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Is Wal-Mart Good for America?
PBS ^ | 11/8/2004 | Press Release

Posted on 11/09/2004 1:11:34 PM PST by Willie Green

In Circleville, Ohio, population 13,000, the local RCA television manufacturing plant was once a source of good jobs with good pay and benefits. But in late 2003, RCA's owner, Thomson Consumer Electronics, lost a sizeable portion of its production orders and six months later shut the plant down, throwing 1,000 people out of work.

Thomson's jobs have moved to China, where cheap labor manufactures what the American consumer desires--from clothing to electronics--and can buy at "everyday low prices" at the local Wal-Mart.

On Tuesday, November 16, at 9 P.M. on PBS (check local listings), FRONTLINE® explores the relationship between U.S. job losses and the American consumer's insatiable desire for bargains in "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" Through interviews with retail executives, product manufacturers, economists, and trade experts, correspondent Hedrick Smith examines the growing controversy over the Wal-Mart way of doing business and asks whether a single retail giant has changed the American economy.

(Excerpt) Read more at pbs.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: globalism; thebusheconomy; trade; walmart
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To: Willie Green; Peter Libra; 1rudeboy; LowCountryJoe
As interest rates rise, EVEN MORE of our tax dollars will go directly overseas as interest payments on the debt.

Ahhh, more Willie logic. High interest rates are bad. Foreigners are bad. Foreigners who keep our interest rates low by buying our debt are bad, errrr..... I mean good, I mean, bad foreigners, bad foreigners.

221 posted on 11/10/2004 8:43:25 AM PST by Toddsterpatriot (First we lost Havoc, then we lost Daschle. Oh the humanity!!!)
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To: Willie Green

Thanks for the ping.


222 posted on 11/10/2004 10:20:36 AM PST by GOPJ (Dowd...hits...like a bucket of vomit with Body Shop potpourri sprinked across the surface--Goldberg)
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To: Righter-than-Rush
Righter-than-Rush, you could make the same argument about not wanting to replacing buggies with cars. I mean, what are we going to do with the folks who make buggy whips?

First, small stores don't hire many others than "mom & pop" and maybe some of their friends. Second, are you ready to force Americans to pay two to three times more for products?

Are low paying factory jobs what you want for American workers? Factory jobs and expensive products? You don't sound "righter" than Rush to me. You sound liberal. Command economies have been tried, and they've failed.

Is it good to displace hundreds of small businesses in favor of one large store? Duh.

Is it good to wreck small-business America by undercutting it with cheap foreign goods? Duh.

Is it good to put thousands out of work for one hundred working at WalMart? Duh.

Think, people, think.

223 posted on 11/10/2004 10:35:06 AM PST by GOPJ (Dowd...hits...like a bucket of vomit with Body Shop potpourri sprinked across the surface--Goldberg)
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To: Toddsterpatriot
Interest rates rise = bad.
Interest rates fall = bad.
Dollar rises = bad
Dollar falls = bad
Bad news = good.
224 posted on 11/10/2004 10:58:27 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: FITZ
Most of the stuff at Walmart is tacky --- I can't imagine how people's homes look who furnish them with Walmart furniture and all.

How very blue state elitist of you. Is this John Kerry?

225 posted on 11/10/2004 11:09:25 AM PST by Toddsterpatriot (First we lost Havoc, then we lost Daschle. Oh the humanity!!!)
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To: 1rudeboy
Government subsidy = good.

Government subsidized light rail = very very good.

226 posted on 11/10/2004 11:11:08 AM PST by Toddsterpatriot (First we lost Havoc, then we lost Daschle. Oh the humanity!!!)
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To: Dems_R_Losers
 What is "Souder crap" ?    Unfamiliar with that item.
227 posted on 11/10/2004 12:24:19 PM PST by pilgrim
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Comment #228 Removed by Moderator

To: ninenot
...and the erosion of disposable income over the last 25 years.

Really? This I've got to see.

229 posted on 11/10/2004 1:53:06 PM PST by LowCountryJoe (We now rejoin the regularly scheduled legacy building, already in progress!)
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To: 1rudeboy
LOL

Unemployment rate at average historical rate = bad
Decrease in labor union membership = very bad
Increase of use of Marxist rhetoric in conservative forum = neutral to slighty good (bad for trolls; good and pridefully nationalistic for protectionists)
Government intervention to "level playing fields" = very good.

