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Why is the "shop local movement" largely peopled by left-leaning folks?
I guess that I do not see the "shop local movement" as a movement. Why does choosing where to shop have to be a movement(?)
Because such a choice carries moral, economic, and political ramifications. If it truly doesn't matter to you where your money goes or what your community looks like, then ignore the mass of information available. Just know that you are choosing to ship your money away from your community. It's pretty simple, really.
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Originally Posted by UpperPeninsulaRon
Look, if you want to pay higher prices, go ahead.
I urge you to consider the truer prices of things.
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Originally Posted by UpperPeninsulaRon
I would bet the farm that more than 80 percent of the people I see shopping at Wal Mart are left leaning-folks.
I'd take that bet. Hypothetically, anyway... I don't own a farm.
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Originally Posted by UpperPeninsulaRon
Believe me, the folks shopping at WM are not down deep concerned about the "shop local movement".
That's pretty obvious. It doesn't mean they don't know any better.
WalMart is not the problem that some try to make it out to be. Not in the slightest.
Times change - shopping habits change. While shopping at the "Mom and Pop" stores was about the only way to go years ago, that started to fade with the advent of the shopping malls. People wanted convenience - they wanted to park the car one time - and, with the cost of fuel, this type of shopping will become only that much more important to most
Then, came what I will call the "Mega Mall" - Shopping, Dining, Entertainment -
Face it - the "Mom and Pops" have been going away for a very long time -
Because such a choice carries moral, economic, and political ramifications. If it truly doesn't matter to you where your money goes or what your community looks like, then ignore the mass of information available. Just know that you are choosing to ship your money away from your community. It's pretty simple, really.
I suppose I'll let my last post be my closing argument. I see more economic benefits than costs to a community. Competition keeps everyone on their toes. That's what is hurting Michigan - people keep longing for the Walter Ruther days in the auto industry with great pay, great benefits, guaranteed lifelong employment. Things change. NPR just did a piece on folks who no longer shop at their local Whole Foods store - they could no longer afford it.
As far as framing the discussion in moral and political ramifications, that argument is beyond my pay grade. As other posters have commented, if you believe it is immoral to shop at Wal Mart, then you must place Target, Murray's, Starbuck's, Ace Hardware, Kraft Foods et. al. in the same immorality. I'm not sure what that gets us as a people.
As far as framing the discussion in moral and political ramifications, that argument is beyond my pay grade. As other posters have commented, if you believe it is immoral to shop at Wal Mart, then you must place Target, Murray's, Starbuck's, Ace Hardware, Kraft Foods et. al. in the same immorality. I'm not sure what that gets us as a people.
I do place them all in the same bucket.
Not Ace, though. Ace is a buying cooperative, so along with more than 5,000 other hardware stores nationwide, Ace Hardware stores purchase merchandise directly from manufacturers. This enables them to have competitive pricing and gives the business access to almost anything manufactured.
A buying cooperative is not a chain, but a creative and effective way for Indie shops to increase their buying power and market presence while still maintaining their independence.
As far as "where that gets us as a people," you can only do the best you can with what you have. If you live in a town in which Wal-Mart has closed down the rest of the businesses, making your downtown look like a ghost town, then you don't have much choice. You did, at one time, and now you live with the consequences. I say again: If you only shop at one place, eventually you'll have no choice.
Last edited by colorado native; 06-10-2008 at 12:38 PM..
Wal-Mart is mostly just good for China. In corporate America, the executives get rich, the losers are Americans who have been forced to swap high paying manufacturing jobs for low wage Wal-mart wages.
Wal-Mart is mostly just good for China. In corporate America, the executives get rich, the losers are Americans who have been forced to swap high paying manufacturing jobs for low wage Wal-mart wages.
Then, you do not shop at any retailer - for, they all carry the same, or similar products, made in the same locations, as the products carried by WalMart
But if you're referring to Pittston, Penn. it's been going downhill, anyway, because city-data lists it as losing oover 5% of it's population since 2000.
Meanwhile, Wal-Mart Supercenter #2 recently opened up in my town and I'm worried about the effect it will have on my downtown, even though it's one of the fastest growing towns in Oklahoma.
I don't shop at WM, it's not a pleasant shopping experience for me. I prefer more personal attention, and I get that at neighborhood stores. Target has better packaging and branding. I wish I didn't have to buy 'Made in China' products, but it's not realistic- they're everywhere. As the price of gas/transportation increases, we may see more production back in the US. I hope so. I don't like feeling beholden to foreign countries for our products.
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