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Iron's Rite · **Wal-Mart. -** 06-03-05

My family bitches about this kind of thing constantly. Although I am in agreement, It's too big a company which brings me back to my opinion that capitalism needs checks and balances. Rotten.com's library section also has an excellent article on the subject.

Quote:

Wal-Mart Truth - Straight
From Their Lips - Part 1
By Ted Twietmeyer
tedtw@frontiernet.net
5-30-5

A CNBC in-depth 2 hour documentary [1] on Wal-Mart that has aired several times, and revealed the real truth about the world's largest retailer. Since few people will watch news on a weekend, especially on a holiday like this one, I've summarized the important details in this report. The documentary was the best I've seen in years, despite leaving out some important facts which I've included.

The chain does 32 BILLION DOLLARS a year. This report will bring out important highlights from that show. We won't get into name-calling or labels. I'm presenting the facts with a few comments. There shouldn't be one person on the planet that should not be concerned about what they are doing. With more than 500 stores in the US alone, they have a big impact and far too much power.

ANOTHER ARM OF THE GOVERNMENT?

Keep in mind as you read this, that their headquarters contains a Homeland Security office which is off limits to most Wal-Mart "associates" in the chain's headquarters. This office was never brought up in the documentary. One should ask, "WHY?"

The chain has more than 120 distribution centers located all around the country. One such center with more than 18 miles of conveyor belts moving individual boxes, has a floor area of more than 2 MILLION square feet. You could not see the other end of the building inside, as boxes on conveyors moved away from the camera to become tiny specs. The conveyors feed an army of tractor trailers that literally pack the boxes to the ceiling of the trailer's box.

In the event of a national disaster and forced rationing, the government has a ready-made distribution pipeline. There is little doubt they already know this. How many stores do you know of that have a secret office belonging to Homeland Security?

A constant stream of business people with products for them to sell, comes to their store's headquarters in Arkansas. There are more than 60 small rooms, all constantly packed with manufacturers, distributors and inventors attempting to get the store to market their products. Store reviewers come into each room to review products and make determinations.

GREED QUICKLY DESTROYS A LIFETIME OF WORK

Pillowtex Corp. had more than 1.2 BILLION dollars in sales, with $450 to $500 million of it with Wal-Mart according to the company's former CEO. He was quite was bitter, as he described how Wal-Mart drove his prices lower and lower. Then the store had the nerve to firmly suggest he go off-shore to get his products made. In the end, he liquidated his company and was forced to fire ALL 14,000 employees. 14,000 people all unemployed. This is the cost of jumping in bed with the devil. Think about that the next time you go to the store to buy a pillow.

ACADEMIA SPEAKS OUT

Professor Stone of Iowa State has remarked that "small business grocery stores lose 25% of their business and it never comes back." Interviews with the chain's CEO Lee Scott illustrated how he is a master at spinning questions into off-topic answers, to make himself and the store look good. Perhaps that's why he has the figurehead job in an amazingly tiny office for his position there.

Another surprise - the chain is taking off big in China. At the time the show was produced they had 14 stores in that country, and management was is in the planning stage to opening many others. They are also selling produce which Chinese people would normally purchase in street markets. According to one Chinese family, "the store's prices are very good and very low." This makes one wonder what will happen to the Chinese vegetable suppliers to Wal-Mart as they too, are told to "lower prices." Will they also be told to go "off shore?" OOPS! They already are off-shore!
So where to go next when "offshore" costs too much? Perhaps there is an answer to that.

LESSON FROM HISTORY FOR CHINESE FACTORIES FROM THE CHIP BUSINESS

In going off-shore, the world has a lesson to learn from the semiconductor industry. China should LEARN from this (but I doubt it.) First, silicon valley manufacturers went to Japan to have chips made. This was back in the 1970's. Then when Japan's cost of living shot up, they were too expensive for the manufacturers to use. Then it was Korea who manufactured them next, but then they became too expensive.

Manufacturing was moved to the Pacific-rim countries to make chips. I still have tubes of chips that have labels "Made in one or more of the following countries" which then lists almost every third world country on planet earth. When it was brought up in a board meeting in a Canadian company about 20 years ago on CBC television's "Venture" that "a bag of rice per month is expected by employees" in a pacific rim country along with their paycheck, one CEO said "Well, I guess we're in the rice business now."[2] I sometimes wonder if the are still there, or if they moved their manufacturing elsewhere.

