November 19, 2013 by David K. Sutton
America Needs To Break The ‘Walmart Mentality’
The “Walmart Mentality” could otherwise be referred to as “Supercapitalism,” also the name of a book by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. It’s the idea that unrestrained capitalism leads to corruption, not only of the market economy, but also democracy. The “Walmart Mentality” is that a few people get filthy rich by squeezing the system as much as they can without breaking it. But the problem, as is always the problem with greed, is that there is never enough, so eventually something is going to break. But the few people benefiting from this scenario are usually old, and they have build up such massive wealth, they can insulate themselves from the fallout for the rest of their lives.
The rest are suckers.
If you want to see another business endeavor that operates this way, just watch the movie Goodfellas. — “Fuck you, pay me.”
It turns out the Walmart Mentality also leads to situations like this:
Wal-Mart Asks Workers To Donate Food – Business Insider — A Cleveland Wal-Mart store is holding a food drive — for its own employees.
“Please donate food items so associates in need can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner,” reads a sign accompanied by several plastic bins.The Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported on the food drive, which has sparked outrage in the area.
“That Wal-Mart would have the audacity to ask low-wage workers to donate food to other low-wage workers — to me, it is a moral outrage,” Norma Mills, a customer at the store, told the Plain Dealer.
I know some ethically and morally challenged conservatives will probably defend Walmart, saying a good thing is being twisted into a bad thing by the liberal media. And I can understand the idea that a family could face a hardship not directly related to a Walmart employee’s pay level, but that’s the problem. If Walmart paid their employees a living wage, with full health benefits, then a food drive like this would not be seen as a slap in the face, it would be seen as a good deed. But we know a full-time Walmart employee could face hardship for no other reason than being paid a substandard wage, and that’s the reason Walmart deserves this negative media attention.
Walmart is one of the most successful businesses on the planet. They receive huge local tax incentives to build their stores. Once those stores are built, combined they make billions in profits on food stamp purchases alone. And some of those food stamp purchases are by Walmart employees. So that means tax dollars are subsidizing Walmart’s low wages.
The Walmart Mentality is a disposition of disregard for the average person, the environment, and the people who make Walmart possible, the employees and the consumer. After all, Walmart employees and consumers are also citizens, and I’d like to think most citizens are against subsidizing the wealth of the few on the backs of the many.
When you hear about the sluggish economy, do not fall into the trap of thinking this applies to wealthy executives and their highly profitable companies. The stock market is hitting new all-time highs, the richest people in this country have never had it better, and America’s wealthiest corporations are seeing record profits. Meanwhile, the average American is facing stagnant wages and lack of opportunity. The economy is doing really well for a select few. The Dow Jones Industrial Average isn’t flirting with 16,000 because executives, shareholders and corporations are struggling. So you have to ask yourself, why do we accept this? Where did Occupy Wall Street go? Is there going to be another protest movement that rises up? And finally, why do people keep voting for a trickle-down status quo by voting for Republicans? (or weak-kneed ‘fiscal conservative’ Democrats?)
