Wal-Mart bans Jon Stewart's new book

POSTED BY: Succatash
UPDATED: Monday, November 1, 2004 19:27
VIEWED: 8032
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HJERMSTED

Friday, October 22, 2004 10:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
There are a about a zillion ways to do that, and I'll be happy to list them for you later.

I'll list the big one... and put it in caps: UNIONIZE!!!

This is exactly why people started forming unions in the first place.

mattro

SIGNYM

Saturday, October 23, 2004 1:48 AM

Yes, and...

There's an underlying feeling that if we just put up with capitalism long enough, *eventually* we'll prosper. People point to the USA and EU as that "happy ending" that all nations will reach if they just stay the course. But early unbridled capitalism actually caused living conditions to deteriorate- think Victorian sweatshops- which didn't improve until employees FOUGHT FOR THEMSELVES. Capitalism doesn't inherently create general prosperity, and your concern reflects that realization.

So if the only way to advance your interests is to advance YOUR interests, then the next logical step is... how do I do that most effectively?

Unionization is one way to do that, but people often point to unions and say "Well, I can strike here in my Tennessee garment factory, but Haiti and El Salvador and the Marianas will just pick up the slack." And the answer is, yes, that's true, but only if your union is limited to Tennessee. For instance, do have ANY idea how far the US dollar would go in a Haitian (El Salvador/ Vietnamese/Marianas/ Phillipine) strike fund??

The only reason why unions are powerless is because they face multinational corporations as national or local or trade organizations. How stupid is that?? In addition to unionizing, workers need to expand their identities and push their unions to include ALL potential "competitors" in the labor market.

The we need to look at international trade agreements. They are made by nations primarily to promote "free" trade at the behest of large coporations and banks, which of course makes it easier to pit one country against another. No provisions are made for environmental or worker protections. Why not?? We should not accept the way these negotiations are stacked against us.

How do you stop this?? BY VOTING your interests, NOT the interests of Walmart! That has got to be the cheapest and easiest way to protect yourself!

And while I'm on the topic of voting... USA citizens have a special burden of understanding where and why their military power is being applied. So often it's been used to prop up a dictator whose main claim to fame is supporting cheap materials and cheap labor. You need to understand that while you may benefit as a consumer, eventually it will bite you in the *ss as a worker.

Then there is INVESTING. Individuals and retirement funds are not doing their fiduciary duty if they invest in fraudulently-reported companies, or companies whose CEOs get megabucks for bascially nothing.

There is CONSUMPTION. Consumers actaully have very little power, but selective boycotts (like boycotting Walmart) can be successful.

You can CONTRIBUTE to NGOs like Amnesty International.

So, just off the top of my head, you can...

Unionize, vote, invest, consume, contribute, organize, and talk for YOUR future.

TIGER

Saturday, October 23, 2004 4:41 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:
...wal-mart is an evil company...

Yes! I'm so glad people are finally waking up to this fact. Besides the numerous articles and reports about Walmart's abuses, I have personal experiences to add.

A few months ago I went to Walmart to buy a bag of chips for some friends and I to enjoy that evening, and you wouldn't believe what happened - they only charged me 99 cents! Less than a dollar for something that cost over $2 at the party store down the road. How could they POSSIBLY compete? Can you believe the gall?

If you think that's bad, my cousin's experience will make you sick. She is a 22 year old young mother with no college education, no training, and no work experience. She found work at Walmart stocking shelves, sweeping up, etc, but for ONLY $8.50 an hour. What a travesty of justice! After a few weeks she realized she couldn't support herself and her child on that wage so she asked for a raise and - get this - they said NO! I couldn't friggin' believe it. They literally forced her, FORCED her to look for a better job. She found one at Lowes for $9.50 an hour with some medical benefits afters 90 days, and a schedule that allowed her to attend the community college - but that's not the point. It would have been easy for Walmart to give her the 10% raise she asked for. After all they are a multi-billion dollar company.

And worst of all is the case of my favorite downtown bookstore. I found it one day by accident when I was strolling through town, and it was very cozy and quaint and had real character. I didn't find the book I wanted that day but I vowed to stop by again. It wasn't until a month later that I actually found a parking spot close enough to the store to make it worthwhile to stop in, but I was glad I finally did. They still didn't have the book I wanted, but they had several that I KINDA' wanted, and since the place was so cozy I thought it was worth it to pay a little extra. So a few months later the local Walmart expanded their book section to thousands of titles, magazines, and newspapers, in a ridiculously well-lighted and roomy section of the store across from the lunch counter. The result, as you can guess, is that my quaint little bookshop went out of business. I just can't understand why more people didn't support they're local mom-&-pop business.

Quote:
Originally posted by Ghoulman:
WAL-MART, destroying American towns for years all in the name of slave wages, oppression, and government payola.

