy, I am tempted an awful lot because of the savings.

The way the economy is going, I think we'll all be shopping there.

:hug:

[malta blue]

37. I buy all the dried goods there and go to my other grocer

for produce - but you know, the green beans I used for Thanksgiving I bought at Walmart for 50% less than they were at the other grocer - and since I was using them right away I didn't have freshness concerns.

[lame54]

103. Fuck that...

WE need to be more responsible and make sacrifices if WE want real change

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/05/01/8645

Despite bringing in over $378 billion last year, Wal-Mart repeatedly underpays its American workforce. More than 80 wage & hour lawsuits, including a recently certified class action lawsuit in California, are currently pending against the company. Plus, it faces more than 200 discrimination lawsuits for unfair promotion practices, pay discrepancies and other issues, including the nation's largest workplace gender discrimination lawsuit. By failing to fairly compensate its employees, Wal-Mart cheats states out of income tax revenues.
Wal-Mart also pays poorly. While the company seeks to benefit from the government's rebate payout, Wal-Mart's low wages means store employees have little or no disposable income to spend to stimulate the economy. Think about what even a small raise for Wal-Mart's 1 million+ workers would mean nationally, or what it would mean to your city or town if everyone at your local Wal-Mart got a raise.
Wal-Mart sources the vast majority of its products from countries overseas, meaning most of the cost of a given Wal-Mart product doesn't go into the U.S. economy. Rather than boosting the U.S. economy, Wal-Mart has played a major role in exporting U.S. manufacturing jobs to countries with low labor and environmental standards. Meanwhile, the company has embraced unions in its Chinese stores and has negotiated with them to raise Chinese salaries. Apparently, what is good enough for China is not good enough here at home.
Wal-Mart underfunds its health care plan and cuts corners whenever possible, forcing many of its employees to postpone care, thus decreasing their productivity and increasing the eventual cost of their treatment. In desperation, many of them rely on state-sponsored care and drain yet more funds from American communities. That means when Wal-Mart employees end up in emergency rooms, it's U.S. taxpayers who end up footing the bill. If Wal-Mart were truly interested in stimulating the economy, it would begin to adequately fund its health care plan and take care of its own Associates.
Wal-Mart routinely dodges state and local taxes, meaning money spent at a Wal-Mart store won't end up in your community. Wal-Mart actively works to challenge property tax assessments and creates complex real estate arrangements to obscure how much taxes the company owes. When Wal-Mart dodges its tax burden, it takes precious revenues away from cities and states to pay for roads, schools and other services. In turn, individual taxpayers are forced to pay more to make up the difference (which takes more money out of their pockets) or get by with less.
With its low price focus, Wal-Mart may appear to help the U.S. economy. But, the reality is that with its poor wages and benefits, massive China sourcing and tax avoidance, Wal-Mart makes its workers and the communities where it operates poorer.

[KittyWampus]

18. I hope you get assistance paying for your heating bills?

[malta blue]

20. Since I am recently separated, all the assistance

had already been grabbed up.

I will apply next year. For now, the little one and the dogs and I will be fine, though. My family will help me.

Thanks for your concern, though, I appreciate it :hi:

[TZ]

118. Hey its the youare a shill argument!

LOL. Of course those that disagree with you must have a financial stake right? Good grief talk about narrow minded and judgemental.
How goddamned childish and stupid and the last refuge for someone who can't justify their view.

[Dorian Gray]

204. Or

midlo just thinks that a sweeping generalization about people who shop a low cost option are unpatriotic is total bunk.

I don't shop at Walmart because I hate the store. But there are many other people in the US who don't have much of a choice.

[Deja Q]

191. Come now - it's time to stop fighting. Make love, not war.

Whip out something other than the Freeper label.



:rofl:

[jwirr]

25. The labeling is similar to much of what we heard in the campaign from

Mcshame and failin palin. When you do not have the money to pay the higher prices that are a part of all the other stores in our community it is hard to let your family go hungry because you do not like Walmart.

[superduperfarleft]

3. I agree, but there's not many alternatives for a lot of people.

Target's not much better. :shrug:

[HereSince1628]

4. Unfortunately Walmart is as American as the five and dime

And yet, everything you say about its impact on America is true.

That is the truly sorry state we are in.

[Skittles]

91. there is nothing American about Walmart

[Marrah_G]

119. You mean there is nothing American IN Walmart.

[Skittles]

145. no, there's nothing at ALL American about Walmart

they're a piece of SHIT

[mike_c]

7. no-- buying cheap shit we don't really need IS the American way....

WalMart epitomizes American values, I'm ashamed to say.

[Stuart G]

21. That is correct...and if there wasn't a Wall Mart...then guess what?

Someone would come up with a Wall Mart.
..but it would be called something else...

......................................................................................................

The business plan of Wall Mart...sell it cheap ...and sell lots of it...is totally American...

[qazplm]

40. American?

It's common sense. Some folks cater to the well to do. Sell a little but sell it at high prices each.

Some folks cater to the middle class. Decent stuff at a decent price.

And yes, some folks cater to the poor. Low prices but large volume.

There is nothing "American" about that. That's capitalism. Which last time I checked is practiced throughout much of the world.

We are not some evil that the rest of the world has somehow avoided. There are cheap stores, middle stores and exclusive stores all around the world.

[Stuart G]

29. For many poor people...it isn't cheap shit.....It is toothpaste..

batteries, some food, some medicine...yea..it is cheap..
but it ain't all shit........

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. I bought some Russian tea at a Russian market yesterday.

And, I wasn't wearing a flag pin or singing the Star Spangled Banner.

"Patriotism is the most foolish of passions, and the passion of fools." Schopenhauer

[malta blue]

12. I shop at Walmart and I am neither Unpatriotic nor UnAmerican....

I am a single parent who lives hand to mouth.

Is it unpatriotic and unamerican to feed my kid?

[orleans]

175. i'd be afraid to shop there for my kid

with all the crap they import--and china: the queen of melamine--fuck that. the toys they bring in, lead paint, blablabla (you've heard it all before)--just watch what you buy. i know we all need to pay attention but i think more dangerous products have a better chance of going through walmart than a lot of other stores--in part due to their high rate of imports, and in part due to their fucking indifference to people

[Fearless]

14. WE KNOW!

[Snarkoleptic]

16. Apparently it's not very safe either...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3621368

[Zywiec]

17. I always shop at Walmart

I don't consider spending less money for the same American made products un-American.

Why spend more for the same bottle of Tide or the same tube of Crest?

