Comments on: Wal-Mart: rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic vs. every little bit helps

By: of t-shirt bras and men « resistance is fertile

of t-shirt bras and men « resistance is fertile — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 07:02:57 +0000

[...] is all about debacles, I tells ya) I am constantly making furtive horrible trips to Target, which I once explained in this post but I’ll explain it all again anyway. Right now most of my cooler bags and containers for my [...]

By: lagusta

lagusta — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:41:42 +0000

Target doesn’t make me want to kill myself, for one thing. It’s not filthy and the lighting isn’t instantly madness-inducing. That said:

Mommaskyla, I see your point, but I do believe both of these stores (Target and Wal-Mart) are unacceptable places for progressives to shop. But! Sometimes most people (especially small business owners like me, or, as stated above, when there are no other options) simply need things to function that are not available through ethical shops, so it is sometimes necessary to go to one of these stores. I choose to go to Target when I have to buy Sharpies and packing tape.

I don’t see small businesses as overpriced and elitist, I see them as charging a real, fair price for goods most of us are used to paying far too little for—most of the time, at least. Goods produced in ethical ways with sustainable materials just cost more—that’s life. We need less stuff that costs more.

By: mommaskyla

mommaskyla — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:44:25 +0000

Why is Target more pleasant? Because you have some objection to buying your goods from ordinary people? Because you think that their stuff is not made in China? Wal-Mart buys their crap from the same factories as everyone else. Period. The only difference is that they pass that savings along to you. And these other overpriced, elitist stores – small businesses included- often will not hire a person that isn’t visually up to par. What? You had acne as a teenager? Sorry. You can’t work here. It would make a less pleasant shopping experience for my customers. I’m proud to shop in a store where anyone willing to work to feed their family is welcome to serve their community.

By: Veronica

Veronica — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:35:54 +0000

I love love love your philosophy of joyful rebellion of the everyday kind!
Everyone should think about this and try to adopt it and maybe we’d be a happier society. Cause we don’t seem to be too happy right now (understandably, of course, but still).

I knew about some of the walmart links above, but I actually had no idea the extent of it. Wow. Just wow.

Also, Johanna wrote above, “& then there are all the faux liberals who have the alternatives & the cash to pay more, & still shop there…”

What is up with this? There is a progressive (well, it used to be progressive, and they’d like to think they still are, but they have definitely sold-out) art and performance space by me, and they have had anti-China anti Wal-Mart art exhibits in the past. It turns out the owners actually shop at Wal-Mart (even in a town where there are alternatives) and they tell their employees not to tell anyone that this occurs!!! This is so ridiculous that I really am speechless!

By: Reclaimed Home: Green Low Impact Housing Renovation of New York, Brooklyn, New Jersey

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:33:47 +0000

[...] Walmart=Bad: Lagusta [...]

By: johanna

johanna — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:19:17 +0000

Lagusta — yes to this post! Augh! And yeah, there’s no blaming folks for shopping at Wal-Mart when there’s no alternative. & then there are all the faux liberals who have the alternatives & the cash to pay more, & still shop there…

I actually quit my job a few years ago in part b/c of Wal-Mart… I was working at a supposedly progressive non-profit — who had a program that dealt w/economics & workers & blah blah, even if in a minimal way — & they decided they were going to apply for a huge grant from Wal-Mart, after weeks & weeks of heated debates at staff meetings about why all the supposedly good stuff they do (like apparently they made some token gesture of friendliness towards queer employees) wasn’t enough to outweigh their evilness. & I mean, wow, why was Wal-Mart hustling to get “progressive” non-profits to compete for their money anyway? Subverting the movement, anyone? Bah.

By: lagusta

lagusta — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:29:48 +0000

Yeah, such a great point, thanks for making it, Ande! I know this is a giant issue in a lot of the south and even working-class neighborhoods in places like NYC – there are some crazy stats on “supermarket flight” from neighborhoods like Harlem (all the supermarkets go to the fancy neighborhoods where they can sell fancy foods at fancy prices), where people are forced to buy their food at bodegas because there are no supermarkets – no wonder childhood obesity is so prevalent, when there is no fresh produce anywhere!

By: Ande

Ande — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:34:10 +0000

hi, i found your blog via vegansofcolor. i’ve really enjoyed reading your posts because you eloquently echo many of my sentiments.

i very much apprec this post in particular because you are willing to acknowledge that there are neighborhoods where wal-mart is seriously IT. i’m sure you’ve seen HIGH COST OF LOW PRICES, but seriously i think most people just don’t *get* that a lot of places are run by wal-mart. i grew up in arkansas (home state of wal-mart and tyson).

the state stands as a really prime example of the way our world is headed in terms of these hugeass corps ruling the masses. you would not believe the types of control they have, esp in the NW part of the state where they’re really based. towns of 500-1000 people have nothing but a wal mart (stocked with plenty of tyson’s murderings). and people are, sadly, f-ing blind to it. even if THEIR business was put outta business.

anyway, enough ranting. but thanks for your revolutionary articulations… infuriating, invigorating, inspiring.