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165 Comments
- HunterTV, on 11/02/2007, -3/+75"Welcome to Costco. I love you."
- Bodhinature, on 11/03/2007, -3/+69Actually, we don't have a free market. We have a protectionist economy where laws are created that discourage innovation, make it difficult to start a new business or small business, and reward mega-corporations with tax breaks and incentives.
Wal-mart doesn't operate under a free market system. Wal-mart lobbies for exceptions. And Wal-mart gets them.
I'm not against big box stores in general, but lets not pretend we have Free Market Capitalism. - shabumike, on 11/02/2007, -17/+69If you feel very strongly about this move to a more socialist country.
In America you compete to survive, in most other industrialized nations you share to survive. Love it or leave it. - inactive, on 11/02/2007, -13/+61So I'm supposed to subsidize these businesses by paying more money for the same ***** just because they are "Mom and Pop" or whatever other ***** they want to call it. It's a business, plain and simple, big or small. Compete for my money, don't expect it.
- bratpack8, on 10/31/2007, -2/+42First of all, it's not Wal-Mart and the big box stores that put mom & pop stores out of business, it is the consumers and their buying decisions that do that. Unfortunately, we are not a true free-market (i.e. no government intervention) and the big companies use the power of the State to get a huge advantage in many different ways. Targeted tax breaks, typically at the local level, are often granted to these stores. So they pay no or lower taxes while mom and pop's pay higher. Eminent domain is used sometimes as well, getting these large corporations cheap land. On a higher level, there are subsidies, government-guaranteed loans (Import-Export Bank), tariffs, regulations and all sorts of protectionism that they lobby for in order to keep competition away. Let's level the playing field, let a true free-market emerge, get government out of what should be simple trades between businessmen and consumers. Then only the businesses that produce a product or service that consumers are willing to trade for will survive!
- tacojohn48, on 11/02/2007, -2/+36Mirror - http://www.flickr.com/photos/thejoshpayton/1409826 ...
- prashantpawar, on 11/04/2007, -37/+64Burying it!
It should say, "Here stood a local store wiped off by another store in competition under the Free Market provided by American Liberty!" - inactive, on 10/31/2007, -22/+49Local stores DO NOT pay higher wages. They pay far lower wages, and give far fewer benefits. And please...pleaes find me one local store that was thriving until Walmart showed up. You won't find any. The local mom and pop stores are dying whether Walmart comes or not. They are better off euthanized.
- sonycam, on 10/31/2007, -0/+22I think there's a problem when big businesses get so powerful that they start to influence and control politics and therefore have a firm grasp of the country. As I understand it, several big companies are doing this in America right now. Competition is good, but when it borders on corruption, someone or something needs to step in.
- Ibox, on 11/03/2007, -1/+21I wonder if that sign was made by a local sign shop, or a larger catalog company which would be cheaper????
- combatchuck, on 10/31/2007, -1/+20What the hell? 8 diggs and it's down?
- inactive, on 10/31/2007, -0/+19Its slow, but does eventually get there.
In the mean time here it is:
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d165/zybch/sign- ... - Calcularius, on 11/01/2007, -0/+17I go into a Walmart when I want to be reminded what the movie 'Idiocracy' was like.
- jersey, on 11/01/2007, -0/+15This is a work of art by Norm Magnusson. It's part of his current exhibition sponsored by The Aldrich Museum, in CT.
http://aldrichart.org/exhibitions/magnusson.php
Pretty interesting shows at that museum. - gregfadein, on 11/01/2007, -2/+17A liberal isn't a socialist. Liberal means freedom, and therefore a true classical liberal is strongly in favor of the free market, low taxes, and economic freedom.
In the US, we've kind of perverted the word to mean "Democrat," which is plain inaccurate. The Democrats haven't been liberal since before FDR. - Rhino2, on 11/05/2007, -7/+21
Exactly. With Freedom, you also have the freedom to really ***** up and go out of business. What are these people expecting? Soviet States of America to subsidize them?
they went out of business for the simple fact that another business was giving consumers more of what they wanted at lower price.
If the consumer didn't like getting lots of goods for cheap; then they would go else where. No one is forcing these people to shop at walmart.
These people are shopping at Walmart, because hey; it might suck, but it sucks less then your store and probably cheaper too. - joshuaer, on 10/31/2007, -4/+17If wal-mart could do what it wanted it would hire illegal aliens, pay people to little to live on, lock people in store. give better pay to full time workers but make every one part time, Use the State assistance programs as a health care program, Make people chant wal-mart at the start of the day, Not promote Blacks and woman because the are Black and or woman. Fire people for even talking about or bringing up the Union threaten companies to manufacture goods over seas and fire US worker Oh snap this are already things wal-mart has done!
just watch this http://www.walmartmovie.com/
It is about Fair Trade and making our country better not about controlling companies! - eternal464, on 10/31/2007, -6/+19A fact of life I guess. I'd call it the evolution(and extinction) of business.
