# Victims of Walmart



## SCguy

This was one of the many victims of the legal monopolization called Walmart. I find this scene very sad. C&C please.







RD


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## Lacey Anne

It is sad. I like the coloring. Walmart is evil.


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## SCguy

Thanks.





RD


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## Lacey Anne

RD, that's AWESOME! Did you watch the documentary on Walmart? Great stuff there. I think it was called "The High Cost of Low Prices."


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## SCguy

Yep, I sure did. Unfortunately, it was really late and I was really sick, and kept falling asleep.

RD


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## Alex_B

walmart failed in germany


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## Los Angeles

not sure the position but is the walmart anywhere around that  old buiding.  it would be a great shot to get that building in the same photo as the walmart.  I like the photo and the message A LOT.  I often compare walmart to a cancer becuase it just spreads and kills things that it takes over.


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## petey

it's just a store


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## jols

I am English, explain Walmart.


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## petey

jols said:


> I am English, explain Walmart.


 
it's a big store chain in the united states where you can get pretty much anything for the home for a lot less than safeway or albertsons or anywhere else. people go there there because it is well managed. by keeping prices low they help their customers in troubled times like these. 

i wish they sold gasoline.


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## jols

Sounds like the English 'tesco'

large superstore that sells food, homeware,,cd's and dvd's, teles, cameras ect ect 

oh  
and 

petrol


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## Sarah23

petey said:


> it's a big store chain in the united states where you can get pretty much anything for the home for a lot less than safeway or albertsons or anywhere else. people go there there because it is well managed. by keeping prices low they help their customers in troubled times like these.
> 
> i wish they sold gasoline.




The ones here to sell gasoline! 

As a mom of 2 in diapers, I love walmart. We wouldnt be able to afford a lot of the stuff we do without walmart. We dont use credit cards, so I have to be able pay for everything with cash, and thats they only way I can do it....shopping at Walmart!

There isnt anything wrong with a company doing what they need to do to achieve their goal...and thats to make money. I do shop at a local grocery store that is around here, but they are on average, their prices are 20% higher....so I only do when they have a sale or I cant make it to walmart.


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## Alex_B

jols said:


> I am English, explain Walmart.



it is a bit like Tesco and the others, but Walmart has a history of exploiting employees way more than other chains.


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## DwainDibley

Walmart are kind of in the UK - they own the Asda supermaket chain, we've got a large Asda/Walmart not far from us!

Very evocative picture - was that a shop or a small factory btw?


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## petey

jols said:


> Sounds like the English 'tesco'
> 
> large superstore that sells food, homeware,,cd's and dvd's, teles, cameras ect ect
> 
> oh
> and
> 
> petrol


 
yep. like tesco. 

wow its been a while. i miss their dried mint gravy mix. they dont sell it in the states.


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## Rick Waldroup

Alex_B said:


> it is a bit like Tesco and the others, but Walmart has a history of exploiting employees way more than other chains.


 
Exactly. Unless I absolutely have to, I never shop at a Walmart because of this and several other issues. But mostly because of the labor issues.

A friend of my daughter applied at the local Walmart and the orientation they put the new employees through is really wild. They spend a lot of time showing the new employees anti-labor union videos and discussing the _evilness _of labor unions. Yet Walmart has no problem at all paying it's workers almost slave wages and keeping their working hours low so that it is almost impossible to get any type of benefits from the company such as health insurance and so on.

Just a few years ago, I cannot remember which state it was in, but the workers actually united and were about to unionize when Walmart simply shut the doors on a very profitable store and fired all of the workers.

That is the Walmart way. Destroy local home-grown businesses and tap into a desperate labor pool that will take any job at any wage.


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## abraxas

Great shot, love the colors.

I didn't even know there was a thing called Walmart until they started building them around here.  Kinda like, one day Sam Walton was all of a sudden the/one of the richest men in the world. Anyway, I detest the place.  But that was awhile back now.  I'm wondering, was this a recent closure, because it looks like the place might have been going down for the count anyhow.


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## SCguy

Los Angeles said:


> not sure the position but is the walmart anywhere around that  old buiding.  it would be a great shot to get that building in the same photo as the walmart.


The nearest Walmart is about 20 min. away. The old building appears to be an old shop or storehouse of some sort. Not really sure. I might ask around about that. I'm sure this building wasn't closed by Walmart, but the message of the photo is what most family run stores of the present will look like in 20-40 years thanks to Walmart. 

RD


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## nealjpage

Alex_B said:


> it is a bit like Tesco and the others, but Walmart has a history of exploiting employees way more than other chains.



Additionally, they're well-known amongst vendors for their predatory practices.  Most food manufacters work on very thin margins--Wal-mart, with their incredible size and sales potential can basically dictate to the producers what the price of the product will be.  If they can't meet the price, Wal-mart won't buy.  In order to sell to Wal-mart, then, many producers will cut costs in any way they can, such as using inferior materials or moving jobs off-shore where labor's cheaper.

Nothing comes at a cheap price.  There are hidden costs to Wal-mart's business model that they don't want you to know.  I shall now descend from my soapbox.

Nice picture.  I enjoy shots like this one.


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## MX962

petey said:


> it's a big store chain in the united states where you can get pretty much anything for the home for a lot less than safeway or albertsons or anywhere else. people go there there because it is well managed. by keeping prices low they help their customers in troubled times like these.
> 
> i wish they sold gasoline.


They do its called "MIRA STAR"


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## petey

Sarah23 said:


> As a mom of 2 in diapers, I love walmart. We wouldnt be able to afford a lot of the stuff we do without walmart. We dont use credit cards, so I have to be able pay for everything with cash, and thats they only way I can do it....shopping at Walmart!


Our house is pretty much run the same. We would not have made it through all the diaper changing years paying the higher prices by the smaller stores. They beat both the military commissary and Costco in pricing and selection.


> There isnt anything wrong with a company doing what they need to do to achieve their goal...and thats to make money. I do shop at a local grocery store that is around here, but they are on average, their prices are 20% higher....so I only do when they have a sale or I cant make it to walmart.


