Wal-Mart...The Fourth Reich?

[sagegirl]

I was watching the CBS evening News on night when they reported a story on how China had given approval for Wal-Mart to make as many outlets as possible within their country. For some reason, that gave me the creeps.

Here in Tennessee, there are three towns that are going to the state's Supreme Court in hopes of blocking Wal-Mart's plan to build new outlets in their area.

This issue is going on in California, Texas and many other states.

Hmmm. Maybe we should had sent Wal-Mart to Iraq?

Tell me about your war against Wal- Mart.

I don't shop there on purpose.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Walmart bring a whole new standard of living to people who couldn't afford it, but libs, as always, fear cometition out of their own envy of the successfull and low self regard.

 

[sagegirl]

Where the hell do you live?

You shouldn't be afraid of them when they come to your area, they are much like Target.

If you live in a smaller community that has existed on the patronage of the locals and if the locals switch to wallyworld the small businesses go out of business. Im really surprised at some of you who hold that small business is such an important aspect of our economy (as to need tax cuts to survive)to support a corporation that is annihilating them.
I dont shop at walmart and Im proud of it.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

If you live in a smaller community that has existed on the patronage of the locals and if the locals switch to wallyworld the small businesses go out of business. Im really surprised at some of you who hold that small business is such an important aspect of our economy (as to need tax cuts to survive)to support a corporation that is annihilating them.
I dont shop at walmart and Im proud of it.

It's called progress. A progressive should understand this.

 

[pegwinn]

After painfully reading thru three pages of this I am dazed. WalMart anti-union? Me too. WalMart consorting with enemies of america? Not me. WalMart in the same league as MSoft? Juries out on that.

My son works at Walmart and I was really surprized at how militant they are. He started out pushing carts and earned a promotion to cashier and another to the layAway department. He gets semiannual counselings (Fitness Reports is the Jarhead term) and his raises (six so far in 18 months) are based on performance and seniority. His hours are tailored to allow him to get up to 40 hours per week during college time. He participates in a 401K and stock options. He has the option of health and dental insurance. If he has an issue with management, he is specifically given a process to go over the managers head (Jarheads call that Requesting Mast)

OTOH he is expected to know, understand, and apply the corporate policy for employees at his level. He will be written up and disciplined for failure to perform. There is a no bullshit, no overtime policy. Meaning that if he fails to clock out on time, its as big a gaffe as showing up late. Any customer service issue is considered his fault as even if the customer is wrong or unreasonable, he did *something* to cause the customer to *percieve* something was amiss.

Me, I think WM is just another store that competes like Conan the Barbarian. I like that, but some of what was written I will look out for.

 

[TheEnemyWithin]

I think libs hate Wal-Mart cause it's an example of free enterprise which goes against their socialist communist idears.

 

[j07950]

Good points.... but come to think of it... I have never been asked for ID whenever I used a credit card... ever.

I think that your idea is a very good one and would help to cut down on credit card theft immensely. Another, would be to have a photograph of the user on credit cards, Still another one would be to have a PIN on credit cards, so that even if they are stolen, they would be of little use.

I took a class on web security a few weeks ago. The fellow who taught it is a web security consultant plus a former employee of the NSA (National Security Agency), so I think that he knew what he was talking about.Apart from the technical stuff here is what I learned.

1. Online credit card transactions online are pretty much secure IF you see the "lock" icon at the bottom right hand corner of your browser (if you use Internet Explorer put your cursor on it and it should say "SSL Secured (128 bit)" . Mozilla Firefox will show a lock icon, too). Never, ever, ever do a credit card transaction without it. Stick with the big sites e.g. amazon.com and so forth, because they are pretty good about keeping your credit card number secure once they get them, but stay away from "mom and pop" websites. Apparently some of the smaller outfits will transmit your credit card number once they get them without bothering to encrypt the messages.

2. PayPal is pretty secure too and he seemed to think that was a good way of transmitting money in a secure fashion.

3. If you have Windows XP, upgrade to Service Pack 2. It has a lot of security features built in e.g. a firewall etc.

4. If you do online banking, or shopping, consider changing your passwords on a fairly regular basis (at least once a year). Good passwords are at least 6 characters long and combine letters with numbers. Don't use obvious ones like your user ID, girlfriend's name etc. I prefer to use a password generator to pick my passwords (a password generator is a program or website which generates a password for you, rather than having you pick one yourself). You might also want to stay away from using other obvious ones such as IAM2SEXY, too. If you've thought of it, chances are hackers already know about it.

5. I'm going to state the obvious here, if you don't have antivirus protection on your machine (and don't keep it up to date with regular upgrades).... you are asking for trouble. Consider it an insurance policy.

6. Keep up with the latest patches for your computer. Windows XP has a feature that does auto updates for you. Many times, hackers are able to break into your machine by exploiting flaws in your computer's operating system software. Flaws, which, have usually been fixed by patches.

