Barney Sanders Attacks Wal-Mart's
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Its not unprovoked. Walmart treats employees like shit and exploits every tax loophole in the book ensuring they fuck the system in every way imaginable. The waltons own more wealth than the bottom 42% of the population and dont seem content as they continue to funnel money into the political system to corrupt it further in their favor. They shot first 1
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Also youre a fucking idiot if you think these tweets are "attacks". He merely stated facts and didnt attack the company at all. He stated the fact that they make more than the bottom 42% which is TRUE, and then he said they shouldnt be allowed to pay workers so low which is also true! You shouldnt be working 40 hours a week and be on wellfare! 1
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Who cares how much wealth the Walton's control? Wal-Mart provides 1.4 million jobs (roughly 1% of ALL employment in the country, even government counted) and provides consumers with boatloads of savings. They should be allowed to pay workers whatever they want, just like workers should be allowed to go look for a better job. Nobody is forcing anyone to work at Walmart, because that would be called slavery. Obviously these people who are protesting Wal-Mart wages feel like they are not being properly valued...so why don't they go somewhere else, somewhere that they will be appreciated?? Oh that's right, because they don't have any valuable trades or skill sets to offer society. The job of a cart pusher, for example, can literally be done by anyone who's pulled in off the street. How do I know? Well I've been one. I worked at Wal-Mart for 3 years back in college, when the minimum wage was $5.15, and I am super grateful to them for giving me a job at a time in my life that I had no skills to offer. So again I assert that Wal-Mart should be allowed to pay workers whatever they choose, and if the workers don't like it, the workers should be allowed to leave. Here's another tidbit of info for you to ponder on, from someone who has worked at Wal-Mart before. While there are a lot of good and honest workers at Wal-Mart, the vast majority of them don't work 40 hours a week. Sure they may be on the clock for 40 hours a week, but 10 of those hours are spent in the break room our out smoking cigarettes, another 10 are spent of extended lunch hours, and yet another 10 are spent gossiping with other employees about how they should be making more money and getting more vacation days. I have worked in 4 different wally world locations and all 4 have been like this. Don't believe me? How easy is it for you to find help when looking for something in Wal-Mart. How many registers are open compared to how many are available when you go to checkout? This entitlement mentality is making me sick. Who cares that the wealth gap is getting bigger? Do you know what our country defines poverty as? $22,000 or less per year. Poverty just means "below 60% of the median income" according to the Federal Census Bureau whatever that median income is at the time. Do you know what poverty was 100 years ago? Living in a tent in central park and begging food or taking day labor jobs for pennies a day to feed yourself. Let's not forget that these days, $22,000 or less also entitles you to food stamps, cash assistance in some cases, and free healthcare in most states. It is possible to live very comfortably on $22,000 a year. I've done it! So again I ask, who cares what the wealth gap is? The simple truth is that today's poor are living a way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way more comfortable and indulgent lifestyle than even the middle class of 100 years ago. The standard of living of "poverty" has increased significantly! If you want to live the lavish lifestyle of the Walton family, the only thing that is stopping you is the fact that they have contributed and continue to contribute something very valuable to society, and you haven't yet. Stop trying to demonize the wealthy. No one is meant to be a career cashier, these are called "transitional jobs," to provide you with means to temporarily support yourself while you find a better skill set to offer. And for the apologist who always brings up the single 24 mother of four, while I may sympathize with her situation, should Wal-Mart really have to pay for her poor life choices? Finally, a reasonable argument by a Walton supporter. However, not reasonable enough. I agree with you that most of the Walmart workers are not hard-workers striving to improve their lives, but some are. And those who are deserve a promotion or at least a one dollar increase in salary. But nope, they will also be payed minimum wage because THE WALTONS DONT CARE. I admire Sam Walton, but his sons and daughters are selfish. They probably don't work as hard as most of the minimum wage workers but their income is a million times greater. This just isn't fair. The least they could do is donate money or improve the conditions of the workers who work hard, so they can "transition" into a better job. Humans have a moral responsibility to take care of those who are worse off than them, so that those people can eventually help other people. The cashier of today may become the Bill Gates of tomorrow, if provided with an opportunity. I don't demonize the wealthy, I demonize the selfish. That goes for the people who smoke cigarettes instead of supporting their families. However, these people can change if they are helped. The selfish rich need to help out. And it is a problem that the wealth gap is growing. It is hard evidence that people are not being able to improve their economic status, because the hard working billionaire's sons and daughters are hogging the money for themselves to buy private islands. 1
