Sigh another long post wonder if anyone bothers to read it...
Originally Sam Walton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Walton the founder of Wal-Mart was a Christian so Wal-Mart (supposedly) reflected some of those values in the past. However, they have been stocking things like Brokeback Mountain DVDs. Reportedly though "Wal-Mart remains the only national discount chain that does not offer partnership benefits (both Sears Holding Company and Target offer same-sex domestic partnership benefits)". There are also liberal groups that do not like them solely for their donations to right-wing groups
http://www.mediatransparency.org/story.php?storyID=88 , but, then that article mentions some donation to the liberal Planned Parenthood by Walton's wife too. Also (although everyone here probably knows) be aware if you buy from Sam's you are buying from Wal-Mart because it's the same company.
Target was going to stock sex toys at one point. They also banned the Salvation army from their store.
(I know this one personally) Down here Randall's and Kroger allows a free publication called "The Houston press" with adult content to be publicly available to anyone. As in in the open air right next to the children's candy and game machines where anyone can get it.
Ford is openly backing homosexual groups and advertising to gay consumers with gay ads.
Proctor and Gamble who make half the things out there supported a homosexual agenda at one point too.
Then there was the whole issue of retailers banning the name "Christmas". Loved the "Holiday Trees"...not.
Of less importance, but, still relevant what about actual service from businesses? I know I was charged 8.25% from Half-Price Books yesterday when it only should have been 7.25% (because they are not in the city limits). If that happened in a major business chain we are talking major money in someone's pocket.
I don't deny that the media has a liberal bias in general, but media is a business and Wal-Mart has cash to burn on advertising. There's incentive not to publish stories about Wal-Mart exploiting their employees..
Maybe there is incentive, but , I don't think it is stopping them. Wal-mart is consistently singled out in what I have seen of foreign labor abuses on the News. In fact I cannot remember any news on ANY other companies labor abuses being shown (except that Kathy Lee thing).
I got a few web sites off this guys paper
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1344754 and from this
http://www.archden.org/dcr/archive/20011121/2001112113ln.htm they may be useful to you Tek IDK...
www.nlcnet.org
www.corpwatch.org
http://www.fairlabor.org
http://www.laborrights.org
http://www.transfairusa.org
http://www.coopamerica.org or
http://www.responsibleshopper.org
http://www.tenthousandvillages.com
http://www.simpleliving.org
http://www.aidtoartisans.org
http://www.peoplink.org/EN/
http://www.equalexchange.com
I have not checked out these any of these sites. Although glancing at them a couple seem rather liberal. They don't go into what businesses use their money for either. If you are going to be concerned with how they make products you'd be concerned how they spend their money too. I thought there was a Christian or Conservative group that watchdogs, but, I cannot remember (because there is a left-wing one) I do know
http://www.afa.net/ talks about some companies.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/commentary/newsblogs/beijingolympics/060822.aspx Every time you buy a Happy meal a Chinese worker cries (kidding).
From slavery in ancient Egypt to using Christianity as a front to claim natural resources in Africa to slavery in the United States to using young children as chimney sweeps in 19th century London to outsourcing to violating labor laws, exploitation is nothing new.
Is denying employees breaks and forcing them to work off the clock as bad as slavery or indentured servitude? No, it's not. But that's not the point.
Simply because you outlaw slavery doesn't mean people aren't enslaved. People will abuse anything for power money, law, personal relationships, the name changes, but, abuses of power continue. We may not have the more explicit abuses of slavery that caused it's abolishment (it still exists outside America anyway), but, not all slavery had abuses to begin with. In the past some slaves were treated as family and today some employees are treated as slaves. I'm saying in most cases yes labor abuses are not as bad as slavery, but, the best of slavery is probably better than the worst of labor abuses. Simply banning the act or tool of abuse does nothing without a moral heartfelt change in people. They will still be looking for loopholes in any law to do the same thing with a different name. Only in Christ does anyone, master or slave, boss or worker, president or citizen, have true freedom.
And yes, I'm aware that groups of human beings do evil things, especially when they can bend the law to their will. I know that corruption and exploitation are nothing new.
In other words, any company as large as Wal-Mart will try to exploit its workers.
I will state the obvious here, but, anyone can become corrupt regardless of size, group or lack thereof. With any power the temptation of to abuse it will occur. That's sin for you. The more power you have the easier it is because you face less threat of punishment. Hence the saying "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Which is why the only answer is to be under a higher power i.e. God. So regardless of how much or little power you have you are always subject to a higher one. Basically while it is easier to abuse power the more you have I do not assume that big companies will definitively exploit workers. In fact I think society/media has gotten into loving itself for helping "the underdog" regardless of whether they are correct or not.
I've studied enough history to know that any group of people wielding that much power will exploit others. Egypt, Rome, Britain, and the US have all exploited others. Government leaders are part of a group of people with authority over other people. Corporate leaders are part of a group of people with authority over others.
This is semi off subject, but, this whole discussion applies to governments as well as businesses. I believe a democratic government may be the best form of government due to the absolute power corrupts issue and because of human nature (to act in haste or only for oneself). A democratic government has checks against those (Technically America is democratic republic which has some of both centerlized and decentralized leadership). However, the dissolution of power creates it's own problems which people don't talk about. Look at our government, some things are deadlocked for years, while others change back and forth with every election, not to mention voter apathy or the control the media has. There are times when decisive action must be taken or a steady stance on a issue must be made. A group with a more centralized leadership could fare better in those situations. Take world war II. Many people glorify America in it, but, fail to remember the time it took to turn public opinion from isolationism while Hitler was conquering Europe. Informing and convincing all those people that invasion was coming took time which translates into costing peoples lives. I guess Hitler personifies the opposite and extreme view, swift decisive action, but, if you put all your eggs in one basket you die when you make a mistake. I don't believe our form of government made America great, it was it's foundation on Judeo-Christian ethics or God. Businesses and individuals work the same.
My bottom line is I would not shop JUST anywhere to save a few bucks, some discretion is certainly advised. I do think that Wal-mart has been singled out (perhaps unfairly) among many solely due to size and some right-wing leanings. I also think it's size may have resulted in splitting some views within the company after Walton's death. At least that's the opinion I got looking around (which admittedly I did not do a lot of research on). We won't ever have that perfect choice of a place to shop because people aren't perfect. However, we have a responsibility to make use of the money God has given us as God would have us do.
So why am I posting it? Because I don't like monopolies. I don't like when people throw up their hands and say, "What can I do?" I don't like when people feel they have no choice.
There are on occasion organized boycotts of certain stores/products to try to change their policies and I try to participate in them
http://www.afa.net (well my family does I have no money so I guess I'm boycotting everyone
). Take heart some boycotts have worked too
.
Is there such a thing as an unbiased journalism outlet? Nope. Everyone has their own particular leaning.
I've said it before too, but, I don't look for unbiased news sources. They don't exist because people cannot be unbiased. People that even claim it turn me off. I look for CHRISTIAN reporting. In other words views expressed from people biased for Christ
