For those of you who have gotten interested in this week's topic- the "New Economy" and Wal-Mart, I provide here a number of links, and I will expect that all of you post to this one. First NPR has a series that predates the Frontline report that we are watching in class. Jon Stewart comments as always. The map above show the relative weight of the countries where Wal-Mart products originate. Please answer the question "Is WalMart good for America?".
46 comments:
From a purely economics standpoint, I have to admire the brilliance of Walmart as a company. That being said, I detest everything that it stands for. People that shop there just to save a few bucks are narrow minded and selfish. They are hurting millions of other businesses and workers by shopping only at Walmart. Everything is nice and good as long as Walmart isn't affecting you. Just look at what the people who have lost their jobs because of Walmart say. I would not shop at Walmart because even though it's helping me, its hurting countless others. We can't keep shopping there just because it is convienient to us while it destroys others. Slavery was a pretty convinient money-saver if you were white, but that doesn't mean it was right.
Pierces comparison is brilliant. but at the same time i disagree with the fact that people shop at wal-mart because they're "narrow minded and selfish", not to mention cheap. Its really just a matter of human nature, a matter that wal-mart knows well, and exploits everyday. In order to bring down wal-mart, you would have to brainwash people into thinking that paying 3 dollars for a refridgerator isnt as good as paying 20 to 50 dollars for one. The principle of cheaper prices being more attractive to the buyer is the idea our economy runs on, is it not? Also, mr rood, in your opinion, what could happen to our economy or even our country if this Wal-mart domination continues?
I am really quite bamboozled by the abundance of Wal-Mart information we have been exposed to this week. Why would such a company be praised for 'great accomplishments' when all it really does is put others out of business and treat its own employees with little compassion? Why do over a million people work for Wal-Mart when their wages are low, their benefits are minimal, and they are not offered over-time? I was also surprised to see that Wal-Mart has control over other large vendors such as Sam's Club (they really are taking over). I can now say I'm proud that I've never been to a Wal-Mart!
Pierce is right about Wal-Mart hurting a lot of people and their businesses, but it is not fair to say that everyone who shops there is selfish and should stop shopping there. Yes, Wal-Mart is monopolizing the foreign market by selling things at ridiculously cheap prices, but that's what Americans want. Wal-Mart isn't just destroying people's lives it is also creating other jobs and other opportunities for people by expanded business across the country and selling items cheaply. Creative destruction is the best term to use for it, because it has advantages and disadvantages. Would America be better off if so many new technologies that we rely on today hadn't put some people out of business initially? I'm not saying their intentions are altruistic, because they are in it for the money, I'm sure. But economics and business are amoral and to say that they are purely evil is just as wrong as saying the people that they put out of jobs don't matter. P.S. I really hope this extensive blog cancels out the times when i space out during your class accidentally.
WalMart is both helping and hindering our economy. On one hand, it is lowering prices and making many things more affordable. On the other, it is causing many independent companies to either sell out to the Wal or go out of business. Some people argue that even though people are being laid off, it will be helpful in the long-run because of "Creative Destruction". However, many workers are unable to find other jobs and, ironically, end up working at WalMart. Now instead of being paid $15 or $16 an hour at their factory, workers have a sub-standard salary and no longer have the benefits they may have had at their old job.
I feel like Wal Mart is so business savy that it is scary. To see the people in the movie at the convention be that happy to work at a company like Wal Mart is incrediable. The hard work and happiness of the workers is deffinetly a key to there success. It also doesnt hurt that they are practically linked to millions of workers in china who produce cheap goods. I however, still do not think it is good for America. Because the Wal Mart monster destoys local business' and pretty much the american dream.
It’s funny to hear that the company that was once not taken seriously is now one of the most successful and powerful companies. The technology of Wal-Mart is so advanced that it makes me wonder if all businesses used these technologies would they all be so much more successful. So Wal-Mart says they are all about the customer and that’s what makes them so successful but any sensible person is going to treat their customers well because they want them to come back to there store. I think it’s more then there happy go lucky attitude and morning cheer that makes them successful. Low prices draw people in but like the video we watched in class said not all items in the store are the lowest price in town, so is Wal-Mart really ripping us off?