230 posted on 11/10/2004 2:04:57 PM PST by LowCountryJoe (We now rejoin the regularly scheduled legacy building, already in progress!)
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To: LowCountryJoe

It was 1976-present.

Look it up on DOL or BEA stats site, do the inflation-adjustment.

The erosion of wages in that period has a couple of major causes: taxes and regulatory costs.

Then there are the minor ones, most recently labor arbitrage w/PRChina.


231 posted on 11/10/2004 3:24:36 PM PST by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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To: Toddsterpatriot

Sorry --- I just don't find that much quality in that Communist made crap that apparently you do. It's all a matter of taste I suppose.


232 posted on 11/10/2004 4:48:28 PM PST by FITZ
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To: ninenot
Look it up on DOL or BEA stats site, do the inflation-adjustment.

I have looked up the disposable income trend from the BEA website. In fact it comes from table 2.1 titled Table 2.1 Personal Income and Its Disposition and can be found here. Check it out for yourself by manipulating the pull down menus setting the time periods...carefully observing lines 39 & 40 and paying particular attention to the words just above line #39. Don't you feel dumb now?

You wont be able to spin this one after the nonsense you wrote in #219. You could try pulling another piece of fiction out of you backside, though.

233 posted on 11/10/2004 5:10:13 PM PST by LowCountryJoe (We now rejoin the regularly scheduled legacy building, already in progress!)
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To: GOPJ

>>First, small stores don't hire many others than "mom & pop" and maybe some of their friends.>>

Uh, yeah they do. Multiplty times 10.

>>are you ready to force Americans to pay two to three times more for products?>>

You are forgetting the alternative.

>>Command economies have been tried, and they've failed.>>

You're on the wrong track. Command economies don't work. The USA economy worked until we swallowed the globalism pill.

No thanks to your attempted insult. Leave that to the educated. Stick to improving your judgement of character.


234 posted on 11/10/2004 9:00:15 PM PST by Righter-than-Rush
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To: LowCountryJoe

Frankly, I don't waste a lot of my time or effort "feeling dumb" when comparing my posts to yours.

That would be YOUR honor...


235 posted on 11/11/2004 4:28:39 AM PST by ninenot (Minister of Membership, TomasTorquemadaGentlemen'sClub)
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To: FITZ
Sorry --- I just don't find that much quality in that Communist made crap that apparently you do. It's all a matter of taste I suppose.

There you go again questioning the taste of WalMart shoppers. I ask again, is this John Kerry?

236 posted on 11/11/2004 6:05:27 AM PST by Toddsterpatriot (First we lost Havoc, then we lost Daschle. Oh the humanity!!!)
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To: LowCountryJoe
You wont be able to spin this one after the nonsense you wrote in #219. You could try pulling another piece of fiction out of you backside, though.

He's a protectionist, don't confuse him with facts.

237 posted on 11/11/2004 6:10:39 AM PST by Toddsterpatriot (First we lost Havoc, then we lost Daschle. Oh the humanity!!!)
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To: Willie Green

Another idiot lefty article, now please tell us what major retailer, such as Target, Circuit City, Best buy does'nt sell cheap TV's built in China?...Wal-mart just doesa it better...God blees em!


238 posted on 11/11/2004 6:13:43 AM PST by BOOTSTICK (meet me in Kansas city)
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To: Righter-than-Rush

Is it good to work for Mom and Pop Ace Hardware, and Put in several years, and then watch as Junior greaduates From high school and is made your Manager???, or work for Wal-mart where one can actually advance...think, people think!


239 posted on 11/11/2004 6:15:29 AM PST by BOOTSTICK (meet me in Kansas city)
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To: Getsmart64

My $45 DVD player is lasting longer than the $250 DVD player I had, which broke down right after the warranty expired. It would have cost $180 to have it repaired. No brainer: $45 is easier to throw away than $250.


240 posted on 11/11/2004 6:27:43 AM PST by Ladysmith (November 2, 2004: Taking America BACK!!!)
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