Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well that sounds really great IN THEORY. But let's face it, Wal-mart executives will do what ever it takes to make the consumers happy. If we are sick of their ANTI-GREEN crap, then they'll change their ways... maybe. But only if we are persistent by withholding our dollars. The dollar speaks louder than my own voice unfortunately....
Recently, I've checked out "green ads" by Wal-mart in a magazine (how much oil did it take to print that ad????) I'm not fooled. I don't know about anyone else... but I'd rather not support Wal-mart (or any other sell out company) at all until they get with the program. There's nothing wrong with making a profit, but it's not cool to sell out the environment. This planet doesn't belong to us... as soon as we realize this... the better off the world will be....
I would suggest you drop in on the owner of your local Mom and Pops and ask them if they offer heatlh insurance, sick time, vacation time, etc. I bet it's likely most will say, "We'd love to, but we can't afford to". Then they will blame Wal Mart.
Don't get me started on the health care issue. As a small business owner, I'm incredulous over the fact that providing health care has been shoved off on the business community. What other public sector services should private businesses pay for?
I don't know why my point keeps getting buried. The question way back on page 2 or 3 of this thread was whether or not Walmart was "green" because they instituted more energy efficient this or that. My answer is "no" because consumerism on the grand scale that Walmart crams down our throats is fundamentally destructive to the environment. It's like having a "more efficient oil spill!"
Hardly! Mom and Pops are my neighbors. Walmart represents profits that have nothing to do with me or my city. My local Mom and Pop has a vested interest in my community on many, many levels. Do you think Walmart cares what happens locally? The money spent there, by far and away, goes straight back to the corporate headquarters some place in Arkansas.
To agree again with the answer to the first question highlighted in red above, Walmart is not green. No one here is disputing that point. Green is a religion, Walmart is a business.
To the second point in red about profits having nothing to do with me or my city, I offer this point. When I see the local person in front of me with a cart full of craft supplies to be used for the local church group who is buying them so the group can make things to sell at the church picnic with the proceeds going to the local food pantry who can buy them at a great price so they can make more things that will help the local community, is this not helping locally?
I know that some of you are all teary eyed now but the cynics in the group are thinking this is a bunch of bull that I just made up. I didn't, because I have seen things like this happen.
And stay tuned for my next thread: "Is Amazon.com really green?" You know who you are. All of these well read posters are secretly going to their highly ungreen laptops made offshore at a price that they can afford to order books which are shipped by air at a great carbon footprint so they can have ammo to use against Walmart in their next post. Because you know, the money spent at Amazon.com, by far and away, goes straight back to the corporate headquarters some place....
why all this criticism of walmart. if you don't like their staff policy don't work there. if you don't like to buy chinese products or you prefer greener stores, don't shop there.
what really annoys me are those who protest against walmart but vote for them with their dollars!
My point was, when one feels compelled to jump all over someone (individual or corporate entity) for not making ENOUGH improvement FAST ENOUGH to suit one, when NOTHING but absolute and immediate capitulation to doing what "I deem right" is acceptable, then a careful examination of one's true motives is in order.
Righteous indignation is heady stuff, and can be addictive, is all I'm saying. It can also blind and deafen one not only to what's being done, what is "good" rather than "perfect", but to one's own motivations and true goals.
I've seen enough people whose true goals were the high of righteous indignation rather than accomplishing real change in the world, and I've seen the same in myself on occasion. Since that generally gets in the way of actually accomplishing change on the part of individuals or entities such as Walmart (the stick is rarely as effective as the carrot, though it may feel SO much better to the wielder), it's worth thinking about.
So, if Walmart (or you or I) changes a bit in the right direction, and the reaction is, "Great! Let's see some more of that good stuff!", they'll be more likely to move further in the direction of the carrot. If the reaction is, "You not only didn't make the change to perfection, but it doesn't matter because you didn't make it soon enough," in other words, if you're going to be berated and beaten no matter whatyou do, where's the benefit in changing at all? Why go to the trouble? It's human nature, and much as we'd like to forget it, Walmart and other corporations are run, and the decisions are made, by human beings just like us who will react in accordance with human nature.
Hardly! Mom and Pops are my neighbors. Walmart represents profits that have nothing to do with me or my city. My local Mom and Pop has a vested interest in my community on many, many levels. Do you think Walmart cares what happens locally? The money spent there, by far and away, goes straight back to the corporate headquarters some place in Arkansas.
Actually, I think it goes into the pockets of stockholders that are spread all over the world and into mutual funds and retirement funds that many of your neighbors are depending on to help them through their later years. And Wal-Mart actually makes substantial contributions to communities on a local level. Community civic groups like the Kiwanis Club or the Jaycees or the high school cheerleader squad all turn to Wal-Mart for contributions or involvement in local fundraising. While the Mom and Pops may be involved in community charities, they probably don't do anything for their neighbors' retirement plans.
The other way Wal Mart helps the local community is by providing jobs. Far from destroying little downtowns, Wal Mart has brought jobs to places that didn't have many before they moved in. This happened in my community.
cre8, you didn't really answer the question about health care. One criticism of WM is that some of its workers are on Medicaid (welfare) health insurance b/c they don't get it at work. I don't know exactly what WM's policy is on health ins., but you can bet your bippy that "Mom and Pop" doesn't provide it, either. Should we have universal health care in the US? I think so. Should it be single payor like in the UK? I don't know. Some other countries have different systems. But that is not the issue. We have the system we have. It came about through the labor unions. In this country, most health ins. is provided through employers.
Last edited by Katarina Witt; 05-22-2008 at 09:48 AM..
Reason: typo
At the Walmart near me, there are 2 mom&pop stores, one is new, the other relocated there from not to far away. I spoke to the owners of both stores, and the relocated one said that business has never been better, that the influx of consumers to Walmart brought extra business to them. The new business also has a steady clientele. Both felt they had gotten excellent leases from Walmart, who owns the outbuildings.
The other way Wal Mart helps the local community is by providing jobs. Far from destroying little downtowns, Wal Mart has brought jobs to places that didn't have many before they moved in.
This is highly debatable and by far not the case in all locales. Walmart is notoriously predatory in the placement of its outlets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katiana
cre8, you didn't really answer the question about health care. One criticism of WM is that some of its workers are on Medicaid (welfare) health insurance b/c they don't get it at work. I don't know exactly what WM's policy is on health ins., but you can bet your bippy that "Mom and Pop" doesn't provide it, either.
Health care is expensive, and again, should not be the burden of the private business community to provide IMO. Mom and Pops have far fewer resources than the big boys, naturally, but is this a reason to just hand in the towel, give it all up to the big boys and submit to their "corporate mono culture" dictatorship, heads bowed? Not in my book.
I've worked for many mom and pops up through the years, and with what I've gained from them, no benefit package at Walmart could ever replace. Mom and pops taught me enduring self-sufficiency skills and values to last three lifetimes. Mom and pops taught me to be independent, entrepreneurial and to think on my own. They taught me how to save and reuse, how to negotiate, and how to pick myself up and deal with the punishments of bad business decisions. They taught me the rewards of hard work and determination, to believe in my own ideas, and that it's ok to admit, "I can't work for anyone else." They taught me how to become a mom and pop, and in so many respects -- how to be free!
So now as a mom and pop, I provide MY OWN health insurance, and I don't need to trade in my independence and freedom for a blue vest, happy face button and fake smile to join the punch-clock slaves at Walmart. Not yet anyway! By killing the local economy, Walmart robs us all of the opportunities described above.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Not yet anyway! By killing the local economy, Walmart robs us all of the opportunities described above.