If asked if Wal-Mart is good for America, I would say most definitely NO. Yes there are many reasons why it is an economically successful company, and there are many economic reasons why it is very attractive to consumers and very detrimental to many workers and firms. Yet I would like to stress the moral issues. First of all, just looking at the inside of a Wal-Mart on the television makes me want to vomit. Imagining all the millions of people who shop in that place monthly makes me wonder about the integrity of America and the hope of a better future. There is something to be said for intimacy, service, and quality, things provided by more localized companies. Just plain price cuts don’t cut it for me. I care about how I feel when I am done with a business transaction, and I’d rather not be left with a headache from artificial air and light and a sad heart from the display of disgusting consumerism that is taking over our world. I’ll pay a little extra for satisfaction. The government should make everyone read Walden. Thoreau must be turning over in his grave. Plus, half the crap in that place I can’t imagine people even wanting, never mind needing. The whole thing is completely ridiculous and makes me mad.
That said, if people want to buy totally useless junk at LOW prices and be brainwashed by huge companies, and other people want to work at a place like that and probably get cancer from the combination of the light, the air, and the scanning machines, and foreigners want to work for almost nothing to stock our shelves, and managers and advertisers want to destroy the integrity of the American culture, then I don’t see how anyone can argue against Wal-Mart. The owners are just out there to make a profit, and they are doing a damn good job at it. That’s capitalism, and I love capitalism. I don’t mean to bash the system, because it works perfectly. It’s just the people that seem a little off-track. If that’s what people want, or are willing to put up with, then that’s what the system will deliver. I’m sorry if anyone likes Wal-Mart, I really don’t mean to be offensive. I just think that our moral values are falling apart if a company like that is the most successful thing ever. I wouldn’t want to stop people from buying what they want, doing the jobs they want, and selling what they want. I just wish they wanted something different. All I know is that I sure as hell will stay clear of stores like that.
Sam's Club is the warehouse version of WalMart. Founded by Sam Walton.
Ben, we would have alot of crap that we never knew we wanted, a lower price level, stagnant wages and a negative savings rate to go with a whopping trade deficit. But that would never....hey wait!
Spencer, good blog, but wake up in class.
Overall, I think Walmart is bad for America. Walmart is becoming way too powerful, and it's only interested in profit, it cares nothing about the American people. If the relationship between retailers and companies can change, then couldn't the relationship between consumers and companies change? If Walmart continues taking over, it could almost become a monopoly. Then Walmart would be deciding what we buy and at what price just as it calls the shots with retailers. Walmart needs to be stopped before it consumes all other stores, and all other options for us.
When looking at Wal-Mart's sheer economic power and growth, it seems that this company is centered on dominating the economy, both domestically and globally. And though people may argue that prices are lower and the American consumer benefits from Wal-Mart, can we really say that domination of a whole economic sphere by a single company is good for America? Biology teaches us that genetic diversity is of prime importance to evolution and life as a whole, because if an epidemic breaks out, there is a greater chance that certain creatures will be able to survive, whereas if a population is genetically identical, the same epidemic could create mass extinction. And thus, Wal-Mart's domination cannot be proclaimed beneficial for American Society and the American Consumer. If we keep relying on Wal-Mart for all of our consumer needs, pretty soon we will become dependant on Wal-Mart, and then we will be subject to any of its future whims. And if we'll rely on Wal-mart so much, what will happen if the company gets into problems or goes bankrupt? And can that good for America? In the end, I think that we must look at the forces that Wal-Mart is imposing on the economy, and at 2 percent of the GDP, I think we must be wary. And though Wal-Mart may seem so great today for the frugal shopper, the future perhaps is not covered in Rollbacks. It is a personal decision whether Wal-Mart is good for you, but as for its good to America, all I can say is that I would still prefer to get my veggies at the farm stand.
But those 79 cent jack-o-lanterns- WOW!