I guess it's always been easy for the rich to tell the poor how we should live...

[peace13]

26. Wal-Mart's actually cost communities hundreds of thousands in lost tax revenue.

They put local businesses out of business and create low paying jobs that will need health care provided by the community. It's a fact you may pay less at the counter but it actually costs you more in the long run.

[MicaelS]

47. I've lived in a small town

With "local businesses". They didn't carry much and what they did was overpriced. When you can drive to a big retailer / grocery store 50 miles round trip, figuring in your time, gas AND wear and tear on your car and still save $50-$100 EVERY MONTH on your grocery bill, then "local businesses" are too fucking high.

[peace13]

73. Waal-Mart gives you those low prices by avoiding taxes and employee benefits

that fall back on the very community that you live in. Not a savings to the consumer as it turns out.

[greguganus]

188. Same way with Lowes. I bought everything there when I remodeled my house.

The local hardware businesses didn't have what I needed, and their cost was way too high. They told me they could order what I needed, but I needed it right then. I know it's because Lowes can buy in bulk by the shipload, so it's cheaper. But when you're tiling a 2000 sq. ft. house and you can get the same tile at Lowes for 50 cents less than a local business, it adds up.

Sometimes my wife will go to Walmart, but I can't stand to shop so I haven't been there in years.

***If you are buying groceries at Walmart, remember that you are putting food and produce in a cart that may have had pesticides/fertilizer/manure from the garden department in it earlier, so always protect your food with plastic bags if not already protected.****

[orleans]

176. yep. and that all ends up costing ALL of us more--even those of us

who haven't shopped there for years

[brentspeak]

35. The "rich"..?

As in the Walton family?

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/54/400list08_Alice-Walton_9S8R.html

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/54/400list08_Christy-Walton-family_N9CY.html

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/54/400list08_Jim-Walton_JI38.html

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/54/400list08_S-Robson-Walton_P47X.html

[Thickasabrick]

19. Amen - will never darken their door. n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

23. Thank you for posting this. n/t

[brentspeak]

24. What's ridiculous are the posters here saying that they "have no choice" but to shop Wal-Mart

As if Mall-Wart is the "only" store which discounts products. :eyes:

[peace13]

31. In many areas W-Mart has closed out the competition.

Other small stores and big chains have dropped out and W-M is the last dump standing. I don't think that you should roll your eyes about that. Educate yourself or at a minimum give others the benefit of the doubt.

[Midlodemocrat]

33. Excellent broad brush.

Excellent.

:thumbsup:


What about the posters who have no transportation and the bus only goes to Wal Mart? Or if the Wal Mart is the only gig in town?

Those bastards. How DARE they put food in their children's mouths rather than being Patriotic?

Once again, posters on this board almost take great delight in punishing people for their circumstances. It's delightful. :sarcasm:

[brentspeak]

41. I have never heard of a public transit bus that ONLY goes to Wal-Mart

But if there is such a situation, and if Wal-Mart is the only shopping place in town, well then that's concrete proof how Mall-Wart has harmed the nation.

(As for the "patriotic" thing - that wasn't an issue within my post)

[Midlodemocrat]

43. Then you don't know many places in West Virginia.

Or Tennessee, or Wyoming.

Places where the bus goes to the one store in town. Wal Mart.

[brentspeak]

48. Then that's ridiculous

Wal-Mart has clearly pushed out all the smaller stores. It's monopolized Main Street.

[Midlodemocrat]

51. Or maybe there were no smaller stores there to start with?

And WalMart brought jobs and groceries to a struggling mining town? Could that be?

[brentspeak]

59. That would be kind of hard to believe

Where did the mining town get groceries prior to Wal-Mart?

[Midlodemocrat]

63. Where do you live?

Seriously. I know of plenty of places here in Virginia that had people driving for over an hour to get groceries. It's not that unusual.

There are people on this board who are stuggling desperately who take the bus to the grocery store - Wal Mart- to feed their families. Is that that hard to believe?

if you don't like Wal Mart - Don't shop there. Some people have no choice. No choice.

[Telly Savalas]

164. So if Wal Mart has pushed out the smaller stores and monopolizes Main Street

then that means in areas where this has happened people don't have other options for shopping.

[LeftyMom]

95. Rural Nevada too.

From my grandmother's town, the closest store bigger than a country store/mini market/gas station was a Wal-mart Supercenter. And that was still 45 minutes drive away.

Once a week the senior center shuttle would go into the town with the WalMart, and that's where she'd do most of her shopping.

[snake in the grass]

181. My great aunt lives in Jacksonville, Florida...

...in an assisted living situation. Twice a week a shuttle comes and picks up the seniors for a trip to Wal-mart. It's one of the few opportunities to get out and see something different. My father goes to her place once a week and takes her elsewhere for shopping and then they have lunch.

[peace13]

46. Is it me or is there a lot of this here today?

Pick a subject and someone has something hateful to say about it. Go figure.

[Midlodemocrat]

53. Seriously. If you don't like Wal Mart and their practices

it's very simple. DON'T SHOP THERE!!!!!

For other people, it's a necessity and calling them Un-American? Puleez.

[peace13]

67. Wow. Read my post 26 and then apologize.

Maybe it's anger here and not hate or maybe you replied to the wrong post but you do make my case. Shop where ever you want to. Roll in it, live in it but if you have a choice between Wal-Mart and other stores you are killing your own chances of ever having anything better by shopping there. Peace, Kim

[Midlodemocrat]

69. No. No. No. I was AGREEING WITH YOU!!!!

So sorry it didn't come off that way. I am in total agreement.

Peace,
Midlo.

[peace13]

79. I see that now.

Sorry.

[malta blue]

34. Excuse me....

I buy my groceries there. If the product I want is cheapest there, and I am a single parent BARELY able to feed myself and my child, where is my choice? Tell me, if my other grocery stores are more expensive and my CHOICE is between feeding my kid or putting gas in my car to get to work to feed my kid, where do you suggest I go.

[brentspeak]

45. I'd like to know just how much cheaper Wal-Mart food is compared to a typical supermarket

Can you provide an examples?

[Midlodemocrat]

54. See my post upthread.

And, no, I'm not kidding. If I shopped there for groceries weekly, I could easily shave $100 off my $400 bill. Easily. With no compromising on quality or quantity.

[malta blue]

55. The milk is about 50 cents less per gallon,

the frozen vegetables that I buy are 75 cents per box, the eggs are $1 less a dozen, the green beans I bought for Thanksgiving were 50% less per pound than at the supermarket, the pasta I buy is about 25-30 cents less per pound....need I go on?