To compete with Walmart this would require a certain economy of scale. But there are always exceptions. Noone ever said it would be easy on smaller retailers and not all of them give up.


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## MX962

I'm waiting for them to fold up ,Buy one cheep and convert it into a 10,000 sq ft photo studio


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## Rick Waldroup

Also, Walmart is the biggest seller of CD's in the country. A few years ago, as they do with certain books now, Walmart announced they would no longer carry CD's they found _objectionable, _by certain artists, and in particular, rap artists.

This is a very sly form of censorship as some recordning artists felt intimidated to clean up the music to make sure that Walmart would carry their CD's.  However, this may not be such an issue now with the way CD sales have tanked and more  and more bands are seeking other ways of getting their music out to the public.  

The current business model of Walmart is not what Sam Walton envisioned all those years ago....


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## Sun Devil Rob

We must adapt and overcome the evil that is Walmart.  Think of all the blacksmiths that were put out of work because of Henry Ford.  It is a good picture.


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## Rick Waldroup

Sun Devil Rob said:


> We must adapt and overcome the evil that is Walmart. Think of all the blacksmiths that were put out of work because of Henry Ford. It is a good picture.


 
Now, _that _is funny.....


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## shorty6049

that place looks like i wouldnt shop there even if there WASN'T a walmart....


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## nealjpage

One nit:  the colors of the building are pretty vibrant, yet the sky is pretty bland.  You should use a polarizing filter and it might bring out the color of the sky a bit more.


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## SCguy

Neal, I shoot with a Fuji S700. Where would I go to get a decent filter. The only ones I have seen are the Optekas with mixed reviews.

One other thing I don't like about Walmart is that they will work with suppliers and cheapen a brand name by making cut-rate products with the same looks as the normal market items JUST for Walmart. I ran into this when I bought a Cobra CB from WM (impulse buy). It looked the same as the regular one, but had a different model number, and many of the people I talked to said that it is a FAR inferior product. I then found out that I could have bought the real one for about $20 more at the local RadioShack. (Actually cheaper, since my neighbor is the manager there and I get the Preferred Customer Price)

RD


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## kundalini

I think Walmart is an energy vampire. Everytime I walked into one I felt a part of my soul being taken away from me. 

I have not entered a Walmart in over five years. Something is not right with them.


BTW, nice photo.


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## Roger

as a photo it's quite good, I love the old corrugated iron and the colours, agree with neal about the bland sky. However as much as I dislike chain stores like Walmart and agree with the assessments of their evilness, if you hadn't added the dialogue I wouldn't have made the connection. As a result most of the comments are about the 'issue' rather than the photo, I think there are ways of displaying these issues photographically, just not in this case.


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## jols

As from England I cannot understand the hatred for Walmart.

We have Tesco here and they take the most money of people in terms of food ect, but nobody hates them like some Americans seem to hate Walmart.

I have read all the posts and nobody has really given a good reason.

confused


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## Mesoam

love the coloring...

walmart sucks...i DO NOT shop there


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## Bull Goose

jols said:


> As from England I cannot understand the hatred for Walmart.
> 
> We have Tesco here and they take the most money of people in terms of food ect, but nobody hates them like some Americans seem to hate Walmart.
> 
> I have read all the posts and nobody has really given a good reason.
> 
> confused



If this didn't do it for you, I feel sorry for you.


Rick Waldroup said:


> A friend of my daughter applied at the local Walmart and the orientation they put the new employees through is really wild. They spend a lot of time showing the new employees anti-labor union videos and discussing the _evilness _of labor unions. Yet Walmart has no problem at all paying it's workers almost slave wages and keeping their working hours low so that it is almost impossible to get any type of benefits from the company such as health insurance and so on.
> 
> Just a few years ago, I cannot remember which state it was in, but the workers actually united and were about to unionize when Walmart simply shut the doors on a very profitable store and fired all of the workers.
> 
> That is the Walmart way. Destroy local home-grown businesses and tap into a desperate labor pool that will take any job at any wage.


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## GeorgeUK

jols said:


> Sounds like the English 'tesco'
> 
> large superstore that sells food, homeware,,cd's and dvd's, teles, cameras ect ect
> 
> oh
> and
> 
> petrol


 
Walmart own ASDA.

PS Great shot, what did that shop used to sell?


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## jols

Bull Goose said:


> If this didn't do it for you, I feel sorry for you.


 
I still dont understand.

i mean so what no companies like unions thats nothing new.


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## ScottS

jols said:


> I still dont understand.
> 
> i mean so what no companies like unions thats nothing new.


 
They take advantage of their employees... a lot. Like paying them bare bones, and giving them just enough hours to keep them under any benefits lines.


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## NM Rich

Nice shot, but I have a feeling that place was long closed before Wal-Mart might have had any influence on it.


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## jols

ScottS said:


> They take advantage of their employees... a lot. Like paying them bare bones, and giving them just enough hours to keep them under any benefits lines.


 

most of the shops here pay minimum wage.

thats life im afraid

Do usa have a minimum wage?

if so how much is it?

If not what does walmart pay per hour?


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## Rick Waldroup

jols said:


> I still dont understand.
> 
> i mean so what no companies like unions thats nothing new.


 
It runs much deeper than just unions. Like I posted before, years ago, they tried to dictate to the music industry a very subtle form of censorship by telling them that Walmart would not carry certain artists because they did not fit in with Walmart's _family values._ Walmart is the largest retailer of CD's in the US. 

This and other things that Walmart seemingly enjoys dipping it's hands into, make it a place that I do not want to do business with.

Walmart has also contributed to charities as well as setting up their own charities. That is all fine and good, but in most cases, this is done after Walmart comes under unfavorable scrutiny for issues related to the charities they establish.

There was a blog a few years ago from a kid fresh out of high school who went to work for Walmart and he describes in detail how they treat their employees and what the working conditions are like. For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of it and I can't seem to find it. It really was heartbreaking to read some of the stories of the folks who work for this god awful company.

