Wal Mart/High Price for Low Cost! Shocking!!! (wages, security, ethical)

[Politico]

Originally Posted by cremebrulee

these people should be made to move to these countries where these people are actually slaves and made to live there....period, they should be driven out of the U.S. This is not what the U.S. grew on, and it is becoming an insult to those great men, like Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Franklin...for all they fought hard for so that American's could live free from this kind of behavior.

Um, I hate to burst your philippic bubble, but it is well documented that Washington and Jefferson both owned and employed slaves (lots of them) throughout their lives. In fact, if I remember high school American History correctly, at the time of Washington's death, he personally owned about 300 slaves.

Wal-Mart isn't all that different than countless other American companies that employ people in third world countries at low wages in order to keep a higher profit margin, and to offer American consumers lower prices on everyday goods. Are you seriously just figuring this out?

I'm not saying whether I think it's right or wrong...it is what it is, and it's not going to stop anytime soon, regardless of whether or not you personally shop there, or whether or not you write uninformed diatribes on the subject of WM's contributions to world economics.

As for those executives who live in mansions, they're just capitalizing on...well...capitalism. Or have you not heard of that yet, either?

[cremebrulee]

well then, I suppose the documentary lied about making their employees in other countries work 14 hour days 7 days a week, but are told to lie to the inspectors and if that is not abuse, plus adding insult to injury, to fire them, or beat them, if they tell the truth....I guess no matter what you tell people here in American...if we as a community are benefiting on something like that, we don't want to hear the gory details....we look for reasons why it couldn't be true....but what if it is? What if it is really true?

[Frank_Carbonni]

Originally Posted by cremebrulee

They farm all their manufacturing of their products out to 3rd World countries...they pay these workers 18 cents an hour (I think as I was so shocked by all the information on this documentary, I could not retain the information and plan to watch it again) ..the workers are trained to lie, actually taken into meetings and told how to lie so when the inspectors come in, about how many hours they work, about how many days a week they work...and if they don't do what they are told, those people are beaten...or fired. Is it no wonder that now and then some of our products have been sabotaged...oh, yeah, this is Good American Foreign Policy....no wonder other countries hate us? We have become barbaric and will do anything for money, and get rich quick schemes...even at the cost of human lives????

You do know that is the way the Third World does business and the way things go in those countries are work horrible jobs or starve. Those are their options.

Not defending the beatings, but rather anyone who expects the workers in the Third World to earn anywhere near American or have working conditions similar to Americans are flat out naive. It took decades for the US to get out of a similar situation and it will happen in these countries as well.

Wal Mart, has survalence cameras outside over looking their parking lots...but no one working them...they scrolled down on the screen how many crimes were committed at the parking lots of Wal Mart...unfathomable....unbelievable...that Wal Mart Cares so little for their employees and customers. Have you ever gone into a Wal Mart Store and asked for a big bag for your items...they don't have them...to expensive?????

So Wal-Mart is to blame from the crimes that take place in their huge parking lots? Did you even read what you wrote before you posted?

They showed the estates of the owners and CEO's of Wal Mart....dispicable...how they could wallow in their riches at the cost of human beings....

Your point is what exactly?

I will never shop in another wal mart store again....I don't care how they advertise they are doing better...remember, everytime you purchase an item at Wal Mart, you are making them rich, and allowing them to treat their manufacturers deplorable wages and conditions.

And I'm certain Wal Mart isn't the only company...I think any company in America that would farm their work out to 3rd world countries, at the cost of quality customer relations to line their pockets with money are an insult to the integrity of the United States.

Okay, shut down all those factories and sweat shops in Latin America and Asia. When the people in those Third World countries are now homeless and can't feed their kids, they will no doubt be grateful that you cared enough to put them out of work for their own good.

It is down right Greed.

I am so angry and upset...these people should be made to move to these countries where these people are actually slaves and made to live there....period, they should be driven out of the U.S. This is not what the U.S. grew on, and it is becoming an insult to those great men, like Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Franklin...for all they fought hard for so that American's could live free from this kind of behavior.

That's funny. I think the makers of this film (along with other people who have become rather wealthy by complaining about corporations and Globalism like Naomi Klein) should be forced to move to those same Third World countries so they can see first hand the limited opportunities, long working hours, corruption, lousy conditions, and extremely low pay in virtually all jobs that they CAN find. Nevermind the huge segments of the population that cannot even find work in many of those countries. They need to realize that most of the world is a s----y place with or without corporations.

My text is the one in bold.

[Roaddog]

I don't claim to know about all Wallmarts but the stores here have security gaurds 24/7 in the parking lots, I've never heard of a crime in the parking lots here. as far as their products go there the same as any store, made in china.
I do know a couple of the employee's and they are glad to have a job and I've never heard them complain of how their treated. I shop there all the time, I'm not going to throw away my money on the same thing at a higher price.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by texdav

Well Rita's eye center passed ten miles form where I live. It was companies like walmart;lowes that although their stores were too damaged to open supplied almost everyhting to first responders in the first days after the storm. Wal-mart had generatorsa to open there murphy gas stations the next day. They supplied veryhting from food to gasoilne to the respondersat no charge. They opened up mobile pharamcies to dispense prescriptions on their parking lot. They brought truck loads of ice and water and gave it out free of charge. What I learned is that walmart is a good neighbor to have. I have notived that TV did not give any national coverage to waht they were doing. In fact a month before when the Katrina evacueee were her it was walmart that supplied much of the clothes and school materials to their children to go to school. Their employees did a lot of the serving at churches that feed them and walmart suplied much of the food and the plates. They also supplied many of the items that the Red cross gave out here.Personally people here were very thinkful for a company like walmart and other like Lowes to be part of our communties.

