Why I Try Not to Shop at Wal-Mart

The Spin Cycle this week from Sprite’s Keeper is “Turning Dollars into Sense.” Also known as Cost Cutting. Apropos with the economy floating around the top of the crapper, the hushed moment while everyone is watching the flusher. What’s going down the tubes at your house?

Not only is the cost of living in Hawaii exactly what you would expect (then double that) in a slice of paradise, but our number one industry is tourism. Which comes to a screeeeeching stall in economic downturns. My husband works at a high end resort. His hours have been cut in half since Christmas. Nuf’ said.

So, I’ve had this post floating around the perimeters of my addled, is thinking about taking a turn towards mid-life brain farts mind for awhile as well.

Ah, well. Here goes…

I highly recommend the documentary, Wal-Mart: The High Price of Low Cost. It is well made and has multiple sources for its information, including many high up managers. The documentary makes several cases against Wal-Mart business practices. Some of them are heartbreaking. The anecdotal stories. The bigger picture the film paints.

Highlights:

A systematic policy of not just paying low wages and offering little or no benefits, including health care; but of counseling their employees to go on public assistance. Wal-Mart employees cost tax payers over one billion dollars in 2004 (movie made in 2005). Managers interviewed tell how Wal-Mart, a multibillion dollar company trains their managers to tell the employees to use state assistance because that is what it is there for.

The sweat shops Wal-Mart is running in its factories overseas.

A systematic policy of discrimination against women and people of color when it comes to upper level management.

Crime in the parking lots and Wal-Mart’s lack of reaction or caring to this.

Changed landscape of small businesses and their ability to survive.

Yes, the prices are low. But at what cost?

This clip shows the unscrupulousness of their business practices and their greed. The Walton family is worth over 102 billion dollars, yet gives less than 1% to charity. The clip compares this to Bill Gates who gave 58% to charity the same year.


I’m not sure if I am more upset with Wal-Mart or Queen for this commercial.


Does anyone besides me remember the days where only the cheesiest and greediest of artists sold out their music for advertising?? Queen for Wal-Mart. Excuse me while I slip into depression over here.