The Axis Of Evil... Walmart!

[Outshined]

Originally posted by shanstress70@Sep 30 2005, 05:20 PM

I think you have a great point about Walmart's questionable business ethics, but you lose me at "I hear they have a really good price on your soul!!"  Sorry, but that's sounding a bit wacky.

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My point exactly, along with the fact that they have the same business model as most major retailers and manufacturers, so if you avoid one for moral reasons, you must avoid them all. B)

[daizymae]

Originally posted by daizymae@Sep 30 2005, 01:21 PM

I make a point to support local businesses.  That's not to say that I never shop at Walmart, but I certainly try to avoid it.

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I made this point in the very first post I made on this thread. I'm not claiming to be holier than thou.....I'm not claiming that I've never set foot in a Walmart store....I'm not claiming that every single item I buy comes from local merchants. I am claiming that I try hard to support local businesses....and not just that, but those who I believe to be honest and ethical.

When was the last time you saw people picketing against a Target, Home Depot, Kmart, or stores who sell the name brands you mention on your local news?? I'm not sure that I ever have, unless the building of the store threatens homes or the safety of a neighborhood. And yet, it's not uncommon at all to see people in an uproar when they hear a Walmart is coming to town. If they were as ethical and wonderful as they make themselves out to be, then who would have a problem with them coming to town? Not me!

[Outshined]

Originally posted by daizymae@Sep 30 2005, 05:42 PM

I made this point in the very first post I made on this thread.  I'm not claiming to be holier than thou.....I'm not claiming that I've never set foot in a Walmart store....I'm not claiming that every single item I buy comes from local merchants.  I am claiming that I try hard to support local businesses....and not just that, but those who I believe to be honest and ethical.

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Most of that was not aimed at you, so take no offense. You're right to support local merchants; it's when people start to claim that a particular store is "evil" and that your soul is in jeopardy for shopping there that it takes the ring of lunacy. Especially if they are not consistent in avoiding like businesses and companies.

As to protests, most I've seen lately were people claiming that Walmart would attract poor and undesirable people into the neighborhood. The last few I've seen built added hundreds of jobs to the local economy.

By all means, support local businesses if they have earned your trust. It's possible to shop in more than one store...

Edit: I can give a good example. I often buy building materials at Home Depot or Lowe's for the price, but go to a mom-and-pop hardware store for some things because the owner is knowledgeable about some technical things on which the others are clueless, and will often have hard-to-find parts and such. He does well because he has items the big chains don't carry, and he can give good advice on projects.

[daizymae]

Originally posted by Outshined+Sep 30 2005, 05:48 PM-->

As to protests, most I've seen lately were people claiming that Walmart would attract poor and undesirable people into the neighborhood. The last few I've seen built added hundreds of jobs to the local economy.

I wish I knew where to find a particular study that I read a few years ago. The outcome showed that intially, Walmart & Sam's Club increased the number of jobs in a community, but that over time, the unemployment rate went up as businesses closed. I can't remember any details, so I'm not stating any of this as fact....just my 2 cents.

<!--QuoteBegin-Outshined

@Sep 30 2005, 05:48 PM

Edit: I can give a good example. I often buy building materials at Home Depot or Lowe's for the price, but go to a mom-and-pop hardware store for some things because the owner is knowledgeable about some technical things on which the others are clueless, and will often have hard-to-find parts and such. He does well because he has items the big chains don't carry, and he can give good advice on projects.

I often shop this way as well.....but more so for "specialty" items rather than everyday items...but like you said, you're much more likely to receive advice and knowledge in a small business than you will in the large chains.....which, again, is part of the service you are paying for.

[k3n54n]

- Wal-Mart sales clerks made an average of $8.23 an hour—or $13,861 a year—in 2001. That's nearly $800 below the federal poverty line for a family of three. (Source: Business Week)

8.23 per hour, if full time, is more than $16,500. If part time, then it is unreasonable to expect a part time job to put one above the poverty line. Not all clerks support a family of three. In fact, I would expect that to be very rare. Most are there to supplement other family income, or to support a family of one.