[brentspeak]

68. Store-brand frozen vegetables avg. ~ 65-75 cents at any supermarket

I can't evaluate the other items you mention, but if they really are that much less expensive, I would not feel safe eating them, considering how Wal-Mart cuts corners in every facet.

[Midlodemocrat]

70. It's the same items!! That's what you're missing

Even without purchasing the Equate brand or the Sam's Choice brands, you can save a small fortune at Wal Mart on Groceries. \

[brentspeak]

85. How do you know that the loose green beans and the pasta (by pound) are from the same source?

[malta blue]

89. I am buying brands like Barilla pasta.

In my grocery store, it is $1.59 for a box of Barilla Farfalle. The store brand is $1.29. At Walmart, I am buying Barilla Farfalle for $1.23 a box.

[malta blue]

84. I am buying the same brand that I would buy at the grocer

just for that much cheaper. I would not buy the store-brand at Walmart AND the name brand stuff at Walmart is the same price as the store-brand at my grocer and they don't have that option for what I am looking for.

[cali]

116. baloney.

Here are the shopping options I have: A small locally owned grocery store and a slightly larger one that was once a small grand union, a very nice and expensive country store and an even more expensive but very nice co-op.

The co-op doesn't sell frozen veggies. At the country store they do and it will cost you between a $1.35 and $1.85. At the small local grocery store it's about 15 cents cheaper and at the used to be grand union it's about the same.

You clearly don't know what you're talking about

[backscatter712]

173. Their milk comes with that special melamine flavor.

You get what you pay for...

[qazplm]

36. I can point you to several places

where WalMart is indeed the only option. Try the little town outside Fort Leonard Wood Missouri. Walmart is the only shopping center for about 100 miles. It is literally the cultural hub for that area, there is nothing else around.

There are all sorts of towns just like that area.

Unless you've done a census and can provide people with better options in a driveable distance (assuming everyone has cars, which they dont) then your rolly eyes sarcasm is based on your likely limited experience.

[brentspeak]

49. I own up to being wrong about the shopping options in some places

It is a situation, though, that Wal-Mart has created.

[MicaelS]

94. No it's not

It's a situation that local businesses have more than helped created by being arrogant and over priced. Have YOU every lived in a small town, defined as population under 10K? If you haven't they you have no clue, NONE. You are like a virgin lecturing other people about sex.

[brentspeak]

105. Spare us your phony outrage

As well as your contempt (and smearing) of Main Street small-business people. :thumbsdown:

[Midlodemocrat]

113. Your support of mom and pop stores is laudable.

However, there are plenty of places in this country where there is NO Main Street. No stop signs, no stoplights. Nada. People drive for over an hour to get groceries.

Hell in parts of AK, people drive for three hours each way to buy their groceries. If a Wal Mart moved in, don't you think that they should have the opportunity to shop closer to home? Environmentally at least, it makes tremendous sense not to drive 6 hours for groceries.

[MicaelS]

127. Phony my ass it's real!!!

I lived in a small Texas town from 1977-1989. They were damn few business. What there were, were controlled by a handful of families that had lived there for years. They pretty much controlled everything. They kept any innovation and change OUT. But the small towns either side of mine grew and prospered because they had people living there that wanted more. Not just Walmarts, but large grocery stores like HEB and Kroger.

[Maine-ah]

114. if you live in a very small area like we do, it is the only place

that has discounted products. I have no Costco, Target, Big Lots ect... I have no small grocer that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for it's products. I have to shop at WM for somethings because that savings adds up for that extra tank of gas, or money to heat my house.

Not all of us have the choice, and if you don't believe me, I invite you to come to my neck of the woods and see for yourself.

[fight4my3sons]

149. Since I live in your neck of the woods, I will second this.

The grocery stores here charge much more than the Wal-Mart. You save significant money driving an hour to the Super Wal-Mart to do big grocery shopping if you can't find stuff at our little Wal-Mart.

[orleans]

178. i believe you. but i also know there are people who DO have the choice

they have the means to afford NOT to shop there, and they have access to other stores. and still, they shop there because THEY DON'T GIVE A FUCKING SHIT AS LONG AS THEY GET SOMETHING A LITTLE CHEAPER!

if people *have* to shop there then they *have* to. but when they most certainly can afford not to and they do it anyway--what do you call them?

[orleans]

177. years ago when i shopped there i always noticed that there prices

were higher than other stores!

i wondered if just because they said they were "low" often enough people started believing it. it never used to be true!

i have no idea now--i haven't been there in years.

[eShirl]

192. "i have no idea now--i haven't been there in years. "

general rule of thumb in my experience, shopping at Walmart currently saves roughly 20% over other grocery stores

[qazplm]

27. so lets see

1. WalMart has low prices on many things. We can talk about the fact that it doesnt always have the lowest prices, but often it does
2. the economy stinks, which means low prices cease to become an option for many folks, they become a necessity
3. there are often not better options. Costco is not everywhere, Target is little better, and again is not everywhere, the "local stores" often mean paying more, which see note 2, is no longer an option for many

So your response is I dont care if you dont have the money, go somewhere else so I can feel self righteous?

[DefenseLawyer]

32. I'm not sure what the answer is.

Nothing that you say about Wal-Mart is wrong in my opinion, yet I have a hard time telling poor people not to shop where the price is lowest. If someone has scraped together $20 to buy food for the week, am I really going to tell her to buy half as much as the local market cause, you know, it's the right thing to do?

[undeterred]

38. Well, not everyone can afford to be as patriotic as you are.

When you are unemployed or just struggling to keep a roof over your head, you shop at the least expensive places you can find. Walmart has the lowest prices on a lot of things. For some its simply a matter of survival.

Walk a mile or ten in the shoes of someone who is facing foreclosure and then lets see how "patriotic" you are.

[malta blue]

39. ...

:applause:

Thank you. :hug:

[undeterred]

62. You're welcome.

Actually I posted it before I read your posts or the rest of the thread.

I understand the politics of Walmart and its not good... I used to avoid shopping there for the reasons the OP stated. But I've had a bad year. Been going to a food pantry since June, and I am still going even though I am working. So I now shop at Walmart... not exclusively, but if its going to save me money, I'm going there. If I had children to support I'm sure I would have done it a long time ago.

Its not fair to blame people who shop at Walmart for the things Walmart does to get cheaper prices, especially in this economy. If people can afford to boycott them, that's fine. But nobody has a right to judge others for trying to make the money we have go as far as possible.

