[Former Military Chick]

The above is his CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

[wagglebee]

I wish Ben Stein would run for office!

[Former Military Chick]

Ben Stein **ping**

[claudiustg]

It would be nice if Walmart would advertise in the local papers though, the way local companies do.

[SmithL]

Capitalist!

[conservative cat]

I prefer Target where I live. The closest Walmart is kind-of scuzzy. When I lived in small town Tennessee, though, I loved Walmart.

[185JHP]

Ben, bang on the truth, as usual.

[Kirkwood]

I've never gotten good service at a WalMart. Most of the people working there can't speak english or pretend not to.

[rawhide]

Great analysis!

[investigateworld]

Just wondering what happens when China unpegs it's currency?
I know only 15 to 20% of WM's stuff comes from there, but...?

[ImphClinton]

Stupidest thing I ever heard Rush say is that since Wal-Mart pays and average of $10.00 per hour the $5.25 / hour minimum must mot be to low. Right just half what the slave driver Wal-mart pays.

Prices are good I admit but their employees hate their employer. Only the Manager makes a decent living. The employees are forced to work off the clock or get fired. They get no health insurance. Maryland is trying to pass a bill to require employers to contribute 8% of payroll to Health Care cost for employees. Only Wal-mart will be affected as they are the only company not already doing that. They also fire instead of laying off. This way they don't have to pay unemployment. Of course it isn't working in Maryland. Maryland never believes Wal-mart.

Wal-Mart is the worst of the worst. There is no employer in America that is worst (at least no major employer).

[citizencon]

Stein is right on the money.

[traumer]

I love his wisdom ! Please see his website esp.
http://www.benstein.com/writing.html

He has some REAL JEWELS there...

[Richard-SIA]

You forgot the BARF alert!

Wally-World is THE REASON you cannot find an American made toaster.

I recently attempted to get some tooling made to produce a simple part for one of my products.

In talking with injection molding companies I heard the same story over and over.
Most are considering closing up, they cannot pay U.S. wages, materials, or energy cost and compete with China on price.

Many of them have helped manufacturers get off the ground, then lost the production work to China!

They also told me that they know many people who have tried to market their products to Wally-World.
Every time anyone approaches W-M with a product W-M demands that they shift production to China. If they do not, W-M will not contract with them for their goods.

W-M is all about price, quality comes last, virtually everything they sell is Chinese junk.

Maybe the author likes having to replace everything he buys after one or two uses, I prefer goods that last.

If we allow too much of our basic manufacturing infrastructure to be shipped out we will be reduced to a client state of the Chinese communist, with little real chance of getting our independence back.

"I owe my soul to the company store...."

[Rockingham]

I live less than a mile from a 24 hour WalMart Super Center and shop there frequently and at all hours of the day and night for price and convenience. I passed a stack of 27" flat screen TVs last night priced at $150 -- no doubt assembled by Asians eager for good pay and the chance to escape the rural poverty and isolation they were born into.

Despite the competition from WalMart -- and in some respects because of it -- within two miles there is also a Target, Kmart, Albertson's, four traditional grocery stores, a large mall anchored by four department stores, a Borders with a Barnes and Noble nearby, a twenty screen movie theater, a Staples and an Office Depot, two big box electronics retailers, and a wide range of other stores in several strip centers.

Large retailers have adapted to WalMart by copying as much of it and its business methods as they can and distinguishing themselves where they cannot. Small retailers have survived by specializing and offering more products in their niche than WalMart and other large general retailers. This has spurred more retail choices, more and better products, and lower prices. We accept this as normal, but I know better. When I summon up my earlier selves from decades past, I recognize anew the staggering prosperity and good fortune that Americans have made for themselves -- and WalMart is part of that.

[broadsword]

Since the goods are almost always made overseas, why not buy them at the best possible price?

And you just can't beat those fantastic deals on goods produced by the slave labor of Christians dying and suffering in miserable ChiCom Laogai. SUCH A DEAL!

[wideminded]

Now, don't get me wrong. Target and Sears and K-Mart and J.C. Penney and Brooks Brothers also sell good stuff usually at bargain prices,

I have never noticed any prices at Brooks Brothers that I would characterize as a bargain.

[nightdriver]

"By the way, if someone knows of a good American made toaster, please stand up and shout."

I not only know of one, I have one. It's an AMERICAN MADE SUNBEAM!!!

Oh, they're not made in America any more?

Well, I knew something was wrong, because it is 55 years old and it still works as well as it did when it was new. No chineeeeeeze-made piece of junk will ever equal that, I'll betcha.

I guess Ben is right. (again)

[jcb8199]

Check out this Yahoo! Finance Quiz.

[BunnySlippers]

Huzzah, good article!

[NaughtiusMaximus]

Flagstaff, AZ, City of Endless Annoyance, is in the process of passing a "Big Box Ordinance" to protect the local cartels which already have their feet in the door. I drive 60 miles (one way) to shop at the Cottonwood SuperWalmart. Even allowing for $1.89 gas, I still come out 10 to 20% ahead and don't pay Flagstaff's extortionate sales taxes either (which go to support bike paths and "municipal art" for liberals).