You are so right! Well said!

SIGMANUNKI

Saturday, October 23, 2004 6:23 AM

@Tiger
I find it funny that you only comment on the prices, etc of wal-mart and not my actual point. That wal-mart destroys the communities that surrond it.

And by the way, no book store has all the books no matter how big. It's a matter of finite space. But, *every* book store *can* order things you know. So, if you would've just gone up and asked the guy if they had the book (you might have missed it) then (s)he would've told you yes/no and if no offered to order it for you.

And before you go into how much that particular wal-mart payed, perhaps you should tell us of the cost of living in that area of the world as $8.50 may be a lot or peanuts or somewhere inbetween *depending* on the cost of living.

You arguments are misleading at best.

----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

GHOULMAN

Saturday, October 23, 2004 3:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:
[B]@Tiger

You arguments are misleading at best.

I found his comments to be sarcastic.

There is a real streak of capitalism as ideology. In opposition to those "Red Commies" that we used to hear about. Now, it's all "capitalism beat communisim" as if that's true (people say Ronald Reagan defeated the USSR - utter crap but it's the sort of rewrite of history I've noticed comming from the growing fascism of the USA).

Now, this ideology morphed into what I like to call "corporatism" - an evangelical ideology of greed backed up by governments and law. Since the corporation, under US law (the 14th amendment to be exact), is immune to any punishement it is free to do anything it wants. And it does.

WAL-MART, as good an example of insane corporatism as any, is the richest company on the planet right now. Isn't that freaky? How does a mere retail chain become so successful? Low low prices? Shiny happy people? No... we need to seriously ask what the frell this thing is and how does it affect our communities - but our own communities are with WAL-MART in a "deal with the devil" where payola isn't illegal anymore but business as usual. Your local, State, and National governments are beholden to corporatism, which any sane person will see as just exploitation of the working classes who, if they complain (or there is an article in the "liberal media", or another ineffective court case) the government whos job is too protect the peoples interests will tell you to shut up if you want a job.

And the merry go round continues.

Socialism - it's a good thing. No, I'm not Martha Stewart.

I love what you said about Unions SignyM, I too see the union as a good thing that needs to come back to battle the all encompassing inhumanity of our sickly greedy corporate culture. But the problem is, if I may, stems from the unions form - a body made up to organize workers ... in the 1930s!

We need to have a modern union plan and I don't know of any. Mainly because the old unions are "small" in various ways as you pointed out.

Do I have an answer? Well, an international body would be great. If only the USA would stop shitting on the UN.

Getting back to the economy - the affects of capiltalism are devastating to our planet. We are dieing, our time has run out. We have already killed our children. It's sad.. so, so, sad. But the liars and bombers will continue to "cut taxes" as if this isn't looting our nations. MacNamara's IMF and "lending" schemes will continue to bankrupt poor nations so rich ones can invade without firing a shot, genetic seeds will insure the corporation will own the food you eat even before the farmer grows it, and then the ice weasels will come.

I was being figurative at the end there.

If corporatism isn't reversed the destruction of a safe world for our children will be the least of our problems. As stupid little monkeys we really need to understand our very survival depends on life and growth not death and war. Currently the USA isn't even talking to the UN except to accuse it of insighting terrorism.

Peace out - ammend the 14th ammendment to exclude "corporate rights", because if corporations have rights - people do not.

SIGNYM

Saturday, October 23, 2004 3:29 PM

Amen.

As far as unions are concerned- the was an union in the USA called the International Workers of the World (IWW) commonly known as the "wobblies". The robber barons recognized a serious threat and used the Pinkerton security company to shoot, beat, and jail the union into non-existance.

This is not ancient history, as it is playing out today. The reason for the failure of the recent 9-month supermarket strike in LA was because they were striking only the LA stores of major national chains like Ralphs and Vons. What the supermarket clerks are concerned about is, of course, the Walmartization of supermarkets.

The same thing is happening among local hotel workers here in LA. They want their contracts to end coincident with other contracts across the USA for chains like Hilton and so forth. Management is not stupid, or course, and the LAST thing they want to do is bargain with an organization that has equivalent clout. They're ready to go to the mat over this one.

It's an ongoing struggle that will continue as long as working people realize they have quite a bit of power in their hands and are willing to organize.

GHOULMAN

Saturday, October 23, 2004 3:52 PM

*slurp* - cafe coffee. A beautiful fall day and the girls down here at the cafe think your posts are great SignyM. Charlottetown says hi!

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:

It's an ongoing struggle that will continue as long as working people realize they have quite a bit of power in their hands and are willing to organize.

Hallelujah! Goddess be praised and naked!

My experience has been that people have been brainwashed (this is a war for your mind - Morpheus) to believe Unions are *chuckle* "bad". As if a union was ever convicted of anything really terrible compared to the murderous corporate overlords.

