Wal-mart to shutter 269 stores, 154 of them in the us

Not many people had health coverage through Wal Mart. Companies like that cut hours to under 32 so they wouldn't have to. In states that participated in the ACA programs, those people then ended up on state healthcare. In states that did not (like much of the South), those people had nothing. Of course, in they didn't have any to begin with. Companies like Wal Mart actually benefit from the social safety net keeping their labor force fed and healthy. They are not some benevolent pillar of the community. They buy goods made at slave wages overseas to sell to Americans losing jobs to those places with slave wages overseas. It's a spiral to bring the blue collar American down to the standard of living of northern Mexico or China.

 

right and some of those closures are old smaller ones being closed because a new larger one has opened. in other words, my understanding is that this was basically planned this way rather than some impending sign of trouble.

 

I know but through volume which benefits the consumer. Hell the state of Tennessee makes more off of my purchase than Walmart

 

This is not true. Those "slave" wages are their best option and has lifted millions out of extreme poverty to the point that it's at the lowest in human history.

 

Did they first cut healthcare when the affordable healthcare act became law or before?

 

they also provide very cheap goods to the 99% of poor people who actually don't work for Walmart and it's a silly assumption to think those same people would be qualified to work at Walmart if they say doubled their wages. they are providing employment to a talent pool that is terrible and basically unemployable. otherwise they wouldn't' be working for said wages.

net, i'm going to guess the poor end up way ahead. they also provide significant tax revenue for the local municipalities. there is a reason why many areas beg Walmart to come.

 

yup

 

my wife's mentally disabled cousin (or "retarded" if we want to use a now unpopular term) is a manager at Walmart. a MANAGER. all be it a low level one, but still working above people that theoretically have developed past the age of 13 years old. That should tell you something.

 

Lifted millions to less extreme poverty*

*when factoring government assistance

 

They're selling things to the poor who are poor in part to labor moving overseas to make make cheap things to sell to those same poor.

 

Most never had healthcare through Wal Mart.

 

I'm talking in third world countries. I'm sure the millions in China wouldn't rather go back to substance farming just because you don't agree with it

 

You seriously think the poor would be better off if we made toasters or whatever here and banned Chinese imports?

 

Wait, so Wal Mart lifted third world countries out of extreme poverty? Which ones? Surely you don't think the rank and file Chinese are living an enviable lifestyle. Yes, it's better than starving to death under Mao or being under the Japanese Emperor's heel. YAY!

 

We'd be better off not consuming goods made under conditions we find unethical.

 

The market expanding to allow them to sell their skill and labor lifted them and for millions it's a night and day difference. Walmart is just one of many avenues that give them access to our markets which makes us all richer.

The cronyism is our system is the thing to tackle. Cheap consumer goods being made overseas isn't hurting our economy, it makes it stronger.

 

That's fine for your choice and I agree but you shouldn't be allowed to force that on others.

 

why? and who finds unethical? is it "unethical" that the cost of living in rural china is a fraction of what it is here?

 

Better off how?

 

Although it wouldn't have a practical value, personal and ethical views have psychological values that people are willing to pay for and some times at really high cost