For my Libertarian friends

Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't understand why people don't like Walmart.

....

Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't shop there much myself because I chose to support small local businesses, but that doesn't mean I have some objection to Walmart.

Most people are not nearly as gung-ho about entrepreneurship and praising the successful company as you appear to be. If a huge store comes into town (even if there is demand for it) and causes several shops to either close, alter business practices, whatever, and I see places that have charm have to struggle to compete with this endless resource machine...it gets me riled. I wouldn't only blame Wal-Mart, but also fickle people who value a few cents over charm, spontaneity, neighborliness, and not having a drab monolith of a building cover a ton of real estate. Just because a company can do well doesn't mean I can't get pissed at it for existing, especially when it exists everywhere.

stonebeard wrote: Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't understand why people don't like Walmart. .... Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't shop there much myself because I chose to support small local businesses, but that doesn't mean I have some objection to Walmart. Most people are not nearly as gung-ho about entrepreneurship and praising the successful company as you appear to be. If a huge store comes into town (even if there is demand for it) and causes several shops to either close, alter business practices, whatever, and I see places that have charm have to struggle to compete with this endless resource machine...it gets me riled. I wouldn't only blame Wal-Mart, but also fickle people who value a few cents over charm, spontaneity, neighborliness, and not having a drab monolith of a building cover a ton of real estate. Just because a company can do well doesn't mean I can't get pissed at it for existing, especially when it exists everywhere.

Like I said, its all about $$$$
It does piss me off. Maybe nothing we can do, but yes no one seems to care.
We do indeed hail the all mighty dollar, it is above all. And we have the choice to go to local places now, but I wonder how much longer.
It goes above politics. Just no one seems to care about anything, just f*cking $.
The deficit, the debt, mom and pop stores, smaller business, local employment. Its all about those damn few cents.

stonebeard wrote: Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't understand why people don't like Walmart. .... Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't shop there much myself because I chose to support small local businesses, but that doesn't mean I have some objection to Walmart. Most people are not nearly as gung-ho about entrepreneurship and praising the successful company as you appear to be. If a huge store comes into town (even if there is demand for it) and causes several shops to either close, alter business practices, whatever, and I see places that have charm have to struggle to compete with this endless resource machine...it gets me riled. I wouldn't only blame Wal-Mart, but also fickle people who value a few cents over charm, spontaneity, neighborliness, and not having a drab monolith of a building cover a ton of real estate. Just because a company can do well doesn't mean I can't get pissed at it for existing, especially when it exists everywhere.

If everyone shared your sentiment these small ma and pa shops would stay in business. Walmart doesn't force small companies out of business, consumers do.

JJLehto wrote: stonebeard wrote: Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't understand why people don't like Walmart. .... Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't shop there much myself because I chose to support small local businesses, but that doesn't mean I have some objection to Walmart. Most people are not nearly as gung-ho about entrepreneurship and praising the successful company as you appear to be. If a huge store comes into town (even if there is demand for it) and causes several shops to either close, alter business practices, whatever, and I see places that have charm have to struggle to compete with this endless resource machine...it gets me riled. I wouldn't only blame Wal-Mart, but also fickle people who value a few cents over charm, spontaneity, neighborliness, and not having a drab monolith of a building cover a ton of real estate. Just because a company can do well doesn't mean I can't get pissed at it for existing, especially when it exists everywhere. Like I said, its all about $$$$ It does piss me off. Maybe nothing we can do, but yes no one seems to care. We do indeed hail the all mighty dollar, it is above all. And we have the choice to go to local places now, but I wonder how much longer. It goes above politics. Just no one seems to care about anything, just f*cking $. The deficit, the debt, mom and pop stores, smaller business, local employment. Its all about those damn few cents.