RISING COST OF LIVING IN CHINA MUST IMPACT THE CHAIN

It would be arrogant of China to think that they too, won't become too expensive for Wal-Mart. Management won't be happy as product costs MUST rise to pay for a higher lifestyle. In fact, it's inevitable because increasing any country's standard of living depends on price increases. Could Africa become the next China? It's about the only other place left for dirt-cheap labor. China is now embracing the expensive automobile and discouraging cheap bicycles. The are now on the same path as Japan.

The bubble MUST burst, as the Chinese people are now enjoying a higher cost of living while at the expense of American jobs. I hope they enjoy the bubble while it's still there. Those idiot yellow smiley faces for "always low prices" in Wal-Marts will disappear. Sooner or later Wal-Mart will run out of places to setup sweatshop manufacturing. What's interesting about this is that NWO efforts to level the world's economies will actually work AGAINST Wal-Mart philosophy. The store's success must be based on "he haves" vs. "the have-nots." If America becomes a nation of "have-nots" because of the NWO and globalism, then who will be able to buy the store's products? We could actually see the return of small businesses to America in the not too far future.

The program revealed that the chain now has 5,000 lawsuits, with an average of 3 new lawsuits every day. After 9 years, one female employee stated her salary was just $8.43. Who can live on that? Matt Foley, a a motivational speaker character played by the late Chris Farley on SNL said it best. They could end up like him "Eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a VAN - down by the RIVER."

BUILDING A COMPANY USING EMPLOYEES AS FLOORMATS

Another female employee stated that a male employee was making $10K a year more than she was, for the same job. When the CEO Lee Scott was asked about sex discrimination lawsuits, he stated "You can't run a company on how to avoid the next lawsuit." Wal-Mart is being sued with several class action suits besides sex discrimination, including locking workers in stores overnight for "employee safety." Wal-Mart is also under investigation for illegal alien employees, says "We can't verify the immigration of every employee." ANOTHER LIE. They have the office of Homeland Security RIGHT THERE. If they can't help verify illegal aliens, WHO CAN? This goes way beyond dumb and dumber.

ALL IS NOT WELL IN BLUE SMOCK LAND

Highly organized efforts are underway everywhere in America against the chain. There was a briefing of more than 200 activists in Rochester, NY. The organizer of the group said "Their employees are easy to find - they are ones wearing those stupid blue smocks."

There is also serious protest around the country against the store for terrible health insurance. CEO Scott was asked about the claim that the store spends $3500/employee on health care. Scott slowly answered, "Let me answer that carefully....Sam believed that as individuals they should pay part of that cost." What a dumb type-A remark. On a paycheck far below poverty level? Scott then brags about "profit sharing, 401K and other programs." When asked if Scott thinks employees feel like a partner, he answers "that's a ridiculous question."

He knows the answer just as we do. They all feel like slaves, and have no choice but to work there. But Scott couldn't bring himself to say it. I can't begin to describe Scott's attempt to restrain his aggressive body language to many of the well thought out questions put to him. He too, will answer one day for his actions. To that Greatest of all CEOs - who doesn't live on earth.

YOU CAN FIGHT THEM AND WIN

One man in Lancaster, PA has led a successful group effort to keep the chain out of that area for 7 years. He has raised more than $80K to hire high power lawyers to fight them, and has won the battle. When asked about the Lancaster people, Scott made a remark about how "wrong it is for a small group of people to keep them out of anywhere." What he failed to notice is that in today's economy few healthy people have the time available to fight them. Instead, the average person is just treading water trying not to drown financially - under the economic ruin the company has already rained down on the economy. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

In California, a public vote kept them out of the LA area. When Scott was asked about that action, he had little to say other than "we decided to accept the results of the vote." What other choice did he have? He just won't ever admit how blatantly wrong it is for the company to force itself into communities, and drive local small businesses under.

SAM WALTON - FIRST CORPORATE SLAVEDRIVER FOR WAL-MART

When you read Walton's biography, you get the impression of a "good ol' boy" who cares about America.What a lie that was. Also how "he drove a beat-up old pickup truck to breakfast at a local diner."

In reality, he had his own private plane which he piloted himself. This was not a biplane, either. The following is an eyewitness acount of flying with Walton: "He often flew cross-country, going from store to store." (Long before there were 500+ stores.) " If he saw an empty parking lot, Walton would take the plane into a terrifying nose dive, land at the nearest airfield and go straight to the store. He would then interrogate the store manager and demand to know WHY the parking lot was empty. At one store this happened as a result of a local football game. The store manager told him to "come back after 2PM and the lot will be packed."

