Wal-Mart: 50 Years of Gutting America's Middle Class?
That relentless focus on squeezing workers and suppliers for every advantage has paid off since July 1962. Walmart is now the second-largest corporation on the planet. It took in almost half-a-trillion dollars last year at more than 10,000 stores worldwide.
Walmart now captures one of every four dollars Americans spend on groceries.
While the big-box business model Sam Walton pioneered half a century ago has been great for Walmart, it hasn't been so great for the U.S. economy.
Walmart's explosive growth has gutted two key pillars of the American middle class: small businesses and well-paying manufacturing jobs.
Between 2001 and 2007, some 40,000 U.S. factories closed, eliminating millions of jobs. While Walmart's ceaseless search for lower costs wasn't the only factor that drove production overseas, it was a major one. During these six years, Walmart's imports from China tripled in value from $9 billion to $27 billion.
Top Opinion
-
TheCouchF*cker 2012/07/06 04:29:26
+4Unions and taxes are the primary reasons that production jobs have been driven out of the country. It's too expensive to produce anything and make a profit inside of the United States of America that isn't a high-value product. Get the government to back off out of people's lives and wallets and they'll come flying back so they're then more concerned about the difference in shipping costs.
I live in the sticks. I had to drive to the Mom & Pop stores. Now I drive the same distance to Walmart. There is no difference.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the guns and ammunition at Walmart. If you don't like the electronics go to Best Buy, but I buy my printer cartridges at Walmart because they are cheaper. Walmart sells the best batteries in the business. Don't believe me, check Consumer Reports. I buy tires elsewhere, but I have found their vehicle maintenance work acceptable.
The Walmart here employs many people. There is no one working there who is forced to work there. Walmart pays them and they keep showing up so I guess they find it acceptable.
As far as the lumber yards, tack shops, hardware stores I will say DUH because they do not carry that stuff. That's my point. They don't sell that stuff or they have a limited selection and they didn't put anybody out of business. There are two women's clothing stores, two western clothing stores, and a Levis and an Adias outlet in my area.
But nobody forces you to go to Walmart. If you don't like the go to Target.
like a Wal Mart so what is up with that. No one out there protesting, holding big town hall meetings refusing Target to build..it closes down mom and pop stores too...
http://www.godlikeproductions...