- In Georgia, Wal-Mart employees are six times more likely to rely on state-provided health care for their children than are employees of any other large company. (Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Walmart has a practice of hiring people that most companies would avoid like the plague. Thank you, Walmart, for helping these welfare families.

- Reliance on public assistance programs in California by Wal-Mart workers costs the state's taxpayers an estimated $86 million annually. (Source: UC Berkeley Study)

California is a big state. $86 million is less than $3 per person. Most people will save more than ten dollars on every visit. Walmart is a bargain. Moreover, see my comments on the above. Walmart hires people who would otherwise be a larger burden on the welfare system, and helps get them productively into society.

- In the first decade after Wal-Mart arrived in Iowa, the state lost 555 grocery stores, 298 hardware stores, 293 building supply stores, 161 variety stores, 158 women's apparel stores, 153 shoe stores, 116 drugstores, and 111 men's and boys' apparel stores. (Source: Iowa State University Study)

That was a decade of change. Stores were changing. People became less willing to pay a premium price to go to a store with less selection. Those conditions were ripe for Walmart, and several other companies. The conditions were the end of a lot of marginal companies, whether or not Walmart came to town.

- Every year Wal-Mart purchases $15 billion worth of products from China. (Source: Washington Post)

Every four weeks, Walmart has sales in excess of $20 billion. Chinese products are a smaller part of the picture than I would have guessed.

- Today Wal-Mart uses over 3,000 Chinese factories to produce its goods—almost as many factories as it has stores in the U.S. (3,600). (Source: L.A. Times)

Is employing Chinese people evil? I am well aware that many companies are using Chinese factories, and the previous stat told me the volume of trade with China. I can't get my back up about it, though.

- All else being equal, U.S. counties where new Wal-Mart stores were built between 1987 and 1998 experienced higher poverty rates than other U.S. counties. (Source: Pennsylvania State University Study)]

Walmart builds in places where high prices are especially damaging. By providing better goods, better selection, and lower prices to the impoverished of this nation, they make the US a better place.

* This company runs ads featuring the United States flag and proclaims "We Buy American". In 2001 they moved their worldwide purchasing headquarters to China and are the largest importer of Chinese goods in the US, purchasing over $10 BILLION of Chinese-made products annually. Products made mostly by women and children working in the labor hell-holes China is famous for.

Wow! It is down from three points ago! I still don't hate China enough to be upset about this.

* Their average employee working in the US makes $15,000 a year, $7.22 per hour!

The pay is up, the salary is down! Happily, this time around, there is no mention of a family of three.

* These employees gross under $11,000 a year.

Taxes are outrageous. Can hardly blame Walmart for the tax rate, though.

* The company brags that 70% of their employees are full time, but fails to disclose that they count anyone working 28 hours a week or more as full time.

Walmart sounds like a better part-time job than a full time job. What is the problem?

* There are no health care benefits unless you have worked for the company for two years.

Health care is expensive, and these people have low net income, anyway. The cost of insurance would surely only decrease that income.

* With a turnover rate averaging above 50% per year, only 38% of their 1.3 million employees have health care coverage. -In California alone it's estimated that the taxpayers pay over $20 million annually to subsidize health care benefits for these employees who get none from this behemoth corporation.

Is that $20 million already counted in the $86 million? What are the other $68 million?

* According to a report by PBS's "Now" with Bill Moyer, their managers are trained in what government social programs are available for these"employees" to take advantage of so that the company can pass on those costs to you and me. It allows them to not only keep their $7 BILLION in annual profits, but to do so by substituting benefits they refuse to provide with benefits paid for with taxpayer dollars.

If we don't want government welfare to go to the people who are eligible for it, then let's change the rules on who is eligible, not complain about a company which cares so much for its employees.

