Untitled Document
A CNBC in-depth 2 hour documentary [1] on Wal-Mart that has aired several times,
and revealed the real truth about the world's largest retailer. Since few people
will watch news on a weekend, especially on a holiday like this one, I've summarized
the important details in this report. The documentary was the best I've seen in
years, despite leaving out some important facts which I've included.
The chain does 32 BILLION DOLLARS a year. This report will bring out important
highlights from that show. We won't get into name-calling or labels. I'm presenting
the facts with a few comments. There shouldn't be one person on the planet that
should not be concerned about what they are doing. With more than 500 stores in
the US alone, they have a big impact and far too much power.
ANOTHER ARM OF THE GOVERNMENT?
Keep in mind as you read this, that their headquarters contains a Homeland Security
office which is off limits to most Wal-Mart "associates" in the chain's
headquarters. This office was never brought up in the documentary. One should
ask, "WHY?"
The chain has more than 120 distribution centers located all around the country.
One such center with more than 18 miles of conveyor belts moving individual boxes,
has a floor area of more than 2 MILLION square feet. You could not see the other
end of the building inside, as boxes on conveyors moved away from the camera to
become tiny specs. The conveyors feed an army of tractor trailers that literally
pack the boxes to the ceiling of the trailer's box.
In the event of a national disaster and forced rationing, the government has a
ready-made distribution pipeline. There is little doubt they already know this.
How many stores do you know of that have a secret office belonging to Homeland
Security?
A constant stream of business people with products for them to sell, comes to
their store's headquarters in Arkansas. There are more than 60 small rooms, all
constantly packed with manufacturers, distributors and inventors attempting to
get the store to market their products. Store reviewers come into each room to
review products and make determinations.
GREED QUICKLY DESTROYS A LIFETIME OF WORK
Pillowtex Corp. had more than 1.2 BILLION dollars in sales, with $450 to $500
million of it with Wal-Mart according to the company's former CEO. He was quite
was bitter, as he described how Wal-Mart drove his prices lower and lower. Then
the store had the nerve to firmly suggest he go off-shore to get his products
made. In the end, he liquidated his company and was forced to fire ALL 14,000
employees. 14,000 people all unemployed. This is the cost of jumping in bed with
the devil. Think about that the next time you go to the store to buy a pillow.
ACADEMIA SPEAKS OUT
Professor Stone of Iowa State has remarked that "small business grocery stores
lose 25% of their business and it never comes back." Interviews with the
chain's CEO Lee Scott illustrated how he is a master at spinning questions into
off-topic answers, to make himself and the store look good. Perhaps that's why
he has the figurehead job in an amazingly tiny office for his position there.
Another surprise - the chain is taking off big in China. At the time the show
was produced they had 14 stores in that country, and management was is in the
planning stage to opening many others. They are also selling produce which Chinese
people would normally purchase in street markets. According to one Chinese family,
"the store's prices are very good and very low." This makes one wonder
what will happen to the Chinese vegetable suppliers to Wal-Mart as they too, are
told to "lower prices." Will they also be told to go "off shore?"
OOPS! They already are off-shore!
So where to go next when "offshore" costs too much? Perhaps there is
an answer to that.
LESSON FROM HISTORY FOR CHINESE FACTORIES FROM THE CHIP BUSINESS
In going off-shore, the world has a lesson to learn from the semiconductor industry.
China should LEARN from this (but I doubt it.) First, silicon valley manufacturers
went to Japan to have chips made. This was back in the 1970's. Then when Japan's
cost of living shot up, they were too expensive for the manufacturers to use.
Then it was Korea who manufactured them next, but then they became too expensive.
Manufacturing was moved to the Pacific-rim countries to make chips. I still have
tubes of chips that have labels "Made in one or more of the following countries"
which then lists almost every third world country on planet earth. When it was
brought up in a board meeting in a Canadian company about 20 years ago on CBC
television's "Venture" that "a bag of rice per month is expected
by employees" in a pacific rim country along with their paycheck, one CEO
said "Well, I guess we're in the rice business now."[2] I sometimes
wonder if the are still there, or if they moved their manufacturing elsewhere.
RISING COST OF LIVING IN CHINA MUST IMPACT THE CHAIN
It would be arrogant of China to think that they too, won't become too expensive
for Wal-Mart. Management won't be happy as product costs MUST rise to pay for
a higher lifestyle. In fact, it's inevitable because increasing any country's
standard of living depends on price increases. Could Africa become the next China?
