Wal-Mart signifies all that is wrong in America

As far as Sharper Image, they almost always do have high quality goods and are definitely shopable. I did buy two of the Ionic Breeze air purifyers from them and had trouble with one of the units within the warrantee. They sent me an entirely new appliance. This could have been that someone in the family who cleaned the unit didn't follow the directions and caused the problem. Try that at WalMart.

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I buy certain things at Walmart simply because they are cheaper. Toiletries, automotive supplies, pet food, lawn & garden supplies, even charcoal. Sometime's they're half the price they are elsewhere.

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Pet food? I guess you like feeding your cat or dog food made with dead cats and dogs. On the exact same brands, give me an example of something that is half what it costs at another store.

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Dude, I have a bird and a hamster. They're vegetarians. If I had a dog, I would hope he woudl be able to feed himself in a pinch. Cat is always good. The seed and food at Walmart are literally half the price as they are at Petco. I don't buy into advertising, I read labels for contents. But if you must, shop for Sure deodorant at Walmart vs. Walgreens (no sales allowed).

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LW has stated over and over that most companies have two factories, one that sells to Walmart and one to everyone else. It's such an affordable thing to do for each company!

Heck, even Iams dog food is a lesser quality at Walmart than at Petco! Those six-packs of Coke you get at Walmart? Made with sewer water. Popcorn? Packaged with more kernals that won't pop. Even the potting soil has less actual dirt and more filler.

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The seed and food are exactly half the price at WalMart? Food? WalMart does not handle Science Diet but cheap brands who actually buy cheap meat made from euthenized cats and dogs. I feed hamsters from the produce section in the supermarket or the many small produce stores within ten minutes from my house. I know I have an almost idealize shopping choice here in OC and I feel for those who live in areas that don't.

What "contents" are you going to find on seed packets? You're sure it's the same labled seed, good for you. I simply don't believe it is half the price even though I shop at PetSmart which is ten to twenty percent cheaper than Petco on the best brands. I would not try to park and navigate through WalMart for a few cans of pet food. I actually buy a case of catfood at PetSmart and I order nearly all my tropical fish supplies on line, or if I need professional advice from the specialized aquarium store near my house.

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No, I did not say "two factories." I said two qualities which can be made at the same factory (or can, in fact, be made in a factory of a country that has even lower wages). You must work PR for WalMart with all these silly rationalizations.

I have also said that brand names that you mention are possibly the only reason to make a trip to WalMart. I have also said I purchase many of those at Costco or Sam's. Your attempt to misrepresent what I have said confirms your dishonest debating habits.

I won't by Iams after the scandal of their cruelty to cats and dogs at their labs. They have also been implicated in the purchase of dead cat and dog meat.

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BTW, the potting soil I like Bayer's or Miracle Grow is the same price at Lowe's as the WalMart next door and far easier to park and get checked out.

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Kibbles N Bits. The dogs' favourite treat (other than tres costly lamb and lake trout biscuits)

$2.77 at Walmart with the coupon.
$3.88 at the next cheapest place I can find it here.
Petsmart is a further dollar more.

Same package. Same ingredients in the same order.

You definitely need to look at the product carefully - and factor in other costs, such as location. In my experience, Walmart wins the analysis on a small list of products I'm looking for - as long as I'm willing to be there before 8:00 a.m. on the weekend.

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Re: MichaelAllen

BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:

MichaelAllen wrote: "WalMart is symbolistic of Americana because in it are the principles that built America."

I think you left out at least one Americana symbolism. Exploitation of workers, including child labor and slave labor. Its a sad history we have in that respect.

I don't think I understand what you mean by "Exploitation of workers, including child labor and slave labor". Not to put words in your mouth, but you appear to suggest that the workers, child laborers and slaves of the world would be better off if Wal-Mart didn't exist. Assuming that I understood you correctly, could you elaborate why you believe this?

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Man, that's a real shoppers delight. Get up at 6:00 AM to go to a WalMart. No way.

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and you may be onto something with that popcorn, mcG. I'll have to ask Setanta.

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Thomas
China and Brazil are only two examples of what I described. The result of such low cost labor is exploitation and gives their corrupt political leaders license to continue the practice for their own's class' financial greed.