* This company holds the record for the most suits filed against it by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A lawyer from "Business Week" (not exactly the bastion for supporting Labor) said, "I have never seen this kind of blatant disregard for the law." They had to pay $750,000.00 in Arizona for blatant discrimination against the disabled! The judge was so incensed that he also order them to run commercials admitting their guilt.

Big companies have lots of lawsuits filed against them. The fact they lost a court case in AZ doesn't distinguish them from any other company their size.

* The National Labor Relations Board has issued over 40 formal complaints against the corporation in 25 different states in just the past five years. The NLRB's top lawyer believed that their labor violations, such as Illegal spying on employees, fraudulent record keeping, falsifying time cards to avoid paying overtime, threats, illegal firings for union organizing etc., were so widespread that he was looking into filing a very rare national complaint against the company. (The company contributed $2,159,330.00 to GW Bush and the GOP in 2000 and 2002. The NLRB attorney was replaced when President Bush took office.).

Bush has been in office for five years, the lawsuits were filed over the last five years, and the lawyer was replaced when Bush came into office? Not easy to understand or believe this one.

* Nearly 1 MILLION women are involved in the largest class-action suit every filed against a corporation. Although women make up over 65% of this corporations work force only 10% of them are managers. The women who have become store managers make $16,400 a year LESS then the men.

I heard of this lawsuit a while back. What has come of it? I can readily imagine a variety of reasons for this to be true that have nothing to do with discrimination.

* The corporation took out nearly 350,000 life insurance policies on their employees. They did not tell the employees and then named the corporation as the beneficiary. They are now being sued by numerous employees, and although the corporation has stopped this practice of purchasing what is known as "Dead Peasant Policy's", a company spokesperson stated, "The company feels it acted properly and legally in doing this."

If an employee dies, the company faces some loss. They insured themselves against this loss. What is the problem? Is the thinking that they then had some employees killed to collect?

* They force employees to work after ordering them to punch out. In Texas alone this practice of "wage theft" is estimated to have cost employees $30 million per year. Wage theft or "off-the-clock" lawsuits are pending in 25 states. In New Mexico they paid $400,000.00 in one suit and in Colorado they had to pay $50 MILLION to settle one class-action case brought against them. In Oregon a jury found them guilty of locking employees in the building and of forcing unpaid overtime.

Some managers make mistakes. I hope the corporation took appropriate action.

* With 4,400 stores they practice "predatory pricing." They come into a community and sell their goods at below cost until they drive local businesses under. Once they have captured the market the prices go up.

The prices at Walmart are very low, and have been at every Walmart I have visited. I have not seen this action of prices going up.

* Locally owned and operated businesses put virtually all of their money back into the community which helps keep the local economies vibrant. This corporation ###### the money out of the local community, decreases wages and benefits and ships the profits out of state.

Walmart provides a huge stream of revenue to local governments, serves as an anchor for other businesses, and provides employment to many. I don't care if the people getting rich off this live in my state or in another.

* This company doesn't buy locally or bank locally. They replace three decent paying jobs in a community with two poorly paid "part-timers".

They replace three costly employees doing the exact same thing with two who get it done better and faster? Good for them! And of course they buy locally. I don't know where they bank, but I would presume they bank in many places, and it would be local to those places. Since my bank is from Washington, replacing the one from North Carolina, which bought the one from California, I hardly care if the store has a local account.

* In Kirksville, Missouri when this company came to town, four clothing stores, four grocery stores, a stationary store, a fabric store and a lawn-and-garden store all went under. Eleven businesses are now gone.

How many of those would have closed, anyway? How many would have closed because of other (non- walmart) competition? How many of them served their customers as well as walmart?

[Guest Member_Deleted]

Originally posted by k3n54n@Sep 30 2005, 06:59 PM

How many of those would have closed, anyway?  How many would have closed because of other (non- walmart) competition? How many of them served their customers as well as walmart?