You know its all well and good when your family can afford what it needs to complain about people worshiping the dollar. Some people however don't have the luxury and Walmart's prices allow them to have a  meal, or their kid to have a shirt he might otherwise not have had.

thellama73 wrote: JJLehto wrote: Like I said, its all about $$$$ It does piss me off. Maybe nothing we can do, but yes no one seems to care. We do indeed hail the all mighty dollar, it is above all. And we have the choice to go to local places now, but I wonder how much longer. It goes above politics. Just no one seems to care about anything, just f*cking $. The deficit, the debt, mom and pop stores, smaller business, local employment. Its all about those damn few cents. It's easy to complain that people only care about money when you have plenty of it. For families struggling to feed and clothe their children, money means a great deal, and I don't think it's proper for you to tell them they shouldn't care about saving a buck o five on cheap goods at wal-mart. Money is reason we Americans all live so well and have so much. If we lived in a grindingly impoverished country, then you might not be so quick to condemn the value of money. It's only because we have, hitorically cared about "those damn few cents" that we're in such good shape today.

Think alike much?

Equality 7-2521 wrote: stonebeard wrote: Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't understand why people don't like Walmart. .... Equality 7-2521 wrote: I don't shop there much myself because I chose to support small local businesses, but that doesn't mean I have some objection to Walmart. Most people are not nearly as gung-ho about entrepreneurship and praising the successful company as you appear to be. If a huge store comes into town (even if there is demand for it) and causes several shops to either close, alter business practices, whatever, and I see places that have charm have to struggle to compete with this endless resource machine...it gets me riled. I wouldn't only blame Wal-Mart, but also fickle people who value a few cents over charm, spontaneity, neighborliness, and not having a drab monolith of a building cover a ton of real estate. Just because a company can do well doesn't mean I can't get pissed at it for existing, especially when it exists everywhere. If everyone shared your sentiment these small ma and pa shops would stay in business. Walmart doesn't force small companies out of business, consumers do.

I wonder if that's entirely true. Meaning that who can argue Wal-Mart is a juggernaut of a corporation? And maybe it's just so big and pervasive that at this point,resistance is futile, so to speak. Which is not to say if no one shopped there anymore it wouldn't die, because it would. But Wal-Mart is probably a force that can create demand for itself just by deciding to be in a place. I doubt a lot of the places it created stores (after it got its company into serious expansion and profit mode) really needed the services it could provide. Even still, the consumers are mostly to blame, and some of them really do need the lower prices. But I'm betting these people are outweighed by lazy people who just care about getting all their buying done in one place, in as little time as possible, alternatives be damned. Like these middle class soccer moms need to worry about saving $5.00 on a $200 purchase. Then there are always the college kids who want to buy super soakers for whatever reasons, but they're in the minority.

stonebeard wrote: But I'm betting these people are outweighed by lazy people who just care about getting all their buying done in one place, in as little time as possible, alternatives be damned.

So you would rather I waste gasoline driving all over town?

Epignosis wrote: stonebeard wrote: But I'm betting these people are outweighed by lazy people who just care about getting all their buying done in one place, in as little time as possible, alternatives be damned. So you would rather I waste gasoline driving all over town?

Well if you live in a smaller town, which I'd imagine many do, is that such a big deal? Not even small, I live a fairly large township but that being the case there are places around, we even a main street! I don't have to go very far at all for anything.

And unless it's oppressively hot/humid we could always walk a little more.



Edited by JJLehto - July 18 2010 at 15:18

stonebeard wrote: Epignosis wrote: stonebeard wrote: But I'm betting these people are outweighed by lazy people who just care about getting all their buying done in one place, in as little time as possible, alternatives be damned. So you would rather I waste gasoline driving all over town? Depends on the town. I don't think it's too much to ask to drive an extra mile or two to support a local business.I would actually start to wonder if you liked going to Wal-Mart if it sounds like such a hassle. Then you'd be a robot.

I don't support businesses because they're local.  I support them because they offer me quality goods and services at the best price.

http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=7886


1 out of every 200 employees in America is employed by wal mart.........that is sad