Re: OT: Wal-Mart

July 21, 2006

>My vote is for companies that are committed to human rights and sustainable

>practices.

-

So why don't you give this list instead of singling out only one of the bad

guys?

The bad guy list includes:

Exxon Mobil.

Nike.

GWG

Colgate Palmolive.

Bristol Meyers.

Proctor and Gamble.

General Foods.

Ogilve -Nabisco.

Royal Duch Shell.

De Beers.

Chevron.

IBM.

This list goes on ad idfinum.

rusty

OT: Wal-Mart

> Hello Fellow Brewers,

>

> I really enjoy reading all of the fascinating information here. However,

> everytime I read about somebody shopping at Wal-Mart, it sends a twinge of

> pain through my heart. I know that might seem like an extreme reaction,

> but Wal-Mart supports global human slavery by selling products that are

> manufactured by workers who aren't paid fair wages nor do they have good

> working conditions. Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't

> happening. Add to that the fact that also don't pay their employees

> fairly or offer health benefits, they run local businesses out of town and

> while they may have started offering some " green " products and organic

> produce, they have an overall negative effect on the world. For more

> information about these claims, please see the website below

>

> http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/rs/profile.cfm?id=306

>

> Money is energy and if you put your energy into a company that doesn't

> support human rights then you are saying its okay to treat other human

> beings like dirt so that you don't have to pay too much.

>

> I understand that there will be people on this list who may take issue

> with my point of view, but remember, it is just my opinion. I felt

> inspired to send this email in the hope of raising other people's

> awareness. Where and how we spend our money can have a profound effect.

> It's like voting, but with money. My vote is for companies that are

> committed to human rights and sustainable practices.

>

> my 2 cents

>

> hannah

July 21, 2006

>>> Hello Fellow Brewers,

##### Hi Hannah,

>>> Wal-Mart supports global human slavery by selling products that

are ......

##### I appreciate your concern, however the Mom & Pop corner grocery

store no doubt stocks and sells many of the same items from the same

sources as Wal-Mart.

>>> Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.

##### Certainly true and applicable to everthing we do not grow,

prepare, create, manufacture from 'scratch' ourselves.

>>> they run local businesses out of town

##### Yes and that is sad. Today's greedy business practices with

wholesalers charging astronomical prices for small orders and so many

people trying to live on minimal wages and part-time jobs and out of

work heads of households together with high cost rents, medical bills,

education, travel etc. make it impossible for most families to shop at

the more expensive

local businesses.

##### And how do we know the local businesses are honest, fair,

generous, and only use what you and I consider righteous sourced

materials? With regard to local businesses: " Just because we can't

see it doesn't mean it isn't

happening. "

>>> you are saying its okay to treat other human beings like dirt so

that you don't have to pay too much.

##### Maybe we, they, are not saying anything so profound because we,

they are just too busy and consumed with trying to survive in this

(starting from the top down with Governments) dishonest, greedy,

immoral, amoral, harsh, sick, sad, war-torn, poverty-stricken world..

>>> I felt inspired to send this email in the hope of raising other

people's awareness.

..

##### It is good to be aware, but the problems are overwhelming.

>>> My vote is for companies that are committed to human rights and

sustainable practices.

##### How are you able to absolutely discern which ones those are;

AND which ones are they?

>>> my 2 cents ###### and mine. Best wishes, neb

>

> hannah

July 21, 2006

Thank You Hannah! I have had the same reaction to the mentions of wal-mart

shopping throughout this group and I appreciate your response. I am aware that

there are other evils in the world as well, and not all local companies are

perfect but

that is not NOT an excuse to disregard the blatently known evils. the

possiblity of

potential corruption is not the same as KNOWN corruption. It should be worth

our

while to investigate the companies where we shop. talk to the employees ask the

community, if there isn't a community, work to create one. once you've done the

research, it is done - energy well spent. also, research the best ways to get

bargains.

I work for a local organic grocery store that struggles to get by but we go out

of our

way to offer discount options, usually in the form of discount shopping days,

special

orders and buying in quantity. and not all corporate companies are evil, costco

for

example is wal-mart's largest competitor and though they sell a lot of

commercial

junk, they are capable of taking great care of their employees.