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I like your thinking!!!

[daizymae]

Originally posted by k3n54n@Sep 30 2005, 06:59 PM

How many of those would have closed, anyway?  How many would have closed because of other (non- walmart) competition? How many of them served their customers as well as walmart?

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Really, there is no way to know....but I'd bet that they wouldn't have been as likely to close.

Do you really think you get great service at Walmart? It's a rare occasion when I go to Walmart and get a friendly "hello" when I walk in and a "thanks for shopping with us" when I leave. I hope your experience has been different.

One thing I will hand to Walmart is that they don't make me flash a fancy little card on my keychain to get my "savings".

[Guest Member_Deleted]

Originally posted by daizymae+Sep 30 2005, 08:25 PM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-k3n54n@Sep 30 2005, 06:59 PM

How many of those would have closed, anyway?  How many would have closed because of other (non- walmart) competition? How many of them served their customers as well as walmart?

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Really, there is no way to know....but I'd bet that they wouldn't have been as likely to close.

Do you really think you get great service at Walmart? It's a rare occasion when I go to Walmart and get a friendly "hello" when I walk in and a "thanks for shopping with us" when I leave. I hope your experience has been different.

One thing I will hand to Walmart is that they don't make me flash a fancy little card on my keychain to get my "savings".

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I guess your manager should be notified... because our walmarts are very friendly and helpful... I love it there...

[Heather]

I really like the greeters they have at the doors. I feel like I have grandparents again. And they always seem to remember our baby. Although we tend to always get a reaction with him because he has this massive amount of red curly hair, which I can't bring myself to cut.

[john doe]

I shop at Walmart for some items, but there are some things I won't buy from them. Their fresh produce is some of the worst in town, most of it looks and tastes old. I will go down the street to Harmons for groceries.

My wife used to buy all the kids' clothing there, because, clothes there are cheap, right? She found out that all those cheap clothes also fell apart faster than clothing bought at other stores, even if they were the same brands. She found that she wasn't saving money shopping there if she had to replace the stuff she bought there more often. So she decided to spend more money elsewhere for nicer and better clothes that lasted longer, and now she says she is actually ahead of what she saved at Walmart.

I will buy small electronics items there, but I won't buy large electronics there, probably just because of my personal preferences to having someone sell me a big ticket item who actually knows how to turn it on and will be able to give me some service if I need it.

Walmart has $8 an hour employees, and that's just about the kind of employee they will get as long as that's all they will pay. I used to work part-time for a large auto parts chain, and they share the same general philosophy. They don't pay their employees much, and they, in turn, don't generally get much for employees. The full-time employees are generally the kind of people who don't have the skills or brains to go out and get better jobs.

[Lindy]

Originally posted by seamusz+Sep 30 2005, 02:26 PM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-Outshined@Sep 30 2005, 02:59 PM

Let's not compare shopping at a paticular store with tithing, shall we? I dare say God does not care which retailer you do business with, nor is boycotting Walmart necessarily the "right" thing to do. Just because one person or group has an ax to grind against a retailer does not mean that it is right or that God is behind their actions.

It's a personal preference, nothing more.

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Well, I think that comparing "doing the right thing" with "doing the right thing" is a very valid comparison. Do you think that it is justifiable to shop at a store that is unethical a predatory just because they have better prices? It may surprise some, but doing the right thing goes beyond praying, reading your scriptures, and going to church. Some times it means making a stand that isn't easy.

I dare say that God cares a great deal that we try our darndest to use our income (all of which is a blessing from him) to frequent stores that do business ethically.

I hope that it is clear that this has nothing to do with personal preference and everything to do with doing the right thing.

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And I so agree!

You have to stand for something "or you'll fall for anything"

It has everything to do with "what's right"

But again, it's a personal choice......it's up to the individual to decide what's right and what's wrong for them.