It's about the only other place left for dirt-cheap labor. China is now embracing
the expensive automobile and discouraging cheap bicycles. The are now on the same
path as Japan.
The bubble MUST burst, as the Chinese people are now enjoying a higher cost of
living while at the expense of American jobs. I hope they enjoy the bubble while
it's still there. Those idiot yellow smiley faces for "always low prices"
in Wal-Marts will disappear. Sooner or later Wal-Mart will run out of places to
setup sweatshop manufacturing. What's interesting about this is that NWO efforts
to level the world's economies will actually work AGAINST Wal-Mart philosophy.
The store's success must be based on "he haves" vs. "the have-nots."
If America becomes a nation of "have-nots" because of the NWO and globalism,
then who will be able to buy the store's products? We could actually see the return
of small businesses to America in the not too far future.
The program revealed that the chain now has 5,000 lawsuits, with an average of
3 new lawsuits every day. After 9 years, one female employee stated her salary
was just $8.43. Who can live on that? Matt Foley, a a motivational speaker character
played by the late Chris Farley on SNL said it best. They could end up like him
"Eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a VAN - down by
the RIVER."
BUILDING A COMPANY USING EMPLOYEES AS FLOORMATS
Another female employee stated that a male employee was making $10K a year more
than she was, for the same job. When the CEO Lee Scott was asked about sex discrimination
lawsuits, he stated "You can't run a company on how to avoid the next lawsuit."
Wal-Mart is being sued with several class action suits besides sex discrimination,
including locking workers in stores overnight for "employee safety."
Wal-Mart is also under investigation for illegal alien employees, says "We
can't verify the immigration of every employee." ANOTHER LIE. They have the
office of Homeland Security RIGHT THERE. If they can't help verify illegal aliens,
WHO CAN? This goes way beyond dumb and dumber.
ALL IS NOT WELL IN BLUE SMOCK LAND
Highly organized efforts are underway everywhere in America against the chain.
There was a briefing of more than 200 activists in Rochester, NY. The organizer
of the group said "Their employees are easy to find - they are ones wearing
those stupid blue smocks."
There is also serious protest around the country against the store for terrible
health insurance. CEO Scott was asked about the claim that the store spends $3500/employee
on health care. Scott slowly answered, "Let me answer that carefully....Sam
believed that as individuals they should pay part of that cost." What a dumb
type-A remark. On a paycheck far below poverty level? Scott then brags about "profit
sharing, 401K and other programs." When asked if Scott thinks employees feel
like a partner, he answers "that's a ridiculous question."
He knows the answer just as we do. They all feel like slaves, and have no choice
but to work there. But Scott couldn't bring himself to say it. I can't begin to
describe Scott's attempt to restrain his aggressive body language to many of the
well thought out questions put to him. He too, will answer one day for his actions.
To that Greatest of all CEOs - who doesn't live on earth.
YOU CAN FIGHT THEM AND WIN
One man in Lancaster, PA has led a successful group effort to keep the chain out
of that area for 7 years. He has raised more than $80K to hire high power lawyers
to fight them, and has won the battle. When asked about the Lancaster people,
Scott made a remark about how "wrong it is for a small group of people to
keep them out of anywhere." What he failed to notice is that in today's economy
few healthy people have the time available to fight them. Instead, the average
person is just treading water trying not to drown financially - under the economic
ruin the company has already rained down on the economy. The rich get richer,
and the poor get poorer.
In California, a public vote kept them out of the LA area. When Scott was asked
about that action, he had little to say other than "we decided to accept
the results of the vote." What other choice did he have? He just won't ever
admit how blatantly wrong it is for the company to force itself into communities,
and drive local small businesses under.
SAM WALTON - FIRST CORPORATE SLAVEDRIVER FOR WAL-MART
When you read Walton's biography, you get the impression of a "good ol' boy"
who cares about America.What a lie that was. Also how "he drove a beat-up
old pickup truck to breakfast at a local diner."
In reality, he had his own private plane which he piloted himself. This was not
a biplane, either. The following is an eyewitness acount of flying with Walton:
"He often flew cross-country, going from store to store." (Long before
there were 500+ stores.) " If he saw an empty parking lot, Walton would take
the plane into a terrifying nose dive, land at the nearest airfield and go straight
to the store. He would then interrogate the store manager and demand to know WHY
the parking lot was empty. At one store this happened as a result of a local football
game. The store manager told him to "come back after 2PM and the lot will
be packed."
