December 27, 2012

5 Ways Walmart Is Evil

#boycottwalmart
I am not much of a shopper, but I have never set foot in a Walmart. Deciding not to support the Walton family fortune was a decision I made before I even knew how big and evil they really were. I just figured they didn't need any of my money, regardless of how cheap their crap was.

The Walton family is one of the richest families in the world, inheriting their hoard of loot from Bud and Sam Walton, founders of Walmart, the world's largest retailer and employer. Six members of the family own as much wealth as the bottom 40% of Americans (49 million families).

5 Ways Walmart Is Evil

  1. Bullying of overseas suppliers, demanding lower wages and safety standards
  2. Widespread gender discrimination
  3. Stores have a net negative effect on job creation - every job created destroys 3 others
  4. Unfair wages
  5. Union busting at home and overseas
I am happy to not support this evil empire. Escaping its effects, though, is more difficult. We are all touched by the rapacious greed of those at the top.

Don't support the evil - #boycottwalmart.

11 comments:

  1. I think their logo (Save Money, Live Better) should be appropriated by minimalists and nonconsumers. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, let's co-opt their stuff for a change, rather than the other way around.

      "Don't shop, Save Money, Live Better".

      Delete
  2. I wish more people knew about #3. Is there data for that somewhere?

    Another problem is that they become the only option in underserved areas, once they buy up all the little stores. When I lived in Nashville TN and didn't own a car, I found that the busses pretty much went to the grocery stores, the university, and the wal-mart. I couldn't afford the two brand-name grocery stores at that time, so the wal-mart unfortunately was my only option. There was just food for rich people (Whole Foods, Harris Teeter) and the wal-mart. It was awful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is a problem when Walmart is the only game in town. That is just what they want to be.

      Walmart has been shown to cause net job losses, as well as lower wages in areas into which they move.

      The link below had some interesting additional information about this, as well as other evil things connected with the world's largest corportation:

      http://walmart1percent.org/top-reasons-the-walton-family-and-walmart-are-not-job-creators/

      Delete
  3. Wow, talk about a powerful statistic, "Six members of the family own as much wealth as the bottom 40% of Americans (49 million families)."

    I have shopped at Wal-Mart, but stopped a few years ago because I agree they are evil. However, I love Target and shop there often, although I'm not sure they are a whole lot better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Target doesn't have the same labour issues that Walmart has. Costco is another similar store that may be less evil.

      If at all possible it would be better to shop at smaller, locally owned stores, over any of these, even if it costs slightly more initially.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous12/27/2012

    And they mistreat their employees. At least I consider forcing your employees to come to work on Thanksgiving day to be mistreatment! I shopped there, once, a few years ago. I was a new mom desperate for a small radio to make white noise in my sons bedroom. The radio broke one month later. I will never go back. I really enjoy your blog and look forward to new entries!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not giving workers paid lunch breaks or coffee breaks is another way Walmart abuses its employees. The company has been convicted of systemic gender discrimination, but are stalling paying out by launching endless appeals.

      Thanks for visiting and reading. And commenting!

      Delete
  5. Yup, I hate shopping at Walmart, but as the Anti-hoarder points out, for now it is my only option in my tiny rural area. The 2 local stores are way too pricey like coffee for $15 rather than $6 and forget the meats there!

    I would like to do away with supermarket dependancy altogether but not able to do that just yet......it is a work in progress :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is a tough one when Walmart has things rapped up in rural areas. It is easy to tell people that spending more at the small store may benefit the community more, but what if you don't have the money for that?

      I guess a person could change their habits as much as possible, like eating less meat. They could also grow some of their own food.

      It would be nice to "do away with supermarket dependency altogether". That is an ongoing goal of ours, too.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous5/04/2016

    They also treat they worker like slaves not humans, always wanting more out of them,but with no more pay.

    ReplyDelete

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