This is just one example that shows the mentality of current management is a legacy of Walton himself. I've often wondered if Walton's casket was made of old wooden pallets from the store and painted blue and red with old Wal-Mart paint. But then, that might cost too much. Their plants in China never make "one" of anything.

MY QUESTION FOR THE CEO AND HEAD SLAVE DRIVER

OK Scott- if you read this (which I doubt) SHOW the world how using just 1% of your revenue - about $320 MILLION, on REAL health care for your "associates." Show us how that would really hurt your bottom line. Wall Street would get over it in a few days, and your employees (oops - "associates") would work harder for you. We're sure you know Mr. Scott, that with the new ruthless bankruptcy laws your employees can no longer escape the death grip of lawyers that work for labs, doctors and hospitals.

You have stated that you pay hospitalization for employees. You did not say how much the company will pay, or what the company benefit limits are. Your benefits certaintly will not cover ANY medical expenses incurred by a previously hospitalized employee or their spouse, who was ill BEFORE they became a slave at one of your stores. They will have their wages garnished for all eternity.

Or is the store planning on going into healthcare, by building a "Wal-Mart Hospital" in Bentonville where employees must go for hospitalization or go untreated? Will the entire staff be undocumented aliens or "legalized aliens" holding tacos or practicing "psychic surgery?" Or will you have a euthanasia wing for employees which you have life insurance on?

The law of probabilities is always at work. It would seem to indicate that some day, the store will hire a former angry postal worker who is armed to the teeth. That person might come to work one day with more than a smock in their hand. We certaintly hope not, but sooner or later the slaves revolt and THEY WIN. Read the Old Testament.

A SWEAT SHOP THAT DOESN'T THINK SLAVES DESERVE OVERTIME

In Oregon, a jury determined that Wal-Mart must pay overtime to employees. Professor Stone stated that "store managers sometimes become overzealous to meet targets and goals." How does that justify slavery? Not according to the courts. When Scott was asked 'what if 1% of your employees don't meet regulations, which is 15,000 employees, what is the impact of that?' Scott squirmed and admitted, 'well yeah that could be a problem.'

There are few people in the country not touched by Wal-Mart. A recent conference at the University of Santa Barbara devoted to the Wal-Mart phenomenon pointed out the "stores are a touchstone for America on so many different areas."

When the interviewer asked Scott if his store sets the national minimum wage, he denied that. But history shows otherwise, since in any community few can earn a higher salary than what the largest in the employer is paying. The company's influence is clear. Scott was reluctant to comment on whether their power is good or bad for America, but says "If I were to look at a spreadsheet, it would come out slightly on the positive side." He also added "There isn't anything more inherently evil about being more efficient."

That's exactly what Hitler thought, too. Is there any difference in global conquest between what Hitler did, and what Wal-Mart is doing? Hitler used firearms and artillery - the store uses money and prices to conquer the world.

BRAINWASHING EMPLOYEES

To work there, you must fit in. There is a chant the workers get together to do in the morning. A great psychological trick as it makes employees feel they are an important part of the company. This takes place in China as well just before the store opens. One can trace this kind of brainwashing back to the days of red communist China, where such group chants were mandatory. Could this be the origin of it at Wal-Mart?

TRACKING AND TRACING IS A REALITY

Wal-Mart has a massive near real-time data processing center in their Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters that tracks everything purchased for EACH person. Their data processing people state "the data on everything everyone purchases and where, is kept for 2 years." If the Real ID card replaces money then you will never, ever be able to buy anything anonymously again.

CONCLUSION

Scott's final comment: "How large can we get? As long as we keep doing things the way were doing it, I don't see any end to it."

Translation: "Small businesses, BEWARE...." If you are a company or small business owners, become anti-Wal-Mart activists now while you still can if you want to stay independent. Remember what happened to great American companies like Pillowtex, because they bought into the Wal-Mart BS and jumped in bed with them.

Yet keep the faith - as the expression goes, "every dog has it's day." Everyone foolishly thought the real estate bubble could never burst, willfully ignoring the lessons of history. They too, learned that all power is only temporary.

And consider this - what are the first three letters of the word associate?