I guess I could start a thread saying its unpatriotic to spend more on necessities than you have to, but I'll leave it alone.

[Midlodemocrat]

66. To me, it's the same argument I give RWers about abortion

Don't like abortion? Don't have one.

Don't like Wal Mart? Don't shop there.

Both of them are necessary to some folks, so stop the judging.


Not you. Others on this thread.

[orleans]

179. i don't judge the people who have to shop there. i judge those

who, without a doubt, can afford NOT to and they shop there anyway.

[Midlodemocrat]

44. Excellent post.

:applause:

The hypocrisy here is stunning sometimes.

[aikoaiko]

42. Just for you. I'm going to Wal-mart today instead of Publix.

And buying the products I wish regardless of their origin.

They are an American company that pays taxes and hire American residents who use their salaries to support themselves as well as pay taxes. And there are lots of American made products on their shelves.

I also shop at the local asian grocery.

[malta blue]

50. well, you do know that shopping at the local

asian grocery is UNAMERICAN :sarcasm:

[Midlodemocrat]

57. Series. I can't believe we let him post here.

:rofl:

[aikoaiko]

96. I'm the debil.

:evilgrin:

[slackmaster]

203. Maybe so, but it's great being able to see over most of the other shoppers' heads

A surging sea of black hair.

[brentspeak]

52. What American-made products does Wal-Mart sell?

[Midlodemocrat]

56. Groceries.

[aikoaiko]

98. Bingo. Most of my gorceries are USA produced.

[malta blue]

58. milk, eggs, bread, etc.

[slackmaster]

202. A lot of their cookware is US-made

Not long ago I bought a very large stock pot there, nice heavy stainless with a thick aluminum bottom so it doesn't burn sauces easily. Made in Texas.

The Anchor Hocking and Pyrex brand stuff is made in the USA. As I posted down-thread, they sell US-made cookie sheets.

[SammyWinstonJack]

65. !

:thumbsup:

[orleans]

180. they pay taxes? prove it. n/t

[aikoaiko]

184. This may satisfy you.

From page 26: Our effective income tax rates for fiscal 2005, 2004 and 2003 were 34.7%, 36.1% and 35.2%, respectively.


http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/11/112/112761/items/146737/WAL-MART_final.pdf

[iamahaingttta]

60. Wal Mart is for suckers...

Sorry.

If there is no alternative where you live it's because you killed the alternatives by shopping at Wal Mart.
Suckers!

Sorry...

But I have to agree, Wal Mart is the epitome of Americanism.
Stupid, blind, greedy, juvenile, shallow, vapid, short-sighted and ignorant.
Just like America.

Sorry...

Luckily, I don't live in America, I live in New York City.
We've got a whole different set of fucked-uped-ness here, but at least I've got tons of great small, family-owned businesses in my neighborhood, and I don't ever have to set foot in a big-box store. I don't buy any cheap Chinese-made crap if I can possibly help it, and I don't have to deal with people who fall for the seduction of "bargains." We've got enough interesting things to do around here that shopping isn't a sport for anybody that I know, and I am so glad that I don't have to spend a single fucking penny today, on Buy Nothing Day. The suckers are out there trampling people to death to save a few pennies, and I say fuck the whole thing. Suckers!

Sorry...

[Midlodemocrat]

64. Excellent broad brush.

Simply fabulous. Kudos!!!!

[malta blue]

72. Being born and raised in NYC, and now living upstate in the

"sticks" as I am sure you would call it, I have to shop at Walmart if I want to feed my kid AND keep gas in the car, and the furnace on, and...well, you get the point.

[cali]

74. sickening post.. and sick. are you sure you're a liberal?

with such stunning lack of compassion, it's difficult to see you being one.

And I live in Northern Vermont. I'll bet I buy less Chinese junk than you. I don't shop at any big box stores- not there are any around where I live. But I'd never be such a nasty snot toward people who do need to shop there to save their pennies.

Oh, and we up here in the sticks don't need NY to provide our entertainment. We make our own. And hey, I have a garden and chickens for eggs, so according to your shitty little philosophy, I'm morally superior to you.

[iamahaingttta]

81. Suckers...

Hey, a sucker is a sucker.
Whether "liberal" or some other stripe of bullshit.

Sorry...

[cali]

86. and reactionary thoughtlessness is bullshit. sorry.

you're so blind that you ignore people in this thread telling you WHY they shop at WalMart- and why it's neccessary for them to do so.

[iamahaingttta]

110. I completely understand why...

...some people chose to be suckers, allowing the big box stores to eliminate all of the local-owned retailers in their rural areas. To save money. I get it. Yeah, I know that it costs a lot in gasoline to drive miles and miles out of the way to spend more on the stuff that's cheaper at Wal Mart. I fucking get it. I've lived in rural areas, so I know how difficult it can be. And I got the hell out, because it wasn't working for me.

The lure of the big-capitalist retailers, who through the power of bulk purchasing and slave labor have been able to bring prices on junk that nobody really needs anyway down to peasant levels, have destroyed any real competition. Competitors that kept the money in the local economy rather than sending huge profits to a few members of an insanely wealthy dysfunctional family in Arkansas. I know... nobody really cares where the profits go, as long as the price is low.

Again... Suckers!

I understand all about the blinders of self-interest and self-preservation that we all wear that allow us to do things that work against our own best interest. We bitch and moan all day long around here about "Freepers" and "Repugs" who vote against their own political self-interest every single fucking time, and it's great laugh-along giggle-fest when we do that. Yet, when "consumers" vote with their dollars, which is probably a more significant vote than the ones people cast every four years, against their own self-interest EVERY fucking day... well if someone points THAT out, in a less than graceful way I will admit, then that someone is being cruel.

I say... fuck that! Shopping at Wal Mart is a dollar vote against everything that is in your own best interest. Like it or not, too fucking bad!

[DefenseLawyer]

90. How old are you?

Just out of curiosity. What do you do for a living? How did you pay for college? I don't normally ask such personal questions, but you seem to have everything figured out, so I am interested to know more about your life experiences.

[Midlodemocrat]

108. High estimate

12. Possibly 13. Couldn't be any older than that with the drivel being spewn.

[mrbarber]

141. What a shock.

No answer.

Pokemon must be on.

[datasuspect]

99. your post is kaufmanesque

"I AM FROM HOLLYWOOD!!!!"

"ALL MY LAWYERS WILL SUE YOU!!!!"

