I Don't Hate Walmart

     I don't particularly care to be there unless I really feel it's necessary; but that's because of all the people and the crowds. The people being rude people, and the crowds being a lot of people, any kind. As you may already know, I don't care much for people as a general rule, but when you get that many in one place; it's never a good idea. Walmart as monopolistic Mom & Pop killer ... nope, doesn't really stir my ire like it seems to for others.

     I see that view, that Walmart crushes small competitors in its less-than-honorable price-undercutting way; but that is Capitalism, isn't it? If Mom & Pop can't sell retail for less, or even close ... I can't do anything for them. Should I pay more for the same exact product because, wait what is the reason for all this ire again? I don't understand how the smaller retailers came to represent the American Ideal anyway. If you have a store and don't sell anything that can't be found at Walmart for less, why should anyone choose to pay extra to keep you in business? It's not like we are talking about Walmart putting in a candy shop on Mulberry lane next to old Jeb's Bait, Tackle n' Candy store. This enormous retailer only really muscles similar, slightly smaller enormous retailers. The whole thing smacks of a few people with a little too much time on their hands (hi kettle, pot calling) stirring a sample to increase the odor.


    I need to get that point across better. Establishments that offer unique or specialized products and/or services have nothing to fear from Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc. But what personal customer service is involved in buying coat hangers, DVDs, or even Leapfrog kiddie desktops? It's not that the story of a small nursery owner put out of business by Walmart who now has to work there to afford his insulin and the cat food he is forced to subsist on, giving personal advice to home gardeners that once upon a time would have shopped at his now-foreclosed property isn't a sad, compelling, and Dateline Sunday-worthy story; it is. It's just that that story really doesn't happen all that often. People still go to the Mom & Pop's if there is anything they can't get at Walmart there to be had.

    I asked Lala her opinion on all of this, and she helped as only she can:

Yes, yes. I remember when Walmart came to Wershaleeves. It was a huge, huge fight. It pretended to be about the evils of the big box or whatever, but it was really a fight about the increase in traffic and sadness that a rather picturesque field area was being built upon. Like that wasn't going to happen anyway, no matter who did it. Empty land isn't going to stay empty when it could be bringing revenue into the city.

     I mailed back: "I agree. People are full of shit that way. Instead of arguing their actual argument they try what they think will get more people to agree with them. That happens at my work, nolol. (Nolol is a word I just made up for a thing that would be a lol if it weren't ... so ... fucking ... sad.)"

Lala replied:

nolol..I like that. May I use it? And you are exactly right. People choose what they see as the most compelling and sympathetic argument, completely leaving out their genuine motivations. I guess it is the whole by any means sort of mentality.

     I finished the conversation: "Sure, in a way. I wouldn't equate the city council with Malcolm X, but I see how you mean that. Yes, you may use nolol®, but you must include a credit of its origin for the first 30 uses. After your 30 uses are up you may choose to stop using it, or register your copy for only $11.95 at thiswebsite.com."


     I'm not saying that Walmart doesn't have repugnant policies, this article started my whole pondering. Walmart builds near pyramid, people squawk It's just that Wally World is not alone in its less-than-benevolent policies; automakers kill their customers over pennies, don't they? (I'm having trouble recalling which American automaker had decided not to install a protective plate in one of their models because it would cost $12 and some odd cents per vehicle; and they projected less than that total to defend/settle the expected fatalities. Of course, a family with small children caught on fire, and were featured in a few news stories, but I guess the bad publicity didn't do too much harm; I can't remember which automaker it was.)