They can't provide people with a living wage; they insist on blighting communities with their big box architecture; they wipe out small businesses with their ruthless cost cutting; and we're supposed to be impressed because they're finally "protecting" their gay employees? Sorry, I'll pass.

Shop there myself, by the way. Great special on lawn chairs this week.

The main thing about WalMart that impresses me is that they have a leanient return policy. An old teacher of mine bought a watch at KMart... wore it half a year.. it broke... and was able to make an exchange at WalMart. Keep in mind the two companies aren't related, other than having "mart" at the end of their name.

peace.

I have boycotted WalMart seemingly forever over the issues raised by Mike L. above. Certainly I am pleased that the chain has moved out of the stone-age in terms of treating their employess fairly. But that doesn't change the other problems I see there. So, as of now, I will continue to refuse to shop there or at WalMart subsidiary Sam's Club. IMO, it would be immoral for me to spend my money there. Couldn't live with that on my conscience.

my question to Mike is this...

can ANY retail store provide employees with "living wage"? The retail store i work at sure as hell can't.

WalMart's not really the kind of place people plan on going to and making a living with, anyway.

peace.

Well, I partially agree. Wages should be set by a combination of the market, union organizing, and social priorities. With companies like Wal-Mart, only the first principle is operative. Private sector unioning has essentially been outlawed in this country by government intervention on behalf of big business--yet another example of statist capitalism disguised as the natural workings of the "free market."

I shop at Wal Mart myself, as I tried to say ironically in my post. It's cheap and I need to eat. Boycotting is not an option for most Wal Mart shoppers, many of whom have families and live paycheck to paycheck.

In general, boycotting is ineffective, I've come to realize, an illustration of the folly of lifestyle leftism (and I say that as a leftist).

Reforming labor laws-either by allowing collective bargaining to work as intended or abolishing it altogether and getting government out of the labor mediation business--would largely take care of the "Wal Mart problem." Wages would rise to their natural level, alleviating the appeal of ruthless discounting.

Hey hey now, you should give credit to Milton Glaser for your title. Sorry completely off-topic but I recently did a research paper on him and couldn't help but notice the heart=love thing.

Mike, I have a family and barely make it from paycheck to paycheck too. (There are loads of non-limo libs.) My conscience won't allow me to shop there, no matter what. Each person has to determine what he or she can and can not or will and will not do. A lot of people who want to boycott WalMart can not do so as a direct result of WalMart's existence and ruthlessness: Nothing else affordable exists in far too many towns. That's a damned shame. I am lucky to live in a place that offers alternatives, and I won't live in a place that doesn't. And it helps that I am not a big shopper and am anti-materialism.

Well, I certainly think you're doing an admirable thing. I guess what I was saying is that scattershot boycotts--Shell one day, Wal Mart the next-are ineffective as a political tool. But it would certainly be nice if everyone would stop shopping at Wal Mart tomorrow, myself included.

That would be nice! You are right about the ineffectiveness of scattershot mass boycotting campaigns. But I don't boycott for the purpose of banding with others, per se; I do so primarily so that I can look at myself in the mirror each day. And to let companies involved in alll kinds of chicanery how I feel about their activities. No, it's not easy -- no WalMart, no Shell, no ExxonMobil, no Applebee's, no Boy Scouts, no Salvation Army, etc. (More info at The Armchair Activist; go to the Homophobia Hall of Shame.) I would starve before eating at Applebee's, for example. There are towns I have visited where I literally can not patronize the restaurants or shop, which is tough if you haven't packed sandwiches or fruit in advance. :) But it's worth it.

Personally, I am an activist and quite active. I am not political, though, and have no use for political tools beyond telling the truth and doing what's right.

I believe if you work for somebody else you won't get rich and you might not even be able to pay the bills. In my determination not even Unions can help a bit they'll take there piece and leave you with nothing, and that will happen "99.9%" of the time. Just as any American would. We the United Stands for Yourself and ONLY Yourself.
It's the American Dream. If you Americans only really knew what the U.S. government is really doing to you and other people in other Nations. You might do something about it. Have you ever visited Third World Countries maybe you would have some HEART about things. Maybe you'll stand up for yourself. Like the Blacks stand up for Martin Luther jr.. SIX counts of driving while Drugged up and still driving because the government doesn't want any trouble from the protesters saying it's wrong to shove a Black person in jail. And the Hispanic stand up for there family. I'm tired of the racial slur. Saying your being prejudice against me. GROW UP PEOPLE. Take preen in yourself. Don't you have anything else to complain about, maybe somebody needs to make an Aspirin for that or maybe something stronger. You fellow Americans can be rich. I don't see you complaining about our Education for our kids sake. I don't see you people protesting anything that really matters to me. MAY GOD HELP GUIDE YOU IN GOOD WAYS. GOD BLESS.

Your fellow worried AMERICAN