Wal-Mart Cartoon...

[Camel Jockey]

Really Camel? So you're saying that if I work at let's say a local Toy store and I make 8 bucks and hour, then they go out of business because Wal-Mart came in and their Toy people make 7 bucks an hour, that it's better?

Wal-Mart is not more efficient by the way, they're too large to be efficient.

By efficient I mean their prices are cheaper, not to mention you can find just about anything in a supercenter. And believe it or not, overall cheaper prices are good for poor famalies.

If you are worried about lower wages for the poor then look more into illegal immigration. If we closed our borders, then wages would rise atleast by a dollar or even more.

[tu_holmes]

By efficient I mean their prices are cheaper, not to mention you can find just about anything in a supercenter. And believe it or not, overall cheaper prices are good for poor famalies.

If you are worried about lower wages for the poor then look more into illegal immigration. If we closed our borders, then wages would rise atleast by a dollar or even more.

Didn't Wal-Mart also get busted for illegal hiring procedures (hiring illegal aliens to work cheap)?

[240 is Back]

walmart is america's answer to chinese sweatshops.

China destroys the US in mnfg margins, efficiency and productivity.  

Likewise, Walmart destroys its competitors with the exact same processes.

Paying your people poverty money is indeed efficiency - doing the job with as few resources as possible.

The American people could stop it INSTANTLY by voting with their pocketbook - but saving $9 on Mac n Cheese means more to most folks than larger economic trend shifts, because it doesnt affect them.  As a result, those uneducated folks that work for walmart have no voice for them.  (the anti-union signs all over the break room are hilarious!).  

[240 is Back]

If you are worried about lower wages for the poor then look more into illegal immigration. If we closed our borders, then wages would rise atleast by a dollar or even more.

Your daily walmart shopping bill would go up a few bucks too. 

Suddenly, the dishwasher/agriculture circuit would recruit walmart labor to fill their void.  They'd have to pay more.  Walmart would have to pay even more to retain its employees. 

Result?

Food would cost more (agriculture industry's costs going up to pay white kids to work in fields) and higher grocery store operating costs (from higher employee salary) would raise prices.

The average american would get screwed twice at the register because we kicked out 12 mil people that our economy actually needs.

[Camel Jockey]

240, the US will always have a steady flow of immigrants. And who said anything about kicking out 12 million? I say amnesty for those already here for over a year or two and strict borders with a huge fence.

[240 is Back]

240, the US will always have a steady flow of immigrants. And who said anything about kicking out 12 million? I say amnesty for those already here for over a year or two and strict borders with a huge fence.

in that case, works for me!!

However, nobody wants to lose the hispanic vote, so no one will ever build a fence.  Period.

[tu_holmes]

in that case, works for me!!

However, nobody wants to lose the hispanic vote, so no one will ever build a fence.  Period.

True enough...

[240 is Back]

bush has had 6 years to fix the border, and 5.5 years AFTER a domestic attack.

So far, no fence.  But "he's trying", despite owning congress for 6 years.

We are to believe that our nation is capable of putting 200,000 men on the other side of the world and feeding/arming/housing them for 5 years as they engage in war...

but we can't put up a security system in our own nation to keep out unwanteds?


It's insulting to the intelligence when they say they're trying.  They're not.

[OzmO]

bush has had 6 years to fix the border, and 5.5 years AFTER a domestic attack.

So far, no fence.  But "he's trying", despite owning congress for 6 years.

We are to believe that our nation is capable of putting 200,000 men on the other side of the world and feeding/arming/housing them for 5 years as they engage in war...

but we can't put up a security system in our own nation to keep out unwanteds?


It's insulting to the intelligence when they say they're trying.  They're not.

good point.  How good would a 100 billion dollars go if it was dedicated to a bridge?

Fact is they don;t want the illegals to stop coming into the country.

[Dos Equis]

Hardly... The community doesn't want them anyway... Many small communities around the country would rather not have them there.

There was a Wal-Mart placed in Ashland, Virginia and the community didn't want it... Someone got paid though and the Wal-Mart went in. It is currently one of the least visited Wal-Marts in the country and loses money regularly. This is small town USA and they hate Wal-Mart.

If a community "wants" Wal-Mart (and I doubt you'll find many that say, "Man, I sure wish we had a Wal-Mart") then fine, but there are many communities who would rather Wal-Mart stay out, but Wal-Mart pushes its way in anyway.

Since you brought up Socialism anyway... please explain to me why you think it's so bad.

Many things which are of a socialist ideal seem very smart... Public healthcare and the like.

So what exactly about socialism do you think is so evil?

I have only experienced Wal-Mart in the "big" cities on the mainland and here in Hawaii.  I have never seen one that is rarely visited.  I'm not sure how many they put in small towns, but one of the reasons Wal-Mart is no. 2 on the Fortune 500 list for 2006 is millions of Americans shop there. 

Re socialism:  it is never a good idea to place control of the market solely in the hands of the government.  You will have the government dictating prices, products, wages, etc.  Is that really something you want to have the government doing?  Look at what they have done with the budget and national debt. 

One of the reasons our country is the greatest in the history of the world is our free enterprise system.  It forces companies to produce better products, provide better services, pay competitive wages.  I do not believe the government could do this if it took control of the market. 

That's off the top of my head.  I could probably come up with more reasons if I took the time to think about it.  But it's Sunday evening and I don't want to think.   

[tu_holmes]

I have only experienced Wal-Mart in the "big" cities on the mainland and here in Hawaii.  I have never seen one that is rarely visited.  I'm not sure how many they put in small towns, but one of the reasons Wal-Mart is no. 2 on the Fortune 500 list for 2006 is millions of Americans shop there. 

