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Mango

SoWal Insider
Apr 7, 2006
9,709
1,360
New York/ Santa Rosa Beach
I encourage everyone to watch this show, or read the online transcript:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/

Although saving money at Walmart is perception and not reality, the fact that you can buy a $39 microwave (how can you even ship a microwave from China for $39?) at many stores in America is a result of the Walmart-China joint venture.

While their partnership may not be the only reason America is declining and China is rising, it will be an important chapter in the history of a country that once was.

Alright :roll: , but after 20/20's real estate show is over. :lol:
 

Mango

SoWal Insider
Apr 7, 2006
9,709
1,360
New York/ Santa Rosa Beach
I watched the PBS special and although it was informative, I wish it had addressed the actions our government needs to enforce to make China honor their WTO obligations. They manipulate their currency to create a discount on goods to the tune of about 20-40%, and pirate about 90% of our intellectual property rights.
Not sure how Walmart or any other manufacturer/importer could be blamed for working an unfair trade system that we are allowing to continue. :dunno:
 

Bob

SoWal Insider
Nov 16, 2004
10,364
1,391
O'Wal
Milk is 2.99/gallon at Costco, and 3.88 at Wal-Mart. I've seen the same happy employees at the local store for years now with very little turnover. Costco stores are clean have many American made products, and their employees are well paid. Wal-Mart is the exact opposite, with a greater use of part-timers who have no benefits. With the exception of store level managers, their employees are poorly paid and their stores are not as clean, especially the local Sam's Wholesale. This is a corporate decision born of profit before people and community, and is not the vision of Sam Walton. I believe Wal-Mart has lost it's way and is building a very poor track record across our country. Price and corporate profit do not trump every other consideration in retail. Go ask the CEO of Target as this company donates 5 percent of pretax profits to charity. Mortgages by Wal-Mart? Can you imagine trusting the largest transaction of your life to an outfit with a bigger case of bad karma?
 

elgordoboy

Beach Fanatic
Feb 9, 2007
2,513
887
I no longer stay in Dune Allen
You are being short sighted. It's not about lowest at the expense of your country. With Wal Mart's massive economies of scale, goods in America can be produced cheaply with massive factory orders. Regarding Chinese quality, well what product group are you talking about? Pencils, microprocessors, cars, shampoo? We've given away the farm with their currency manipulation and have enabled our own deficit spending because they buy huge chunks of our debt. It's bad business for America to do these things for low prices, because the scenario I point out weakens our country, and is not fiscally sustainable in the long run. It's much like the Latin bumrush across our borders. Personally, I can remember paying 200.00 for my first DVD player at Costco. Now 30.00 buys one made in China. Every room in my house that has a TV has a DVD player. Do I need them? No. Does it raise my standard of living? I would argue no. I would rather pay 99.00 for one American made player built by Americans. There would be less trade deficit, less foreign influence from our debt purchase, and more national strength through manufacturing infrastructure. Our country would be more self sufficient and could not easily be held hostage by any country or group like OPEC. This was the scenario we had during the cold war. China owns us business wise, and we rely on them too much for manufacturing sourcing. One day they're going to face us down when we object to their military ambitions. Will we have the sway to make our position stick when they produce most of our everyday goods? That's the true cost of your cheap Chinese products we take for granted today, much like OPEC and terrorism, our dollars our slowly funding a problematic rival at the expense of our autonomy and way of life.
How about I buy some of those $30 dvd players and sell them to you for $99 and the American who would've had to make it can go do something more productive with his time. That extra $69 will go to an american and stay here in America... buy 2 and I'll spend it locally..dinner.. maybe at Stinky's. Must be tough seeing enemies everywhere "latin bumrush", "communist China", sneaky A-rabs.
 

Bob

SoWal Insider
Nov 16, 2004
10,364
1,391
O'Wal
How about I buy some of those $30 dvd players and sell them to you for $99 and the American who would've had to make it can go do something more productive with his time. That extra $69 will go to an american and stay here in America... buy 2 and I'll spend it locally..dinner.. maybe at Stinky's. Must be tough seeing enemies everywhere "latin bumrush", "communist China", sneaky A-rabs.
Hated that factory work, did you? Perhaps we could characterize 10-20 million illegals as the Latin Waltz, as I don't see why they would all leave when Ford's paying 3 bucks an hour to assemble Fusions. The Latins, Chinese,and A-Rabs are not our enemies. They just all want in on the almighty dollar whether it be by the sweat of their brow or the cost of their products. I believe we've sold ourselves out to profit in the short run. Anyone need a pizza delivered??
 

elgordoboy

Beach Fanatic
Feb 9, 2007
2,513
887
I no longer stay in Dune Allen
Whaddya got against folks who deliver pizzas? Should I aspire to making socks instead? Why do some people think we need to be making pencils, shampoos, DVD's to be a great country? I don't know anyone who works in the service industry such as "delivering pizzas" I also don't know anyone, personally, who manufactures anything. Everyone I know that wants a job has a job and all seem to be making out at them pretty well. Maybe that changes in the coming times, I'll keep an open mind. Will you?
 

Bob

SoWal Insider
Nov 16, 2004
10,364
1,391
O'Wal
Whaddya got against folks who deliver pizzas? Should I aspire to making socks instead? Why do some people think we need to be making pencils, shampoos, DVD's to be a great country? I don't know anyone who works in the service industry such as "delivering pizzas" I also don't know anyone, personally, who manufactures anything. Everyone I know that wants a job has a job and all seem to be making out at them pretty well. Maybe that changes in the coming times, I'll keep an open mind. Will you?
I'm disparaging the lack of benefits/wages in the service sector, not the job holder. Manufacturing jobs pay more on average with higher wages, benefits, and a retirement. China is not just manufacturing pencils. I suspect the very computer you pecked out this message on is Chinese. Free trade has cannibalized a great deal of our manufacturing base. It's not good long term policy to abdicate your autonomy to our eventual rival for world leadership. We are too dependent on China, whether it's Dell computers or pencils, and that makes us weaker.
 

6thGen

Beach Fanatic
Aug 22, 2005
1,491
152
I'm disparaging the lack of benefits/wages in the service sector, not the job holder. Manufacturing jobs pay more on average with higher wages, benefits, and a retirement. China is not just manufacturing pencils. I suspect the very computer you pecked out this message on is Chinese. Free trade has cannibalized a great deal of our manufacturing base. It's not good long term policy to abdicate your autonomy to our eventual rival for world leadership. We are too dependent on China, whether it's Dell computers or pencils, and that makes us weaker.

Bob,
No one is stopping you from buying pencils, computers, etc. from US companies. No one is stopping you from opening a factory and producing pencils, or producing computers. I just ask that you don't try to dictate my line of work, or my choice of purchases.
 

Bob

SoWal Insider
Nov 16, 2004
10,364
1,391
O'Wal
Bob,
No one is stopping you from buying pencils, computers, etc. from US companies. No one is stopping you from opening a factory and producing pencils, or producing computers. I just ask that you don't try to dictate my line of work, or my choice of purchases.
Well spoken, free trade comrade. No go check your "made in" labels on all the items in your office, and tell me if that strengthens our country in both economic and diplomatic terms. Let's see, who invented the word "kowtow".
 
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