Mothering Forum banner

An Idea About How to Fight Wal-Mart -- It would take real cooperation & organization!

884 views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  mud maiden 
#1 ·
I've been thinking...

(always a dangerous thing)

...but, I just thought I'd float this out here and see the response.

Wal-Mart's corporate competition model is based on

(1) making deals with a foreign government (China, for example) to set prices so low that that government's own citizens are not benefitting by this trade;

(2) getting to avoid any environmental regulations (you should see what the water looks like in the towns devoted to making more plastic stuff for our consumption); and then;

(3) getting subsidies from local US governments to build their stores -- subsidies that include exemption from property taxes, changes in the local infrastructure at no cost to them and outright cash payments -- in the "hopes" of there being more jobs and;

(4) under-cutting local businesses.

Eventually, you know, this means they could then raise the prices and everyone who supposedly "benefits" from these artificially-low, non-competition-based prices would suffer extra financial hardship.

Not to mention how if the "street" in town (that is, the place that is where you go to pick up a prescription, buy a paper, get an ice cream cone, see some friends and neighbors in passing, wait while you're getting an oil change) is PRIVATELY OWNED -- then we are all screwed as far as our exercise of the 1st Amendment. Theoretically, someone could be banned from being there because of the political bumpersticker on their car. Don't laugh. People have been evicted from shopping malls for wearing a No War t-shirt.

Seriously fighting this would be very, very difficult.

By now, there are hundreds of Wal-Marts, if not thousands (anyone here know the exact figure?) that are, effectively, the only place to buy a spool of thread for a radius of 60 driving miles. We see this excuse frequently here on threads discussing the problem.

So, this reminds me of those company towns where the owner of the mill/mine/land also owned the store. People got paid in "script" that was only redeemable at the company store where they were locked into whatever the prices were and whatever was actually for sale there. The Bossman decided, effectively, what people got to wear and what books they could read (if any). And, they were tightly controlled as far as hours put in at the factory and what churches were there.

When strikes happened, one of the things that needed to be taken care of was getting basic necessities to the people living there.

It was really, really hard for those strikes to happen. But, it was important to the people concerned. For a little background, Google Coal Miner's Union, for example. Or Copper Country Labor Struggle.

One of the things that had to be done was boycotting the company store.

>>>>Anyone see where I'm going with this?<<<<

So, I'm thinking, that in my dream anti-trans-national-corporation action, there would be a massive mobilization of people who would form coalitions of activists who would, first of all, not shop there. (OK, that's easy, there's tons of people who claim not to do that.) THEN, here's the harder part, would have to organize whatever local stores are left AND local people to unify against the Wal-Mart/Big Box Store and convince others to boycott as well. In order to do this, of course, people would have to be convinced of the dangers inherent in giving up their public space to a private company. This would be difficult -- especially in places that have not had a real tradition of ACTIVE democracy (like upstate NY, where politics, even local politics, is handled by a small party machine). It would require a huge dialogue with EVERYONE, not just the usual political junkies, about what it really means to live in a free society; about what the five things listed in the 1st Amendment are, really, and whether or not people are really exercising those rights. (You know what they say about muscle tone: Use it or Lose it! So, you'd better exercise it.)

People, ordinary people, would have to be willing to try to understand the tax structure to understand why those municipal goverment subsidies, explicit or semi-hidden, are DANGEROUS to their towns. And people who understand them would have to be willing to spend time explaining without being patronising. And would have to listen. Good ideas are all over the place.

And then, in those places where there really are no other places to buy rice, flour, and peanuts, people would have to open stores to "compete". And money would probably be "lost" for a while....until Wal-Mart was put out of business.

Any takers?
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by sohj

Any takers?
I'm in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sohj

People, ordinary people, would have to be willing to try to understand the tax structure to understand why those municipal goverment subsidies, explicit or semi-hidden, are DANGEROUS to their towns.

This is definitely the next step for me.
 
#6 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by sohj
Awwww, come ON! We need some concrete ideas here!



How would this start? (In a perfect world.)

Well, I'll just put some stuff out there to get the discussion going (maybe my ideas won't be too hard to pick apart :LOL)

My very first thought about how this would work is by co-ops. I've never participated but I'm moving soon and one of the first things I look into is co-op options in different cities. The good news is that they exist in some form in almost all the places I've looked.

Maybe some co-ops could open themselves up a little ~ more accessibility and maybe some more diversity of products. I haven't participated yet so this is not a criticism but I just never even knew about them until recently, yk? Maybe people who participate in co-ops could spread the word a little more.

Others:

Privately owned businesses offering quality goods and service at completive prices.

Socially, setting up a life where talking about this stuff is where we derive pleasure ~ over a glass of wine with friends or with another parent at the park.

Becoming more involved in our immediate community. Shopping where we live or work. Getting to know the people. Actually knowing the owners of a store goes a long way in a person's dedication to giving them business.

Relieving dependence on POVs. I mean, really. Within the average square footage of a Wallmart complex, you can walk to 3 groceries, a gas station, a bakery, several restaurants and a lot of residences.

Get involved in community development. I'm thinking voting in local elections through teaching our kids the value of local community.

Okay, I've got to think more.
 
#7 ·
Quote:
My very first thought about how this would work is by co-ops.
As my daughter would say, "I just love" co-ops. Simple, flexible, tried and true.

Does anybody know of a non-profit that helps co-ops get organized and networked? I've often wished for a support system or kit that helped people start a co-op. (What my rural town needs is an old-fashioned general store.) This might be a way to use the corporate franchise model against itself, until all kinds of co-ops began popping up faster than the chains are now.
 
#8 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by mud maiden
Does anybody know of a non-profit that helps co-ops get organized and networked?
Try a web search or ask your local co-op. From what I've read there definitely seems to be a support network for getting started. It seems like some start as a group bulk mail-order thingy to establish a base and then look for a store front.

One more thought ~ it would be good to start on the community level to block any new Walmarts from moving into our areas.

Oh, and are we just talking about Walmart? To me, there are many more that don't seem to get *any* criticism yet they are most definitely contributing to the fall of the local business. Ikea, H&M, Aldi, Trader Joes and even Whole Foods. What about them?
 
#9 ·
You were right, IdentityCrisisMama:
http://www.wisc.edu/coops/steps.html
http://www.learningcentre.coop/co-ops_starting_a.php
I'm ashamed to admit that, at a glance, there seems to be too much involved for me to deal with right now. I'm overworked AND lazy AND disorganized.

By the way, maybe I'm being short-sighted, but I feel like there is a place for Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, especially since they know their customer base holds them to a high standard in terms of social and environmental resonsibility. They also help makers of quality, healthy products find distribution, right?

But, then again, the last time I had the chance to visit any of the stores you mentioned was three years ago. I don't even know what Aldi and H&M are. I live in a state park, where we have to scour thrift stores or expensive boutiques or crappy dollar stores for the most basic items. So what do I know about consumer culture?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top