I remember that! Wal*Mart put FEMA to shame when it came to getting supplies into the area where they were needed! While Bush and FEMA acted like idiots, Wal*Mart was delivering the goods!

[driftwoodpoint]

My sister in law works at Wal-Mart and says they treat the employees really poorly. They started out saying, "we buy American" but there is sadly not true anymore. They are building more Wal-Marts in China than the US now. Money is the game and I hate to shop there. We have a new one on the edge of town and I try to support the small places in town.

[Mircea]

Originally Posted by cremebrulee

..they pay these workers 18 cents an hour

'

Yeah, so what? Have you ever even lived in a foreign country? I lived in a country where the average person made about 75 cents an hour. Do you want to know what you can do for $1 in that country? Every Monday I did all of this for $1:

Bought a round-trip tram ticket, took a 35 minute tram ride to another town, got off the tram and bought a pack of cigarettes at small store, walked across the street to a tavern called the Queen Ann, got a seat at at table in a beer tent, ordered a big bowl of soup (about 1 quart), with a big hunk of bread, a half-liter of beer and watched the X-Files. Then after the X-Files was over I ordered another half-liter of beer and sat around shooting the breeze, then I left a tip and went home. That's what I did every Monday night, and it cost $1 (tip included).

Wages are relative, just like the cost of living is relative. The fact that you might pay $600/month for a ratty apartment doesn't mean everyone on the planet does. I only paid $50/month rent for my apartment and I had central heat and air.

[bbkaren]

creme, obviously you were badly affected by the film you saw; I know when you see activist films on any side, they're showing the side THEY want you to see.

Take a deep breath and try to find a balance.

Anger is harmful to your health, especially when your emotions are being used by others to further a political agenda.

[Nomander]

Originally Posted by cremebrulee

yes, your right, they are really good at that...but long story short...I am not at all happy with what I saw tonight...and I really think a lot of you are in denial....besides...it means you still want to shop there, so in your own minds, you have to say it's all on the up and up and this documentary is wrong...otherwise, your conscience might also get to you...

Just my 2 cents?

and, to, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so...not this time...

Here is the thing, I haven't fact checked this so called documentary, personally I don't care to as it is a common liberal knee jerk to hate Walmart on stupid unfounded gossip based claims and I have seen a lot of dirty pool on the side of the "caring for the abused people of Walmart" things and I would hazard a guess that this is yet another lie, another fictumentary much like all of Mr. Moore's garbage and various other BS propaganda like "Super Size Me".

I have friends that have worked there (in management and as entry level) and they often do not share the same "Walmart is the devil" opinion that these "legit" documentaries seem to claim. Sure, there is always abuse in a job. It happens a lot in all work places to be honest. Whether it be the yahoo that got promoted to middle management and has no clue about how to manage people or simply a crook in executive management who is making poor decisions to see a bottom line for their own personal gain, it happens, its life.

Great, you watched a movie. Now go out and do some real research. Look at the details past some propaganda films slant and find out for yourself. If you do all of this and honestly look for the truth and still think this is unbearable and somehow different than all of the rest of businesses out there, then knock yourself out. If you don't though, you become merely another tool spreading propaganda for a group that could probably care less if you fell off the face of the earth and often much less for the "issue" they claim to speak out against.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by Nomander

Here is the thing, I haven't fact checked this so called documentary, personally I don't care to as it is a common liberal knee jerk to hate Walmart on stupid unfounded gossip based claims and I have seen a lot of dirty pool on the side of the "caring for the abused people of Walmart" things and I would hazard a guess that this is yet another lie, another fictumentary much like all of Mr. Moore's garbage and various other BS propaganda like "Super Size Me".

I have friends that have worked there (in management and as entry level) and they often do not share the same "Walmart is the devil" opinion that these "legit" documentaries seem to claim. Sure, there is always abuse in a job. It happens a lot in all work places to be honest. Whether it be the yahoo that got promoted to middle management and has no clue about how to manage people or simply a crook in executive management who is making poor decisions to see a bottom line for their own personal gain, it happens, its life.

Great, you watched a movie. Now go out and do some real research. Look at the details past some propaganda films slant and find out for yourself. If you do all of this and honestly look for the truth and still think this is unbearable and somehow different than all of the rest of businesses out there, then knock yourself out. If you don't though, you become merely another tool spreading propaganda for a group that could probably care less if you fell off the face of the earth and often much less for the "issue" they claim to speak out against.

Hurrah for some sensible commentary. People see this movie, or read some blog and think that's the end of the story. When someone attacks something or someone, there's usually a reason behind it. Check out the agenda to determine just how objective your source of information is. Then try to get the other side of the story. I have found the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.