Posted on 04/05/2005 3:58:49 PM PDT by The Great Yazoo
ROGERS, Ark. -- Wal-Mart is "good for America" and the barrage of criticism against the company is an effort to protect the status quo in retailing, President and CEO Lee Scott said Tuesday in a sharp attack on organized labor and retail rivals.
Addressing about 50 journalists gathered at the company's media conference -- it first ever media event – Mr. Scott defended its wages and health care plans, criticized by labor groups as inadequate, and said that the company is able to save customers big money as it drives costs out of its system.
"Innovation and competition tends to change the status quo," said Mr. Scott, speaking at a hotel in Rogers, a few miles from Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s Bentonville headquarters.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Seems to me that you advocate acquiescing to extortion and threats or socialism.
We do not keep the third worlders in their condition. It is the corruption of their rulers or their belief system. Wealth is not a zero sum game. We didn't get it because we stole it from them. They can produce it just as we can.
Your ideas are naive at best, dangerous at worst
Uh -- they do produce it -- but usually after they come here. I see it every day with Africans, Asians, Eastern Europeans and Middle Easterners.
You are so correct on these comments.
However, there is one point you are missing. It is called American ingenuity. I'm not sure we have it anymore with the liberals and socialists blocking creativity. With our liberal Universities teaching THEM how to do it.
Yes, my friend. We have a problem, long term and I do see it.
Quote: My only consolation is that much of the technology they are buying is probably obsolete against us.
Not true by many of the military techies on this site. China bought 240 of th SU-30 fighter planes from Russia. One of the most advanced fighters in the world and is better than the F-15 or F-16.
China is behind us right no but what about 10 years from now? The EU also wants to lift the arms embargo against china this summer so they will be able to buy the very latest EU hardware...which is used by Nato and US.
Look what hitler did in 7 short years from '33 to '40; He was hampered by a Germany that was in a depression and was hindered by the league of nations and was supposedly limited by what he could build. Remember the "pocket battleships' that circumvented the law??
Look at china, unfettered for the most part by world law and a unlimited supply of money (for the most part)
However, there is one point you are missing. It is called American ingenuity. I'm not sure we have it anymore with the liberals and socialists blocking creativity. With our liberal Universities teaching THEM how to do it
That's what immigrants are for -- they provide the ingenuity. Unfortunately many American-born kids will be swept away in the process.
Quote: China is also arming our enemies, yeah islamists too, with advanced weaponry, including long range missiles and nuclear technology
Correct. They just signed a 70 billion dollar oil deal with Iran. When production cannot keep up with demand they will get the oil before we will.
They collapsed because at the end of the day communism doesn't work real well beyond the revolution and t-shirt phrase. It becomes dysfunctional. We only hastened the process a bit.
Quote: That's what immigrants are for -- they provide the ingenuity
The only problem is two of the main countries that we got immigrants(read hitech knowledge) from India and China are now staying home.
They have freedom inherent in our system that they do not have in their home countries. Anyone who wants to work hard in America can make it.
We are propping up a failed system in china. Without hard capital from America it would fall too.
Freedom, motivation and -- as cornball as it sounds -- a belief in the "American Dream." In New York you hear these stories all the time. One guy I know swam -- swam! -- out of Albania on a bunch of inner tubes. Another guy I know fixed cars in "Trench Town" Jamaica to come here. Both are either millionaires or close to it.
Zactly.
Once again -- that guy I know swam! Granted, he's a pretty tough nut, but swiming?
We're not propping up China. The country is in transition. It's evolving into something else, but I'm not sure I like what that something else will be.
This has been a lot of fun, y'all. I have to get to work. Take care.
Sounds like bad news -- for Wal*mart. Looks like a ton of bad press is piling up against them.
Sam Walton spinning in his grave at who knows what RPM.
I would never acquiesce to extortion and I am a capitalist down to my toes.
We do not keep the third worlders in their condition. It is the corruption of their rulers or their belief system. Wealth is not a zero sum game.
As they solve these problems they will begin to compete with us for resources and markets. Wealth is not a zero sum game but resources are in the short run.
We didn't get it because we stole it from them. They can produce it just as we can.
Yes and when they do they won't buy from us.
Your ideas are naive at best, dangerous at worst
I'm telling you competition is coming so you better get ready.
Cheap labor INHIBITS innovation - look at ancient Egypt and slave based civilizations.
The history of the US involves lots of people innovating ways to reduce the amount of labor needed to produce things. Why bother investing in capital equiptment and invention when you can reduce costs more easily by shifting production overseas?
As long as the Roman middle-class was strong, Rome was strong. When slave labor reduced what had been the middle class to consumers of bread and circuses, they had no longer any interest in fighting for Rome, and the barbarians took over
Walmart, the world's largest company store.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.