Attention, anti-American Wal-Mart shoppers
Comments for Tess Ellis, with a reply from H&HH

Jan. 20, 2004

[Re Wal-Mart is not the problem] Just because the government is ultimately to blame for jobs going overseas doesn't give Walultimately [? sic] right to squeeze that loop hole for every nickel it can.

American's are shopping themselves into the poor house. Our middle class will be gone before you know it. It is made up mostly of retail and manufacturing jobs. Those stores that you claim "sell the same stuff" only at a higher price are supporting their workers with a living wage and some benefits. Wal-Mart employees are poor, dirt poor. When Americans shop Wal-Mart, those other businesses go under, your tax base goes down and your middle class becomes non-existence.

Why can't the richest company in the world pay their clerks a living wage? Do you know that some of your tax dollars go to Wal-Mart workers who need government aid? ... Oh, I could go on and on but I'll cut it off here ... I view any support of Wal-Mart anti-American ... including yours. The "save today ... forget about tomorrow" mentality shows the ignorance of this country.

=Robert C.=

This is Tess's battle; but while we're waiting for her response, here's mine:

Whose support of Wal-Mart really makes a difference? One customer's? Or a unified chorus of local, state, and federal lawmakers who have allowed and encouraged the Wal-Martization of America?

Wal-Mart is the biggest because they're the best at taking advantage of rigged rules. So long as the rules remain rigged, there will ALWAYS be Wal-Mart -- or another company just as shrewd doing the same sort of damage.

It's a problem that won't be solved at the bottom. Nagging at poor people to take their business elsewhere (and pay higher prices) will never make more than a tiny dent in a giant like Wal-Mart. People who have no money to spare cannot make political statements with their shopping, not if it costs 'em an extra $25 a month. And in many areas, customers can either patronize robber-baron corporations, or take their business to ... other robber-baron corporations. Calling Wal-Mart's customers anti-American doesn't solve the problem, or even address it.

It's a problem that can only be solved at the top, by rules that rein in the robber-barons. Until the rules are changed, the situation will simply grow worse and worse.

=H&HH=