It is always nice to save a few extra dollars at Wal-Mart, but is it nice that Wal-Mart would probably take over the economy? At the end Wal-Mart would most likely be producing everything from cars to pencils, if people keep shooping there. The economy needs competition and a vast number of business, not only one that provides everything.
I hate Wal-mart and I'm sick of hearing about it. Wal-Mart should be praised for the progress it has made and the large profits it has earned. But Wal-Mart should be condemned for many reasons. Yeah its great that they employ over a million people but they are also responsible for a lot of people being unemployed. Wal-Mart's everyday low prices are possible because of its use of cheaper foriegn goods. With these prices so low small businesses around Wal-Mart are forced to close because they can not compete; it is almost like cut throat competition. The most disgusting part about Wal-Mart is those freakish, cult-like pep rallies. The fact that middle aged people are willing to participate in that dance/chant with the squiggle thing makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit then accidently swallowing it. If I did that everyday I went to work I'd have a real hard time respecting myself and even living. I'd rather eat pastrami on rye with EXTRA MAYO than participate in that chant. And as we learned, that is the biggest "no-no" in the sandwhich industry. And Novalee Nation disgusts me because Wal-Mart certainly does not have any heart.
yeah... that was another where the heart is reference (chuckle).
Any one organization that has this much power and influence is not a good thing. Walmart's monopoly, combined with its blatant indifference for the further development of the American economy, obviously are a problem. Not only does Walmart get a majority of its products from China and other countries with cheap labor, but it is also indirectly forcing many other companies unnassociated with Walmart to go overseas. Also, the fact that businessmen claim to have been to meetings with Walmart in which Walmart demands they lower their prices, even just by one cent, shows how they've taken it too far. Its one thing to try to provide the lowest prices, and another to intentionally run companies out of business in the process. Is there really that much a difference between a $.78 and $.79 Jack-o-lantern? Obviously its maximizing Walmart's profits, and its from this obsession that Walmart has been so successful, but the detriments to the overall US economy outweigh Walmart's individual benefits. Then there's also the fact that not all the prices are the lowest possible- that's just used to grab people's attention and draw them into buying something that's actually overpriced. This obvious hypocrisy shows that Walmart is not at all concerned with 'lowering the overall US price level,' or 'raising the American standard of living,' as it claims it has done- it just wants to make as much money as possible by destroying American-based companies, using cheap business tactics, and paying employees as little as possible. A respectable company? Not really.
Very thoughtful.
Can I ask what novalee nation is and why you have such an aversion to Mayo, Matt?
nope not a fan of wal mart. and i dont think its doing anything good that isnt undermining the United States at the same time. they offer lower prices yet they buy from china and put american made plants out of work. they are employing over a million people but at the wages (daily show video says 12k for starting salery/year) your not really going to be able to afford to go and buy things anywhere else then wal mart. and they are getting rid of the originality in america they are putting the good old mom and pop shops which all had different 'stuff' in them out of business and putting up a wal mart which is nearly identical to the one the next town over up. with maybe the exception of where the toy isle is they all have them same 'stuff' and the stores. i mean i work iin a mom and pop shop and i like it if i had to work in some wal mart i would just go move deeper into the woods and shoot things when im hungry insted of going by the set hunting/fishing seasons that we have.
Economically Wal-Mart is a successful company but I believe that financially it is ruining lives of many americans. With the Wal mart monopoly controlling many financial aspects of the United States including most of its imports and the countries which produce the goods that are imported in to the United States you would think that the company would be less financially devastating to the American population. Minimum wage jobs in their chain stores around the country are devastating to most americans who have been laid off from their companys which originally supplied goods to these chain stores. A job is part of ones way of life, it relates to their everyday activity, income, and family relations. If you remove someone from their job that their father, grandfather etc. did and then putting them in a job that is minimum wage and without benefits then you are ruining these peoples jobs
for being such a wealthy company wal-mart is being really cheap towards its employees. wal mart seems to do what every they can the cheapest way possible, ex. they pay a low salary and they use china for manufacturing. its scarry how wal marts monopoly affects the economy and how much power they have.