The company resembles nothing to the original stores opened up by Sam Walton years and years ago. I have seen them go into small towns, wipe out most of the local shops, then after their store reaches a certain level of profits, simply lay off the employees, shut the store and leave town. This is why you see so many communitiies who now fight the expansion of a Walmart in their area.

And this brings us to the Walmart shopping experience.  The places are huge and extremely LOUD.  The employees, for the most part, could care less about you as a customer or what your needs might be.  And why would they?  Not all their workers are like this, of course.  A lot of people care, because that is their nature.  But a lot of them could care less- and I don't blame them.  I don't know how to put it, but the stores just suck.  Plain and simple.


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## jols

so why do people work for them?


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## ScottS

jols said:


> so why do people work for them?


 

Desperation. 

I have never seen a happy walmart employee.


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## Rick Waldroup

jols said:


> so why do people work for them?


 
Because a lot of them need jobs. A lot of them are teenagers, a lot of them are retired people. And for a lot of them, Walmart is the biggest employer in town.

Also, the turnover rate at a lot of Walmarts is astronomical.  A lot of people who can find other jobs, do so as quickly as they can, so most Walmarts are ALWAYS looking for help.


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## jols

so what do they pay per hour?

do usa have a minimum wage?

if yes what is it?


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## ScottS

I do believe minimum wage is $5.85 right now. 

My cousin worked there for a few weeks, and was getting paid minimum wage. 

In comparison, I work at target, and they start out almost all new employees at $8.00/hr


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## Rick Waldroup

To be fair, not all workers start out at minimum wage at Walmart. Usually, it is the teenagers or first-time job workers who are started out at minimum wage. But Walmart does not really pay a competitive wage, compared to other companies. Also, it is their practice of hiring as many part-time employees as possible to cut down on their full time benfits to employees. This is really disturbing. I've heard of workers, when they are first hired, being promised full time jobs within a few months, and they are still there two to three years later, working part time. Walmart sucks, my friend.  But also, to be fair, this part time hiring practice is being used by a lot of US companies, not just Walmart.


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## jols

I have just looked on the web at usa minimum wages and it differs from state to state.

i am amazed at the rate.

if that was the rate here [england] no one would work. You would get more living on benefits [i think you call that welfare]

our minimum wage is currently five pounds and 52 pence which i believe to be about 11 dollars .

it is going up in october to 5.73 [11.50 dollars]

you guys need a new government.




most of the large shops in england employ part timers so thats the same as walmart.

im so glad i live here.

i really am shocked i thought the americans were well off.

seems i am well wrong.


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## Rick Waldroup

Jols, the American worker is in dire straits. Shrinking job markets, unfair hiring practices- here, my friend, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And these companies do this on the backs of the working people.

Years ago, our labor unions were strong. Not so much anymore. I live in a right-to-work state, Texas, and trade unions have a tough go here. 

Now, you will have folks who will tell you that labor unions are the cause of all our problems. What a crock.

Our economy is terrible. Good jobs at good wages are almost a thing of the past. And what does our government do- bail out a failed investment bank in New York to the tune of 30 billion dollars. Screw the working man- who cares if they lose their home, lose everything they have- who cares? Not this President and not this current administration. 

It has taken seven short years to run this country into the friggin' ground- 7 years- that's all. Out of control fuel prices that drives a recession, foreclosures on homes the likes of which we have not seen since the Great Depression, and an unpopular war that has cost billions and billions- and soon to be trillions- it is a wonder it is not worse on the American people than it is. We have tent cities popping up all over the country, and yet, just two short weeks ago, our fearless leader gave a press conference and reassured the American people that this was just a little bump in the road. You even have folks who are setting fires to their homes now, in a desperate measure to try and collect on insurance money to stave off forclosure and being homeless _and _broke. As for these tent cities that are popping up around America for the homeless- many of them are being called Bushville- for good reason.

You know what, maybe if more Americans got pissed off, and I mean really pissed off, we could make a difference. I don't know.


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## jols

you should get pissed off.

english people are similar though we just shrug our shoulders and accept things.

i wish we were like the french they riot about everything.

my family are doing ok but everything goes up in price and nothing compensates it.

nice to have this chat with you.

it has opened my eyes


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## Lacey Anne

Seriously, for info on Walmart's horrible practices, from their slave labor in China to their taking advantage of governemnt funds to their so-called charitable donations and even their actual desire to drive small companies out of business, you should watch "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices." I will NEVER shop at Walmart. I don't care about how cheap they are, I won't. And I've had four in diapers. It's not worth my money going to support a chain that will be the downfall of the American economy. Americans deserve better than Walmart.


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## Rick Waldroup

jols said:


> you should get pissed off.
> 
> english people are similar though we just shrug our shoulders and accept things.
> 
> i wish we were like the french they riot about everything.
> 
> my family are doing ok but everything goes up in price and nothing compensates it.
> 
> nice to have this chat with you.
> 
> it has opened my eyes


 
That is funny about the French. 

 You are so right.  Good lord, if we were like the French, putting up with this nonsense, I am sure the American people would have already stormed the Capitol in protest.


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## jols

by the way that pictures great.

the one at the beginning of the thread


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## ScottS

Oh yea and the only reason walmart does charities and donations, is because its tax-deductible. 

A local non profit organization i have ties to here tried to get a donation from walmart, but were denied because it was not "tax deductible" for walmart.

Haha oh yes i do really like the photo in the first post!


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## Sarah23

If we were the French we wouldnt have become a free country....

I dont think their should be a min. wage. Let the market dictate wages. The government has no business telling private businesses how much they MUST pay.


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## ScottS

Sarah23 said:


> If we were the French we wouldnt have become a free country....
> 
> I dont think their should be a min. wage. Let the market dictate wages. The government has no business telling private businesses how much they MUST pay.


 
But dont you think that without moderation, there would be companies that would take advantage of it and pay even less?


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## jols

Sarah23 said:


> If we were the French we wouldnt have become a free country....
> 
> I dont think their should be a min. wage. Let the market dictate wages. The government has no business telling private businesses how much they MUST pay.