Ted Twietmeyer

SOURCE MATERIAL
[1] - Interviews with Wal-Mart CNBC show that aired from 10AM to 12PM on May 30 2005
[2] - CBC television show "Venture" that aired almost 20 years ago on Canadian television

Iron's Rite · 06-03-05

A few more things:

Quote:

Wal-Mart Truth - Part 2
By Ted Twietmeyer
tedtw@frontiernet.net
6-1-5

If you haven't read Part 1 first, please do so. It will insure that the following has clarity for you. Wal-Mart Truth - Straight From Their Lips - Part 1

Below are a few more additional points about the blue box chain:

* Annual revenue is currently more than 285 billion dollars. Most likely the reporter on CNBC was referring to net income
rather than gross. However, this is not a terribly relevant issue since the main problem the chain creates is long term damage to the American family through more economic hardship at poverty wages, the American economy, the American job market and American small businesses.

* Wal-Mart has been caught insuring all their employees with life insurance, with proceeds going to the company and not to any beneficiary or relative of the deceased employee. This truly treats employees as a death investment.

* The documentary also covered a female employee who has a national management job. She is in charge of all pet departments in the chain, and her career began in a store's pet department. This was used as an example of promotion from within. What has been exposed in the past about internal promotions, are that a college business degree is required any management position in the company, even down to a store manager job. Unfortunately the documentary was too easy on the chain and this "minor detail" was not covered..

* There are some who have written me claiming that the Wal-Mart philosophy of cheaper is better ,and that's what business is about. (?) To them I say, "What about the more than 700 sweatshop factories, working 12-15 hour shifts, 7 days a week in China? This is not fiction, but was covered on another documentary last year. It showed the factory conditions. They were strongly reminiscent of America at the turn of the last century. Boiling hot conditions, no ventilation, unclean air and much more. There is also horrible, sub-human brutal treatment of menstruating women on production lines that is so terible it cannot be discussed here.

* To those that think that "cheaper is better, people want more for their money, or business is business" philosophy I ask, Would YOU want your children working in such a sweat-hole? And equally important - would you like your children and grandchildren to be able to find a job here in America when they are teenagers, and when they graduate from college? And in the future when your children and grandchildren can no longer find a job anywhere accept BELOW minimum wage as part-time workers - then how will you feel about those jobs you helped to export after it's too late? It will be the proverbial "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" ...Green grass, until you jump the fence and discover it's all Astroturf.

* We can also thank the RUTHLESS, tyrannical MBA types who would rather buy a factory and shut it down. They raid a company's value for the short term, rather than keep people employed and make the corporation even more successful and hire even more people. If you have ever met one of these MBA types you would know exactly what I mean. I've met several of these people in business. Now this cut-throat business approach is Wal-Mart's philosophy. The proof? Their actions show it, when they drive local small businesses under wherever they plant one of their cookie-cutter stores. But Wal-Mart best learn that "What goes around...comes around."

So when you are trying to decide to patronize that mom and pop store you always went to before the blue box came to town or go to the blue box - now your decision should be easy. If you have trouble remembering, then burn into your brain the images of sweatshops with 10 year old children working 12 and 15 hour days making $200.00 Nike shoes, clothes and handbags working for pennies an hour. Factories that you don't want to use your hard-earned money to support.

Every item bought at Wal-Mart adds another nail in the coffin of America's future.

Dyshade · 06-03-05

32 Billion??? Who got that figure... I work for Kroger... we are the fifth largest Supermarket chain in the world and made about 36Bill.... wallie world is number one and made over 100billion last year alone.... maybe an old article???

errantrogue · 06-03-05

net, not gross...

Uncletiggs · 06-03-05

NO, it's gross what they pay their employees!!!

Dyshade · 06-03-05

Quote:

Originally Posted by errantrogue

net, not gross...

""The chain does 32 BILLION DOLLARS a year. This report will bring out important highlights from that show. We won't get into name-calling or labels. I'm presenting the facts with a few comments. There shouldn't be one person on the planet that should not be concerned about what they are doing. With more than 500 stores in the US alone, they have a big impact and far too much power.""

Does not say Net there.... just says they do.... which pretty much means how much they make gross per year.... and hell they net a buttload more than 32 Billion a year...... they pay min wage for most positions and sub-par for the rest.... lets say Ca. min grocery upper pay rate is 18-20$ an hour..... at wallie world it would be a flat 11-13$ an hour.... I ca. that is sub-par.... you could get on food stamps with that pay.... which alot of thier employees actually do.....

waterRTBH · 06-03-05

I had been actually readin about the way Wal Mart works when I transferred jobs back in January.

When I lived in Tennessee for 2 years, there was literally no where else to shop, and I asked why. I was told Wal_Mart had shut down most of the other businesses.

At that point, I couldn't choose and had to shop there or drive an hour, so I shopped there.