Wal-Mart is economically brilliant but at the same time it is socially crippling. To the mom and pop shops of america wal-mart is an unmerciful juggernaut. It has the power to take out anything and everything standing in its way to get at a profit. This is absolutely horrible for the american worker but at the same time it is wonderful for the consumer. The rich are getting richer at the expense of everyone else and wal-mart is a perfect example of that. Now that wal-mart is trying to cut back full time workers in favor of more part time workers it shows that wal-mart doesn't really care about the people it employs. Is this good for America? Absolutely not.
Living where we do, not experiencing the full effects of Wal-Mart's dominance, it is hard to understand the firsthand effects that it leaves on the people. In the Frontline report, we learn that because of Wal-Mart's extreme low prices, the employees of American based buisnesses are losing their jobs. Where does this leave the thousands of Americans for work? Wal-Mart. Most of these people don't want to take jobs at Wal-Mart not only because Wal-Mart put them out of buisness, but also because Wal-Mart offers minimum wage with no benefits. I say that Wal-Mart is not helping America. It supplies us with poor quality goods, that were produced cheaply in China, and as stated in the video, Wal-mart's prices are not always the guaranteed lowest.
I think Wal-Mart has mastered there goal. Wal-Mart makes it easy for shoppers to find everything they need in one place at seeming low prices. sounds amazing for the consumer at the basic level, but while being able to house so many products under one roof at “everyday low prices” has proven to require importation of a large percentage of their available products which has caused factories to go out of business and workers to loose their jobs. The import to export ratio is far from being equal. As a country we’re not making money from exporting and the money we have is being spent on foreign products. As much as I like their Wal-Mart pep rallies and all those “squigglies” I give Wal-Mart a thumb and a half down.
Wal-Mart is an economic genius since it makes large profits by convincing people that its prices save you money. I'll admit that since I live in the Hamptons it is sometimes nice to buy cheap stuff at Wal-Mart. However, I feel that Wal-Mart isn't good for our economy. The low prices may seem great but since Wal-Mart is taking away customers from other businesses it allows them to administer low wages. Since workers are losing their jobs and being forced to take lower wage Wal-Mart jobs the standard of living is decreasing. Yes, that washing machine is cheap, but now wages are also low so the washing machine now takes more work to buy. Why does Wal-Mart pay their employees so low? It is simply because they can. Wal-Mart is seeking to maximize profit so they will pay the lowest possible amount to acquire employees. American society encourages people to pursuit their dreams. To me it seems that Wal-Mart is taking away a great amount of them. Small businesses' futures, despite how intelligent the owner is, are doomed as Wal-Mart's power grows. Small businesses aren't given a chance to succeed because Wal-Mart will take away their customers making failure inevitable.
economically speaking, wal mart is dominating. its basically taking over the world and its end doesnt seem to be insight. but is that really good for our economy in the long run? our economy thrives on competition not monopolization. so in the grand scheme of things, wal mart is not good for america.
When asked if Wal-Mart is good for America I would have to answer with an adamant yes. Wal-Mart has made its success by being the best company at Supply-Chaining ever. It is because Wal-Mart has constructed the most efficient supply-chain in the world that it has been able to out compete all of its competitors by delivering products at the lowest prices. By delivering products at lower prices Wal-Mart effectively increases the income of those who shop there. This increase in income makes those consumers have more disposable income to spend on other goods and services, which will in essence increase aggregate demand. This increase in demand will spark the development of new jobs, not just in China but in America too. This is all part of the process of creative destructionism in which some jobs and businesses are lost but more efficient ones are created. This is one reason why Wal-Mart gets a bad reputation because it is relatively easy to measure the number of jobs lost because of Wal-Mart, while it is more difficult to measure the thousands upon thousands of jobs that Wal-Mart has created.
