The AnalPhilosopher has offered up a multitude of meaty posts recently. This one, however, most caught my eye.
I don't understand liberal antipathy to Wal-Mart.
Oh, Keith! Where to begin?! Speaking of multitudes, such a rich mother lode of reasons why the left is filled with loathing for this corporation.
- They're ugly
Liberals like cute, quirky, natural stone and wood, lush color and lush landscaping. Wal-Mart is big box, spare, relatively bare of vegetation and they're all virtually the same. Of course, this saves shoppers precious dollars, but liberals don't go there in the consumer world. (I should add that I, too, love cute & quirky and natural and lush in contrast to square and ugly. But, when finances are tight and dollars are precious, it's nice to have the option to be able to purchase bare bones necessities for less.)
- They don't pay "living wages"
On the average salary of a Wal-Mart worker, you can't shop at Whole Foods, afford opera tickets and spend a week hiking at Machu Picchu. Trying to scrap by on what entry level wages are is worse. Liberals never seem to wish to address the fact that no one has ever forcibly been made to become a Wal-Mart employee. Which leads us to our next point....
- Wal-Mart is not unionized
Gee, Keith. Their workers must be getting screwed then, no?
- They sell polyester clothing
Need I say more?
- They put other companies out of business
The left dislikes the peaks and valleys of the free market. Never mind that a small business owner may have a poor mind for the market and not enough creativity to stay the course in the face of competition. Never mind that loads of consumers want to shop in an ugly, bare bones environment where they can save dollars. Liberals view mom and pop stores like the spotted winkey toad owl (yes, I did make that up). Must be protected at all costs, irrespective of what may flow from the "all costs."
- They're big and successful
If you wish to be hated by the left, commit these two cardinal sins. The left has basic tenets of their religion, and one of these is: if you're huge and successful, then you must be screwing lots of people. Look at the comment on your post. Mindy assumes that because someone has years of schooling in economics, that they value money over morality and relationships! I see no earthly reason why Mindy should believe this ... but, believe it she does. If Wal-Mart were .01% of the size that it is (maybe smaller would be required) or if it struggled, liberals would have warmer and fuzzier feelings toward it.
I actually could go on and on about this phenomenon - and actually do plan to do so. (I've been reading "Nickel and Dimed", which has a wealth of data about the "Left Hates Success" concept.)
For now, however, I hope that the above answers some of your questions, Keith.
Remember when Sally Field accepted her Oscar and earnestly gushed, "You like me; you really like me!" Keith: they really do hate Wal-Mart.
Comments