Wal-Mart Protest Misses Mark

Nice conversation at Reason over a bunch of tam-tam hippies invading (ie breaking the law) a Wal-Mart store to protest something.

Wal-Mart ain't perfect and there's something to be said of MNC's and the power they wield - thanks to government interference in the market place - but the ultimate irony is they offer low prices (on certain items anyway) for customers. Even for me, sometimes it's better to go there than "daycare specialty" shops. Same with Target.

But the problem of MNC's is not the issue here.

Anyway, couldn't get past 2 minutes of the video. Annoying.

Clueless people.

Some comments:

"...If you have the ability to pay your workers a living wage but pay him less in order to maximize profit, you are doing something grossly immoral."

Self-righteous pish-poshian gibberish. Define "living wage" and get back to me, champ. Or is it chump?

I hear it all the time. "Wow. Daycare. You're rolling in the dough so why not pay me more?"

As if fixed margins and costs don't exist in their magical, unicorn-fairy world.

This is somebody responding to another commenter shown in italic:

"Second, there's a problem with the old metaphor of voting with your dollars: inequality. You can't pretend that market decisions somehow democratically add up to the "will of the people", when some individuals have billions more votes than others."

Response:

Voting in government elections is about as unequal as possible. If I vote, it doesn't matter at all -- what other people want is what happens.
Voting in a marketplace is as fair as possible -- I vote for what I want, and then I get exactly what I want as shown by my revealed preference. The whole fucking point of markets is that they don't "democratically add up" -- individuals get what they want, not what 50.1%+ of other shoppers want.
Yup. Uh-huh.

And now the piece de resistance. It's a narrative and sentiment I've been hearing the last few years and seems to be only getting worse.

"I've been working for them for a year. I just now got insurance even though I am part time. That they actually thought I was going to work for 12 hours on Thanksgiving, they were out of their fucking minds. But they don't care. 48% of the profit is split by the 7 remaining surviving waltons. 2011 profits were 15 billion. Not bad for doing nothing but choosing the right parents or hypergamy. That's what, 600 million, after taxes.

Workers at my store have an unbelievable work ethic. Wal-mart doesn't deserve them. Managers ride your ass constantly regarding productivity: their measure of which is flawed and they do try to eeeek every fucking minute of use.

But the libertarian in me knows that it isn't their job to be nice to me. Their job is to make as much $$$ for shareholders as legally possible. The lib in me knows if I hate it enough, and I do, it is my responsibility to get off my ass and look for a different job.

This job has cured me of my consumerism, though."

Let's break it down:

I've been working for them for a year. I just now got insurance even though I am part time.

And your point being? Many companies do that for many reasons. Maybe Wal-Mart can do better on that front, I don't know but, guess what, no one is forcing you to work there. He feels entitled.

That they actually thought I was going to work for 12 hours on Thanksgiving, they were out of their fucking minds.

Ok. This line is classic. Yes, he's too cool. What, me work for you after the way you treat me?

I guess he feels for having waiting so long for insurance, Wal-Mart has the audacity to ask him to work extra hours on a Holiday. Oh. The. Fucking. Horrors!

I've done my fair share of OT and Holiday work as have millions of people in the past, present and future. It's part of life. My employer in the end has the final say. Alas, more money in your pocket.

But they don't care. 48% of the profit is split by the 7 remaining surviving waltons. 2011 profits were 15 billion. Not bad for doing nothing but choosing the right parents or hypergamy. That's what, 600 million, after taxes.

Therein lies this guys problem. He thinks too much and making excuses while erecting strawman arguments. I don't see how any of this ultimately matters. "Do your job" as Bill Belichick says on the sidelines. You're not paid to pontificate nor pass judgment on ownership. It's none of your business.

It's been my experience losers tend to focus on what the other guy has never once giving one thought to how they arrived there. Pick up a business book. Learn how Wal-Mart did it. It's pretty astounding.

Yes. They got to choose their parents. /rolls eyes.

Workers at my store have an unbelievable work ethic. Wal-mart doesn't deserve them. Managers ride your ass constantly regarding productivity: their measure of which is flawed and they do try to eeeek every fucking minute of use.

Ok. This is getting stupid. Anecdotal generalizations. Wal-Mart is not forcing them to stay. If they feel they're worth more, go try out at Target or some other competitor. Over rating yourself can be a costly miscalculation, remember.

If I had a worker like that...out the door. The attitude needs adjusting. Yeah, Einstein. Think you can do better? Go start your own business and fix all the flaws. Too many yappers, too little workers.

But the libertarian in me knows that it isn't their job to be nice to me. Their job is to make as much $$$ for shareholders as legally possible. The lib in me knows if I hate it enough, and I do, it is my responsibility to get off my ass and look for a different job.

You're confusing ideologies. Libertarianism, classical liberalism and conservatism tell you to think and do these things. Liberalism is, well, what you just spewed. Liberalism is not about personal responsibility. It may have been once upon a time. But not anymore. Liberalism believes in a big, interventionist government to "help" the weak being castrated by the "evil."

Jesus. Is anyone listening to what liberal politicians and commentators say?

Finally:

"Demanding respect is the infallible sign of not deserving it."

Quote of the day.

Hear that whiny PQ Quebec nationalists? Earn the respect from us.