 


but then walmart would pay even less surely.

is that ok with you then

[just as i thought this conversation was finished along comes someone else lol]


the minimum wage in usa is crap though you couldnt possibly pay less


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## Arch

ok ok.. no more about govenments please, this thread is starting to go political. Oh and just to add... yes we get more wages in England but our cost of living is alot higher, so it doesn't make much difference.

Now back to the c/c of the image please.


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## ScottS

Hehe speak of moderation


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## jols

you got it arch.

but we were friendly about it


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## Sun Devil Rob

As a member of America's middle class, I still am doing ok. With the exception of a few despotic countries, being sucessful and happy boils down the efforts and attitude of the individual. Please do not confuse this with an endorsement of either political party or for that matter, Walmart. If you can't do it cheaper, do it better. If you can't do it cheaper or better, do something else.


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## KevinDks

One of the things I like most about photography is its ability to freeze time and to create a record of change as it happens. One day that building will be gone in some re-development project, and photographs like this will be the only evidence of how the place looked before. Is this part of a series, where the context is explored further? If not then I think it should be.

I also think the photo stands on its own as an image - I like the decay, the circle at top right where some kind of sign was fixed to the front wall, makes me wonder what this was, who worked there, what kind of people used it.


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## jols

I would like to continue this but for fear of the 'ARCH' i better not.


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## ScottS

jols said:


> you got it arch.
> 
> but we were friendly about it


 
This is true!


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## Arch

I didn't say you were being unfriendly.. but the conversation was going political... it would only take one 'friendly' comment for someone to join in and be aggressive... that is why we don't allow politics on this photography forum.

Now as iv already said, back to the c/c please.


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## Sarah23

Well...all that aside...I love the colors in the picture! I have a thing for old, crumbling buildings.


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## shorty6049

Arch said:


> I didn't say you were being unfriendly.. but the conversation was going political... it would only take one 'friendly' comment for someone to join in and be aggressive... that is why we don't allow politics on this photography forum.
> 
> Now as iv already said, back to the c/c please.



someone may have said this already, but with a title like that, how could the OP expect it NOT to get political? I think its a cool photo though, but i still want to know some background on it, like where it is, it looks like something from a 3rd world country or something


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## MarcusM

Nice photo, I like the colors.

To respond to Jols, as to why so many Americans hate Walmart:


Walmart used to lock up their employees overnight: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03EEDE1739F93BA25752C0A9629C8B63
Walmart routinely forced employees to work off the clock and to skip breaks http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2003-11-06-walmart-off-the-clock_x.htm
Walmart offers cheap products made in China from the sweat of slave labor while presenting a facade of the "All American" type company.
Crime rates have been shown to increase in the area surrounding Walmart.
Walmart has destroyed countless small businesses and communities
Walmart practices intimidation for employees trying to unionize.


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## salexander867

shorty6049 said:


> that place looks like i wouldnt shop there even if there WASN'T a walmart....


 
+1.  This is a good example of a subject taken totally out of context to make a political point.  There is no way that building was ever a competitor for Wal-Mart.


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## Socrates

SCguy said:


> The nearest Walmart is about 20 min. away. The old building appears to be an old shop or storehouse of some sort. Not really sure. I might ask around about that. I'm sure this building wasn't closed by Walmart, but the message of the photo is what most family run stores of the present will look like in 20-40 years thanks to Walmart.
> 
> RD



If you buy your camera gear at B&H (or other comparable store), you've contributed to the demise of family-run stores.  I'm not saying that that's a bad thing.  I buy all my photo gear at B&H.

I had a friend that owned a camera store.  He couldn't buy from his distributor at prices that anyone could buy from B&H, Adorama, etc.  Like it or not, it's survival of the fittest.


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## shorty6049

yea, i have a camera store near me that was charging Sony's suggested retail price for a flash (which was around 400 dollars)  and i could get it new on B&H for 300. Same with walmart. I've seen the movie, it changed my perspective on things, and i see it differently every time i go into a walmart now, but i still shop there because , although i care about people, i also care about getting the best deal for myself. sorry, i didnt see the description of the photo till socrates quoted it. but sadly, yea, it probably will be this way in 20-40 years, where the big corporations will run everything and we'll just be working for them


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## eterrisinCYQX

Lacey Anne said:


> Seriously, for info on Walmart's horrible practices, from their slave labor in China to their taking advantage of governemnt funds to their so-called charitable donations and even their actual desire to drive small companies out of business, you should watch "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices." I will NEVER shop at Walmart. I don't care about how cheap they are, I won't. And I've had four in diapers. It's not worth my money going to support a chain that will be the downfall of the American economy. Americans deserve better than Walmart.


 
People deserve what they choose. Obviously, since WalMart exists and prospers, people choose Wal Mart. Same thing with the joke the U.S calls a government.
​


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## tahmail

Interesting thread here but:
No one is forced to work at Walmart - they choose to
No one is forced to shop at Walmart - they choose to
No one is forced to sell to Walmart - they choose to
Why is Walmart so successful?  People choose to spend their money there!


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## KOrmechea

Interesting shot.

Being a Target employee, I naturally dislike Wal-Mart. However, I have to say that their hours (open 24) are good for the emergency cat litter run (I forgot to get some while I was at work).

Other than that though, I avoid Wal-Mart like the plague.


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## notelliot

looks like sam walton pissed on that shack from beyond the grave.


