This depressing animated map shows Walmart taking over America

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

My not knowing about uppity being a derogatory term for blacks may be ignorance, but leaving a car running in a closed garage is beyond ignorance. It's beyond a lack of common sense. It's just plain dumb.

Or suicidal. That used to be a popular way to end one's life.

[Teddy B 17,252]

It is almost a given. My wife is getting her HR certificate, so I get to help her with her homework. Who knew a "Statement of Ethics" is par for a large corporation, or any organization, for that matter? I learned that just couple weeks ago. I was disappointed, to say the least, to learn that corporations are not the ruthless blood sucking leeches Hollywood always told me they were.

VJ also has an extensive statement of ethics. Problem is, no one is really sure what they are.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Teddy B

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Everyone is part of the chain. They may not be able to outsource the gal stocking the shelves, but if that gal becomes union, prices go up, sales go down, people lose jobs. And let's be honest, there are no real job skills involved in stocking shelves, a company like Walmart can fire anyone who threatens to join a union and have their jobs filled within a week.

I used to work in grocery retail (early 80's to mid 90's) back in the Phoenix metro area with Fry's Food Stores, which was part of Kroger at the time. We were under the UFCW union, Local 99. I knew many good, hard working people who managed to own a home, have a couple of cars and take vacations. We had BC/BS insurance with no premiums - just copays. We were paid overtime, Sundays time and a half, Holiday pay. If you were full time, after 5 years, you were vested into their pension. This was in a right-to-work state, and politically a conservative state.

My point is that retail jobs can pay livable wages and still remain competitive. They don't have to raise their prices to the point that nobody will shop there (look at Whole Foods). In fact, there was a trend just over a decade ago of grocery chains making some of their stores more 'trendy' to cater to the more upscale shoppers (Pavilians in California, for example). This idea that consumers won't buy or patron businesses with higher prices is a falsehood. Not everyone goes running to Walmart because they can buy a dollar toilet brush made in China. Consumers want quality and they want fair prices. Many of them in fact are more than willing to pay a little more so that the workers can earn a livable wage.

[Peikko 1,575]

Walmiart has its place in the retail industry. Last time I heard it was #1. It's an American company founded by a real American who liked guns and liked to hunt. It was started to help people get goods for a fair price. It has grown into the largest retailer on the planet, and to millions of people it helps them provide things their family needs. Many in American can't afford to shop at Neiman Marcus.

You buy the hype, that's your prerogative but the facts are that Walmart does not so much fill a need as create a need to be filled. Poor people do not need to be patronized by people suggesting they are completely incapable of making good purchasing decisions. Walmart sells a lot of trash, a lot of 'food' that is nothing more than empty calories in a can. Poor people are not universally stupid and it's not just poor people that shop at Walmart, it's people that buy because they see 'bargain' rather than they set out to buy something good, wholesome or useful. I don't buy at Walmart, not because I am a snob, that would be stupid, but because I am capable of seeing that what they sell is for the most part undesirable. They are not the only store that sells undesirable, useless products but they specialise in it, most stores sell some good products amongst the ####### and some sell ####### amongst good products. I go to those stores and of course, specialist shops and farmers markets. why people defend Walmart as if it's some special, untouchable place is beyond me but of course you can if you want.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

We should start a movement and do our best with flyers and websites and stuff to get people to file lawsuits against their employers for unfair treatment and unfair pay. When all the rich people see it, they will get really scared. So much so that they will pay us more money and buy us big homes in exotic places. Who's with me. Let's do this!

Edited March 12, 2014 by ExExpat

[Karee 4,190]

I used to work in grocery retail (early 80's to mid 90's) back in the Phoenix metro area with Fry's Food Stores, which was part of Kroger at the time. We were under the UFCW union, Local 99. I knew many good, hard working people who managed to own a home, have a couple of cars and take vacations. We had BC/BS insurance with no premiums - just copays. We were paid overtime, Sundays time and a half, Holiday pay. If you were full time, after 5 years, you were vested into their pension. This was in a right-to-work state, and politically a conservative state.

My point is that retail jobs can pay livable wages and still remain competitive. They don't have to raise their prices to the point that nobody will shop there (look at Whole Foods). In fact, there was a trend just over a decade ago of grocery chains making some of their stores more 'trendy' to cater to the more upscale shoppers (Pavilians in California, for example). This idea that consumers won't buy or patron businesses with higher prices is a falsehood. Not everyone goes running to Walmart because they can buy a dollar toilet brush made in China. Consumers want quality and they want fair prices. Many of them in fact are more than willing to pay a little more so that the workers can earn a livable wage.

I used to be able to smoke on airplanes back then as well. I could drink a beer cruising down the highway and it was perfectly legal. I miss the good ol days.

[lostinblue 1,989]

I used to be able to smoke on airplanes back then as well. I could drink a beer cruising down the highway and it was perfectly legal. I miss the good ol days.

I use to be able to buy an AK-47 without any hassle ... sure miss the good ol days also.

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

It's important to keep up to date with words and phrases that may offend others. The list includes:

2004: Master/Slave computer jargon – LA County re-labels computer documentation to remove this alleged slur that has been used for decades describing computer hierarchies.