Wal-Mart has also been accused of causing the outsourcing and off-shoring manufacturing to China. While it is true that Wal-Mart does receive a large number of its products from China, Wal-Mart has in the past tried to keep production in the United States, excerpted from The World is Flat “‘We are much better off if we can buy merchandise in the United States’ said David Glass Wal-Mart’s CEO from 1988-2000 ‘We would pay more to buy it here because the manufacturing facilities in those towns would create jobs for all those people who shopped in our stores’” This is evident in the fact that when the company Sanyo planned to close down its factory in the US and move it to China and Mexico, Wal-Mart persuaded them to keep the factory in the US agreeing to buy their televisions only if the did not relocate outside the US.
Another practice of Wal-Mart’s that has currently come under criticism is the treatment of its employees. The lack of Health Care and other such benefits provided to Wal-Mart employees is not exactly a “nice” or “worker friendly” policy, but these things are not required and an employee knows that they will not receive such things when they apply for that job. This brings me to another point; no one is forced to work at Wal-Mart. As bad as Wal-Mart may treat their workers, those workers still choose to work there, there is no one standing there with a gun to and employee’s head telling them that they have to work there. So if Wal-Mart can reduce benefits and wages given to employees and still have a work force large enough to run its 3000 or so stores then let them do it. If their practices become so atrocious that no one wants to work their anymore, or people will no longer shop there and condone such behavior then Wal-Mart will either have to change their ways, or go out of business.
I guess Wal-Mart is not technically doing anything illegal in taking over the economy and therefore the government can't do anything to stop them. But Wal-Mart has absolutely no morals and can do whatever they want because they know that their low prices are irrestistible to the American people. The only way to stop Wal-Mart is for people to stop shopping there, but this is difficult because most people think Wal-Mart is good for them. They don't realize that by shopping at Wal-Mart for their consumer needs instead of at the little stores on Main Street, people are putting their brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, friends, and everyone else in their town out of business. People are ruining their own local economies all over America by choosing to support Wal-Mart instead. Although Wal-Mart provides 1 million+ crappy jobs, they are ruining even more in the process. Wal-Mart says it is improving living standards in America, but it keeps the majority of its employees below poverty level and without medical insurance and benefits(approx. 775,000). As a result, a big chunk of its workforce has to seek assistance from the Medicare and Medicaid public health care systems, which puts responsibility on all American taxpayers. Wal-Mart is also increasing its part-time work force to 40 percent, and expects its employees to be ready to work any shift, 24/7. Wal-Mart's cutthroat policies and extremely cheap treatment towards its workers is not good for America. At all.
ps- Mr. Rood: Novalee Nation is a rather classy woman in the cinematic masterpiece "Where the Heart Is" who gives birth to her child in a Wal-Mart.
Does it really matter at all if WalMart makes it hard for other companies to survive in the market. I'm sure we all know that competition is a key element in business and WalMart is just an execellent competitior. Now is it good for America? Well if by America we mean the people then I would say yes. Shopping at a place where you can save a ton of money is what every buyer wants. Now for the people that work at a WalMart, well yyes they don't get good pay and not such good benefits if any idk, but remember that was thier decision to work at a WalMart, and if they were forced to work there because there's no other businesses around well though luck that's life. But one other thing is that WalMart is helping deminish the middle class and increasing the gap between the poor and rich buy making the rich rich and keeping the poor that probably work for WalMart, poor. Is this economicly good for America? Absolutly not, so do I think WalMart's good for America? Negative.
Wal-mart is a good company economically. But i feel that Wal-mart is NO good for America. Although it employs many Americans it is very cheap with its pay and has minimal benefits for its workers. Wal-marts low prices are good for the American consumers but the extremely harmful to the American competition. It puts many of the little businesses out of business by reducing its shelf space for those who are unwilling to meet the low priced items Wal-mart demands. By forcing American businesses to close down Wal-mart is the reason for many people to be laid off and forced to work for almost half of what they used to. This pay cut triggers a chain reaction and continues negatively effecting people and forcing the people laid off BECAUSE of Wal-mart to buy into Wal-mart because the prices are low enough to afford. Wal-mart is a great business for the economical stand point but for America it is no good.