[Guest Member_Deleted]

Originally posted by Lindy@Oct 1 2005, 06:03 AM

And I so agree!

You have to stand for something "or you'll fall for anything"

It has everything to do with "what's right"

But again, it's a personal choice......it's up to the individual to decide what's right and what's wrong for them.

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I agree also...

It also has something to do with being informed... otherwise people with an agenda will use persuasive biased stuff to sway you their way....

You can always find pleanty of argument for either side... so it comes down to the final thing...like you say Lindy... what works for you....

[Lindy]

Originally posted by Please@Oct 1 2005, 07:21 AM

I agree also...

It also has something to do with being informed... otherwise people with an agenda will use persuasive biased stuff to sway you their way....

You can always find pleanty of argument for either side... so it comes down to the final thing...like you say Lindy... what works for you....

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Please~

I AM informed....that's what I base my decision on

I just choose not to slam the company in public on this board is all.

[Guest Member_Deleted]

Originally posted by Lindy+Oct 1 2005, 08:26 AM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-Please@Oct 1 2005, 07:21 AM

I agree also...

It also has something to do with being informed... otherwise people with an agenda will use persuasive biased stuff to sway you their way....

You can always find pleanty of argument for either side... so it comes down to the final thing...like you say Lindy... what works for you....

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Please~

I AM informed....that's what I base my decision on

I just choose not to slam the company in public on this board is all.

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OHHHH! Well I still say there are lots of stories... and even proof for one store only... without more in the study... to compare to... I just can't feel that anyone is really informed...

[Lindy]

Originally posted by Outshined@Sep 30 2005, 03:12 PM

You know, if you want to discuss this, thats fine, but I don't think that personal insults have a place here.

Nor does fanatacism. I'm not the one saying God doesn't want you to shop at Walmart...

If you're honest, you know that almost all major businesses exploit others for gain; it's just become trendy to go after Walmart. Ironically, the only private companies I saw supply anything to the victims of Katrina were Walmart, Miller, and Anheuser-Busch. The latter two supplied water, while Walmart supplied food and many other goods for the victims.

Evil? Hmmmmmm.....

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Maybe that is because other companies don't make a major show of "look what we are doing"

I know for a fact that Target has done quite a bit to help the relief efforts. They just don't announce their company support with big trucks and banners.

[Outshined]

Originally posted by Lindy@Oct 2 2005, 12:57 AM

Maybe that is because other companies don't make a major show of "look what we are doing"

I know for a fact that Target has done quite a bit to help the relief efforts. They just don't announce their company support with big trucks and banners.

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I'm not speaking of banners; I'm talking about support I saw personally.

[Guest Member_Deleted]

Originally posted by Outshined+Oct 2 2005, 08:36 AM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-Lindy@Oct 2 2005, 12:57 AM

Maybe that is because other companies don't make a major show of "look what we are doing"

I know for a fact that Target has done quite a bit to help the relief efforts. They just don't announce their company support with big trucks and banners.

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I'm not speaking of banners; I'm talking about support I saw personally.

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Lindy maybe Walmart is having to make such announcement to counter the attacks they are receiving that target isn't receiving... be fair...

[Lindy]

Originally posted by Please@Oct 2 2005, 07:42 AM

Lindy maybe Walmart is having to make such announcement to counter the attacks they are receiving that target isn't receiving... be fair...

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Touchet! Never did think of it THAT way before

Here's a link for anyone interested in some of the things Target has done:

http://sites.target.com/site/en/corporate/...Id=PRD03-001048

:)

Oh, and Outshined...... I basically meant all the hoopla when I said banners...sorry, I was the only one who was thinking that ...and my fingers got the best of me......AGAIN! :)

[seamusz]

Sorry about not responding all weekend, I usually don't get online on the weekends.