I was called out in a meeting for using the master/slave jargon when describing an old system using UUCP....

Twice I've been "talked to" for entries in configuration tables.. One was for a series of queues where there were three possible states "M" "P" and "S" - when we moved from a satellite network to a much faster network thery had no point in exisiting so I enabled all the properties in all the queues.. Years later when there was a problem we had a good 40 people in the meeting while tracking down the problem I pulled up the configuration table and there was that solid entry for every queue going down the screen "PMS" "PMS" - after the meeting I received a call and was asked to change it to MSP or PSM or something less suggestive.

The other time was software written to track WIC payments.. I am sure most of you know WIC is short for "Women Infants Children" - when naming application IDs we were allowed only two letters for the application and "WC" was already taken so I abbreviated the WIC part to "NM" (for Not Men - which is the same thing as WIC if you think about it) Same thing happened where there was a problem and a bunch of people where watching us online trying to fix it and someone asked "What is the NM stand for in the table listing?" .. oooh.. it has since been change is WI

Edited March 12, 2014 by OnMyWayID

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I used to be able to smoke on airplanes back then as well. I could drink a beer cruising down the highway and it was perfectly legal. I miss the good ol days.

You're missing the point - retailers can and do pay decent wages (see Costco) while remaining profitable. If there's something that makes that impossible for Wal-Mart to do, do explain.

[Karee 4,190]

You're missing the point - retailers can and do pay decent wages (see Costco) while remaining profitable. If there's something that makes that impossible for Wal-Mart to do, do explain.

Sure. Costco charges between $55 and $110 a year just to shop there.

I agree with you, Wal-Mart is horrible. Like I said, I don't even shop there. Apparently people seem to like shopping at horrible places. Birds of a feather I guess.

[lostinblue 1,989]

You buy the hype, that's your prerogative but the facts are that Walmart does not so much fill a need as create a need to be filled. Poor people do not need to be patronized by people suggesting they are completely incapable of making good purchasing decisions. Walmart sells a lot of trash, a lot of 'food' that is nothing more than empty calories in a can. Poor people are not universally stupid and it's not just poor people that shop at Walmart, it's people that buy because they see 'bargain' rather than they set out to buy something good, wholesome or useful. I don't buy at Walmart, not because I am a snob, that would be stupid, but because I am capable of seeing that what they sell is for the most part undesirable. They are not the only store that sells undesirable, useless products but they specialise in it, most stores sell some good products amongst the ####### and some sell ####### amongst good products. I go to those stores and of course, specialist shops and farmers markets. why people defend Walmart as if it's some special, untouchable place is beyond me but of course you can if you want.

The liberal elite ... know that the people simply cannot be trusted; that they are incapable of just and fair self-government; that left to their own devices, their society will be racist, sexist, homophobic, and inequitable -- and the liberal elite know how to fix things. They are going to help us live the good and just life, even if they have to lie to us and force us to do it. And they detest those who stand in their way."

- A Nation Of Cowards, by Jeffrey R. Snyder

[spookyturtle 9,465]

This is America. You don't have to shop at Walmart or work there, your choice. Walmart is a business, last time I checked the majority of businesses exist to make a profit and satisfy shareholders. Theoretically, any business operating in the black could charge less for their products/services and pay their employees more money. If Walmart had trouble attracting workers, they'd have to pay better. Obviously this is not the case. When people quit working there and quit shopping there, things will change. Most entry level retail jobs don't pay well. Check out Macy's, Kohls, Target, etc. If it was so easy to get a better paying job, nobody would work at Walmart. And there are things that are sold there that are cheaper than they are anywhere else. Don't like it, don't shop there.

[Karee 4,190]

Don't like it, don't shop there.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I think they call that the law of supply and demand. Laws are truthier than theories, like evolution or conjectures, like anthropogenic global warming.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

You buy the hype, that's your prerogative but the facts are that Walmart does not so much fill a need as create a need to be filled. Poor people do not need to be patronized by people suggesting they are completely incapable of making good purchasing decisions. Walmart sells a lot of trash, a lot of 'food' that is nothing more than empty calories in a can. Poor people are not universally stupid and it's not just poor people that shop at Walmart, it's people that buy because they see 'bargain' rather than they set out to buy something good, wholesome or useful. I don't buy at Walmart, not because I am a snob, that would be stupid, but because I am capable of seeing that what they sell is for the most part undesirable. They are not the only store that sells undesirable, useless products but they specialise in it, most stores sell some good products amongst the ####### and some sell ####### amongst good products. I go to those stores and of course, specialist shops and farmers markets. why people defend Walmart as if it's some special, untouchable place is beyond me but of course you can if you want.

I don't buy any hype, I stated the facts. Walmart sells the same over the counter drugs as CVS, etc. At a much better price. Ditto for razor blades, toothpaste, soap etc. For people of any income level, a dollar saved is a dollar earned. Walmart also sells a lot of the same food as your local supermarket, often for a cheaper price. I would be willing to bet that you buy many products that Walmart does sell and you pay more for them. Free choice.

I think they call that the law of supply and demand. Laws are truthier than theories, like evolution or conjectures, like anthropogenic global warming.

Don't get Steven started on global warming again.