WalMart is a near-monopolistic monster! I am shocked by fact that it employs more workers than the US Army enlists soldiers, and that it adds a new store every DAY. While they claim that rising early (the parking lot of the headquarters is full by 7am) and their rural roots are responsible for WalMart's sucess, I think it is more the result of their attention to detail, especially on the regional level. The way they decide how much powder or liquid laundry detergent to stock, depending on geographic region, is ingenious. Also, despite our collective view of the daily cheer to be slightly terrifying and cultish, it seems to be working for them and their overwhelming amount of employees.
While I find WalMart's strategies amazing and ingenious, I do not think that WalMart is good for America. It robs other businesses by driving prices so low that even other huge corporations cannot compete, let alone microscopic mom-and-pop stores. And of course they can offer "Everyday Low Prices" since the bulk of their products are produced using cheap labor in China. In short, WalMart is a near-monopolistic force to be reckoned with, and one that I feel is not good for this country, and likely not good for the world either.
PS Nice comparison Pierce!
first of all, jon stewart rules. and walmart is not being very nice to its employees. walmart pays them badly. but on the other side, if they pay each of its 1.6 million employees a quarter more an hour or something, thats mad dough and i cant see them thinking about giving that profit up. walmart is hurting other american companyies 2 by outcompeting them with the cheap chinese manufacturing which is unethical because they pay them 100 dollars a month. walmart is not good for america, walmart is good for walmart and the consumers tho.
i don't think wallmart is good for america as far as preserving it the way it was. it does make it hard for small town stores to compeat with it. i find my self wanting to go to wall mart when ever my family goes up state. it is a nice big one unlike riverhead's. but by going to wall mart we over look all the small shops. and as far as makeing new job oppertunities goes if my company or one i worked for went out of bussnes because of a wall mart you can bet you wouldn't find me working in one. its like in east hampton most of the old stores are gone and now we have coach and gucci. and i know i personaly don't want to work there. as far as wall mart going to china goes we already have factories for american companies set up in china like the clasic example of ipod but there are also foregin companies setting up factories in america so i think wether or not wall mart was here it would have little affect on that if not wall mart maybe k mart would have been the biggest or maybe the good old days of caldor would still be here
Sure Wal Mart is great for America, if you want China to prospure and single handingly control our economy for years to come. While the Chinese may be willing to slave away for 3 pieces of fried rice a hour, Americans pride themselves on adequate rights and wages. If we loose this belief and give in to wal mart buisness practices, we lose the desire to compete, and simply seek to meet wal mart's demands. This could lead the end of creative destruction, a vital component of our capitalist soceity.
I have mixed feelings on this subject. i mean on the one hand Wal-mart does save americans money. it only seems natural that a company who finds loop holes would exploit them. Cheap foreign labor with out any way of being checked does sound pretty enticing from a business outlook. and from a consumer standpoint its pretty good too. if you want a dvd player would you rather pay $350 at a regualr store or a whopping $200 at Walmart for the same level of product. simple price comparison form anyone would show that theyd rather pay less. however, business practices such as these have been forcing the competition to shut down. America is all about competititon. people do better because they want to be above eveyone else. but if the other companies cant even compete then something should be done to help them do so. walmart started as the american dream for sam walton but now its become a corporate giant that is drowning out smaller businesses ability tofind their american dream.
"Is Wal-Mart really good for America"? Well to fully answer this question it might be difficult.. but to sum it up, Wal-Mart is taking over. It's a thriving company that knows what their customers want and how much they want it for. But should ONE company be selling such a large variety of products? Wal-Mart has risen to the top and dominated over many other companies putting thousands out of jobs. Is that really good for America? Sam Walton was a very wise man to produce such a successful company, but im not sure if this discount store is really helping America. By buying amazingly cheap products from foreign countries like China, it eliminates other businesses and eventually destroys them. And i just dont believe that the employees of Wal-Mart arent being payed more.. I mean if company is making billions of dollars then they should be able to afford it, even if they do have a lot of employees. I could never be that cheerful in the morning(now speaking overall in 8 different languages)if i wasnt getting payed well... It just isn't worth it.
