WALLY WORLD Employment Application

[Mustang]

And all the other companies don't do this? Really, if you want to stay away from all companies that mistreat their workers, don't shop ANYWHERE. I've already mentioned the abuses that Americans perform overseas in my previous post, pretty much everything you buy in America is made in a sweatshop somewhere. So it makes no difference whether you shop at Walmart, Target, or Joe's Family Owned Local Bakery.

[Baron Munchausen]

No, other companies do not do this, or else Walmart wouldn't have been able to undercut them. This is easily verifiable in the coverage that describes how much worse Walmart jobs are than the jobs they displaced. Companies that did provide medical insurance and did pay much higher wages (full-time and over-time) went out of business competing with Walmart because of its extra-ordinary ruthlessness. Walmart really is worse than most other companies and is driving job standards down.

[Mustang]

I see your point. Thanks for clearing that up. Before I thought most of the people protesting against Walmart were either welfare state supporters or hating Walmart just because they've been conditioned to hate big companies.

Lowering wages ultimately means less consumption, which hurts productivity because less people are making consumer goods, which makes everyone poorer. This eventually hurts the businessmen too, but they're only interested in short-term profit so don't really care. But we should not criticise just Walmart. I've heard that Target has similar policies, and I'm sure many other corporations do also. Don't just single out Walmart, damn them all.

And noone's yet said anything about how almost everything we buyin the West is made in sweatshops and/or by de facto or legal slaves. If we consider that as an issue, we shouldn't shop almost anywhere (there are still a few companies that make a point out of treating their workers, though, like No Sweat, but their products are three times pricier). My point is, what are YOU guys going to do about it? Complain? Write your congressman? As long as Walmart sells things cheaply, noone is going to care.

[Baron Munchausen]

If I were anything more than another grunt like you I wouldn't be posting on these boards...

But I do try to pay attention to the more extreme cases of abuse (like Walmart) and not support them. So, I do not shop at Walmart anymore. Similarly, I try not to buy Hormel products (although they've got a lot of other brands and it is hard to know them all) because of their awful record on treatment of workers and even safety (in other words, it is also simple practical self-interest to not buy food products made by a company that doesn't seem have the will to follow safety regulations).

You're certainly right that nearly all corporations are offending human rights and dignity somehow or other. Since this is 'the way of the world' we can't expect to create large change very quickly or easily. But given some degree of awareness and choice among ordinary people, at least we can have some sort of influence and perhaps keep things from getting worse.

[Atrocities]

My point is, what are YOU guys going to do about it? Complain? Write your congressman? As long as Walmart sells things cheaply, noone is going to care.

Haven't we done something already? We posted here about it, we spread the word about the high cost of low cost.

Walmart has all but killed most of the retail and independant stores around here so most folks have no choice but to shop at walmart. I try to avoid it as much as I can but I am guilty of buying things there as well.