So, Mr Obama is taking Walmart execs to India to get Walmart expansion in India

[Billy Burnett]

Heard Thom Hartmann discussing this yesterday.

Obama aims to deepen US economic ties with India. But what about Wal-Mart?
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/1105/Obama-aims-to-deepen-US-economic-ties-with-India.-But-what-about-Wal-Mart

“When Wal-Mart comes in, if the same growth rate which they achieved in the US is successful in India you would see a impact on more than 20 million people,” says Vinod Shetty, head of FDI Watch, a campaign to keep multibrand retailers out of India.

Many of these small-time shopkeepers are the ones who saved their money to send the young generation of Indians to college. “The success story of India is financed by these very people,” says Mr. Shetty.

India has some 12 million shops and has the highest retail density in the world. Most are small shops, crammed floor to ceiling with goods; supermarkets largely do not exist. Retail is the second-largest employer in India, after agriculture.

India has a super successful retail outlet law - a maximum of two outlets per family/corporation. This promotes employment, diversity, fair competition, and prevents giant monopoly chains from burying small mom and pop businesses.

This regulation has served India very well for over 75 years

That is why Walmart has only 2 stores in India right now.

So, Mr Obama is going to India to f-ing help Walmart explode the Indian economy like ours has been gutted by mega retailers like Walmart.

Indian retailers don't want this.

I am wondering and worrying - what will Mr Obama's trade delegation trade away to convince India's gov't to explode their retail sector. It is going to have to be a VERY lucrative deal.


:wtf: :argh:

[jpak]

1. It's his secret evil plan to destroy India's economy and ship jobs back to the States

:D

[Billy Burnett]

2. Walmart sells almost nothing made in the USA.

:argh:

[jpak]

3. But it destroyed small town Main Street all over

yup

[Billy Burnett]

5. Obama is selling trickle down/ supply side/ neo-liberal/ Milton Friedman economics.

Simply selling the idea of blood sucking leeches running (and then ruining) an economy.


Here's an Indian anti Walmart campaign poster ...

[jpak]

10. Obama = Bush!!111

:rofl:

[SunsetDreams]

17. No he's not, I will help you out, with this new RW talking point

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x511691

[SunsetDreams]

16. The Real Reason The Right Is Slamming Obama's India Trip

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x511691

[xchrom]

4. there's just no reason good enough to help wal-mart. nt

[fascisthunter]

6. Ravi Batra and Thom Hartmann spoke about this

Indians do not like Walmart or their business practices, because they take business away from small businesses around the country leading to unemployment.

[Billy Burnett]

11. What will Mr Obama's delegation trade for Walmart's full expansion into India?

:scared:

[treestar]

22. Wonder why we can't have a law like theirs?

That no one person can own more than a number of franchises?

Obviously the big corps would argue it unconstitutional but I wonder if it is.

[Little Star]

7. I hope India just says no to Walmart.

[Phx_Dem]

8. That's President Obama to you.

:puke:

[Better Today]

9. Geez, what I wouldn't do to see that maximum per family/entity/corp

regulation here. Perhaps not limiting to only 2 but perhaps some other number like 10 and/or so many per region or state. Why don't we have that to fend off Walmarts of the world? I've seen people complain and fret because there is nothing we can do, but apparently if states or localities chose to, India has a way that has limited Walmart and the like.

[treestar]

12. India has a huge population - if they become consumers

it expands the market. That helps us. I don't think there is much moral standing in claiming we are the only ones who should have middle class prosperity just because we are Americans and were the first. Make them into a middle class market and they compete for jobs with us on more even ground. Leave them a third world country and they work for a fraction of what we work for and get all the jobs.

It is a really good sign that they are becoming consumers, let's not shoot ourselves in the foot over it.

[blm]

14. The WalMartization of this country is a big part of why the middle class here is gone or struggling

to stay middle class.

The global fascists who put together the WalMart - China deals in the late 70s knew exactly what would happen. Thanks alot to Poppy Bush, Prescott Bush, and Jackson Stephens.

[treestar]

21. Where will they go for cheaper labor if India can buy the stuff?

That's a billion consumers.

You need a market before you can sell things. People with enough money to buy what you are selling.

If they are becoming consumers, that's the end of outsourcing. Their wages are going up.

[ClarkUSA]

13. Oh please. India forbids multibrand foreign retailers like Ikea and Wal-Mart now.

From your OP source:

"Companies like Harley-Davidson and Hewlett-Packard can open stores here, but multibrand foreign retailers like Wal-Mart or Ikea are forbidden."

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/1105/Obama-aims-to-deepen-US-economic-ties-with-India.-But-what-about-Wal-Mart

If India's government changes its mind, then that's their prerogative, but there's not one hint that's about to happen. This type of speculation is simply fearmongering.

[ampad]

18. Here let me go ahead and finish that for you

From the same article that the OP posted. This is the paragraph giving the reason why.

When Wal-Mart comes in, if the same growth rate which they achieved in the US is successful in India you would see a impact on more than 20 million people,” says Vinod Shetty, head of FDI Watch, a campaign to keep multibrand retailers out of India.

Many of these small-time shopkeepers are the ones who saved their money to send the young generation of Indians to college. “The success story of India is financed by these very people,” says Mr. Shetty.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/1105/Obama-aims-to-deepen-US-economic-ties-with-India.-But-what-about-Wal-Mart


I guess this is negative meme for today. Some of you really suck at it though.

[ClarkUSA]

20. That's fearmongering speculation by a partisan. There are no facts to support Shetty's concerns.

Here's a fact:

"Obama announces trade deals with India worth billions."

MUMBAI, India — President Barack Obama announced a host of new trade deals with India supporting tens of thousands of U.S. jobs Saturday as he began a 10-day trip through Asia on a determinedly domestic note.

Intent on demonstrating his attention to the sluggish U.S. economy even while overseas, Obama also told a meeting of U.S. and Indian executives that the U.S. would relax some export regulations that have complicated trade between America and this fast-growing country of 1.2 billion people... To that end he said the U.S. would put forward a package of reforms on export controls that resulted from past administrations' concerns about India's nuclear industry. The changes, which have been much sought-after in the business community, include relaxing controls on India's purchase of so-called "dual use" technologies that could be used for civilian or military purposes, and removing a few of the last remaining Indian companies on a so-called "entities list" of groups that face restrictions on doing business in the U.S.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40039589/ns/politics

Notice there's no mention of Wal-Mart. I guess this is the negative meme for today by the Perpetually Outraged. But as usual, there's no there there.

[ampad]

15. Unrec for BS title

And because OP either did not read the entire article or counted on many here to not read it.

[golfguru]

19. Watch this youtube video about India

to get some real perspective on where India is headed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjB_Tf7Cy3A&feature=related

[ClarkUSA]

23. "The real reason the Right are making up lies about India. 53,670 U.S. jobs. $10 billion order"

"This is what the trip is delivering.

SpiceJet an Indian airline will purchase 33 737s from Boeing
The Indian military is confirming a deal to purchase Aircraft engines from General Electric
The Indian Air Force is looking to buy 10 C17s from Boeing.

That $10 billion package of orders will deliver 53,670 jobs to America.

53,670 people will be in work in the US as a result of this."

Source: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x511691

Thank you, President Obama!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. i really hope india stands up against walmarts/ikea and protects its citizens

and their wealth

its what they should be doing. its what we should be doing for ours as well

[Vinca]

25. The Chinese must be happy to have Obama doing their trade work for them.

More Walmarts in India means more cheap crap from China being sold. The only Americans this helps is the Walton family.