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## jols

MarcusM said:


> Nice photo, I like the colors.
> 
> To respond to Jols, as to why so many Americans hate Walmart:
> 
> Walmart used to lock up their employees overnight: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03EEDE1739F93BA25752C0A9629C8B63
> Walmart routinely forced employees to work off the clock and to skip breaks http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2003-11-06-walmart-off-the-clock_x.htm
> Walmart offers cheap products made in China from the sweat of slave labor while presenting a facade of the "All American" type company.
> Crime rates have been shown to increase in the area surrounding Walmart.
> Walmart has destroyed countless small businesses and communities
> Walmart practices intimidation for employees trying to unionize.


all this happens here too.

as above thread nobody force people to work or shop there.

they CANNOT be that bad because you would just go and work and another rubbish job as you would not be worse off finacially.

his is really my last word cause we really are just going around in circles and arch


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## jols

MarcusM said:


> Nice photo, I like the colors.
> 
> To respond to Jols, as to why so many Americans hate Walmart:
> 
> Walmart used to lock up their employees overnight: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03EEDE1739F93BA25752C0A9629C8B63
> Walmart routinely forced employees to work off the clock and to skip breaks http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2003-11-06-walmart-off-the-clock_x.htm
> Walmart offers cheap products made in China from the sweat of slave labor while presenting a facade of the "All American" type company.
> Crime rates have been shown to increase in the area surrounding Walmart.
> Walmart has destroyed countless small businesses and communities
> Walmart practices intimidation for employees trying to unionize.


all this happens here too.

as above thread nobody force people to work or shop there.

they CANNOT be that bad because you would just go and work and another rubbish job as you would not be worse off financially.

this is really my last word cause we really are just going around in circles and arch would find me and ban me forever.

I work for a 'shop' in england that pay is the minimum, use cheap labour fom foreign countries ect but thats my choice i like the people i work with and its only 5 mins walk away.

people have choices


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## Rick Waldroup

jols said:


> all this happens here too.
> 
> as above thread nobody force people to work or shop there.
> 
> they CANNOT be that bad because you would just go and work and another rubbish job as you would not be worse off financially.
> 
> this is really my last word cause we really are just going around in circles and arch would find me and ban me forever.
> 
> I work for a 'shop' in england that pay is the minimum, use cheap labour fom foreign countries ect but thats my choice i like the people i work with and its only 5 mins walk away.
> 
> people have choices


 
You would be amazed sometimes at how people have little or no choice.

You're right.  This is pointless.


----------



## abraxas

tahmail said:


> Interesting thread here but:
> No one is forced to work at Walmart - they choose to
> No one is forced to shop at Walmart - they choose to
> No one is forced to sell to Walmart - they choose to
> Why is Walmart so successful?  People choose to spend their money there!



I *have to* ask;

What's your demographic?- Tell us about yourself.


----------



## Rick Waldroup

abraxas said:


> I *have to* ask;
> 
> What's your demographic?- Tell us about yourself.


 
Holy cow, Abraxas, what happened to your hair?


----------



## abraxas

Rick Waldroup said:


> Holy cow, Abraxas, what happened to your hair?



Dry heat.  Thanks for noticing.


----------



## Sarah23

Socrates said:


> If you buy your camera gear at B&H (or other comparable store), you've contributed to the demise of family-run stores.  I'm not saying that that's a bad thing.  I buy all my photo gear at B&H.
> 
> I had a friend that owned a camera store.  He couldn't buy from his distributor at prices that anyone could buy from B&H, Adorama, etc.  Like it or not, it's survival of the fittest.



:thumbup:


----------



## Sarah23

tahmail said:


> Interesting thread here but:
> No one is forced to work at Walmart - they choose to
> No one is forced to shop at Walmart - they choose to
> No one is forced to sell to Walmart - they choose to
> Why is Walmart so successful?  People choose to spend their money there!



I have to agree. 

and I have known a few people who actually LOVED their job at walmart. Im not saying its a perfect company, but there arent many perfect ones anywhere!

You could argue that places like CompUSA and Best Buy are the same as walmart...and I WORKED for one of those and let me tell ya...it was HELL. I would cry on my way to work because I hated it so much. SO you know what I did??? I GOT A DIFFERENT JOB (what a thought!)


----------



## Rick Waldroup

abraxas said:


> Dry heat. Thanks for noticing.


 
Dry heat?????  Did you lose it in other places as well.....:lmao::lmao::lmao:


----------



## Rick Waldroup

Sarah23 said:


> I have to agree.
> 
> and I have known a few people who actually LOVED their job at walmart. Im not saying its a perfect company, but there arent many perfect ones anywhere!
> 
> You could argue that places like CompUSA and Best Buy are the same as walmart...and I WORKED for one of those and let me tell ya...it was HELL. I would cry on my way to work because I hated it so much. SO you know what I did??? I GOT A DIFFERENT JOB (what a thought!)


 
Sarah, it is not quite that simple for some folks. I live in a small town about 60 miles outside of Dallas, population about 6,000. Back in 2000, Walmart came to town. A lot of people got very excited. A couple of grocery stores managed to hold on during the onslaught, but a lot of local clothing stores, appliance stores, and so on, bit the dust. Soon, Walmart became the biggest employer in town, paying lousy wages and offering very little full time jobs.

And to top it off, where do you think a lot of their employees shop? Why, at Walmart, of course. When you are just about the only game in town, what little choice do you have? You know, in instances like this, Walmart reminds me very much of the old company stores the coal mines used to run back before the unions got involved. You worked for the mines, you lived in shacks that the mining company owned, and oh yeah, you shopped at the company store that the mining company owned. In some cases, this is exactly what Walmart has become.


----------



## Mesoam

this thread needs to be split!!! image comments kept, walmart-ness removed


----------



## abraxas

Rick Waldroup said:


> Dry heat?????  Did you lose it in other places as well.....:lmao::lmao::lmao:



Well, I'm trying out for the Varsity swim team at the local community college- Need I say more?


----------



## Rick Waldroup

abraxas said:


> Well, I'm trying out for the Varsity swim team at the local community college- Need I say more?


 

Oh my........:meh:


----------



## abraxas

Rick Waldroup said:


> Oh my........:meh:



Just messing around- 
:cheers:


----------



## Rick Waldroup

Another compassionate, heartwarming story about how Walmart takes care of it's employees....

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/25/walmart.insurance.battle/index.html


----------



## Rick Waldroup

abraxas said:


> Just messing around-
> :cheers:


 
Okay, you had me worried there for a while.....


