Not a fan of Wal-Mart
Katie Matoon
Issue date: 3/4/10 Section: Opinion
I hate Wal-Mart. Sure they have everything; produce, dairy, bath essentials and even clothing. They have 'greeters,' smiling people who are paid to welcome you, hand you a cart and wish you happy shopping, and their little yellow, floating smiley face that bounces across the store knocking down prices with a wink of his eye. It all seems so harmless but that is not the case.
Wal-Mart is the most anti-American company there is today. For every trade worker that is being laid off in this recession, you can blame Wal-Mart. For every ma-and-pa grocery store from your hometown that goes out of business, you can blame Wal-Mart. For every 15-year-old Chinese girl that works for 12 cents a day, you can blame Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart was the first major company from America to send their production work over seas. They began what is now the landslide of companies disembodying their American work force by sending all the work over seas. There, the work is being done by children and women for cents a day in inhuman conditions. Can't find a job in this recession? Move to China; Wal-Mart will hire you.
And that's not the only monopoly Wal-Mart has a hold over. Wal-Mart gets the absolute lowest price on their products, sure, but only by hassling the companies that they buy them from. Wal-Mart uses their size like a bully on the playground. They come to the food companies and say "We'll only buy your product if you give it to us at this ridiculously low price. And if you don't give it to us at this price, it's not going on our shelves." The food companies have to sell it to them for that price because they can't afford for their product not to be on Wal-Mart's selves.
And why does it have to be so big? Everyone likes wide aisles, but I feel like I walk half mile from the milk just to get some cereal. Not to mention the size of the parking lot. I'm all for walking to the store. I'm young and able, or at least more able then some people, but why is the parking lot so big? I feel like they paved over half the city in order for cars to park. Have you ever seen the entire parking lot filled? Every time I've been there, it's only a third of the way filled.
Grocery shopping is just one small aspect of our lives and in the long scheme of things, it's really not that big of a deal, but knowledge is a powerful thing. I try to shop in other stores because I know the monopoly that Wal-Mart tries to hide, but if you want, do the research. I've done it and it's not pretty. But wherever you buy your milk, Captain Crunch, bologna and bread, just remember you can save money and live better at other places then just Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart is the most anti-American company there is today. For every trade worker that is being laid off in this recession, you can blame Wal-Mart. For every ma-and-pa grocery store from your hometown that goes out of business, you can blame Wal-Mart. For every 15-year-old Chinese girl that works for 12 cents a day, you can blame Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart was the first major company from America to send their production work over seas. They began what is now the landslide of companies disembodying their American work force by sending all the work over seas. There, the work is being done by children and women for cents a day in inhuman conditions. Can't find a job in this recession? Move to China; Wal-Mart will hire you.
And that's not the only monopoly Wal-Mart has a hold over. Wal-Mart gets the absolute lowest price on their products, sure, but only by hassling the companies that they buy them from. Wal-Mart uses their size like a bully on the playground. They come to the food companies and say "We'll only buy your product if you give it to us at this ridiculously low price. And if you don't give it to us at this price, it's not going on our shelves." The food companies have to sell it to them for that price because they can't afford for their product not to be on Wal-Mart's selves.
And why does it have to be so big? Everyone likes wide aisles, but I feel like I walk half mile from the milk just to get some cereal. Not to mention the size of the parking lot. I'm all for walking to the store. I'm young and able, or at least more able then some people, but why is the parking lot so big? I feel like they paved over half the city in order for cars to park. Have you ever seen the entire parking lot filled? Every time I've been there, it's only a third of the way filled.
Grocery shopping is just one small aspect of our lives and in the long scheme of things, it's really not that big of a deal, but knowledge is a powerful thing. I try to shop in other stores because I know the monopoly that Wal-Mart tries to hide, but if you want, do the research. I've done it and it's not pretty. But wherever you buy your milk, Captain Crunch, bologna and bread, just remember you can save money and live better at other places then just Wal-Mart.
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