Behold!! The cancerous growth of Wal Mart!!!

[tater]

And again, if you feel they should be charging $20 for something instead of $15, and that the employees should make more, buy it for $15, then give $5 to some random employee as a tip.

[Méo]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

But it's easier to rant and about the 'evil' of it all, and more fun to tell people what losers they are for feeling differently.

I have no idea if it was aimed at me, but I never said anything about 'evil' or ''tell people what losers they are''.

In fact, I even go there sometimes (rarely) but each time I do, I hate every step I take, everything is so ugly.

Originally Posted by tater

And again, if you feel they should be charging $20 for something instead of $15, and that the employees should make more, buy it for $15, then give $5 to some random employee as a tip.

Why should I do it?

I already said it but my electricity bill is much cheaper than my cousin's bill who lives in Boston.

----

And for all of those who are afraid of government-owned corporation, look how awful it is:

http://www.hydroquebec.com/en/index.html

http://www.saq.com/webapp/wcs/stores...e=%2fnh%2fHome

http://lotoquebec.com/corporatif/nav/en/home

[CaptainHaplo]

Meo - I cannot speak to Canadian run businesses.

However - I can speak to American run businessess...

The Government has tried repeatedly to run certain "businessess" - in whole or in part - and has run ever single one of them into the red to the point where each must be subsidized by the government to continute to exist.

Not one government controlled and run business in the history of this country has ever been successful in turning a long term profit. I am not talking social programs - I am talking services for dollars. With that said - why in the world would we - as citizens with a different experience historically - ever want to trust our government to further reach into the business sector? History for us shows that such a move is unwise.

And yes - Steamwake has it nailed. The wal-mart hatred actually did not start until it opened up businessess in highly unionized areas of the Northeast. In doing so, the Unions saw a large group of workers they could exploit - uhm... have as members - yet got rebuffed. Once that happened - then the rage against wal-mart started.

But don't get me started on Unions....

[Méo]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

The Government has tried repeatedly to run certain "businessess" - in whole or in part - and has run ever single one of them into the red to the point where each must be subsidized by the government to continute to exist.

Not one government controlled and run business in the history of this country has ever been successful in turning a long term profit. I am not talking social programs - I am talking services for dollars. With that said - why in the world would we - as citizens with a different experience historically - ever want to trust our government to further reach into the business sector? History for us shows that such a move is unwise.

I see, it helps to understand.

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

But don't get me started on Unions....

Don't worry!!

Even if I'm a teamsters member, sometimes (yes I insist on the sometimes) I find a bit ridiculous what union officials are asking.

Actually, I also find ridiculous how some people can be polarized in their opinions, whether extreme left or extreme right.

[CaptainHaplo]

Meo - first off let me commend you for keeping an open mind. Different experiences = different perspectives. I will say this - if our government could be semi-responsible with some things, I might have a view closer to your own. I totally see why you have your view - its reasonable based on what your government has been able to do.

Now - as to unions - again I suspect that there is a big difference between labor unions in the US and those in Canada. Here, there has been much agitation for "unionization" votes to be non-secret - allowing union representatives to list who was for - and against - the forming of a union chapter at a certain location or business. Given the history of unions in the US - which is one filled with intimidation, physical and employment coercion, etc - opening up employees to being publicly classified as "anti-union" means enabling them to be specifically targetted with such measures.

I have no problem with collective bargaining on its own - its the ways unions do it - often over the objection of their own membership - that I take issue with.

[Méo]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

first off let me commend you for keeping an open mind. Different experiences = different perspectives.

Thanks, that's reciprocal.

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

Given the history of unions in the US - which is one filled with intimidation, physical and employment coercion, etc -

Yeah, I've already heard of that, particularly in our construction industry (I don't work in this industry).

But I've never experienced any intimidation, I guess it's a remain of the past when things were much more violent.

[Ducimus]

[Blood_splat]

Paying sweatshop workers pennies and working them 16 hours a day and 7 days a week. Using child labor because it's even cheaper. New age slavery.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Méo

I have no idea if it was aimed at me, but I never said anything about 'evil' or ''tell people what losers they are''.

No, it wasn't.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Blood_splat

Paying sweatshop workers pennies and working them 16 hours a day and 7 days a week. Using child labor because it's even cheaper. New age slavery.

On the other hand, the people who do those jobs would otherwise be working in rice paddies for less than half the 'pennies' they get making that stuff. Or sold into prostitution.

And, as I said before, I hope you don't own a playstation. Or a television. Or a telephone.

[tater]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Any of the chips in that widget you're typing on come from overseas?

I actually try not to buy stuff from the PRC, but it's nearly impossible to avoid.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I hope your televisions are all Zenith. They are the only TV manufacturer that is still US-owned. Of course the majority of the assembly takes place in Mexico.

And what kind of car do you drive?

Telephone?
http://www.usstuff.com/cellphon.htm

[tater]

BTW, for any of you with younger kids (or grandkids ), a great way to buy toys that don't suck, AND stick it to the chinese is to buy Playmobil toys. They are awesome.

My daughter has a PM dollhouse, a bunch of fairy princess stuff (unicorns, etc), and a pyramid (?!). My son (3.5 YO) has a 2 sailing brigs (I bought enough extra cannon to fill all 8 gunports ), a small gunboat, a lighthouse/fort, and a jail with some frenchie napoleonic troops. The 2 kids play together, the fancy Victorian doll house has the captain and princesses, and then Joel has pirates fighting the navy ship (and losing). Great fun. (note that that (discontinued) brig was pitched as a pirate ship, but I bought red coats, and some other crap on ebay so that one is fully crewed in sort-of Royal Navy style.

Yes, it's MY set of toys, too.

But they are NOT made in China (Malta, I believe).

[Blood_splat]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...tay-awake.html

[Sailor Steve]

Cute. A photograph showing a group of women cradling their heads on their arms. Are they worn out from work? Are they taking a scheduled break? Are they posing for the picture?

Why isn't there a picture of the boss raking them over the coals for sleeping on the job?