PursuitOfHappinessParty

Let me paraphrase it for ya: "Sorry POHP, but I can't refute what you say so I'll just shut-up now."

Very sensible. I applaud your maturity.

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" Tie two birds together and though they have four wings they cannot fly " Blind Master in 'Circle Of Iron'

PursuitOfHappinessParty

Pro corporation, and anti-small town America. Nice.

Hillary Clinton? NeoCons and Corporatists everywhere?
Some of those small town folks you loathe will cry, as Wal-Mart already drove out the other stores. Like in my hometown. I live in Dallas now, so I have options and haven't been in Wal-Mart in ages. My stores are cheaper, BTW. So, I'm a step ahead of you and wish Wal-Mart type stores would close for good.


Like they're doing to florists, salons, etc? Oh yeah, I covered this earlier and you punted.

Millions? Wal-Mart is the next U.N.? Glad it'll be cheaper, because most of the patients will be Wal-Mart employees. Not so sure about that said cheapness, as they don't compare on prices in any other area of services. They don't even pretend anymore, unlike you, now their 'thing' is convenience and not prices. Convenience that you can do EVERYTHING in their store now that they've driven out local competition.
You confuse behavior with nature. You've got an acorn of truth about people and are attempting to pass it off as an oak tree. People should be more accountable for their shopping selections. People also shouldn't drink and drive, should go to the dentist more often, change their oil, etc. People do suck. But people also have to manage ever tightening budgets, a reflection of what corporatism is bringing us.

You use the very loop they are trapped in as justification for trapping them in that loop. Because Bob bought cheaper goods at Wal-Mart, the local store closes. A few differing retailers go out of business and then Bob's customer base is gone. Wal-Mart starts undercutting Bob as well and Bob goes out of business. Is it Bob's fault? Or is it predatory and unfair pricing putting him in that position? I go with B. My government is here to protect me from outside attacks. Like a hostile nation praying on my defenses, Wal-Mart and like corporations are attacking my economy.

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" Tie two birds together and though they have four wings they cannot fly " Blind Master in 'Circle Of Iron'

guest1234567

Walmart didn't kill the mom and pop shops, the ones that didn't hire anybody anyway. The malls did. Walmart only had to take care of the scraps that were leftover.

guest1234567

And when's the last time you went to a barber shop? The chain stores like Supercuts got rid of the salons. Florists? I buy my flowers at the supermarket or from the guy standing next to the freeway on ramp.

PursuitOfHappinessParty

Everytime. I'm not claiming to be the 'norm' BTW, but yes, I shop at local stores. Guess what, now that the corporations (not just Wal-Mart, but also said salons and such) think they've cornered the market, these locals have better prices. And service doesn't even compare. Buying flowers from a guy on the freeway would be purchasing from a local business BTW, I worked for a florist once, so A) yes they do employ and B) the difference in quality is stupendous.

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" Tie two birds together and though they have four wings they cannot fly " Blind Master in 'Circle Of Iron'

guest1234567

Well out here, the guy on the freeway is run off the streets by the cops during Mother's Day season. I'm not kidding. The florists complained about the competition.

PursuitOfHappinessParty

In smaller towns, there are no malls. Strip malls at best, and that's a collection of local ownership business. Businesses that might not've existed due to property costs, as well.

Malls made some impact, but not much. They do high-end nationalized retailers, Wal-Mart does groceries and tires. No comparison. True that Wal-Mart does more hiring than local ownership, they hire the owners once they've driven them out of business.

So by taking hiring employee numbers as the arguing point, then I take it you support profits going to the few while increasing the employee number (not hires, just ex-business owners joining the employment seekers) and eradicating the self-employed (traditional middle-class) local business owners.

Bet you loved Reagan.

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" Tie two birds together and though they have four wings they cannot fly " Blind Master in 'Circle Of Iron'

PursuitOfHappinessParty

I didn't say local businesses don't whine too. Everyone is a special interest group of one.
Being bugged at a stoplight by a Manson lookalike isn't exactly 'local business'. It is when compared to Wal-Mart and it's profits going out of the community, but isn't when looked at objectively.

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" Tie two birds together and though they have four wings they cannot fly " Blind Master in 'Circle Of Iron'

guest1234567

All you need is one mall in a 30 mile radius, and that's where everybody will do their shopping. I saw it happen exactly like that in the 70s. The malls did tires too, you've heard of Sears right? And you know it's not just shop owners who get hired. Have you seen the Penn & Teller Bullshit on Walmart? I think those guys got it right.

But one more thing, we have more auto parts stores in this area then you can shake a stick at (I think only Asian Nail Salons outnumber them). Walmart isn't putting them out of biz. We don't have Walmart superstores, so we don't get the groceries. But groceries is exactly where I draw the line with Walmart. They have become so big that they affect how other stores can actually stock their shelves. If Walmart says "We don't want your 16 oz. mustard, we want only your 24 oz. mustard" then the company will simply stop making the 16 oz that would sell at the local store. This is the type of thing that limits choices.

PursuitOfHappinessParty

I'm not saying it's just the shop owners. My point is that the traditional middle-class local businessman get's driven out, ceases to be middle-class and joins the lesser paid working class. His previous in-town income now goes to corporate headquarters. The malls don't have that impact as they cater to specialty stores. I'll bet you that the guy I buy my tires from fears Wal-Mart more than the Mall. I do support manufacturer and brand direct to the consumer, so Sears doesn't compare to Wal-Mart. Even so, I'm not too supportive of the mall and get my tires at a local guy's shop.
My hometown didn't have a mall within a hundred miles. It recieved the God's gift of a Super Wal-Mart less than a decade ago. The town now has three less grocery stores (leaving 2 and WM), less hair salons, fewer everything that Super Wal-Mart provides. Wal-Mart doesn't employ as many people as these business did collectively, the local business owners are no more, and the profits get to go out of state. Selection and great prices at that Wal-Mart are no more.


You either do, or you either don't support Wal-Mart and their business philosphies. If you support WM and it's rights to drive out retail and service, then you must support the grocery stores. Your reason for not doing so are valid, but they apply to those other retailers as well.

Maybe you aren't a Reagan supporter, after all. 'Pologies.

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" Tie two birds together and though they have four wings they cannot fly " Blind Master in 'Circle Of Iron'