When I moved back to Ohio I literally boycotted it, I will now go out of my way to drive an hour to buy something instead of shopping at Wal-Mart. I only shop for groceries at Kroger, and I go to more expensive stores for other things on a regular basis. I have to watch what I buy now, but I refused to fall victim to the mass production view of Wal_Mart.

Many of my suppliers at work are from China. I resent it. They cannot keep up with production demand, there price is only minimally cheaper, and the quality sucks. I'm working on resourcing most of them, I can't deal with the shoddy product and 12 week lead times. Wal_Mart will soon start paying the price for their greed, I just hope enough people realize it soon enough to stop everyone else from being able to provide services.

Dyshade · 06-03-05

Quote:

Originally Posted by waterbearer

I had been actually readin about the way Wal Mart works when I transferred jobs back in January.

When I lived in Tennessee for 2 years, there was literally no where else to shop, and I asked why. I was told Wal_Mart had shut down most of the other businesses.

At that point, I couldn't choose and had to shop there or drive an hour, so I shopped there.

When I moved back to Ohio I literally boycotted it, I will now go out of my way to drive an hour to buy something instead of shopping at Wal-Mart. I only shop for groceries at Kroger, and I go to more expensive stores for other things on a regular basis. I have to watch what I buy now, but I refused to fall victim to the mass production view of Wal_Mart.

Many of my suppliers at work are from China. I resent it. They cannot keep up with production demand, there price is only minimally cheaper, and the quality sucks. I'm working on resourcing most of them, I can't deal with the shoddy product and 12 week lead times. Wal_Mart will soon start paying the price for their greed, I just hope enough people realize it soon enough to stop everyone else from being able to provide services.

Most of Kroger named stuff is made in the USA.... they only really outsource name brands and/or produce..... we are getting our watermelons from mexico right now.... they suck.... another couple of weeks the California melons will come in... those are real good..... wallie world imports well over 60% of its prime merchandise from china..... bleh..... talk about supporting communism.....

One · 06-03-05

It will be a very very long time before Wal-Mart will have to pay the price for thier greed. By then, the owners will no longer care, it will be handed down, and fall victim to that before anything. Just like Eaton, The Bay, Zellers ...etc etc.

waterRTBH · 06-03-05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dyshade

Most of Kroger named stuff is made in the USA.... they only really outsource name brands and/or produce..... we are getting our watermelons from mexico right now.... they suck.... another couple of weeks the California melons will come in... those are real good..... wallie world imports well over 60% of its prime merchandise from china..... bleh..... talk about supporting communism.....

but choo know Im all for you :p

Qoji · 06-03-05

Quote:

Originally Posted by One

It will be a very very long time before Wal-Mart will have to pay the price for thier greed. By then, the owners will no longer care, it will be handed down, and fall victim to that before anything. Just like Eaton, The Bay, Zellers ...etc etc.

I'd say they'd pay for it quicker if more people got in on the boycott.

One · 06-03-05

The problem with that is too many ppl have already given in to them.

Uncletiggs · 06-03-05

I currently have an item on lay-a-way there... Only because it is the only place i can get to reasonably that offers it... I (since i don't own a car ) will have to arrange for the item to be brought to my apt...

Other than that, i have not bought much from them over the last few years.. Tho my ex-GF does so often!!!

Nox noctis Umbra · 06-04-05

They sell shit merchandise, undercut the competition, and pay there hourly employees next to nothing, not to mention that a lot of management there are a bunch of fucking assholes, who will use a medical problem in such a way to legitimize a termination

Uncletiggs · 06-04-05

There was an article in the IBD ( investers business daily ) on Saturday about them..

squall_zell · 06-26-05

o sure would like to know theirs secret... how did they got so much money...?
in the top 10 of the world richest men there are 4 Wal brothers... how wal-mart can do such thing... it's amazing... i think they putted cocaine or somthing like that, in the action man toys... so they can import and export more easily....

Nox noctis Umbra · 06-26-05

No I will tell you . They buy cheap, pay their employees as little as they can get away with(they hate labor laws by the way) they only keep the really good employees if they are on board with the so called "company" philosophy, and the undercut the competition. I recently heard that the Wal-Mart store here got rid of a lot of the people I used to work with overnight. I have a sneaking suspicion that if they indeed have(and I cannot verify it for sure)that it may have had something to do with my termination, cause I was good at what I did there, and we actually got the job done for the most part. I do know that two of the people were like me, and kept telling management that we needed more people to handle the freight, but management refused to hire more help.