Re socialism:  it is never a good idea to place control of the market solely in the hands of the government.  You will have the government dictating prices, products, wages, etc.  Is that really something you want to have the government doing?  Look at what they have done with the budget and national debt. 

One of the reasons our country is the greatest in the history of the world is our free enterprise system.  It forces companies to produce better products, provide better services, pay competitive wages.  I do not believe the government could do this if it took control of the market. 

That's off the top of my head.  I could probably come up with more reasons if I took the time to think about it.  But it's Sunday evening and I don't want to think.  

How do Socialist countries then thrive? ie. the UK?

[Dos Equis]

How do Socialist countries then thrive? ie. the UK?

Socialist countries thrive?  You mean like the former Soviet Union? 

I don't know much about the business climate in the UK.  Why do you say they are thriving? 
 

[tu_holmes]

Socialist countries thrive?  You mean like the former Soviet Union? 

I don't know much about the business climate in the UK.  Why do you say they are thriving? 
 

Um, they were communist, not socialist... There's a difference.

Socialism is kind of a half way point between capitalism and communism, or at least that was my take on it.

[24KT]

Socialist countries thrive?  You mean like the former Soviet Union? 

I don't know much about the business climate in the UK.  Why do you say they are thriving? 
 

The Soviet Union was bankrupted by trying to keep control in Afghanistan.

It's OK if you don't understand how it happened, ...you'll find out soon enough.  

[Dos Equis]

Um, they were communist, not socialist... There's a difference.

Socialism is kind of a half way point between capitalism and communism, or at least that was my take on it.

Splitting hairs?  A communist government is a socialist government.  I guess you can have elements of communism/socialism in a democratic government, but I don't really see much of a logical distinction.  

[tu_holmes]

Splitting hairs?  A communist government is a socialist government.  I guess you can have elements of communism/socialism in a democratic government, but I don't really see much of a logical distinction.  

Perhaps... There's definitely some difference, maybe not enough to matter.

[Dos Equis]

The Soviet Union was bankrupted by trying to keep control in Afghanistan.

It's OK if you don't understand how it happened, ...you'll find out soon enough.  

You mean the Cold War didn't do it?  

We are a far cry from the Soviet Union.  We're still the world's lone Super Power.  The Big Dog.  Don't be hatin.  

[24KT]

You mean the Cold War didn't do it?  

We are a far cry from the Soviet Union.  We're still the world's lone Super Power.  The Big Dog.  Don't be hatin.  

The Soviet Union was also a Super Power. Infact, they were an even bigger SuperPower.

That's why the war was a "Cold War". If the USA thought they had a chance they'd have been in there like a dirty shirt. They stayed away 'cause they knew they'd get their asses kicked. So they funded the hell out of OBL to tie up the Soviets in Afghanistan, ...and it eventually bankrupted the Soviets. Now, all that funding has turned around and bit them on the ass, because now the US is being bankrupted.

Don't believe me? ...how ya enjoying your $4 a gallon gasoline? 

[Dos Equis]

The Soviet Union was also a Super Power. Infact, they were an even bigger SuperPower.

That's why the war was a "Cold War". If the USA thought they had a chance they'd have been in there like a dirty shirt. They stayed away 'cause they knew they'd get their asses kicked. So they funded the hell out of OBL to tie up the Soviets in Afghanistan, ...and it eventually bankrupted the Soviets. Now, all that funding has turned around and bit them on the ass, because now the US is being bankrupted.

Don't believe me? ...how ya enjoying your $4 a gallon gasoline? 

No I don't believe the war in Afghanistan is what bankrupted the Soviet Union. 

I paying about $2.70 for gas.   

[24KT]

No I don't believe the war in Afghanistan is what bankrupted the Soviet Union. 

I paying about $2.70 for gas.   

How would you like to save a guaranteed 7 - 14% in fuel costs?

[tu_holmes]

No I don't believe the war in Afghanistan is what bankrupted the Soviet Union. 

I paying about $2.70 for gas.   

Where at Bum? Here in Venice it's up to about 3.15.

I think it was many things... trying to keep up with the US in the space and arms race, Afghan, plus a couple of other things, like poor infrastructure to get resources to and from specific locations.

They all helped.

How would you like to save a guaranteed 7 - 14% in fuel costs?

 Jags...

[24KT]

Where at Bum? Here in Venice it's up to about 3.15.

I think it was many things... trying to keep up with the US in the space and arms race, Afghan, plus a couple of other things, like poor infrastructure to get resources to and from specific locations.

They all helped.

 Jags...

What?!?!?!?!  I only asked the man a teeny tiny little question, ...it could have been much worse.

Be grateful for small mercies and considerations, ...or you won't get them next time. 

[tu_holmes]

What?!?!?!?!  I only asked the man a teeny tiny little question, ...it could have been much worse.

Be grateful for small mercies and considerations, ...or you won't get them next time. 

Hmm... 

[Dos Equis]

Where at Bum? Here in Venice it's up to about 3.15.

I think it was many things... trying to keep up with the US in the space and arms race, Afghan, plus a couple of other things, like poor infrastructure to get resources to and from specific locations.

They all helped.

 Jags...

Honolulu.  Costco is $2.70.  Other places range about $2.80 to about $3.50.  Don't even get me started on the gas company cartel.  

I agree all of the things you mentioned contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union.  I would add communism and glasnost.  

[tu_holmes]

Honolulu.  Costco is $2.70.  Other places range about $2.80 to about $3.50.  Don't even get me started on the gas company cartel.  

I agree all of the things you mentioned contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union.  I would add communism and glasnost.  

Glasnost definitely... Had the USSR done communism like China does it, it may have worked out much better for them. China seems to thrive (as a government) pretty well... They have the single largest capitalist economy in their communist country (Hong Kong).

It's an interesting thing don't you think?