----------



## jols

Rick Waldroup said:


> Another compassionate, heartwarming story about how Walmart takes care of it's employees....
> 
> http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/25/walmart.insurance.battle/index.html


 

ok read the article and the lady did not read the small print.

walmart did not do anything wrong.

she signed the insurance without reading and understanding the smallprint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## MarcusM

Rick Waldroup said:


> Another compassionate, heartwarming story about how Walmart takes care of it's employees....
> 
> http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/25/walmart.insurance.battle/index.html



THIS is the reason people call Walmart evil.


----------



## sillygoat

that building reminds me of some resident evil stuff.


----------



## jols

how are they evil.

she didnt read the smallprint its her fault.


----------



## abraxas

I'm thinking that some of us here realize we don't have as many choices as we claim to have, and are sacrificing compassion to rationalize their bitterness caused by this helplessness.


----------



## Rick Waldroup

jols said:


> how are they evil.
> 
> she didnt read the smallprint its her fault.


 
You just don't get it, do you. I read the entire story. I know she did not read the fine print.

There comes a time when a company can stand up and do the right thing- this is one of those times. This is a multi-billion dollar corporation that preaches that when you work for them, you are part of the Walmart family. Do you really think Walmart needs this money?  It is one thing to be legally right but it is another thing to act in a moral and responsible manner.  Walmart knows nothing about compassion.  F**k 'em.  The same way they f**k their employees.

You should move here. Walmart would hire you in a second.


----------



## jols

abraxas said:


> I'm thinking that some of us here realize we don't have as many choices as we claim to have, and are sacrificing compassion to rationalize their bitterness caused by this helplessness.


 

I dont understand what you mean by that:blushing:


----------



## ScottS

haha wheres Arch?


----------



## Rick Waldroup

ScottS said:


> haha wheres Arch?


 
Shhhhhhh.... you'll get us all in trouble. :er:


----------



## ScottS

Rick Waldroup said:


> Shhhhhhh.... you'll get us all in trouble. :er:


 
Hehe :greenpbl:


----------



## MarcusM

Walmart is just another example of a megacorporation that is allowing the corporate executives to get exponentially richer off the backs of their employees and sweatshop workers who make the products they sell, all the while paying their employees and producers barely enough to get by.

CEO Lee Scott makes about 871 times as much as the average U.S. Walmart employee. When is enough enough?

We are selling our souls to these corporations, and we aren't the ones benefiting. The executives are. This is one of the biggest problems in the world today, IMO.


----------



## jols

I'M out of here.

we come from different sides of the pond and think so different .

big companies dont care about there workers anywhere.
they are are only interested in profit.

I suppose i just cottoned on to that years ago and im only 39.

and the quicker people cotton on to it the easier their life will become.

whether it is right or wrong does not matter.

it is just a fact.


----------



## jols

im jusr a realist thats all 

and IM a GIRL  LOL


----------



## MarcusM

jols said:


> I'M out of here.
> 
> we come from different sides of the pond and think so different .
> 
> big companies dont care about there workers anywhere.
> they are are only interested in profit.
> 
> I suppose i just cottoned on to that years ago and im only 39.
> 
> and the quicker people cotton on to it the easier their life will become.
> 
> whether it is right or wrong does not matter.
> 
> it is just a fact.



Wow, that is EXACTLY the attitude the megacorporations' executives hope that the consumers will have.

What a complacent mentality. Just accept that we're getting screwed in the ass, that's the way it is. Don't bother trying to fix what's broken, just bend over and take it.

Not me...


----------



## Rick Waldroup

jols said:


> I'M out of here.
> 
> we come from different sides of the pond and think so different .
> 
> big companies dont care about there workers anywhere.
> they are are only interested in profit.
> 
> I suppose i just cottoned on to that years ago and im only 39.
> 
> and the quicker people cotton on to it the easier their life will become.
> 
> whether it is right or wrong does not matter.
> 
> it is just a fact.


 
It may be a fact, but that does not make it right.

Like I said before, come on over.  You are perfect Walmart material. They would love to have you as an employee.

It is one thing to understand the reality of the situation when it comes to corporations and corporate greed- but you damn sure do not have to take it lying down.


----------



## jols

MarcusM said:


> Wow, that is EXACTLY the attitude the megacorporations' executives hope that the consumers will have.
> 
> What a complacent mentality. Just accept that we're getting screwed in the ass, that's the way it is. Don't bother trying to fix what's broken, just bend over and take it.
> 
> Not me...


 
and how exactly do you propose to fix it then?


----------



## MarcusM

jols said:


> im jusr a realist thats all



Some would say you're a conformist.


----------



## Rick Waldroup

MarcusM said:


> Wow, that is EXACTLY the attitude the megacorporations' executives hope that the consumers will have.
> 
> What a complacent mentality. Just accept that we're getting screwed in the ass, that's the way it is. Don't bother trying to fix what's broken, just bend over and take it.
> 
> Not me...


 
I'm right there with you.


----------



## ScottS

jols said:


> im jusr a realist thats all
> 
> and IM a GIRL LOL


 
Your a girl!? Huh, I always thought you were a man! :blushing:

Where did Jols come from?

*tries to derail the train headed for thread lock*


----------



## jols

jols is my name. ha ha 

diverting the thread 

whats your fave band?  :hug::


----------



## Rick Waldroup

Yeah, I always thought you were a guy, too.


----------



## jols

Rick Waldroup said:


> Yeah, I always thought you were a guy, too.


 

interesting

would you of  treated me any different if you knew

[god! this is the weirdest thread]


----------



## Rick Waldroup

I did not really mean I would like to throttle you, jols. That is why I deleted that post.

I was afraid you would take me seriously.


----------



## abraxas

abraxas said:


> I'm thinking that some of us here realize we don't have as many choices as we claim to have, and are sacrificing compassion to rationalize their bitterness caused by this helplessness.



In short, I have no resources or desire available to defend any souless corporate 'policy.'


----------



## Rick Waldroup

jols said:


> interesting
> 
> would you of treated me any different if you knew
> 
> [god! this is the weirdest thread]


 
Now, that is a great question.  And to tell you the truth, I don't know.