7. One last thing... this is one of my suggestions. IMHO... Those free screensavers... stay away from them too. Many times they are full of spyware which tracks where you go on the web then transmits the information to third parties. The entire reason that they are free is because... well, they're invading your privacy for someone else's economic gain.

Do you guys really not have pin numbers on credit cards? Like in stores when you pay with a card you don't type in numbers?
I wasn't aware of this, because in France we've got pins which we need to remember in order to use our cards...This does make the theft of cards a bit pointless...

 

[hylandrdet]

I think libs hate Wal-Mart cause it's an example of free enterprise which goes against their socialist communist idears.

A communist nation welcomes Wal-Mart with open arms.

Based on what you're saying, China is either converting to capitalism or that Wal-Mart's system of business is in compliance with communist economics.

Remember my friend, Walmart is a grocery store, clothing retail store, hardware store, lawn and small pet sore, sporting goods store, gardening center, etc, etc, etc.

They have everything, therefore they can control their control their prices, thus forcing you to depend on them. Once their "low prices" run off the "mom and pop" stores, you'll be COMPLETELY depended on them. Years later, surprise! Prices start going up, because they'll have full economic control over you. That's not free enterprise; free enterprise is about allowing every business a fair chance to succeed.

What Wal-Mart is doing is the very heart and soul of communism.

Communism IS an ECONOMIC SYSTEM, not a political system. One central source, controlling all supplies and demands. Wal-Mart is a perfect fit for China's economic system.

The resistance that is taking place here involves the number of our precious, free enterprising "mom and pop" business, fighting to stay alive against Wal-Mart's economic empire. In a word, they're being ran out of business because they can't compete with Wal-Mart.

But don't worry my friend, I don't expect you to understand; for you're a conservative, it's in your nature; "It's YOUR problem until it becomes OUR problem".

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Based on what you're saying, China is either converting to capitalism or that Wal-Mart's system of business is in compliance with communist economics.

I believe the answer is choice 1.

Communism IS an ECONOMIC SYSTEM, not a political system.

Communism is political as well. If you believe all individuals have a right to engage in free trade and form a corporation, then a system which disallows corporations is a violation of these individual rights. That's political, my friend.

 

[hylandrdet]

I believe the answer is choice 1.


Communism is political as well. If you believe all individuals have a right to engage in free trade and form a corporation, then a system which disallows corporations is a violation of these individual rights. That's political, my friend.

I agree with you my friend, but our system also has laws restricting these "free enterprises" from becoming monopolies for a reason.

If you allow a corporation to become a monopoly, they'll control your prices. You'll find yourself paying $3.00 a pound for a whole chicken that's only worth $1. Why? Because the "Mom and Pops", who'd had the chickens sold at $1 a pound, were driven out.

Is this what you want?

 

[freeandfun1]

I agree with you my friend, but our system also has laws restricting these "free enterprises" from becoming monopolies for a reason.

If you allow a corporation to become a monopoly, they'll control your prices. You'll find yourself paying $3.00 a pound for a whole chicken that's only worth $1. Why? Because the "Mom and Pops", who'd had the chickens sold at $1 a pound, were driven out.

Is this what you want?

Wal-Mart is FAR from being a monopoly.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

I agree with you my friend, but our system also has laws restricting these "free enterprises" from becoming monopolies for a reason.

If you allow a corporation to become a monopoly, they'll control your prices. You'll find yourself paying $3.00 a pound for a whole chicken that's only worth $1. Why? Because the "Mom and Pops", who'd had the chickens sold at $1 a pound, were driven out.

Is this what you want?

Walmart is not a monopoly in any sector.

 

[pretender]

Walmart is not a monopoly in any sector.

Not yet

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Not yet

Let's not fear monger.

 

[hylandrdet]

Wal-Mart is FAR from being a monopoly.

That's because the fight to keep them from becoming a monopoly is winning.

 

[manu1959]

That's because the fight to keep them from becoming a monopoly is winning.

no that is because target and kolls and cost co exist

 

[manu1959]

I agree with you my friend, but our system also has laws restricting these "free enterprises" from becoming monopolies for a reason.

If you allow a corporation to become a monopoly, they'll control your prices. You'll find yourself paying $3.00 a pound for a whole chicken that's only worth $1. Why? Because the "Mom and Pops", who'd had the chickens sold at $1 a pound, were driven out.

Is this what you want?

funny thing about your argument....when they broke up some monopolies...quality dropped and prices went up....see pac bell/att....us steel...pg+e

 

[Annie]

funny thing about your argument....when they broke up some monopolies...quality dropped and prices went up....see pac bell/att....us steel...pg+e

Let's not even get started on the Bell System, well you are too young for that.

 

[manu1959]

Let's not even get started on the Bell System, well you are too young for that.

thanks but i am 45 i remember the bell system...at+t was great...

 

[Annie]

thanks but i am 45 i remember the bell system...at+t was great...

LOL then USA is too young for you! :teeth: Bell system would have been so much cheaper! They were quick to update with tech, so I think that argument wouldn't hold, though no way to 'prove' it.