The Current channel has been showing a documentary called, "WalMart: the High Cost of Low Prices". Since today's plans were cancelled, I'm just farting around so I took a look. Now, I'm not a Waldemort shopper just because they've driven out so many businesses here by underpricing them and fired workers for rebelling at being treated like slaves. Here, once all the competitors were gone the prices at Waldemort rose, and there was no other place to shop. They're "The Blob" of corporations.
But holy cow I didn't know how far their model of business goes in ruining our lives until I watched the documentary. Why aren't we burning their stores down? They're absolute demons. Don't believe me? Here's the whole film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dl0Pwcy3nM
MYSTERIOUS GARDEN
10 months ago
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12 comments:
Hi Laura,
That's one hell of a long video and I really don't want to punish myself for one hour and thirty seven minutes.
We know, all too well, the despicable practices of WalMart. Hell, they in their pursuit of world domination, bought out ASDA over here in little old Britain. David Cameron and his merry band of posh gits, love such slave shops.
Keep smiling, even through gritted teeth :)
Gary
x
When that documentary was released, the owner of the video store I ran let us offer it as a free rental. I was proud of him - of course, he also bought extra copies of popular DVDs on sale at Walmart.
The latest is a union movement by workers in the huge warehouses located in the California “Inland Empire” deserts where imports from Asia are received. Walmart sub-contracts the warehouse work so they can say they aren't involved in making people work in 105 degree heat without adequate or even clean drinking water, no fans, broken equipment, long hours & etc. for minimum wage with no overtime pay.
We have one of those hell holes here in Guelph....there was a mighty fight against it but our mayor and councillors were already in favour of it so it was prettty much a waste of time. Sad to say the parking lot always appears to be full.
I watched the whole thing Laura...it's just appalling how much damage they've done.
I will not, nor will ever go to a Walmart because of the way thy treat their workers, especially women.
We don't have Walmart here (yet), but some of our homegrown businesses are pretty adept at vile treatment of employees while (apparently) keeping their hands clean. Hiss and spit. Which I seem to have been saying a lot lately.
The entire video is a little long for me right now, but between the other comments and other things I've already heard, I can kinda fill in the blanks. We have quite a few of their stores in our area, and I don't think their parking lots are ever empty. The thing is, especially for the grocery part of the store, their prices really ARE lower, and for the unemployed around here who are barely managing to scrape by, paying less money to put food on the table trumps the other concerns, no matter how righteous or justified.
I didn't know Walmart bought out Asda back home... wondered why I started seeing the George clothes line over here. Ugh.
Interesting on your last post..."the summer of denial". There always seems like so much pressure to enjoy summer and you're very aware that it will only be here so long, so when things get tough, you feel even worse. At least I do. Interesting article, too, on the 'no child left behind' initiative. I heard a teacher got suspended then fired for giving a child an F who didn't submit or try at all. *sigh*
Is there anywhere decent to buy items from these days, btw? It seems everything we have/buy started out in some type of terrible environment for the workers. It's hard to know what to do anymore.
Third and not least (that'll teach me to eat lunch and make tea while reading and posting)... I'll watch the vid with B when we get chance. Thanks, Laura. :)
I never, ever shop there.
Haven't been to Walmart yet. Do they have like a dress-code or anything?
I've worked at Wally World. Despise the place, but unfortunately, they're the only decent ($ wise, that is) place to get so many things at around here.
Dollar General is okay for some things. We usually shop online at Ebay, Half.com, Amazon...
We recently purchased a hot chocolate machine on Ebay (new, in the box) for half the price Wally's wanted for it. The stuff you want is out there, you've just got to put some effort into finding it. Which most people don't want to do - that's why Wally's and the Walton family are the way they are.
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