I really don't know how to answer that.  It is interesting.....:er:


----------



## heatherwilkerson

ScottS said:


> Desperation.
> 
> I have never seen a happy walmart employee.


 

I worked for Walmart for 3 years and may I add it was the worst three years of my life.  There are not very many Walmart employees.  Also where I live unless you want to work for a fast food place there is really nowhere else to work.

Walmart is starting to pay higher than minium wage and compete with others.  I live in a small town and after three years of working for them they paid me 9.70.  It wasn't worth the stress they put me through.

I wouldn't call the place well managed.  Some of the managers are good, maybe a handful.

My opinion is that Walmart is fixing to go out of business and loose all of their employees.  That mess saying that they are a family store is a lie.  My little girl was sick and I just about lost my job because she was in the hospital.  The guy that is currently changing the Walmart policies and running Walmart is the same guy that put Schweggman's (sp?) out of business.


----------



## jols

Rick Waldroup said:


> I did not really mean I would like to throttle you, jols. That is why I deleted that post.
> 
> I was afraid you would take me seriously.


 


that is funny cause i thought i saw that thread then it was gone and i thought i must of imagined it ha ha lol lol


throttle me cause i am so damn annoying ha ha


----------



## lostprophet

I think the photo is amazing!

well this is a photo forum isn't it?


----------



## jols

lostprophet said:


> I think the photo is amazing!
> 
> well this is a photo forum isn't it?


 


healthy bit of banter never did antone any harm


----------



## ScottS

jols said:


> jols is my name. ha ha
> 
> diverting the thread
> 
> whats your fave band? :hug::


 
Right now its a toss up between Rise Against, and Papa Roach. 

It changes on a weekly basis.


----------



## ScottS

lostprophet said:


> I think the photo is amazing!
> 
> well this is a photo forum isn't it?


 
Hehe only on Thursdays.


----------



## jols

ScottS said:


> Right now its a toss up between Rise Against, and Papa Roach.
> 
> It changes on a weekly basis.


 


never heard of either of them.


i love one republic at the mo  [do you know them]


----------



## MarcusM

jols said:


> and how exactly do you propose to fix it then?



Well, I think the absolute first step is awareness. People need to be aware that their money does speak and there are consequences for every penny spent. And whenever I get the opportunity I try to inform people about the places that they spend their money. I don't claim to know everything, but I do read a lot about different companies and do research. I don't think a lot of people realize the extent that some of these corporations go to in order to make as much money as possible, to the detriment of society. I honestly think the average person does not pay a lot of attention or care where they spend their money, but this is changing and you can see that if you have noticed the entire "Green" movement that is gaining tremendous momentum every day. (on a side note, in Walmart's defense, they are also starting to realize this, and I think I am starting to see the faintest glimmer that they may be starting to change gears - but I will still not shop there until I know this for sure.)

The next step is action. Shop at companies that treat their employees and customers with respect and pay their employees decent living wages. Also don't let your government representatives bow down to corporate pressure and lobbyists. Write your representatives and call them. I do this all the time.

That's my plan anyways. I've been chipping away for years.

And that's the last I'll say about this subject in the thread, because it probably will get locked. I just wanted to reply to this.

(And I also thought you were a man - sorry!


----------



## jols

ok marcus.

you do your thing and i do mine.

whos your fave band?


----------



## ScottS

jols said:


> never heard of either of them.
> 
> 
> i love one republic at the mo [do you know them]


 
I do love one republic!!! They were 2 weeks ago. haha


----------



## MarcusM

jols said:


> ok marcus.
> 
> you do your thing and i do mine.
> 
> whos your fave band?



LOL, this thread IS funny!

From photo critique, to Walmart discussion, to favorite band discussion.

My absolute favorite band is Modest Mouse. They are musical geniuses and are unlike any band you've heard (if you haven't heard them)


----------



## jols

cool we have successfully maneuvered the discussion lol

also love amy winehouse


----------



## Sarah23

hahaha...ok...i think thing whole this is funny...its interesting to see how people get so on edge about things!  (myself included)

if anyone cares my favorite singer at the moment is Josh Turner...*sigh*


----------



## jols

modest mouse i will check them out


----------



## ScottS

I will +1 for Modest Mouse.

I am currently listening to The Midway State. Nice rock-down tempo feel. Matches how I'm feeling today.


----------



## MarcusM

jols said:


> modest mouse i will check them out



http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=4341225

"Dashboard" is one of their latest singles. It is a pretty good track to get a feel for their type of music, although they have well over a decade and probably 6 or 7 albums' worth of great music.


----------



## jols

9 albums on amazon.

which one should i get for a taster


----------



## ScottS

Its kinda funny how Myspace has become the hub of the music industry...


----------



## jols

ok peeps 

thanks for the banter im gone.


eastenders is on now

bye


----------



## MarcusM

jols said:


> 9 albums on amazon.
> 
> which one should i get for a taster



They're all so good...

Their latest that came out last year, "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" is really good, but I think I might like "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" a little better, that's their album prior to We Were Dead...


----------



## ScottS

jols said:


> ok peeps
> 
> thanks for the banter im gone.
> 
> 
> eastenders is on now
> 
> bye


 
peace Jols ( the girl )


----------



## pm63

Welcome to Capitalism.


----------



## Alex_B

in direct comparison to *all* German supermarket chains, walmart is way way beyond their limits when it comes to exploitation of their employees. In Germany they were the worst, and still could not survive on the market.


----------



## tahmail

abraxas said:


> I *have to* ask;
> 
> What's your demographic?- Tell us about yourself.


 

Hi Abraxas.  I'm a pasty white, middle aged, pudgy middle class balding male - probably much like yourself.  Just the profile that a company like Walmart targets.  And you???