- littlemarcho, on 10/31/2007, -1/+12Cant blame the communists or the terrorists on this one!
- speakingdreams, on 10/31/2007, -4/+15Guess they should have lowered their prices
- razrielle, on 11/01/2007, -2/+12But how do you destroy that which has no life
- Herostratos, on 10/31/2007, -7/+16"Is it good for society that we are driving down costs by moving our purchases to Mega-Stores like Walmart that source their products and services all over the world — and that tend to push their operating costs onto local communities where they can (in terms of demanding lower taxes, encouraging employees to apply for social services, denying many employees decent health insurance)?"
Why, yes, of course. All economic progress is about producing things cheaper. Cheaper goods for everyone benefits all in the end. - sleeknerve, on 11/03/2007, -3/+11why does everything on digg have to turn into ron paul
- bratpack8, on 11/01/2007, -4/+12Let me ask you a simple question. Can Wal-Mart, Nike, McDonald's, Home Depot, Lowe's, Costco or any other big or small business FORCE you to buy their products or services or FORCE you to work there? The only way these companies get any power over consumers is through the State. That is, they can get subsidies, targeted tax breaks (very common in local cities and towns), regulations, tariffs, or even can be granted monopoly status (utilities is an example). In a true free market, corporations, small and big, are at the mercy of the consumers. If they don't produce a product or service that the product wants to trade their money for, they don't succeed. Think of a basic trade in a free-market (i.e. no government interference). That trade ONLY occurs if both parties believe what they are getting in return is worth more than what they are giving up, at that particular moment in time. That is why free-market capitalism is a win-win situation, not a zero sum game.
- rivalius13, on 10/31/2007, -0/+8Dammit we'll try!!
- erkokite, on 11/01/2007, -2/+10There is only one solution:
We have to destroy the heart of Wal Mart. - jthomp3120, on 10/31/2007, -0/+7where is this?
- ZenFountain, on 10/31/2007, -0/+7The only problem I have with big-box retailers is the tax breaks they often get to move into an area. It's good for the city council that wants to raise more revenue or supposedly bring bring more jobs, but it does make it harder for local business to compete. On the other hand, local businesses should not be protected from big-box and the free market should decide what is good and what is bad, not the government. Eventually we'll come around to the fact that more cheap crap does not equal more happiness or quality of life.
- ibookfast, on 10/31/2007, -2/+9There is no such thing as a "free-market", there are many markets. some black, some highly subsidized, some highly regulated, some oppressed. laws are made by and for the rich, and don't forget most big time wealth is inherited. Social/economic mobility is mostly mythical in order to maintain the status quo. "Don't f*$k with the rich I might get there.", and on it goes. That is until the top gets so rich/heavy the middle cracks and the whole thing comes tumbling down. We now live under record levels of concentrated wealth, by design.
- DRINKxREDxBULL, on 10/31/2007, -2/+8How about we let people decide for themselves what is a fair a price?
- ffleming, on 11/01/2007, -1/+7You assume that everyone has the disposable income that you do. For some people, the choice is "shop at a local store and get behind on bills" or "shop at Wal Mart and keep the electricity on"
- saigumi, on 11/01/2007, -1/+7Free market? Odd.. my store wasn't offered tons of tax incentives and discounts that Walmart and other big boxers get when they move into the area....
- inactive, on 10/31/2007, -1/+7So, you want to dictate to Walmart where they get their inventory from? Basically making them pay more, which makes us pay more.
Yeah...GREAT idea! - kbedell, on 10/31/2007, -3/+9The point is to generate a discussion - not push a point of view.
- rivalius13, on 10/31/2007, -2/+8Wrong episode fool!
- phaedoHD, on 10/31/2007, -5/+11mirror: http://www.ratemyeverything.net/post/5175/Free_Mar ...
- Urusai, on 10/31/2007, -4/+9Maybe you're confusing the union with the government...
- inactive, on 10/31/2007, -12/+17I love it when morons say "anti-union" as if the average person is considering that a BAD thing.
This isn't 1950. The average American has not considered unions to be a good thing (for most jobs) in at least 20 years. - drjones78, on 10/31/2007, -1/+6Tell me.. if Ron Pauls policies would be such a panacea for the mega-corps, than why doesn't he have their support? I know he doesnt take donations from corporations, but he certainly would be getting much more face time and respect from the mainstream media. Hell, he'd be the most popular candidate.
He's pro free market (true competition), not a corporatist. Corporations become such powerful forces today because of the entanglement with government.