[MicaelS]

131. Just another arrogant NYC-er

Perfect example of why people outside NYC despise people who live there. And yeah, you ARE pretty fucking sorry. :puke: :nuke:

[fascisthunter]

151. why... for the truth?

voting with your dollars is exactly what this person is stating. When you support a store like Walmart, you vote for the option that keeps you from being able to go to any other store.

He/she could have been more sensitive in tone, but really? What the fuck does arrogant NYCer actually mean? You either agree or disagree.... make your case, he/she did, you didn't.

[iamahaingttta]

163. Whatever...

I've lived in plenty of other places as well.
Don't know where I picked up the arrogance?

Wal Mart still sucks, of course!
And it wouldn't suck if nobody shopped there...

[The2ndWheel]

61. Wal-Mart started out as a small, local business

If you're alright with #1, but also don't mind #2, then I don't see what actual difference it makes if Wal-Mart encourages the construction of global economies. You're already destroying local economies with nation-wide economies. The natural progression of that would be to destroy nation-wide economies with global economies. America wouldn't even exist without that exact process. Hit land with 3 ships. Build 13 colonies. Expand from sea to shining sea. Create global system.

When you think about it, what is the difference between America and Wal-Mart? They seem to function the same way.

[lebkuchen]

71. But....there's a big US flag in the store!

(It's THE store where I am now....few other shops to buy the necessities...guess everyone was driven out of business)

[peace13]

77. Check the flag for a China label.

Wal-Mart used to have those made in America commercials. You don't see those anymore. It was the old bait and switch that happened over a period of years. Who would notice.

[lebkuchen]

124. I remember that

MADE IN AMERICA!

Nobody talks about that anymore, even as they trample fellow Americans to squabble--or kill for--that last plastic Chinese-made Santa light.

[DefenseLawyer]

75. This post is kinda like a trust fund baby demanding that everyone go buy a new Prius

It would really help the environment, obviously anyone who doesn't go buy a new hybrid car tomorrow is unpatriotic as well.

[Midlodemocrat]

78. LOL. Funny you should mention that.

I had to go downtown Wednesday to my lawyer's office and I swear I must have seen 40 Priuses! I have never seen that many.

I started thinking about how many of those folks purchased them because of the price of gas rather than the environment and whether or not they were now in a financial situation that they didn't foresee.

[thrift_store_angel]

88. Va - hybrid = HOV lanes LOL

I work in Va, and there are a TON of Priuses where I work. I have one too, but I live in Md where we don't really have HOV lanes.

[DefenseLawyer]

152. I'm guessing no single moms on food stamps

were driving any of those new cars you saw downtown. My point was that, believe it or not, most people can't just go buy a new car whenever they want. In fact most people will never own a new car in their lives. It is certainly the lucky few that when faced with high gas prices actually have the option of alleviating it by simply buying a new hybrid.

[Midlodemocrat]

153. Oh, I wholeheartedly agree.

I just found it interesting that I saw so many. I haven't seen that many prior to $4 a gallon gas.

I just hope the folks who bought didn't commit themselves to a payment that will be a struggle because of the price of gas.

[DefenseLawyer]

155. Well that's true

Although I guess one way to look at it is that the more of them that are purchased, the more ultimately end up on the used car market where working people are more able to afford them. Even people that can't keep them are taking one for the team by paying that one-time new car mark-up.

[malta blue]

82. Don't you know that buying a Prius is unpatriotic as well?

:sarcasm:

[flvegan]

122. Friggin Toyota! Hellspawn!

[madmom]

142. Be careful here, I mentioned that a while back and was informed in this case it's ok to buy foriegn

because American made is junk. Some people are never satisfied!

[MineralMan]

76. Seems to me that what's un-American

Is telling people that they should not shop in places where they can find the things they need at prices they can afford. If you can afford to shop where you pay higher prices for the stuff you need, then more power to you. Not everyone has that option.

You may live where there are tons of places to shop. That's great. Others do not.

Walmart stocks American-made products, as well as stuff made all over the world. One can buy just the American-made stuff if they want...assuming they can identify it.

Walmart hurt small businesses...sometimes. In other places, small businesses thrive, partly due to their proximity to a Walmart store.

What's un-American, in my opinion, is telling people what they can and cannot do, based on your own preferences.

[cali]

87. Hi, MM

completely agree.

[MineralMan]

92. Hi, yourself...

I should add that I can't remember the last time I was in a Walmart. I just get peeved when anyone presumes to tell others that what they do is un-American. That's annoying.

[SammyWinstonJack]

185. !

What's un-American, in my opinion, is telling people what they can and cannot do, based on your own preferences. and based on one's own income bracket, also. :thumbsup:

[Thickasabrick]

80. I answered this up stream but I want to add, I don't shop at WM because

I can. I know there are a lot of areas that don't have any alternative or because their is too big a price discrepancy to justify not shopping there.

I really feel bad for people who are forced to shop there because of the economy. If my situation changes, and it could at any time, I might be forced to shop there too. You do what ya gotta do.

[thrift_store_angel]

93. Exactly.

There was a time when I had no choice, I had to shop there. And I do agree with the points made in the OP -- well except for the whole "unamerican" thing...but I don't like Walmart's labor practices. I felt the same way about them when I had to shop there. However shopping there allowed me to have enough left over to get me to the point I am now where I have the luxury of saying "no I don't think I am going to shop there".

[AlCzervik]

97. well said.

i know a few people that shop there for groceries because they need to and i don't give them shit about it.

[hendo]

83. Wal-mart sucks

and I hate going there, but there are a few things that I can only get in a Wal-mart. Mostly Vermont Cheese which isnt in any other store here.


Oh, and Wal-mart is where I go when I want to return something and don't have a reciept. They will take anything back, whether you bought it there or not.

[Iggo]

137. No shit?

I did not kow that.

Thanks for the info...:thumbsup:

[hendo]

138. Yeah

the best way to screw them over is to return goods that were purchased elsewhere :)

[DS1]

100. Sorry. I take my retail employee trampling far too seriously to consider quitting Wal*Mart

too soon?

[AlCzervik]

102. no.

[Midlodemocrat]

106. Awesome!!! Dude. You never disappoint.

:rofl:

[Marrah_G]

120. OOOOO BAD BAD BAD

:spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank::spank:

[City of Mills]

128. Killer Black Friday special on american flag doormats!

And couldn't pass up the deal on the neon pink TruckNutz for my SUV ;-)

[flvegan]

101. WalMart thread on Black Friday. Awesome.

So far, no disappointment. Bet it gets even better, too.

:popcorn:

[taterguy]

109. If I was drunk I'd start a pitbull thread

[Patiod]

162. Anyone up for hitting the Olive Garden with all the $ saved at WM?

Yikes.


