"Is WAL MART Good for America?" Great FRONTLINE documentary Online

[NNguyenMD]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/view/

They mainly focus on the elimination of manufacturing jobs b/c of WALMART's aggressive cost cutting, and tight relationship with China. Not so much so on the local effects WALMART has on small businesses and mom and pop stores. Anyways, has anyone here heard of a WALMART that's closed up shop and gone out of business? I haven't.

My favorite statistic was from the communication's director of Long Beach Harbor, "30 Billion dollars worth of manufactered goods come from China...3 Billion dollars worth of raw material we send over there. We send leather hide, they send sneakers, we send scrap metal, they send machinery." Yup, we are a third world country.

Anybody here think that the service economy is big enough to replace all of the lost manufacturing jobs? I continue to grow discouraged with the economy of the 21st century.

[Maple]

1. Service jobs

and knowledge jobs are the 21st century. Manufacturing is over.

Doctors and lawyers are services ya know, as are many other things.

Why Americans associate it with burger flipping, I don't know

[lapfog_1]

2. I thought that burger flipping was a MANUFACTURING job...

at least according to the administration during the election.

[NNguyenMD]

3. Yeah I know, hard to imagine how gone manufacturing is

But I suppose the service sector is big enough for everyone, though Tech support, transportation, retail, consulting, education and health care delivery hardly seem like the jobs of the future. Maybe it'll turn around who knows.

[China_cat]

9. Because doctor and lawyers

are classed as 'professionals'. Service workers are the maids, orderlies and receptionists.

If it wears a suit and tie to work, it ain't service.

[msgadget]

4. That was REALLY depressing.

I knew it already, but seeing and hearing it was just... I really wish you hadn't. N.

The service industry may include the professions AND the burger flippers but it also includes customer service, which - imo - has been cut to the bone if my experience is any indication. We have to complain MIGHTILY about the quality of it if we're to save this sector from further cuts.

How many buttons do you have to push and how long do you have to wait before you get a human being on the phone? And, once you get that human being, how much power do they have to actually give you assistance? When you go into a store, can you get assistance? I've been striking out for a couple years - how 'bout the rest of you? One way to save these jobs and to stop being victims instead of powerful consumers is to complain LOUDLY about the skimpy service we receive for our dollars.

Still, even this isn't enough to replace manuafacturing job losses. Tech has gone overseas, small business is being squashed by mega-corps...what is left?

[NNguyenMD]

5. I hear the fast food giants want to centralized drive thru window orderers

YES THE DRIVE THRU WINDOW ORDERS to centralized off site locations as far as hundreds of miles away, to cut costs of labor. Apparently its cheaper for Mickey D's and Burger King to take your order in some obscure building with a room full of operators in another state away, than it is for them to pay the kid at the window to sit there and take your order. Again, I grow discouraged...

[msgadget]

6. What's ironic is,

thanks to MTV, a lot of young people scoff at fast-food jobs. Can you imagine a day when they yearn for them instead?

I still think we can survive this and flourish again if we, as activists, push for FAIR trade. We can affect change if we stop relying on politicians and instead earn influence (capital) to force them to vote OUR consciences for a change. I absolutely have to believe this is possible. Else...what is there?

[NNguyenMD]

7. yeah I agree, well you made a good point in that as consumers we have to

feel empowered that we can influence and change the corporate system to model our demands. Though I'm sure sectors of the economy will be more responsive than others, it is worth a try. I might start with telling my buddy to stop shopping at Walmart, and to try shopping at Costco or the local store, instead of buying Starbucks try Green Mountain, or organic produce/foods instead of those from the Kraft's and agribusiness behemeths.

If all of us could convince one or two friends to stop shopping at Walmart, Home Depot, or Best Buy for the month, or to make their next computer purchase a Mac instead of a PC, could you imagine what kind of havoc we'd cause? Or as you said, really make noise to the managerial level when they encounter crappy customer services. This is probably more of the 4am insomnia talking here, but as long as we act in concert and make the appropiate amount of noise I think there are some barriers that can be brought down. You've really given me alot to think about, thanks msgadget.

[msgadget]

8. Likewise, N!

It's always in the back of my mind even though I'm the only person in my neighborhood boycotting WalMart! Still, I try every day and remind everyone of the small businesses we used to frequent and I write more letters to complain (or commend) than I've ever in my life.

Insomnia, not always a bad thing. :)