<p>I like WalMart except the service sucks where I live. But still, cheap place to get ur necessities.</p>
<p>The people that have posted saying that Wal-Mart defines America due to capitalism and going on to say that it is part of the American Dream are hypocritical by then calling people that have spoken against Wal-Mart as using "liberal socialist propaganda," and expressing that they should leave the country. Is not the idea of Americans having different view points and living in a "Melting Pot" more of a core component of the American Dream? I understand debating the issue, but there is no need to completely denounce the other side of the arguement, each have their pros and cons.</p>
<p>"Is not the idea of Americans having different view points and living in a "Melting Pot" more of a core component of the American Dream?"</p>
<p>I have never associated being a part of a "melting pot" as living the American Dream.</p>
<p>wal-mart creates jobs, yes, and they boast that all the time.</p>
<p>but most of them are pay very little (basically min. wage) and nobody could possibly sustain a family on them.</p>
<p>Reread what I said about a page and half before. If these jobs are not good, people are free to work somewhere else. If they are not moving right away, what the **** are they *****ing about?</p>
<p>Actually, the average Walmart wage is $8.23. The Federal minimum wage is $5.15, the highest minimum wage state is Washington, at $7.63 per hour. 25 states have the same minimum wage as the federal rate, 6 have no minimum wage, 1 has minimum wage below the federal rate, and 17 above the rate. Which means I am short one state.
<a href="http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm#Maryland%5B/url%5D">http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm#Maryland</a></p>
<p>Should I even bother with why minimum wage laws actually hurt unskilled workers? Nah...</p>
<p>Minimum wage laws keep teenagers unemployed.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Is not the idea of Americans having different view points and living in a "Melting Pot" more of a core component of the American Dream
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Walmart makes the American dream possible for millions of hard working americans.</p>
<p>Who cares if Walmart pays the minimum wage - the fact that those people are working at Walmart means that they would prefer that instead of sitting at home and not earning any wage..</p>
<p>In response to whoever said that Walmart exploits people in china - those same people would starve if Walmart didnt "exploit" them.. Im from india, a country where the situation is almost similar to that of China.. These people want jobs, and they would rather work 12 hours a day and end up feeding their families instead of watching their kids starve to death..</p>
<p>Capitalism and free market is the only way to operate - the fact that walmart can provide goods that are cheaper then its competition, proves that it deserves to be where it is.. If someone else came in and provided stuff cheaper then Walmart, it would go out of business pretty soon - its simple economics..</p>
<p>minimum wage protects people who deserve a lot less.</p>
<p>heres the movie for anybody who wants to watch it.
<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925&q=high+cost+of+low+prices%5B/url%5D">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925&q=high+cost+of+low+prices</a></p>
<p>What if you were one of those unskilled workers? You know, Americans have this idea that everyone has equal opportunties..but they don't. If you are unfortunate enough to be born into a poor family..you usually stay there. These unskilled workers are people who never had opportunitiy..but who cares, right? Let's just continue to exploit them so you can get 12 tube socks for 3.99.</p>
<p>I agree with watercannon regarding wage parity and worker exploitation. For starters, $.12 an hour goes a lot further in India, Bangladesh, and rural China (many factory workers are migrants sending money home to their families) than it does here in the US. </p>
<p>I would recommend Sachs' The End of Poverty for those who want a light read/decent overview on the impact of Western manufacturing on developing economies. (Whoever ghost-wrote it does their job well.) The nature and practices in manufacturing work may seem appalling to many at first glance, but for many--women especially--it provides much-needed opportunities for self-determination. Having proved their economic value, women have greater leeway within society to control the number of children they have, marry later, save money, and educate themselves. The conditions may not be pleasant, but if I had to choose between an abysmal factory with a 14 hour workday and a life of dowries, food insecurity, debt, and trying desperately to produce a boy--I'll take the factory any day. </p>
<p>Additional recommendations for the OP:
Anything at all by Sir Arthur Lewis; Macroeconomics in a Global Economy (Sachs, 2003); Global Linkages: Macroeconomic Interdependence and Co-operation in the Global Economy (Sachs, 1989); The Corporate Challenges of Sustainable Development (Bansal, 2002); "Gaining legitimacy?: Sustainable development in business school curricula" (Springett & Kearins, 2001); the Economist; the WSJ. PBS provides very good coverage as well.</p>
<p>That video is BS. All those people complaining how their WalMart insurance was too expensive for them to buy, of course its gonna be expensive when ur a single parent and u have 3 kids to look after. My mom was a single parent who rasied me and my bro and sister, she worked continuously as a manacurist and a waitress to try to provide for us. And she did, she worked her way up, saved money, bought a franchise, made lots of money, got married, became a real estate agent, sold her business for a lot of money, and is doing very well right now. I have no compassion when I see those people complain about their employers. GET A DIFFERENT JOB U SELFISH PEOPLE. STOP COMPLAINING AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!</p>
<p>walmart? ehh...sometimes i go there...but only as a last resort (really really crowded etc.)...but in case anyone is interested, i watched an interesting special on Walmart that John Stossel made...i think it was called "is walmart a problem?" or something like that... it seemed relatively unbiased as it did examine the positives and negatives... you may want to watch it if you get the chance</p>
<p>
[quote]
What if you were one of those unskilled workers? You know, Americans have this idea that everyone has equal opportunties..but they don't. If you are unfortunate enough to be born into a poor family..you usually stay there. These unskilled workers are people who never had opportunitiy..but who cares, right? Let's just continue to exploit them so you can get 12 tube socks for 3.99.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Given that im not even American, I cant really be talking from an american perspective. Agreed that if you are born into a poor family, odds are that you will stay there. Yet, would you want to die of starvation and malnutrition or would you rather work 12 hours a day so that you could afford two meals a day?</p>
<p>As pip pip said, 12 cents goes further in india and bangladesh then it does in the US. You could buy yourself a meal for that much money. Think about it from that perspective. The minimum wage of five dollars is enough to feed someone for about 10 days. Think about it from their perspective. </p>
<p>In the ideal world they would of course be getting paid a lot more, but the fact remains that this world isnt ideal. Walmart is out there to make money, and right now everyone is happy - Walmart makes money, americans get cheap stuff, and workers actually have enough money to feed thier families. Agreed that some parties could be happier, but again, nothings perfect. This is a start.</p>
<p>Ooo not a good thing to mention John Stossel on CC. He is a right wing nut!!!</p>
<p>What are u talking about?</p>
<p>Meaning liberals hate John Stossel</p>
<p>
[quote]
What if you were one of those unskilled workers? You know, Americans have this idea that everyone has equal opportunties..but they don't. If you are unfortunate enough to be born into a poor family..you usually stay there. These unskilled workers are people who never had opportunitiy..but who cares, right? Let's just continue to exploit them so you can get 12 tube socks for 3.99.
[/quote]
I am an uskilled teenager. I am kept out of the labor force by the high minimum wage laws. I would like to have a job at a lower wage but am intead unemployed because my labor is not worth the $8 minimum wage my county decided to impose</p>
<p>As for the american dream being "impossible," you couldn't be more wrong. My grandparents came to this country with nothing. They worked long hours at low pay. My parents both went to state schools. Since we had a large family we had to survive on my dad's income only. I'm going to the John Hopkins university this fall. I am liveing the American dream. It is very possible if you work hard enough at it.</p>
<p>FYI I am incredibly liberal...almost to the point of radical...and i dont mind John :)</p>
<p>"Meaning liberals hate John Stossel"</p>
<p>Well then he must be doing something right.</p>
<p>Who is John Stossel anyway and why did u guys bring him up? I dont see his name anywhere except where wicked said something.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Walmart that John Stossel made...i think it was called "is walmart a problem?" or something like that... it seemed relatively unbiased as it did examine the positives and negatives... you may want to watch it if you get the chance
[/quote]
</p>
<p>-Lex248</p>
<p>John Stossel is a cool cat.</p>