Janet Wilder > writes:

> George wrote:
>> On 2/20/2010 9:16 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
>>> "gloria.p" wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Their reputation for lower prices (possible because of the huge volume
>>>> they purchase) is not always true and their presence has forced many
>>>> small local stores to go out of business. Many Main Streets have been
>>>> all but abandoned when a Walmart opens nearby.
>>>
>>> What about chain stores like Safeway and Piggly-Wiggly?
>>> They put a much larger number of small local grocery
>>> stores and butcher shops out of business. Are you
>>> against them?
>>>
>>> What about bookstore chains like Barnes and Noble that
>>> put lots of small local bookstores out of business?
>>> Or Amazon, which will put big bookstore chains out of
>>> business?
>>>
>>> Or fast food francises, whose clean facilities and
>>> consistent products put lots of greasy spoon diners
>>> out of business? Or shoe stores that put local
>>> craftsman shoemakers out of business?
>>>
>>> There isn't any difference between any of these
>>> examples and Wa-Mart. Surely, you are not the sort
>>> of hypocrite that would ever buy food at a supermarket,
>>> books from Amazon, or shoes from a shoe store, are you?
>>
>> I would say on a scale of 1-10 walmart is an 11 when it comes to
>> lowering the standard of living in the US. One of the reasons we are in
>> such trouble now is there is no substantial manufacturing base in the
>> US. In all prior downturns it was manufacturing that brough the economy
>> back. walmart was the main driver in the fad to continually beat up
>> manufacturers for lower cost no matter how it had to be done.
>
> ....but we, the consumer, bought it. Really, George, can you think of
> any product made now that has the quality of the same item made 10 years
> ago? Nothing is fixable. Everything is disposable.

Total and utter nonsense of course.

There are oodles of quality products. The main issue are shit holes like
these big warehouse outlets basically forcing junk on the unsuspecting
customer with little if any guidance or after sales support.

You know, the shit holes you seem to so openly support because you are
aware of ONE shop that magically did better when one opened near by.