Is Wal mart good for the economy?? Yes adn No
First of all, all the goods in there is mostly useless and people do not need. It hurts other buisnesses because they are selling there good for dirt cheep. Walmart, an economically sucessfull cooperation and an economiaclly straggler of others.
Wal Mart would be good for America if everyone had an infinite amount of money to spend and had no need to work or create a business. Wal Mart is selling cheaper foriegn made products at the expense of american jobs and businesses. So pretty much wal mart sucks for the competiters, but for me its a-ok ;)
Is Wal-Mart good for America? Well yes and no. Wal-Mart sells the same good as any other general story but at a much cheaper price. This is good for the consumers especially for those who don’t make as much money. This is dew to the high purchasing power that Wal-Mart has. However, Wal-Mart and companies like it are driving out the good old Mom and Pop shops. As a result less people will be able to run their own business and you just don’t get the same kind of service you would get from a Mom and Pop shop that you would get from Wal-Mart. However this is just another translation. The future always brings changes and this is no different.
hummmm well my classmates have pretty much summed it up, but your gunna have to holler at your kid. Walmart i think is great for america in the short run, but its long term effects will cause China and the United States to clash. Walmart gives jobs to people that would not normally get jobs, but the enjoy booting 70+ (age) plus employes. I think that it is wak beacause jobs alot of jobs are being lost, because Wal-freakin-Mart runs bussiness into the ground.
Wal-mart is that store that just keeps on growing and is probably going to be the biggest monopoly the world has ever seen. The exectutives for Wal-mart are the some of the smartest people out there. The use of cheap foreign labor and the adversiting slogan of "everyday low prices" has driven the company to amazing heights (even though we know from the video that their prices are not all as low as we may think).
To answer the question, I think that Wal-mart is not the greatest for America, but perhaps for China it is great. Wal-mart is able to put small businesses out of making a profit and is making the people around those businesses unemployed. As for China, the 300 million people who work in the factories will eventually be able to get into the middle class. Good for the Chinese, but bad for the world. This will mean more cars on the road which will lead to more pollution and the ozone being depleted faster.
As I stated before, the exectutives for Wal-mart are very smart. Do they own the factories in China? What about the other stores, like K-mart, Target, and BJ's? Why don't they have the same success as Wal-mart, even though they all sell the same products? Wal-mart must have the one-up on the other big retailers.
i believe wal mart is both good and bad for america where wal mart provides so much for the country and its people and also is able to support many people by giving them jobs allows for certain economic growth. though by dealing with china and getting cheap chinese goods wal mart is hurting america by hurting other smaller buisness and people who are looking to make a living
WOW, this town seems to be parroting the liberalism spewed by the New Yorkers we all claim to hate. I say parroting because people have stopped thinking for themselves and begun to hate Wal-Mart because others do. The reason I say people aren’t thinking for themselves is because I have heard most people condemn Wal-Mart’s actions but continue to shop there. The fact is whether or not Wal-Mart is good for the economy the fact is THEY ARE ALLOWED TO DO THIS. The are not holding a gun to anyone’s head forcing him or her to work or shop at Wal-Mart. If you disagree with the policies then, don’t shop there, if enough people stop shopping there, problem solved. If people don’t stop shopping there, then the general public obviously supports the company. It’s almost like the actions of the consumers dictate what the company must do. WOW someone should make a type of economy that based on that principle. Then people with limited knowledge could make a difference with their actions instead of their parroted words.
i guess wal-mart is bad for america as of now because yes companies are going out of businesses and people are losing their jobs but shouldn't it eventually just have freed up people to start doing other possibly more important things than just manufactoringg cheap tv sets and jack-o-laterns?... but than again if walmart is a place that a lot of people depend on it, it sucks to think about that if we ever got into some sort of confrontation with china in the future and we have already given up all the manufactoring of supplies to walmart to china and than they cease trade with us.
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