Since the industrial revolution our society has changed from a farm and trade economy to a factory product economy. Back when landlords ruled our lives we had a few rights, even under feudal law and tradition (such as it was). But with the new world of INDUSTRY we lost any semblance of law on the factory floor - it was work or die, don't work then starve.

Unions were the answer to this. A union brought back basic respect to the individual in a new world. A world that so famously exploited people slavery wasn't sufficient to describe the torture and misery. Oliver Twist was the best we could do at the time and even then it was considered limp wristed liberal crap. Some things never change eh?

Now that corporations have shifted into international exploitation mode, thanks to Ronald Reagans help, Free Trade, the IMF, the WTO, and a 12 year "corporatism" campaign to destroy the union as a concept (people still spit on unions as if puppies died), people in far away lands can experience union busting and slavery all for the privilage of sewing Nike sneakers for fat diabetic American children.

SignyM you point out just what Micheal Moore had pointed out in some of his wonderful documentaries of years past. These battles are essential to the lives of real people. Until the people realize the union is thier best answer to the industiral reality of our "Brave New World" they will continue to be exploited by thier governments, corporatism, and stupidly evil entities like WAL-MART.

Hmm, is that Aludus Huxley reference off? Man, wish I'd gone to school.

CAPNRAHN

Saturday, October 23, 2004 4:11 PM

Devil's Advocate Moment:

It MUST be mentioned that there have been some VERY powerful men tht organized SOME Unions only to feed their insatiable lust for power and riches.

If you deny that, you may want to recalibrate your 'balance' meter and have another 'go' at the diagnostic. :bigrin:

With that being said, the real-me sez: GO Ghoulman and SignyM!!! {not one atom of scarcasm intended}

Corportism is rotting our country and reaching its tentacles into the world - further sullying the USA's Global Image - which is superimposed on the self-serving {heh, any OTHER type?} propaganda that these business' portray.

Boss Tweed would be PROUD of these, his bastard like-minded progeny.

Ah, the Blue Sun cometh - or to put it another way - Something Wicked this way comes.

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

FIREFLOOZYSUZIE

Saturday, October 23, 2004 4:43 PM

Two points to make, then I go outside on this lovely fall day:

1st: What Walmart does to their employees and American communities is nothing compared to the aggressive way Walmart bullies producers. Apparently there are virtually no U.S.-made clothing manufacturers thanks to Walmart, which prefers to buy clothing on the cheap from countries who use child labor chained to tables.

2nd: Walmart isn't refusing to sell the Daily Show book because of Stewart. The Walmart corporation never sells books with content they find "lewd," which means anything with naked folks in it. So, on one page, The Daily Show book puts Supreme Court heads on naked old bodies and that's not something Walmart wants kids to find on its shelves. Big whoop.

End of story. Who could care less?
Jon Stewart rocks.

SIGMANUNKI

Saturday, October 23, 2004 7:20 PM

@Ghoulman
First off, let me say that I basically agree with you and all points but one... kind of... Unions.

In the past the Union has been a liberating figure saving *many* lives for miners and others in high risk jobs. Unfortunatly the Union has basically become a corporation in itself. All the strikes that I've seen here have revolved around wages, benifits, etc. And this isn't the, "They want to take them away" it's more along the lines of "We think we deserve more so give me, give me, give me." Basically, even Unions aren't immune from corruption.

I would think (you implied this) that if the Union undergoes on hell of a makeover that it would help and become *one* of the ways to defeat corporatisim. Or at least make it managable.

I believe that it must be a multi-pronged attack. After all, if there are people that will go to replace those that are on strike, the wal-marts of the world won't care. If people are willing to cross the picket lines to shop there no matter what, wal-mart won't care.

But, if people in the community complain, if they won't go to wal-mart if they mistreat there employees (in store, contracted or otherwise) then wal-mart will be forced to care as they'll lose money. Basically, it's the communities fault as much as it is wal-marts (I'm *am* glad to hear that this is changing though ).

Something else that must happen (mentioned above as well) is that the laws that govern corporations must change. The corporation must be held responsible for its actions.

Also, the fines must be increased. Wal-mart doesn't care if it gets fined millions of dollars b/c they make billions. The fine doesn't even make a dent in there profits, so why would they obey the law. I would think that making the fine a *percentage* of *gross* (*not* net) earnings would make the corporations think twice before continuing there current practices. Especially if the percentage is fairly big.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Man do I long for the day when the company you worked for actually cared.

By the by, has anyone here seen the documentary 'The Corporation'. I highly recommend it if you haven't. They diagnosed the corporation (it's legally a person so why not treat it like one for fun) as being a psycopath. There logic is pretty damn solid too

----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

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