This is just one example that shows the mentality of current management is a legacy
of Walton himself. I've often wondered if Walton's casket was made of old wooden
pallets from the store and painted blue and red with old Wal-Mart paint. But then,
that might cost too much. Their plants in China never make "one" of
anything.
MY QUESTION FOR THE CEO AND HEAD SLAVE DRIVER
OK Scott- if you read this (which I doubt) SHOW the world how using just 1% of
your revenue - about $320 MILLION, on REAL health care for your "associates."
Show us how that would really hurt your bottom line. Wall Street would get over
it in a few days, and your employees (oops - "associates") would work
harder for you. We're sure you know Mr. Scott, that with the new ruthless bankruptcy
laws your employees can no longer escape the death grip of lawyers that work for
labs, doctors and hospitals.
You have stated that you pay hospitalization for employees. You did not say how
much the company will pay, or what the company benefit limits are. Your benefits
certaintly will not cover ANY medical expenses incurred by a previously hospitalized
employee or their spouse, who was ill BEFORE they became a slave at one of your
stores. They will have their wages garnished for all eternity.
Or is the store planning on going into healthcare, by building a "Wal-Mart
Hospital" in Bentonville where employees must go for hospitalization or go
untreated? Will the entire staff be undocumented aliens or "legalized aliens"
holding tacos or practicing "psychic surgery?" Or will you have a euthanasia
wing for employees which you have life insurance on?
The law of probabilities is always at work. It would seem to indicate that some
day, the store will hire a former angry postal worker who is armed to the teeth.
That person might come to work one day with more than a smock in their hand. We
certaintly hope not, but sooner or later the slaves revolt and THEY WIN. Read
the Old Testament.
A SWEAT SHOP THAT DOESN'T THINK SLAVES DESERVE OVERTIME
In Oregon, a jury determined that Wal-Mart must pay overtime to employees. Professor
Stone stated that "store managers sometimes become overzealous to meet targets
and goals." How does that justify slavery? Not according to the courts. When
Scott was asked 'what if 1% of your employees don't meet regulations, which is
15,000 employees, what is the impact of that?' Scott squirmed and admitted, 'well
yeah that could be a problem.'
There are few people in the country not touched by Wal-Mart. A recent conference
at the University of Santa Barbara devoted to the Wal-Mart phenomenon pointed
out the "stores are a touchstone for America on so many different areas."
When the interviewer asked Scott if his store sets the national minimum wage,
he denied that. But history shows otherwise, since in any community few can earn
a higher salary than what the largest in the employer is paying. The company's
influence is clear. Scott was reluctant to comment on whether their power is good
or bad for America, but says "If I were to look at a spreadsheet, it would
come out slightly on the positive side." He also added "There isn't
anything more inherently evil about being more efficient."
That's exactly what Hitler thought, too. Is there any difference in global conquest
between what Hitler did, and what Wal-Mart is doing? Hitler used firearms and
artillery - the store uses money and prices to conquer the world.
BRAINWASHING EMPLOYEES
To work there, you must fit in. There is a chant the workers get together to do
in the morning. A great psychological trick as it makes employees feel they are
an important part of the company. This takes place in China as well just before
the store opens. One can trace this kind of brainwashing back to the days of red
communist China, where such group chants were mandatory. Could this be the origin
of it at Wal-Mart?
TRACKING AND TRACING IS A REALITY
Wal-Mart has a massive near real-time data processing center in their Bentonville,
Arkansas headquarters that tracks everything purchased for EACH person. Their
data processing people state "the data on everything everyone purchases and
where, is kept for 2 years." If the Real ID card replaces money then you
will never, ever be able to buy anything anonymously again.
CONCLUSION
Scott's final comment: "How large can we get? As long as we keep doing things
the way were doing it, I don't see any end to it."
Translation: "Small businesses, BEWARE...." If you are a company or
small business owners, become anti-Wal-Mart activists now while you still can
if you want to stay independent. Remember what happened to great American companies
like Pillowtex, because they bought into the Wal-Mart BS and jumped in bed with
them.
Yet keep the faith - as the expression goes, "every dog has it's day."
Everyone foolishly thought the real estate bubble could never burst, willfully
ignoring the lessons of history. They too, learned that all power is only temporary.
And consider this - what are the first three letters of the word associate?
Ted Twietmeyer
SOURCE MATERIAL
[1] - Interviews with Wal-Mart CNBC show that aired from 10AM to 12PM on May 30
2005
[2] - CBC television show "Venture" that aired almost 20 years ago on
Canadian television
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Email: editor@lookingglassnews.org.
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