The Brutal Truth Is That American Corporations Embrace The Walmart Business Model of----

[TheMastersNemesis]

low pay and few or no benefits. That is their route to profitability. Reagan intended to create a Walmart economy and his revolution has pretty much succeeded. And the public largely voted in a way over 30 years to make it so.

Addendum. That is how the CEO's, big investors, and upper management get all the gravy.

[closeupready]

1. Yes, but there's more to it - cronyism, class 'warfare',

and even simple brute influence (i.e., "vote for Romney or you're fired&quot .

Note: this would apply only to the worst examples such as the type found in Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickeled and Dimed".

[nc4bo]

2. Oops.

I think someone missed the grand finale, that when an entire economy is based on the Walmart Business Model, eventually not even the employees will be able to purchase any thing much less the general public.

Like a forest fire rages on, consuming everything and anything until there's nothing left to consume. Now what?

I guess each Walmart Business Model type can than start consuming other Walmart Business types and we all can go back to trading shells and seeds?

[brewens]

3. If the overseas labor was being used to give all of us a higher standard of living,

I suppose we wouldn't object much. If we somehow forced companies to keep wages high and hours low in this country, I'd probably be all for it. The wealth generated probably would allow us to be earning living wages and working thirty hour weeks. Of course the people at the top won't allow that.

We'd see protests against working conditions in those slave labor countries and tell ourselves we feel bad about it but what could we do? We couldn't work for less to help those people. I could see many of us just not seeing it like the wealthy in this country don't see the situation at the bottom.

[raouldukelives]

4. I'm of the mind the only thing a "liberal" can do is stand against slave labor.

Do not support it, purchase it or worst of all, invest in it. If we were actually trying to spread liberty and democracy to third world countries. If we said "Sure, we'll do business in your country. You just have to make sure to treat the environment, people and the idea of spreading freedom that we profess to care for at home in the same way. Otherwise, no dice."
We could really start to bring the world closer together. Maybe actually start to address the reality of climate change. Not just with dire warnings but with actual substantive efforts to reverse the damage caused by out of control corporate greed.

It's not a tough call for me. I have been very anti-China since I viewed the Tienanmen Square incident on TV as a child. At that point I vowed never to be on the side of the Chinese government unless some strong changes were made. Every dollar invested in one of those companies only helps to sustain and reinforce the practice. Only helps to create massive pollution and assured devastation from a shattered climate. Only ensures the legacy of the investor class as those who stood firmly against our core principles.