‘#160;’#160;’#160;’#160;Wal-Mart gives us low, low prices because they can.

They don’t tell us how they are so profitable selling cheap goods because they don’t want to.

The corporation should be hailed for some of its revolutionary technological advances.

The most important being inventory tracking, which allows Wal-Mart stores to know what goods sell, when they sell and to be able to replace them overnight.

Wherever they go the sheep will surely follow because they are the vanguard of retail store – there’s gold in them hills!

They should not be hailed for their exploitation of Chinese labor and, consequently, their bullying of American manufacturers and their employees, i.e. your neighbors and friends.

When trade agreements between America and China were proposed, there was the prevailing belief – Jah willing – that the opening of the Chinese market would allow American companies to export to the largest untapped market in the world.

Unfortunately for the American worker, this was not the case.

In fact, the opposite happened. China is the biggest exporter to the U.S. and Wal-Mart is the biggest retailer in the U.S.

This is not a coincidence. The effect on American jobs is easy to follow.

Wal-Mart survives by selling its goods lower than anyone else.

China provides these goods cheaper and in greater quantities than anyone else thanks to low, low wages – roll ’em back smiley-faced dude!

American companies, unable to compete with their Chinese counterparts, have to lower their overhead costs – labor, factories, etc.

Or else Wal-Mart, that bastion of Heartland values, will go through the Chinese.

To review, Wal-Mart’s formula is cheaper goods and greater mark-ups equals profit.

As well as, lower prices and more customers equal diminished competition, especially for local shops.

Go ask Jo-Ann Fabrics ‘#38; Crafts and 2-Play what they think of expansion of the another giant chain store.

One of the more overlooked prices of Wal-Mart expansion is the cost of having a growing non-organized labor force.

Corporations, such as Wal-Mart, do not want to pay for health benefits but against an organized labor, they must make concessions.

Wal-Mart creates low-paying jobs for Americans, some of which are meant to replace jobs that paid a lot more, like $15 to $20 per hour ones from the manufacturing sector.

Those jobs, which ironically may have been removed by the precedent Wal-Mart helped to start (outsourcing), also had benefit packages.

Wal-Mart offers no benefits because it does not allow its employees to unionize.

So when these Wal-Mart employees get sick, who pays the bill.?

The taxpayer does, meaning your friends, your neighbors and yourself.

This is reminiscent of the promise of lower taxes.

“Hey, I just got a check for $400 from the government! Booyah!

“Wait, I’m going to have to pay more for schooling and those in need of assistance will have key programs, such as Medicare, cut drastically.

“Hold on, that suit in a Mercedes got back $20,000!”

Doesn’t looks so good now, and neither does a bigger, expansive superstore.

And Kroger and Meijer are guilty of many of the same things.

Go try to buy American-made electronics in Meijer, you’ll have to dig for them.

But those companies also accept the American principle of collective bargaining.

Plus, just like smoking, reading and massive gold chains, boycotting Wal-Mart makes you cool.

Or at least your mom will think you are. And that’s all you need, baby.

‘#160;

Send comments to Russ Zimmer at [email protected].