Americans are notoriously lazy, we are experts at finding cop-out arguments for

why

we shouldn't be inconvienced (i.e. the local store MAY be coruptly run). lets

work to

change our reputation.

>

> Hello Fellow Brewers,

>

> I really enjoy reading all of the fascinating information here. However,

everytime I

read about somebody shopping at Wal-Mart, it sends a twinge of pain through my

heart. I know that might seem like an extreme reaction, but Wal-Mart supports

global human slavery by selling products that are manufactured by workers who

aren't paid fair wages nor do they have good working conditions. Just because

you

can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't happening. Add to that the fact that also

don't pay

their employees fairly or offer health benefits, they run local businesses out

of town

and while they may have started offering some " green " products and organic

produce,

they have an overall negative effect on the world. For more information about

these

claims, please see the website below

>

> http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/rs/profile.cfm?id=306

>

> Money is energy and if you put your energy into a company that doesn't support

human rights then you are saying its okay to treat other human beings like dirt

so

that you don't have to pay too much.

>

> I understand that there will be people on this list who may take issue with my

point

of view, but remember, it is just my opinion. I felt inspired to send this

email in the

hope of raising other people's awareness. Where and how we spend our money can

have a profound effect. It's like voting, but with money. My vote is for

companies

that are committed to human rights and sustainable practices.

>

> my 2 cents

>

> hannah

>

> http://www.hannahcrum.com

> " Well behaved women rarely make history. "

>

> ---------------------------------

> Groups are talking. We & acute;re listening. Check out the handy changes to

Yahoo!

Groups.

>

July 22, 2006

> and not all corporate companies are evil, costco for

> example is wal-mart's largest competitor and though they sell a lot

of commercial junk, they are capable of taking great care of their

employees.

> Americans are notoriously lazy,

>

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Sorry Audrey,

I KNOW I should have let you have the last word, but I PROMISE this is

mine on his subject.

How about this? :

Wal-mart is owned by " notoriously lazy " Americans in the United States.

Costco is owned by Chinese in China.

Best wishes, neb

July 23, 2006

" That is an urban legend.going around the internet. Costco is not chinese

owned: "

Isn't it funny how things get misinterpreted? Cosco is Chinese owned - I think

it stands for Chinese Overseas Co., but I can't be positive. Costco is a

totally different story. It was easier when it was Price Club.

Beverle

>

July 28, 2006

Hey, Neb

I don't actualy shop at either store, not walmart anymore. I do try

to read the banded list.

>-Audrey

Sorry Audrey,

>

> I KNOW I should have let you have the last word, but I PROMISE

this is

> mine on his subject.

>

> How about this? :

>

> Wal-mart is owned by " notoriously lazy " Americans in the United

States.

>

> Costco is owned by Chinese in China.

>

> Best wishes, neb

>

July 28, 2006

To me there is a big and crucial difference between WalMart and Costco, and

that is that Costco actually pays their employees a living wage.

That said, however, I need also to say that although I have my preferences

about where I spend my money, and to me those are political choices, I also

know that some people are just barely hanging on in the U.S. and do not

have the luxury of choice. Not really.

That of course is part of the political issue that is being discussed. But

it is not about laziness-- it is about the structural truths of late

capitalist society. It's sort of like a pyramid scheme, where those at the

bottom of the pyramid are losing out, but those at the top got obscenely

wealthy.

It's not fair to characterize as " lazy " those whose lives have been

affected by this very real restructuring of U.S. society such that their

choices have narrowed to acute survival level. This is a class issue. And

to me it is morally wrong that people can work 40 hours a week and not be

able to support themselves, much less a family, but that is today's reality.

It is one thing to make a statement about the (incredibly) negative impact

Walmart has had on U.S. society, it is another thing to blame the people

who shop there for the economic realities that created and sustain

Walmart. Such blame does nothing toward creating solutions for a better

world, and is bound to fail as a strategy for change. I strongly suggest

voting in people who support a living wage as a starting point.

So I propose that we stop this thread because it is Off Topic to begin with

and has been inappropriately divisive.

--

(one of the moderators)

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste

July 28, 2006

right on, victoria ... it's time that people start realizing that they are

voting against their best interests... i know it's off-topic, but somehow

everything these days does mean the most ... xox peace... helen

Re: Re: OT: Wal-Mart