Originally posted by Outshined@Sep 30 2005, 05:12 PM

Interesting "holier-than-thou" attitudes I see, but are you consistent? Do you wear Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Levi's, or any of a number of brand names? Do you shop at Kmart, Target, Lowe's, Home Depot, or any major pharmacy or gas station? If so, you're doing exactly what you claim to be against. It's all or nothing; don't preach against one while supporting the other.

If you can tell me that you only wear clothes made locally, buy food grown locally and drugs manufactured locally by small businesses, all with locall-manufactured materials, you have an argument. Otherwise you're practicing selective outrage. 

This is what I mean by fanatacism:

But if you feel good about shopping at walmart, by all means go ahead, I hear they have a really good price on your soul!!

I've met a lot of people with this mentality, but it's usually under Shari'a law.

Do you find it at all ironic that companies that have a negative image show their faces up at the most publicized charity effort of the year. Walmart did a good thing by going to help, but if you think that it was out of benevolence, you are crazy.

Thanks for the opinion (which I note is devoid of facts), but that's all it is; your opinion. Perhaps most ironic is that the companies who you perceive to have have a "negative image" were the most giving. That whole Samaritan thing, you know...

The hype that labels Walmart as "evil" is just a trendy bit, isn't it? Remember, if you buy from any of the above or other major retailer, you're just as guilty.

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hmmm... I missed the spot where I said I was perfect... I'll have to read back through

If you personally feel offended by what I had to say, that isn't my problem. Whether or not something is right or wrong has nothing to do with who says it. If a thief says that steeling is wrong, he is right. I, like Daizymae, am not a fanatic. I buy from Walmart on a rare occasion, when other options are not reasonable. But I strive to shop elsewhere because of two reasons:

1. I try to shop local businesses. In this I think that all big box stores are the same. Target and Walmart are equal culprits.

2. I have seen enough information from enough sources to convince me that Walmart does not deal ethically.

But really, I'm just relaying info that Walmart isn't ethical, I'm not trying to say that everybody must follow my example. Study this issue out on your own and then do what you think is right.

Finally, did you really refer to the beer companies as "good samaratains"??? What facts do you want? Walmart went, true. But it is my opinion (of which I think a great deal of ) that it is ridiculous to think that Walmart went to Katrina ravaged region out of benevolence. And the fact that beer companies were the other ones there too, I think supports that stance. (consider that more people die per year in alcohol related accidents than in the Katrina storm) But anyway, this is my opinion and you don't have to believe it if you don't want to. I don't care about trends, and I am not perfect in shopping for products that are entirely Made in America... but I try.

Originally posted by shanstress70@Sep 30 2005, 05:20 PM

I think you have a great point about Walmart's questionable business ethics, but you lose me at "I hear they have a really good price on your soul!!"  Sorry, but that's sounding a bit wacky.

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Sorry, dumb joke... thought someone would laugh.

Originally posted by Outshined+Sep 30 2005, 05:29 PM-->

<!--QuoteBegin-shanstress70@Sep 30 2005, 05:20 PM

I think you have a great point about Walmart's questionable business ethics, but you lose me at "I hear they have a really good price on your soul!!"  Sorry, but that's sounding a bit wacky.

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My point exactly, along with the fact that they have the same business model as most major retailers and manufacturers, so if you avoid one for moral reasons, you must avoid them all. B)

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OK, let me say this once more.... very clearly... Walmart engages in questionable ethics, not common to the business world, or at least many more than is common.

If I see or read of a reason, and am reasonably conviced that it is true, that another company is purposefully negligent of laws and is bad for the community, I will try to be active in avoiding them as well.

[Outshined]

Originally posted by seamusz@Oct 3 2005, 02:16 PM

OK, let me say this once more.... very clearly... Walmart engages in questionable ethics, not common to the business world, or at least many more than is common. 

If I see or read of a reason, and am reasonably conviced that it is true, that another company is purposefully negligent of laws and is bad for the community, I will try to be active in avoiding them as well.