Further, the exploitation also results in a huge sucking sound to the lowest common denominator for labor wages in the U.S. If US manufacturers don't fall in line, they disappear along with their jobs and the middle class. Who will be left to buy WalMart's merchandise?

Thomas, I'm surprised and disappointed that you would ask such a question, which reminds me of the excuses made by southern plantation owners as to how much worse off their slaves would it be if not for slavery saving them.

BBB

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For those who believe child labor is good because WalMart is able to skirt around two centuries of law in America, let them live with themselves. I certainly would not.

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Lightwizard wrote:

Man, that's a real shoppers delight. Get up at 6:00 AM to go to a WalMart. No way.

Well, to be there at 8:00 a.m., I have to leave my house as 7:55 a.m. Not a real burden. Any later and the line-ups at the cash aren't worth the trouble.

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Re: Thomas

BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:

China and Brazil are only two examples of what I described. The result of such low cost labor is exploitation and gives their corrupt political leaders license to continue the practice for their own's class' financial greed.

Further, the exploitation also results in a huge sucking sound to the lowest common denominator for labor wages in the U.S. If US manufacturers don't fall in line, they disappear along with their jobs and the middle class. Who will be left to buy WalMart's merchandise?

BBB

Are you aware that you are re-stating a fallacy that has been thoroughly debunked since 1817? It is so common it even has a name -- the pauper labor fallacy -- and its reputation among economists is no better as that of geocentric astronomy is among physicists and that of creationism, among biologists.

Briefly, your fallacy is to confuse cause and effect. Brazilians and Chinese aren't poor because Wal-Mart pays them low wages; Wal-Mart pays them low wages because their economies as a whole are unproductive and hence their incomes are low. Wal-Mart's contribution (and Nike's, and Fords', and ...) is to make them less poor than they would be without them.

I'm not sure if you're interested in discussing this. But if you are, I recommend two articles in which Paul Krugman, an author with excellent liberal credentials, explains just why your argument is a fallacy, and a harmful one at that. The articles are titled"Hearts and Heads" and "In Praise of cheap labor".

I applaud your intention to lift the Brazilians and Indonesians up, but your economic theories would drag them even further down if they became policy.

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Thomas
Thomas, apparently you posted your response before you noticed that I edited my post to include the following comment:

"Thomas, I'm surprised and disappointed that you would ask such a question, which reminds me of the excuses made by southern plantation owners as to how much worse off their slaves would it be if not for slavery saving them."

BBB

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I am sorry to surprise and disappoint you. But given that I think you have the facts wrong and Paul Krugman and I have them right, what am I supposed to do? Would you respect me more if I lied to you in order to spare you surprises and disappointment? I don't think you would, and neither would I. I have to judge the facts as I see them, not as you wish to see them.

As for your comparison with the slave owners, there seems to be an important point at which your alleged parallel breaks down: The slaves of the South, whenever they could vote with their feet, voted for freedom by fleeing to the North and out of slavery. By contrast, Chinese and Brasilians, where they can vote with their feet, choose to work in the sweatshops of the multinationals over working for their domestic employers. Or they choose to emigrate to the United States altogether, knowing they will work in shîtty jobs on plantations, on construction sites, and in illegal brothels.

Hence, the parallel you draw is inconsistent with the facts, judging by the victims' own revealed preferences in both cases.

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I gotta get this one in. Box of decent shotgun shells at Walmart (ones with enough powder to keep a semi-auto from jamming): $4.99. Box of similar shells anywhere else: $8-$12.

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ehBeth wrote:

Lightwizard wrote:
Man, that's a real shoppers delight. Get up at 6:00 AM to go to a WalMart. No way.

Well, to be there at 8:00 a.m., I have to leave my house as 7:55 a.m. Not a real burden. Any later and the line-ups at the cash aren't worth the trouble.

So you go there in your bathrobe, curlers and with no breakfast. Or, heaven forbid, you eat breakfast at WalMart. I have never met a woman who could get ready to go shopping in less than an hour-and-a-half, let alone prepare and eat a meal. Very Happy

Just joshin' with you, of course.

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Wal-Mart signifies all that is wrong in America

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