What I Have Against Wal-Mart

Originally Posted 1/3/08

A lot of people have asked me about this, so here it is-the ugly story about why I call Wal-Mart "the evil store".
My stance on Wal-Mart has a lot to do with our trade with China. Over 90% of Wal-Mart's products come from China. I realize this is the case in other stores as well. However, being the world's largest retailer means they have the biggest influence on the problem.
First of all, I find it the height of hypocrisy that we refuse to trade with Cuba (a communist nation), yet we currently run a $200 million dollar trade deficit with China (also a communist nation). Why? Because China has more money. During the Clinton administration, China was granted "most favored nation" status. Have we all lost our minds?!? Is it any wonder that other nations look at us with disdain when our government can obviously be bought.
Secondly, many of these "made in China" products are made by prison labor. Guess what you can get locked up for in China? Converting people to Christianity. Guess who's making the "made in China" products? Christians in Chinese prisons. Being a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles, we ought to boycott their products for that reason alone.
Thirdly, their use of RFID (radio frequency identification device) technology. Wal-Mart is at the forefront of replacing the UPC code with a new EPC code. This new code would create a unique code for each item sold. RFIDs can be read remotely-this is the same technology used in PikePass, for example. This means that tracking of items doesn't stop at the store shelves. I'm talking about tracking everything, everywhere. You buy a pair of shoes at Wal-Mart, and they could potentially track where those shoes go. I can't express the amount of privacy invasion this could create.
Here's something else-has anyone considered the loss of American jobs in this situation? Here's how it works-you go & buy a lot of goods at Wal-Mart, because they have the best prices. This enables Wal-Mart to make a profit. They buy more things from China, because it is cheap and they can make a bigger profit. The factory in the USA where these things used to be made shuts down, and you lose your job. But guess who's hiring, because they're making a profit? That's right-Wal-Mart! So you go to work for Wal-Mart, and the whole cycle repeats itself.
Is anyone listening? Does anyone get it? They are selling us out! Was anyone paying attention when the Congress passed these trade laws? Does anyone care that a socialist nation has our economy in a stranglehold? Has anyone noticed that the dollar is falling steadily in value? No, because all we cared about was saving a few bucks.