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All I see is some posturing against a single retailer because you seem to be unaware that their business practices are widespread in retail and manufacturing. As I said, unless you avoid brand names and major retail chain stores, it's rather hypocritical to single out one and claim that it is "wrong" to shop there. It's a trend.

As for Walmart's (or anyone else's) motives for the assisitance they've given to the hurricane victims, it is of course your opinion, which I honestly don't give much weight on the subject.

Your stance on Walmart doesn't "offend" me; I simply consider it foolish.

hmmm... I missed the spot where I said I was perfect... I'll have to read back through

While you're at it, find the spot where I accused you of saying you were perfect...

[seamusz]

Originally posted by Outshined@Oct 3 2005, 02:47 PM

All I see is some posturing against a single retailer because you seem to be unaware that their business practices are widespread in retail and manufacturing. As I said, unless you avoid brand names and major retail chain stores, it's rather hypocritical to single out one and claim that it is "wrong" to shop there. It's a trend.  

As for Walmart's (or anyone else's) motives for the assisitance they've given to the hurricane victims, it is of course your opinion, which I honestly don't give much weight on the subject.

Your stance on Walmart doesn't "offend" me; I simply consider it foolish.

And, as I said, I try to avoid as much as I can shopping at big retailers. Really, I don't see why this is a conversation focused on me and my habits. I haven't seen evidence to show that other big businesses have the same unethical behavior as Walmart... perhaps you could pick out a retailer and demonstrate this?

I guess that its a trend because you say so?

hmmm... I missed the spot where I said I was perfect... I'll have to read back through

While you're at it, find the spot where I accused you of saying you were perfect...

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Interesting "holier-than-thou" attitudes I see, but are you consistent? Do you wear Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Levi's, or any of a number of brand names? Do you shop at Kmart, Target, Lowe's, Home Depot, or any major pharmacy or gas station? If so, you're doing exactly what you claim to be against. It's all or nothing; don't preach against one while supporting the other.

Did I read too much into that? If so I apologize.

Interesting to note that "all or nothing thinking" is a thinking error. It is not "all or nothing", of which I am very grateful.

We should all make efforts to support ethical businesses, and I think that Walmart is a good place to start that effort. If you think there is another good place to start, then do so.

[Outshined]

It's a trend because the bandwagon gang conveniently ignore the same business practices in so many other companies and agree to focus on the largest and most popular one, as if that makes it somehow worse.

If you haven't seen evidence of the same behavior in other retailers and manufacturers, you just aren't paying attention.

But hey, have fun with it.

[Guest Member_Deleted]

Originally posted by Outshined@Oct 3 2005, 03:41 PM

It's a trend because the bandwagon gang conveniently ignore the same business practices in so many other companies and agree to focus on the largest and most popular one, as if that makes it somehow worse. 

If you haven't seen evidence of the same behavior in other retailers and manufacturers, you just aren't paying attention.

But hey, have fun with it.

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OH YEAH! I so agree with that!

[Outshined]

I recommend you check out the resources on sweatshops and the companies that buy from them. Along with Walmart you'll find Kmart, Sears, Kohl's, Target, and JC Penney, among others.

Also, you'll find companies like Nike, Reebok, Levi's and others using such third-world sweatshops to make their goods.

Taking such a strong "moral" stand should involve more than just one company, don't you think?

[seamusz]

Originally posted by Outshined+Oct 3 2005, 03:41 PM-->

It's a trend because the bandwagon gang conveniently ignore the same business practices in so many other companies and agree to focus on the largest and most popular one, as if that makes it somehow worse.   

If you haven't seen evidence of the same behavior in other retailers and manufacturers, you just aren't paying attention.

But hey, have fun with it.

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I guess this is so just because you said it? It seems as if you are the one not paying attention...

<!--QuoteBegin-Please@Oct 3 2005, 03:49 PM

OH YEAH! I so agree with that!

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Big surprise there.