----------



## tahmail

Rick Waldroup said:


> Sarah, it is not quite that simple for some folks. I live in a small town about 60 miles outside of Dallas, population about 6,000. Back in 2000, Walmart came to town. A lot of people got very excited. A couple of grocery stores managed to hold on during the onslaught, but a lot of local clothing stores, appliance stores, and so on, bit the dust. Soon, Walmart became the biggest employer in town, paying lousy wages and offering very little full time jobs.
> 
> And to top it off, where do you think a lot of their employees shop? Why, at Walmart, of course. When you are just about the only game in town, what little choice do you have? You know, in instances like this, Walmart reminds me very much of the old company stores the coal mines used to run back before the unions got involved. You worked for the mines, you lived in shacks that the mining company owned, and oh yeah, you shopped at the company store that the mining company owned. In some cases, this is exactly what Walmart has become.


 
But you have the option to move to a larger city where there are more job opportunities in more fields but YOU choose to stay in the small town - probably because you like it there but I'd bet that no one is holding you hostage.


----------



## ToddB

That is a very narrow minded view tahmail. 

Not everybody has that choice to move to a larger town. It takes a HUGE commitment to uproot everything and move. I'm not just talking about family here. I'm talking about the money that it costs to move. For many, that is a sacrafice that just can't be made. 

Many people in this country are living paycheck to paycheck and can only afford what they have. Setting aside the money that it would cost to make that move (quitting a job and finding a new one, selling the house you live in, buying a new one, paying movers/friends to help you move, etc.) becomes very unreasonable.

I'm fortunate, I love the city that I live in, I have a good job that can't be outsourced overseas and can't be given to an illegal immagrant, I have a wife who loves me and 2 beautiful girls.  But that said, if my job _were_ outsourced, I would be in a world of hurt.  I don't know that I could afford to move somewhere else to start over.


----------



## ir0n_ma1den

I think everybody should watch the south park episode about walmart. It basically sums up this thread and has a decent moral too.

Heres the episode for anyone who wants to watch it streaming:

http://www.southparkzone.com/episodes/809/Something-Wall-Mart-This-Way-Comes.html




Anyways, about the photo:

I really like it, it fits well with the title and gives you a vivid image of big corporations.


----------



## ZackHughesPhotography

is your signature some kind of hacker thingy?


----------



## SCguy

Mine? No.






Well, maybe! MUHAHAHAHAHA!







J/K I can't see any info except what my ISP is, what browser I'm using, etc.....


LOL

RD


----------



## Eastw77

jols said:


> I am English, explain Walmart.


 

ASDA is Walmart in the UK.


----------



## jols

Eastw77 said:


> ASDA is Walmart in the UK.


 

but asda are nothing like what i have read walmart is like.

i have family and friends that work for asda


please dont make me revive this thread:x


----------



## eterrisinCYQX

I know lots of people that work for Wal Mart. Most of them hate it. Most of them are also sixteen or so. None of them work there because they have to, they work there because it means extra money. 

Everyone I know who's actually finished high school is either in college or working as a professional. 

In this province at least, Wal Mart's employees are predominately made up of teenagers looking for extra spending money. They can walk away whenever they want. It's staffed by mostly teenagers here because most of the people from here don't end up having to work crappy minimum wage jobs as adults.


----------



## jols

my friends and family that work dont consider it CRAPPY MINIMUM wage.

they work for for quality of life they dont want high flying jobs where they dont spend much time with their family.

they would rather be with their family than at work.

most of my friends and family have  no mortgages as we all bought our houses when we were under 20.

so we dont need mega wages just an easy life


----------



## eterrisinCYQX

> my friends and family that work dont consider it CRAPPY MINIMUM wage.


 
Crappy jobs I suppose can be subjective. It is however minimum wage.



> they work for for quality of life they dont want high flying jobs where they dont spend much time with their family.
> 
> they would rather be with their family than at work.


 
Interesting argument but totally stupid. Case in point: both my parents are ATC's. They both work around 30 hours a week. Not crazy high pay but enough to supply our family with whatever we want, basically. There's three cars in my driveway, four motorcycles in the garage, well over twenty thousand dollars worth of musical equipment downstairs, and we live in a two story house plus attic and basement. They're also both taking a week off in about six days to go South, to the Dominican Republic. I can see where they can't be with their families because they don't work for minimum wage 



> most of my friends and family have no mortgages as we all bought our houses when we were under 20.
> 
> so we dont need mega wages just an easy life


 
I dunno, I think we've got a pretty damned easy life thanks to higher education and well-paying jobs. We certainly couldn't live like we do if my parents worked in a department store.​


----------



## jols

well its different in england.I AM NOT GOING TO LIST ALL OUR ASSETS.
but they are our assets and not my dads!!!!!
easy to say things about life when daddy pays the bills.

i am not going anywhere with his thread its just a circle


----------



## eterrisinCYQX

I'm sixteen. Daddy can pay the bills a little longer

And I could literally go get a job that paid above minimum wage tomorrow. Only reason I don't is because I'm in school at the moment.

As for MY assets, my musical equipment alone cost me more than I'd make in a year at Wal Mart or any other big box store.​


----------



## jols

who bought YOUR assets as you dont work......................daddy


----------



## eterrisinCYQX

Nope. Me. Don't work is a completely different thing than never worked.


----------



## jols

easy to work for something buy it and then give up work.

certainly easier when someone else is picking up the bills.


----------



## eterrisinCYQX

You misunderstand me. I generally work in the summers, not just when I want something. I don't during the school year because it's just too much of a load.


----------



## jols

ok. i understand.

i thought i knew it all at 16 as well.

when your 40 you will realise that you didnt.


----------



## eterrisinCYQX

Probably.

Then there's the very good chance I'll remain an arrogant prick for the rest of my life.


----------



## jols

possibly


----------



## eterrisinCYQX

If I end up 60 years old and working for minimum wage, wouldn't that be ironic.


----------



## Lacey Anne

You two are making me lmbo.


----------



## Los Angeles

Jols  maybe you should report him....


----------



## Corry

98% of this thread has nothing to do with the photo.  

This is a photo 'gallery'.  Please take non-political off topic discussions to the off topic forum.  

Please take political discussions to another forum entirely.  

Thanks!


----------