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Who cares how much wealth the Walton's control? Wal-Mart provides 1.4 million jobs (roughly 1% of ALL employment in the country, even government counted) and provides consumers with boatloads of savings. When that wealth is = to the bottom 42% of the US population I do and you should too. That is NOT a balanced economy. That is NOT acceptable. Cool they provide 1.4 million poverty-wage jobs when its been proven that they can afford to pay their workers more without any rise in prices nor a significant cut to profit margins but they choose not to. That isnt admirable. They should be allowed to pay workers whatever they want, just like workers should be allowed to go look for a better job. Just like factory barons in the 20s and 30s should be able to work a 12 year old to the bone for 20 cents an hour? A minimum wage is a GOOD thing. It has only ever been a good thing and when it rises it also is a good thing. And when there is a shortage of jobs thanks to republican efforts to make outsourcing cheaper and easier than ever the "get a new job" idea isnt really viable. Oh that's right, because they don't have any valuable trades or skill sets to offer society. And they dont need to have those skills. If the minimum wage stayed consistant with productivity gains, that is how more productive laborers have become over the decades, it would be $21.62. Even without valuable skills theyre still undervalued even as unskilled workers. Sure they may be on the clock for 40 hours a week, but 10 of those hours are spent in the break room our out smoking cigarettes, another 10 are spent of extended lunch hours, and yet another 10 are spent gossiping with other employees about how they should be making more money and getting more vacation days. I highly doubt that 3/4 of all time on the job is non-work related. Stop exaggerating. This entitlement mentality is making me sick Same here. It disgusts me how a company can pay its workers a less than livable wage when they can afford to pay them more while making 1000 to 1 profits on their workers and still have the gall to claim theyre entitled to millions in corporate wellfare from the taxpayers. Who cares that the wealth gap is getting bigger? Most economists and the entire middle/lower class? 88 Do you know what our country defines poverty as? $22,000 or less per year. Poverty just means "below 60% of the median income" according to the Federal Census Bureau whatever that median income is at the time. Do you know what poverty was 100 years ago? Living in a tent in central park and begging food or taking day labor jobs for pennies a day to feed yourself. Let's not forget that these days, $22,000 or less also entitles you to food stamps, cash assistance in some cases, and free healthcare in most states. It is possible to live very comfortably on $22,000 a year. I've done it! So again I ask, who cares what the wealth gap is? The simple truth is that today's poor are living a way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way more comfortable and indulgent lifestyle than even the middle class of 100 years ago. The standard of living of "poverty" has increased significantly! If you want to live the lavish lifestyle of the Walton family, the only thing that is stopping you is the fact that they have contributed and continue to contribute something very valuable to society, and you haven't yet. Last i checked the american dream is to thrive not survive. Yes you can LIVE off of poverty wages technically. But can you pursue higher education? Nope. So how do you get OUT of poverty? You dont. Simple as that. American life isnt just about putting food on the table its about making something of your life which is impossible to do on $7.75 an hour. Also, the middle class is continuing to shrink. The median income is DROPPING by the year which means that 22k figure is also dropping. How long is that sustainable? And do you know WHY its dropping? Because the top 1% are milking the people for everything theyve got and continuing to pay less and less for the same work. Quality of life should ALWAYS be trending upwards not downwards. Stop trying to demonize the wealthy Stop trying to demonize the poor should Wal-Mart really have to pay for her poor life choices? It should pay her enough to live. That isnt a radical request. 2
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No one is holding a gun to anyone's head and forcing these "victims" to work at Walmart. They can go elsewhere if they choose. As far as pay, these people are getting paid what they're worth; the free market decides. If they want to earn more, they should acquire more job skills to make them more valuable on the job market. 1
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No one is holding a gun to anyone's head and forcing these "victims" to work at Walmart. That's simply not how regional economics work. When Walmart moves into an area, it almost always drives out many small business. Those who were employed by said businesses generally have to get jobs at Walmart, and, more often than not, do not have the thousands upon thousands of dollars to "go elsewhere if they choose". Again, moving is not some easy, cheap option like you are making it seem. As far as pay, these people are getting paid what they're worth; the free market decides No it doesn't, and we don't have a free market. This sort of Smithian claim laughs in the face of the porter forces, the framework that American businesses use which directly contradicts the very "free market" that Smith was speaking of, and that you are referring to. Again, we do not have a free market, and the non-free market almost never pays workers what they are actually worth, as that would not make any sense from their perspective. If they want to earn more, they should acquire more job skills to make them more valuable on the job market. And how do you propose uneducated, poor individuals do that, exactly? Sheesh, and people call the Left elitist. There have been several books written on the evils of Wal-Mart. They alone have put more American businesses under by being China's biggest customer and a large cause of American jobs going to China. They've been attacked before .... deservedly so! On the list of greedy companies and employee abusers they are on the TOP! 1
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