No Walmarts near here, (although there is a Sam's Club) but lots of cheap options for food and other stuff (especially other stuff). Costco, BJ's, Target, Marshall's, Big Lots, Redner's Markets, the local Asian market, the Italian market in the city, farmer's markets, etc. So I can avoid Walmart, even when I was unemployed and living on tuna and noodles, but not everyone can, and that's sad.

[Telly Savalas]

165. Doesn't Wal Mart run puppy mills which breed pit bulls?

[Berry Cool]

104. I'm sure working at Wal-Mart is unpatriotic, too

even if, for some people, it's the only way they can put food on their family.

Let us not forget the large number of people on DU who would tell us that our employers are evil and that anyone employed by a certain kind of organization is by definition Evil.

[intheflow]

107. Sad to say, I have to shop at WalMart once a month.

They are the only pharmacy I can find in a 15 mile radius that carries the generic version of my prescription drug. I don't have insurance, and it's the only way I can afford my med. Other pharmacies have a drug the FDA says is the same as the drug I need, but a small minority of people have an adverse reaction to that substitute and I, unfortunately, am one of those people. :(

But other than that, I agree WalMart is evil. My med is the only thing I buy there, and that is only because of absolute necessity.

[cboy4]

111. Not only do I know people who work at Walmart (it's called

being desperate for work), I know people who shop at WalMart (it's called people struggling to pay the mortgage, and in rural places, having nowhere else to go).

Climb on down JMDEM and tell me a story about what it's like to judge other people you don't know.

[AlCzervik]

112. If you were invited to their home and that was what you said then you're a terrible guest.

[AZ Criminal JD]

115. What stores specifically are we supposed to shop?

Do you really think "local stores" don't carry products made in China? Should we use a bunch of gas going all around town trying to find farmers markets and junk products made by American hippy wanabees?

[Marrah_G]

117. Those are a freeper's two favorite terms- Congrats

[OhioChick]

121. Agreed and I never shop there. n/t

[City of Mills]

123. I just blew $100 at Walmart and I brought my cart back to the front of the store.

Then I ordered chinese food. Sue me.

[gollygee]

125. Unfortunatley, it's all some people can afford

But people shouldn't be deceived into thinking that if they see an item, say a blender, in Walmart, and a blender that looks the same by the same brand in another store, that they are buying the same blender cheaper. I've known several people who worked for companies that make a "Walmart version" of their product. Walmart is only willing to pay so little, that they make a version that is more cheaply made just to be sold there. What looks like the same blender at Sears or Target is probably a better made blender with more metal parts and fewer plastic parts. It's worth the extra few bucks.

[Lucian]

126. The Wal-Mart here in my town has cheaper groceries than the local grocery stores.

Of course I'm going to go where the deals are. I don't make anything for money, so I have to save where I can. If that makes me un-American, so be it.

[dawgmom]

129. While your hyperbole is a bit over the top...

...I agree with most of the six points you included in your post. I don't shop at Walmart, never will. In fact, last year when I had surgery, my sister (who is a diehard Walmart shopper) went there and bought me a tv-table thingy that I could use while I sat in a chair. I made her take it back. No Wal-Mart crap in my house. I don't believe in killing small towns or supporting slave labor, just to save a few bucks.

That said, I am fortunate that I am financially able to follow my conscience on this matter. Not everyone is that fortunate financially, and I understand why they shop at Walmart. Your tone in some of your responses is unnecessarily divisive, in my opinion.

[TZ]

136. Over the top?

I would put it more strongly than that. How about nasty and condescending. Calling ANYONE unamerican because they behave in ways someone doesn't approve of is about as classless as you can get. If we slam the right for calling people unamerican if they don't support the Bush agenda why is it any better for us to do the same thing.

I generally don't shop at Walmart because I don't like the one in Gtown but, if someone wants to shop there thats their choice and it is a free country after all.

[dawgmom]

139. Rights all around

He has a right to his opinion, and to state it however he likes and thus suffer the consequences and the disagreement from people who feel they're exercising their right in return. Ain't America grand, that we're all free to disagree. :)

[CrispyQ]

130. How easy for you to judge everyone in the context of your own life.

:eyes:

I never shop at Walmart. I hate Walmart. I agree with everything you say about Walmart. I've seen, in my own community, the effects Walmart has on small businesses. However, I choose not to judge the needs or desperation of another based on my life & the fact that I can afford to shop elsewhere. To call these people, about whose circumstances you have no fucking clue, un-American, is about as heartless as you can get.

I suggest you read "Nickel & Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich for some insight into the lives of people (mostly single/divorced/separated women with children) you so quickly & harshly judge.

I don't believe in god, but there is a lot to be said for the phrase, "There but for the grace of God, go I." An atheist version might be, "There but for the lack of good fortune, go I."

on edit: I would suggest everyone, yes even those who shop at Walmart because they can't afford other options or have no other options, see the documentary "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price." Hopefully, if you find yourself in an improved situation, you will remember this movie & make different choices.

http://www.walmartmovie.com/

[Solon]

132. A Wal-Mart Worker's Perspective...

Instead of retyping this thing, I'll just link to my previous thread, its still relevent, after all.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2951993

[DonEBrook]

133. If I take your advice I'll be driving 80 miles to buy groceries.

I'm going with option B.

[Junkdrawer]

134. If you withdraw from Christmas Shopping, today's deaths will have been in vain...

The only way to honor today's noble sacrifices is to see the Christmas Shopping Mission through to victory.

[peace13]

140. Priceless! n/t

[AZBlue]

135. OK, well, which of my monthly bills would you like to pay so I can stop shopping there?

I don't really like shopping there and if I could afford not to, I would. So if you'll pick up about 2 or 3 of my monthly bills (and at least one of them will have to be a big bill like rent) I'll happily stop.

Until then, STOP TELLING ME I'M UNPATRIOTIC OR UN-AMERICAN. That's incredibly freeperish of you.

[madmom]

143. Funny thing is, I have a local mom and pop grocery just a block from me, Know where they shop?

Wal-mart! They go there to get the specials take them back to their store change price and label and resell. I know for a fact, my daughter used to work for them when in high school. It's not just groceries either it's other incidentals like toothpaste, writing supplies(there within walking distance of a school) anything you might not want to drive clear to town for. So I ask, who's taking advantage of who here? Unless it's ok to buy the foreign crap as long as you buy it from mom & pop.