And in any case... In a Ron Paul world, the states would take up much of the regulatory roles that the federal government currently handles. - Rhino2, on 11/05/2007, -1/+6
True, we don't have a 100% free market... but it's closer then most countries that I know of. - nreynolds, on 10/31/2007, -8/+12It's up to the people to stop that. I'm going to keep shopping at Wal-Mart (although I try to avoid it just because it's not a pleasant place to be) because it doesn't hurt me specifically. It's up to the employees to strike and cause change in their work-place. It shouldn't be up to the government(who really really likes Wal-Mart, btw).
- superdoofus, on 10/31/2007, -1/+5ok. how about my dad's hardware store in minnesota? walmart moved in one zipcode over, lobbied for no property taxes and got it after backroom dealings with council members (the meetings were attended by many from the outraged local business community...and most of those that voted for walmart were not re-elected, but by then it was too late), commercial property taxes rose up to 32% for all nearby businesses to cover it (let alone an 8% increase for home-owners), and that made it financially impossible for many of the local businesses to remain profitable no matter how much they tried to increase their sales. "free market" my ass.
sidenote: walmart has tried to open a store in many neighborhoods in new york city and has been shot the ***** down every time because the politicians here have been bought already by many different local businesses. again: "free market" my ass. this is the real world, and walmart exited the free market when they started courting government legislation. - FuzzyBunny, on 11/01/2007, -13/+17Cry me a river
- inactive, on 10/31/2007, -4/+8Why would hte employees strike? Walmart has one of the highest percentages of employee satisfaction around.
It makes sense too. Most of them are wrking jobs that are not exactly tough to get. So if they didn't like working at Walamrt, they would quit. - mizzaxx, on 10/31/2007, -2/+6The big bog stores do not only put the local stores out of business, they destroy local economies and culture while degrading the environment. I doubt that the minimum-wage paid employees in that store do much to their local economy, and none of wallmart's profits go back to the town where it is located. In addition, locally made products reflect the local culture and and traditions, which are not featured at wallmart. And locally made products are made locally, so there is no shipping involved, meaning a much reduced use of fossil fuels in the making. So is it worth it to pay a couple more bucks at the local store? If you don't want to completely eradicate your local culture, environment, economy and not even mentioning the unfair conditions of workers in China that is encouraged by shopping at big box stores, then I'd say it's worth it.
- Firehed, on 10/31/2007, -2/+6I don't know where you live, but that's far from true near me. Thankfully, most of the people where I live aren't such cheap bastards that they'll happily watch a local business that's been around for half a century go under in order to save eight cents. We like our local business, thank you very much.
- shabumike, on 10/31/2007, -2/+5You are the fool. I have lived in many countries and can tell by your rhetoric that you have a very limited understanding reality and are very young.
- iloveazngurlzs, on 10/31/2007, -5/+8wow. i feel like i am at a republican convention listen to you fool ramble.
One guy here mentioned local economy. Thats the point and the purpose. Look how ***** most of our cities really are... I come from San Jose, tech capital (atleast was) of the world... Ive seen my city evolve from a mere 400,000 to 1 million in six years. Now i am in Chico. Small college town, 1 walmart, 1 costco, 1 target and a ***** mall. We all shop at mom and pop shops, and its clear by the community that we all thrive together and support each other. Even the thugs and addicts (lotta drugs and gangsters here) see the importance of it. Wallmart isnt thriving here. Sure the city isnt some spectacular sight, but with such a large influx of rich college students, people seem to understand that we should help these small places, keep REAL competition alive.
WALLMART IS NOT REAL COMPETITION. and that is what YOU the consumer does not seem to understand. walmart is a monopoly, and that is what makes our "free market" good. We stopped AT&T once, we stopped Microsoft. we can stop walmart. - Leomarth, on 10/31/2007, -0/+3As a Libertarian, I'm with you. I hate seeing Wal-Mart get free infrastructure upgrades and tax breaks. They should not receive any special treatment under the law.
- inactive, on 10/31/2007, -3/+6Making BARELY enough money to suvive. Not to really give the owners a good living.
As for your last part...*****. Dude..I know you are from Australia, so stop acting like you have any idea about the US. Small local stores almost always pay MINIMUM wage for their monkey jobs. You go to a local supermarket and the cashier is NOT making $8 an hour, even if they have been there for over a year. Yet a cashier or stock boy at Walamrt with a year expeirence very well MAY be making $8 an hour. A liveable wage? No. But that is because the job they are performing is not WORTH a liveable wage. They are doing something that a monkey could do.
Why do you think that Walamrt was not speaking out against the increase in the Federeal Minimum Wage? Meanwhile Target, K-mart, Sears AND small stores were saying it would kill them? Simple. Becuase Walmart's salaries were alreay well above the proposed new minimum wage. And their starting salaries were VERY close to it. And if you think that a local 20 employee store is giving their employees ANY benefits at all, you have no business debating this topic anymore because you are completely ignorant of the facts. Walmart gives even part time employees benefits after 6 months. You are NEVER going to find that on one of your "Main Street USA" stores. And you weren't going to find that 30 years ago either. -
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