Up Against the Wal-Mart

[vovat]

Sometimes I think Facebook makes it way too easy to make quizzes, what with all of the questions like this:

"Should Walmart and all of its subsidary's like Sams Club be put out of business for its overgrowth and poor employer acts?"

And the choices:

"Yes, it should be closed completley and unemployment issued to all employees."
"Yes, It should be split up as to make it smaller making for more equal competition."
"No, its doing fine leave Walmart alone."
"Undesided or Other."

I chose the last one, not so much because I'm "undesided" (can't you quizmakers at least run a spell check?), but because there wasn't any choice of having heavier regulation while not getting rid of the company entirely. But our society is obsessed with extreme reactions to everything. If someone says or does something problematic, they should automatically resign or be fired. Whatever happened to making the punishment fit the crime? I mean, while I'm pissed off at all the hypocrites in government who talk about Christian values while having affairs, what does this have to do with their job performance? Sure, there are cases where it might, but I think our society is too keen on having people fired. And even though the guy is a huge asshole who exploits kids with cancer, I don't really think Don Imus should have been fired for his "nappy-headed hos" comment, either. Besides, it's not like Rush Limbaugh hasn't said far worse.

One philosophy I definitely don't hold to is that business should be left to its own devices. It didn't work in the twenties, and it doesn't work today. Deregulation basically ignores the fact that a lot of people are greedy bastards. I'm definitely in favor of more regulation, especially to protect the rights of workers. Some conservatives argue that this is putting too much trust in government, and while they might have a point, it's obvious that SOMEONE needs to keep an eye on the corporate world. And who else is going to do it? The Amazing Legion of Corporate Watchdogs? (Actually, that might make a pretty good comic series.)

I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, but I don't know that they're necessarily the most corrupt corporation out there. They're just BETTER at being corrupt than a lot of their competitors. I don't really like to shop at Wal-Mart, but it's not so much because of the evil as because it just seems like such a hostile environment. It's always crowded (which, of course, is a good thing for the store in a way, but I don't get why they don't open more checkout lanes), the one near here has aisles full of boxes, and the appearance is rather sterile (unlike the bright and colorful Target, where I DO like to shop, even though I don't have any real proof that they're less corrupt). So no, I don't like Wal-Mart much, but isn't there a middle ground between "nuke every Wal-Mart from orbit" and "just let them keep doing what they're doing"? Then again, there was also a Facebook poll asking whether Obama should be impeached. Um, don't you have to, like, do something wrong before you can be impeached?

Comments

Leading our country down the road to socialism/communism/Nazism/Geo Prism isn't enough?!

[eagledna.livejournal.com]

I think too many people these days fall into the trap of thinking that every argument is a simple disjunctive one. The polls conducted by "news" organizations don't really help much, for as little light as they actually shine on what people think.

As for the Wal-Mart poll, where are these people even coming from that they think asking such a question has any relevance to anything? It's not like there is a real potential to close it or split it, as both ideas make little or no sense. To describe "overgrowth" as a business problem is wackiness. Clearly, as you say, effective regulation is about the only real option, apart from an unprecedented consumer revolution.

Re: Leading our country down the road to socialism/communism/Nazism/Geo Prism isn't enough?!

[vovat.livejournal.com]

The polls conducted by "news" organizations don't really help much, for as little light as they actually shine on what people think.

I remember an AOL poll on one of the Harry Potter books, where the question was something like, "Are you excited about the new book?", and the options were "Yes," "No, but my kids are," or "Ugh, another one?". Not a news poll, of course, but along sort of the same lines. Would it have killed them to add in an "I'm just not interested" choice? You don't have to hate something just because you don't want to read it.

To describe "overgrowth" as a business problem is wackiness.

But it's a real problem in gardening!

[travspence.livejournal.com]

I think the lesson here is don't pay attention to Facebook polls.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I already knew THAT, but I commented on this particular one because I thought it was a good example of a false dichotomy, which I see all over in much more reputable media.

[kevenn.livejournal.com]

I hate Wal-Mart. I also hate most of their customers - gross people who are rude and nasty - the kind of people Wal-Mart tries to market themselves to.

[arfies.livejournal.com]

www.peopleofwalmart.com

[kevenn.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've seen this. It's so sad, it's funny.

The hubby and I used to play "Count the Mullet" when we used ot go to Wal-Mart. The winner of the game was the person who could spot the greatest number of mullets first. LOL.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing commercials where someone would say something like, "I take all sixteen of my kids to Wal-Mart!" Sounds like they know their market.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

I am always relieved to find out that other people hate Walmart on a basic personal level (not just philosophical or political) too! The place NEVER FAILS to give me terrible agoraphobia. I hate it hate it hate it. I don't know how a store can creep me out so much, and so quickly, when other stores I have no problems with. I mean, Lowes-- that's got the big shelves, the cold floor, the white light, all that, but I LOVE Lowes-- it is not creepy like Walmart! I was relieved to find out that Walmart is an Evil Corporation, because now I can feel justified and smug as I boycott it, but the truth is really that I just hate it personally and cling to the social justice reasons as a screen for my irrationality.

[nova-one.livejournal.com]

I shop at Wal-Mart occasionally, but I dig the idea of it just not feeling right to some people - a lot of things are like that, really.

My takeaway from all this is that illiterate people should post fewer Facebook polls. ;-) Not that anyone should have the kind of authority to enforce that notion - just sayin'. j/k The choices and the mistakes equally make me cringe.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I kind of think a poll shouldn't be accepted by Facebook unless it's been proofread, but obviously there wouldn't be any way to follow through on that.

[nova-one.livejournal.com]

I can just see it now:

Why wont facebook except my pole?!?!?!?!

[vovat.livejournal.com]

The thing is, most of my own Facebook friends CAN spell, but for some reason they're always taking polls and quizzes by people who can't.

[eagledna.livejournal.com]

I think that's just because EVERYONE who creates polls can't spell. That, or facebook sends every poll question and answer through a filter that makes it look like a retarded sea sponge wrote it (and they're not that bright even when they're only tarded).

And I still disagree with the "Which classic literary character are you?" quiz that I took, which gave the result, "Andy Rooney."