[Doremus]

144. I don't think it's unamerican, but it's self-destructive in the long term.

Even those who say they have no choice. My goodness, if you live so far away from your only source of food and other necessities, is that wise? If the bus or whatever transportation takes you the hour or more distance to buy your weekly groceries suddenly stopped, WTF would you do?

People in this country need to start waking up to the realization that gambling their very existence on the ability to get to a store 30 or more miles away is NOT a good thing to do. Rural living is terrific but those who do it successfully in the future will be those who have their act together: growing enough to survive, well water, local source of heating fuel. Self-reliance.

Depending on Wal-Mart 30 miles away? Good grief, make some changes before it's too late!

[malta blue]

146. there are people who live in rural communities through no

"fault" of their own, you know.

Or should everyone vacate the rural landscape and make the cities even more over-crowded.

[Doremus]

169. They can do whatever they want.

I'm just saying it will probably prove beneficial to those whose survival depends on

1) their ability to travel to a store 30 miles away and
2) the continued availability of that store

to begin planning HOW they will survive in future years in the absence of such.

No way in heck would I put my life in the hands of the likes of Wal-mart ... or the benevolence of oil companies.

I'd rather live in an "overcrowded" city than dead, but that's just me. :eyes:

[DainBramaged]

147. It's NOT OK for DU members to shop at WalMart

but it's OK for them to buy Foreign cars.:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[greguganus]

189. ONLY until WalMart starts selling foreign cars! n/t

[DainBramaged]

208. Yup, then the sheeple will praise them and flock like moths to a flame

[RidinMyDonkey]

148. I really hate walmart but it's not fair to call anyone unamerican

I hate Walmart. My mom worked there when I was a teenager and we really struggled those years. She only made minimum wage, a few years ago that was like six dollars. We could barely afford to pay rent. Meanwhile, Walmart would have her working 39 hours a week. Short one hour of being a full time employee. Of course that means, she wouldn't get paid as much, and they offered no insursance, instead they tried to convince their employees to go on welfare. She doesn't drive and it's the only place within walking distance she could work. Walmart blows. I wont shop there. But a lot of people can't afford to take their business to another store that charges more. and a lot of people aren't informed about Walmart. You'd be better off trying to teach people what Walmart is all about instead of calling them names. Just saying, it would probably work better.

[fascisthunter]

150. That's all Try and It's Up to Individuals to Decide..

whether they really want to support those things in your list. I know I can't....

I see nothing good come from their business. With whatever number of jobs they have offered Americans.

[ileus]

154. God Bless Wal-Mart....Merry Christmas

[lukasahero]

156. So now we're actually using the same words as Republicans...

It's official - everything that goes around comes around. :eyes:

[leeroysphitz]

157. Remind me to never invite YOU to a party.

Your behavior was impolite and unpleasant and while I agree that Wal-Marts business strategy and practices are harmful in many ways, your stridency borders on extremism and I don't blame your "friends" for wanting you to leave early.

[pitohui]

158. according to our local paper it's a beloved american tradition

seriously, i just read this, about how getting up in the early ay-em on black friday is a beloved american tradition

they even interviewed a brazilian dude who it was his first time participating in this "tradition" which he claimed to have watched in previous years on brazilian teevee!

if it even is a tradition, i don't know, i'm pretty sure i never heard the term "black friday" before the 21st century -- i think it's a lot of whipping of marketing frenzy but whatever

i have no problem w. shopping at walmart, i can't afford to pay more than i do for basic items, but i'm not getting up at 3 in the morning and waiting in a line to join the stampeding herds

when i go to walmart it's for survival -- groceries!

[zorahopkins]

159. GOOD For You!

I love your post! I agree *ith everything you say, except I *ould make every cash register at an *al Mart say, "The People Of China thank you!" at the time anyone makes a purchase.

Good for you for having the courage to speak the truth to your friends!

More of us should have such courage -- people NEED to be educated about *hat they are doing.

note: in protest of the continued occupation of OUR *hite House by the corrupt Bush/Cheney regime, I am refusing to us the letter bet*een "V" and "X".

[ZombieHorde]

160. "unpatriotic and un-American"

What is so bad about being unpatriotic and un-American?

What if someone is very very poor? Should they go without?

[Not Sure]

161. I hate walmart as much as anyone

but go to Bottineau, North Dakota or Durango, Colorado and find some of the basic things you need to survive without shopping at walmart. I suffered through living in Durango with walmart as the only option for some basics and my family does the same in North Dakota. I live in Texas now, and as a result, I have many alternatives. So your original thoughts would apply nicely to me if I were a walmart shopper here in Texas. But not everyone has the same opportunities as me, so I recommend caution in your blanket statements.

[Telly Savalas]

166. Give me a little credit

I never return my cart to the store when I shop at Wal Mart.

That will prevent me from being put on some McCarthy-style blacklist, won't it?

[Sanctified]

167. Well I guess being poor is UNPATRIOTIC and UN-AMERICAN.

I am not going to pretend to be a better American because I have the luxury of paying more to feed, cloth and take care of my family.

[Chulanowa]

168. I don't like Wal-Mart

But you know, when you and a stripper decide to paint her bookshelf at four in the morning in a swirl of black and purple, there's only a few places that are open!

That sounds way more interesting than it really was, actually.

[greguganus]

190. Link? Pics? n/t

[mondo joe]

170. Get a grip. Part of the WalMart problem is that they drive local competition out of business

and become the only game in town.

I have never shopped at WalMart, but I have a lot of choices. I've driven through small towns where WalMart is about the only choice.

[wildflowergardener]

171. Walmart

A lot of people shop at walmart because they can't afford to go anywhere else. I say if you can afford to go elsewhere and support smaller local places do by all means - but I'm not going to judge people who can't afford to go elsewhere.

Meg

[backscatter712]

172. Fuck Walmart.

I'm poor and unemployed, and I still refuse to support those sons-of-bitches. Their executives should be guillotined.

[JMDEM]

174. The replies to this post make me want to puke

All these friggin' reasons why you HAVE to shop at Walmart -- e.g., because it's the only place that has the cheese you want.

Most of you seem to assume I'm some sort of wealthy elitist shoving shit down your throats.

Truth of the matter is I'm running below the poverty line, with a serious illness and without health insurance.

And I manage to stay the fuck out of Walmart. Fuck the cheese I can't get anywhere else.

Where do I buy my clothes? Thrift stores, mainly. Occasionally Ross.

Appliances? Mainly thrift stores.

Food? In my location there is a store called "grocery outlet" that has wholesale bargains. And I go to food banks. And there is a store called "Save Mart" that is pretty reasonable (I don't know how widespread this chain is). And, in general, I know how to buy things only on sale.

