Wake-up Walmart

I've been noticing the ad campaign on television directed against Wal-mart. Now, you have only to scroll down a couple of entries to see that I'm not necessarily enchanted with Walmart stores myself, especially one in particular. However, in these times of rising prices, I tend to go where the bargains are. And Walmart is such a giant that they can afford to undersell other stores... which of course is why so many mom-and-pop stores are shutting down.

I do make an effort, these days, to shop my local grocery stores more... the ones in the small towns around here. I'm of a mind to try and make a still greater effort. Maybe that will be my new year's resolution. I was influenced to do this by guy, over at "Astoria Oregon Rust". He's also the one who talked me into buying a reusable water bottle so I'd stop buying those disposable bottles of water that are taking over our landfills. On that one, I've been true-blue all the way; I haven't bought a bottle of water in months. It's an easy change to make, and I urge my readers to follow suit on this one. I call it "the power of the blog", when one person writes something that manages to influence at least one other person to make a positive change.

But back to the anti-Walmart ads: I'd like to know where you plan to shop for clothes if not Walmart? Folks, I worked at a Kohl's distribution center for almost five years. It was a rare event to see anything made in America come through there. I'm sure you could say the same for any other retailer in the country.

I wear Wrangler blue jeans often. I read where they're now made in Mexico. I also have some Levis, and Lee jeans. Levi closed their last US factory in 2003; Lees are now made in Costa Rica, I believe.

So give the devil his due. Walmart has surely caused problems for our economy, but they aren't alone in this. Virtually all name-brand clothes and shoes are made in other countries.

And I don't have a clue what to do about it, except to at least try to buy some of my groceries at my home-town supermarket. I do know I can't afford to pay twice the price just to buy American-made products.

I linked to my Walmart rave on a message board, and one fellow made this comment: "I give Walmart five years and then they be so big they will self destruct from within. Back in the twenties Armor meats were big and then they started losing thousands a day and couldn't stop it they died with none or very little money." AL

We shall see.