Capitalism, Folks — Say It With Me
I am tired, tired, tired of the idiotic pundits attempting to spread the religion of the evils of Wal-mart and its associated doings in the world of business. They have half of their story right and half of it horribly wrong, are aiming their efforts in the completely wrong direction, and are generally annoyed (I believe) that they didn’t think of it first. This is, what George Carlin would call, The Bigger Dick Theory™ in action.
People are constantly surprised — genuinely shocked — that Wal-mart has managed to create such a huge empire of cheap-as-shit stores selling goods that are low to middle class to a HUGE population of people, employing tons of men and women at minimum wage and bare benefits, and generally turning a deaf ear to all complaints as they roll in the dough.
Folks, this is not a new concept in the world. Wal-mart has just done it bigger and better than anyone else.
Capitalist societies have a long and glorious history of screwing the lower chunk of society by giving them Jack M. Squat for wages in return for working their ass to the bone. Burger joints, cleaning people, sewer scrubbers, and people who do 14-hour days with a shovel and black tar are amongst those that are clearly working harder than their pay returns to them.
But you know what? They continue to do it. Why? Because the alternative is worse.
Really — these people scream that employees are taking it up the shitchute and are getting treated like crap, yet the people keep on working. Well, it must not be TOO bad — or at least the conditions are better than NOT having a job, right? Otherwise they wouldn’t work! Trust me, there’s enough unemployed people in the world to indicate that, at some point, it’s not worth working. Wal-mart employees, despite earning next-to-nothing, still make their way somehow.
“They have awful business practices! They’re breaking the law! They’re violating working condition standards!” Yes, of course they are. Duh. When you’re THAT big, it is more profitable to push the law to its full extent and yes, even step over the line in a very calculated way — just enough to generate SOME lawsuits but not tons. Why? Because by pushing everything to the extreme, Wal-mart makes more profit than what it costs them to pay for the lawyers and lawsuits. Don’t think that Wal-mart is ignoring the law or bumbling about like an undirected elephant on crack — hardly! They are making very calculated moves in the industry to maximize profits and reduce expenses. I guarantee every single one of their lawsuits was expected by them and anticipated and even COMPENSATED prior to it ever happening! They employ TONS of risk-assessment managers for that reason alone.
Like any good business, Wal-mart only cares enough for their employees to maximize their profits; no more, no less. When you’re THAT big and require such an uneducated workforce, you can afford to care a whole lot less about your employees than a small Ma&Pa software manufacturing company. You can afford to drop benefits and pay them next-to-nothing — why? Because you know that it costs less to have someone quit, hire another person, and train them than it would to pay benefits or higher wages. When your potential workforce is huge (lower and lower-middle class people ABOUND in almost every community across the world), you don’t have to worry about getting a replacement — ever. They have honed job descriptions down to the bare minimum, documented the hell out of processes, and generally reduced each job in the store at the entry level to a completely mindless task — scanning groceries, stocking shelves, sweeping floors. Attrition isn’t feared by Wal*mart, it’s just expected.
So — what is a person to do if they object to the way Wal-mart does business?
First, let’s go over what you probably *shouldn’t* do. You probably shouldn’t go and boycott Wal*mart. Why not? Because it’s not effective. Sure, if it makes you feel better and sleep at night better, then, by all means, stop shopping there. But stop a) trying to get others to boycott the store and b) be vocal about the fact that you’re doing so. I don’t give a shit and nobody else does, either. If I feel good about shopping there (or at least don’t feel bad), then that’s my business. I’m not evil for taking part in something you disagree with (unless it’s something like murder, then…) People who act self-righteous by spouting off the things they are doing to better the world in their own, individual way, aren’t improving their relations to others, they are simply acting like asses.
Boycotts only worked when everyone did it. Back when, they used to have some really good boycotts. People laying in front of doors and clogging up traffic and making offices unusable. You stopping shopping at Wal*mart is like farting into the wind and hoping to stop a hurricane. Unless a massive movement of people do it, you aren’t going to affect anything.
You shouldn’t go and abuse the customers or the people working there. They are doing their own thing — what they choose to do is their own business. Leave them alone. They have their reasons and so do you. They’re not hindering you, so don’t hinder them.
Also, you shouldn’t go off on arguments that make no sense. “They pay too low of wages!” No, they don’t. They pay minimum wage and above. That is all they are required, as a business in the United States, to pay. If they want to pay more, they can. But if they don’t — oh well. And don’t then go on a rampage about raising the minimum wage, because that won’t help squat — the wage raises, prices raise, and we’re right back where we started.
Too many hours? Nope. Again — as long as they’re paying what they are required by law, no foul.
So the real kicker, as you can maybe see, is the law. You want to fight Wal*mart? Fight the law. Make the laws stricter in terms of the way that employees are treated, compensation is given, etc. Find ways to tweak the system to make the loopholes cost more than Wal*mart is willing to pay to push them. Make it expensive to do business in a way that you dislike and you undermine their entire idea.
Remember: Capitalism has no moral content. It has no convictions, it has no creed. The almighty dollar drives everything it does and it will as easily sell out its own mother to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal as look at her, if it means a profit. Wal*mart is just playing the game.
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