Before I got sick and had a decent job, I also had a Costco membership, and if you can afford Costco, you can get most of the savings of a Walmart at a humane store that treats their employees like human beings.

We also get some stuff at dollar stores. Our area also has K-Marts, which aren't much better than Walmart, except for the fact that they AREN'T Walmart. Mervyns used to also be good, until they sunk.

I just can't believe that you can't stay out of a Walmart. In fact, there are thousands of people who have made pledges, and stuck with them, to not buy ANYTHING retail from ANY store for a year (except for food) and have done it.

If you really don't like the way America is, but you can't stick with a form of discipline as simple as staying out of a particular store, then there is truly no hope of changing anything.

You might as well roll over and let the Chinese stuff melanine laced baby formula and toothpaste spiked with antifreeze down your throats.

[HornBuckler]

182. word

werd.

[happychatter]

186. If I boycott Walmart will I be associating myself with...

pompous and abusive assholes that couldn't sell a glass of water to someone dying of thirst?

way to go, buck

[cali]

187. lol. you bitch about people shopping at WalMart and you support dollar stores

and sanctimoniously sound off? How do you know that Save Mart isn't a store that doesn't shit all over its employees? Several people have explained to you that shopping at WalMart is the only viable option they have. YOU have other options. That's great.

Oh, and no I don't shop at WalMart. Hey, I buy virtually nothing new but food and I live in a very energy efficient home and have a very small carbon footprint. Does that make me more enlightened than you? No, of course not..

[PeaceNikki]

198. HA! You shop at "Dollar Stores" and K-Mart and look down your nose at people?

You're funny. :rofl:

[slackmaster]

200. I don't think you are an elitist, I think you have some control issues

DU Forums seem lately to be full of people scolding others for not thinking and acting their way.

[Robb]

201. Such a liberal.

"If you really don't like the way America is, but you can't stick with a form of discipline as simple as staying out of a particular store, then there is truly no hope of changing anything."

Damn.

You know, if I had to pick one problem with a certain segment of the liberal population, it's that they don't get the fundamental truth that if the onus for change is put on the oppressed, there will not be long-term change.

Why the hell do you think it's up to poor people to make sacrifices? Fuck that. Myself I can afford to pick where I shop, and I do. I do other good stuff too.

But I'll be damned if I'm going to insist someone who's hurting needs to hurt more, or spend one single minute longer to try to foment change. It's not their responsibility. They can if they want, but if you insist they do, you're ignoring history, to say nothing of just being a jackass.

So go puke somewhere. It's about as liberal as anything else you're suggesting.

[old mark]

193. HRC was a member of the board of Walmart 1985-1992,

back when it was still bad.
Walmart has changed a lot in the last 15 years.
Evidently the hating idiots here have not bothered to keep up.

Have a great day.

mark

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

194. Shopping At Walmart Is Perfectly Fine.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, noselifter.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

195. Walmart is better than many companies

[sellitman]

196. Your anger should be directed at our government.

Not at Wal-Mart or even China.

Repeal Nafta and start an import tariff and companies will start making things here again.

[onlyadream]

197. My kid's temporary teacher in 2nd grade

told me that she still kept her 10 hours up at Walmart so she can still get her benefits. She took over the class for 7 months while the permanent teacher was out on maternity leave.

It's very hard to find an item that is NOT made in China, even the non-Walmarts have no choice but to sell those items. It was created by greed at the top. The CEOs wanted to make more profit so off our manufacturing jobs went. The only thing we can do now is to make sure the countries we import from have labor laws & human rights. Hopefully, that will happen one day.

[slackmaster]

199. I bought a gift basket at a charity auction last Saturday - It includes a set of cookie sheets

Heavy-duty, made in the USA, donated by Wal-Mart.

[eyesroll]

205. I am fortunate enough to live in a city with lots of choices, to own a car,

to have a flexible schedule that allows me to visit yard sales and thrift stores during the weird hours they're open, to have some wiggle room in my budget, and so forth. I can choose not to shop at Wal-Mart.

Many of the suggestions we make to the working poor seem perfectly reasonable until we actually bother to look at them from their perspective.

A few years ago, I blurted out to a financially struggling friend, "why don't you go to yard sales? Plenty of kids clothes and baby stuff, and you'll pay a buck for something that was $15 new, and then you'll free up some cash to shop somewhere other than Wal-Mart." Well...she worked Wednesday through Sunday. Her "weekend" was Monday and Tuesday. Yard sales are usually open weekends, sometimes Fridays. Her lunch break was 30 minutes, and she worked in an industrial park far from residential areas. She literally didn't have the time to go.

[akwapez]

206. I don't think its "un-American", rather "anti-America"

There is a distinct difference. While many shop there out of perceived necessity, it is certainly harmful to the integrity of our country. I don't fault the people that can't afford other options. But, if you can afford to shop elsewhere and still go to ChinaMart, then I believe those people should be ashamed. I am not wealthy by any means. If I shopped at Walmart, I may be able to have a few more luxuries, but I refuse. This is a sacrifice my family makes. This is not seeking martyrdom, just a small effort we feel we can make.

[Joe Chi Minh]

207. I'm 1000% for protectionism, but poorer folk don't have a choice: survival -

keeping their home, feeding themselves, trying to keep warm in winter is the ultimate, the very highest form of patriotism, because it is the only sane option open to them. This really is a case of charity beginning and, alas, having to end at home, at least, until better times.

[JMDEM]

209. This has turned out to be a very educational thread for me

I did not fully understand how many people have no choice but to shop Walmart.

As I stated earlier, I DO have several low-cost alternatives to Walmart, which apparently many people do not have. Yes, I do not have the right to judge anyone who cannot realistically shop anywhere else.

I did have the right to express my views about this in this post, as much as you have the right to say people shouldn't eat tuna fished in a manner that kills dolphins, or that moratoriums should be put on whaling. I bet most of the people here that argued that people have the right to shop Walmart, and that I was an asshole for trying to tell people what to do, would vehemently say that people do not have the right to wear endangered species animal furs, which is also telling people what to do.

But the difference is the "no choice" issue. The sheer number of posts saying that many people have no choice disturbs me greatly in itself. Something has gone very wrong in this regard.

OF course, if you have no choice but to shop Walmart, due to availability, huge price differences, and/or survival, you have to shop Walmart!

I wish it wasn't this way. I still think Walmart is very bad for this country, all things considered. But so is people losing their houses or going hungry.