Conscious Consumerism and YOUR life

[Costanza]

Yes, Wal Mart has shitty labor practices, crushes local businesses, and sells sweatshop goods at inflated markups, but then who doesn't?

Sometimes it's goddamn hard to find out. That's the point. Not all evil is equal and most people are operating with zero information, zero consciousness, zero power, influence or choice.

It doesn't have to be that way.

They are just doing the same shit every other department store does. The main reason that their goods are often cheaper than most other places is because of their purchasing power and superior logistics NOT because they exploit people worse than the next store.

Besides, I don't believe that any Wal Mart has ever been successfully boycotted out of existence. if you're really against Wal Mart you need to attend your local city counsel meetings and try to get their building permits denied. How many of y'all have done that?

Every person isn't going to be (and isn't fit to) challenge building permits at city hall. But everyone spends money. It matter how they do it.

The basic idea that the goal is to boycott Walmart "out of existence" is faulty and extreme, not to mention unfeasible. Walmart would bend before it broke-- but that's not the point. I'm talking about individual level action which is common to everyone. Conscious Consumerism and YOUR life. Looking in the mirror-- Do you use your power as a consumer to do what is right or are you just another whore?

It doesn't really matter why Walmart exploits people so badly, the matter is that they do and the American taxpayer subsidizes it! It should feel like a punch in the gut to turn around and then willingly give them your money. Like feigns to the only dealer in town, consumers just go to whoever offers the lowest price, no questions asked and no fucks given.

 

[Dannyblueyes]

Sometimes it's goddamn hard to find out. That's the point. Not all evil is equal and most people are operating with zero information, zero consciousness, zero power, influence or choice.

It doesn't have to be that way.



Every person isn't going to be (and isn't fit to) challenge building permits at city hall. But everyone spends money. It matter how they do it.

The basic idea that the goal is to boycott Walmart "out of existence" is faulty and extreme, not to mention unfeasible. Walmart would bend before it broke-- but that's not the point. I'm talking about individual level action which is common to everyone. Conscious Consumerism and YOUR life. Looking in the mirror-- Do you use your power as a consumer to do what is right or are you just another whore?

It doesn't really matter why Walmart exploits people so badly, the matter is that they do and the American taxpayer subsidizes it! It should feel like a punch in the gut to turn around and then willingly give them your money. Like feigns to the only dealer in town, consumers just go to whoever offers the lowest price, no questions asked and no fucks given.

So far the only proven successful way to get rid of a Wal Mart is to approach city hall and get the permit denied before it starts. It was done successfully in my old city and many other cities across America. People picketed, handed out leaflets, and encouraged people to get involved by informing them the location, time and date of the meetings. They also sent out bulletins to the local media so that they could get their message out even further.

The people who could went to the city to make their voice heard. The ones that couldn't were encouraged to write letters to their local representatives. In the end the permit was denied and every sufficiently motivated citizen played a part.

American people subsidize all kinds of corporate fuckery through their taxes. Just think about the trillions that have been poured into Haliburton and Blackwater through the war effort. Look at the way we indirectly subsidize the prison system by voting in politicians that create ways to further limit and curtail our legal freedoms. Wal Mart is a minor symptom of a much greater problem.

 

[Costanza]

So far the only proven successful way to get rid of a Wal Mart is to approach city hall and get the permit denied before it starts. It was done successfully in my old city and many other cities across America. People picketed, handed out leaflets, and encouraged people to get involved by informing them the location, time and date of the meetings. They also sent out bulletins to the local media so that they could get their message out even further.

The people who could went to the city to make their voice heard. The ones that couldn't were encouraged to write letters to their local representatives. In the end the permit was denied and every sufficiently motivated citizen played a part.

American people subsidize all kinds of corporate fuckery through their taxes. Just think about the trillions that have been poured into Haliburton and Blackwater through the war effort. Look at the way we indirectly subsidize the prison system by voting in politicians that create ways to further limit and curtail our legal freedoms. Wal Mart is a minor symptom of a much greater problem.

By definition, you can't "get rid" of something which never existed. It's great to prevent future Walmarts but there are more than enough out there. And, again, it's not about getting rid of Walmart or "boycotting them out of existence." It's about changing it (because it will evolve before it would just die). If a group got enough people not to shop at Walmart until they acquiesce to a specific agenda that people have signed onto, such as dropping the anti-union tactics and only distributing from manufacturers which respect workers rights, Walmart would budge. If Walmart is "just doing the same shit every other department store does," perhaps it can be a forerunner for good.

Walmart is the largest employer in the nation, far from a minor player.