Op-Ed: Why Isn’t Wal-Mart Begging Our Forgiveness?

Wal-mart in its attempts to cut costs has allowed profits to rule its thinking at Bentonville at the expense of the safety and welfare of its loyal customers! There are many manufacturers of toys within the US which will be receiving my support this Christmas season. Please boycott Chinese made toys which are made with low cost or prison labor and buy quality American made toys as Sam Walton the founder of Wal-Mart would do if he were alive today! As a Christian, I cannot support the buying of cheap goods at the expense of slavery of a human being so a few extra dollars can be made by the executives of Wal-mart and its shareholders!
Thank You,
Not a Customer this Christmas of Wal- Mart!

Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton once said, “I pay low wages. I can take advantage of that. We’re going to be successful, but the basis is a very low-wage, low-benefit model of employment.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Wal-Mart#_note-
iswalmartgood

“Is Wal-Mart Good for America?” PBS. November 16, 2004. Retrieved on February 24, 2007.

WalMart- We are not just impoverishment wages. We are where your dreams of advanced payday loans can come true. We would apologize about the death of your four footed family member, but that would imply we are responsible for selling you the poisoned pet chow that killed your puppy. And remember our policy, WalMart is never responsible or accountable for anything. It might tarnish our reputation.

Oh, yes. Let’s blame Wal-Mart for our problems. After all, they SELL us this stuff, don’t they? While we’re at it, let’s blame drug dealers for drugs, tobacco companies for cigarettes, fast food joints for greasy food and automakers for car accidents!

When are you people going to learn? ALL companies buy imported junk. ALL stores sell crap from China. YOU purchased the item. Whether you shop at Macy’s, LL Bean, Target, Nordstrom’s, Wal-Mart, Costco, JC Penney, K-Mart, American Eagle, Kroger, Safeway or Sears, you are buying items that were manufactured or grown in foreign countries.

American workers are unreasonable in their demands. They want high wage, high benefit jobs. They want low cost goods and services. They want high environmental standards. They want government infastructure. They want 100% made in the US goods. Well, in a global marketplace, you can’t have everything. Compare this example:

COMPANY A (US): Makes widgets at an average cost per widget of $25; sells them for $30.

COMPANY B (CHINA): Makes widgets at an average cost per widget of $15; sells them for $20.

It is financially impossible for Company A to undercut Company B in sales due to Company A’s higher costs. Its workers are not about to cut their wages and benefits. It is losing market share to Company B. What choice does it have? Two choices, actually. The first is to lower its costs, either through new technologies (unlikely) or cheaper labor. The second choice is the go out of business.

THAT is the crux of the global trade issue.

SDV:Are we expected to endure the Randian rhetoric ravings of “Little Nicky once again???"Oh Ayn,Ayn where are you?"-Remember that paen?

THAT is the crux of the global trade issue.

Instead of letting China drive our wages down, the US could help raise their wages up.

Why should the profits of multinational corporations take precedence over the quality of life for so many of the world’s poor? ~ Jill A. Bolstridge

Ken V,

“Instead of letting China drive our wages down, the US could help raise their wages up.”

You are right!!  I have heard NO one advocating Lowering the wages in the U.S., only holding fast until China catches up!!  Trade with China, is causing wages to rise for people there, but stopping trade, would stop that process!!  It has to be understood, that China has 1.3 billion people, so growth per person, will be slower than it was in the U.S. (supply and demand for jobs), but, it will happen as time goes by!!  And, lastly, bad mouthing U.S. companies that are engaged in helping the process go foward, will only slow the process down!!