Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Wal-mart: Good for America?

wilbjammin · 11-17-2004, 04:45 PM

I enjoyed the show, I've been discussing globalization in my Civics class and I brought this in today.

I think Wal-Mart's domination of manufactures through their "pull" tactics of knowing just how much it costs manufacturers to make their goods has done a lot of damage to the manufacturing base of the United States by forcing many corporations to leave the US and start-up factories in China. Wal-Mart is a huge reason that our trade deficit has exploded with China, it is causing people to lose high paying jobs, and it has created huge downward pressures on wages and benefits in our country.

In spite of that, I think Wal-Mart is the result of a structural global problem that has been endorsed and enforced by the WTO. If it wasn't Wal-Mart, it would have been someone else. Unless there is something done structurally, the exodus of manufacturing jobs to other countries with lower wage standards and worker rights will continue. I personally think that the goal of being self-sufficient is one that we should once again work towards, but not in an isolationist scope. There are ways to work out these issues in the world without a race to the bottom, and I find it very frustrating that there is no will from those with the power to change things to do so.

I'd suggest that you view "Life + Debt" that discusses how globalism has affected Jamaica as a case study to see how this global system has created real barriers towards self-sufficiency in "3rd world" countries that have been forced into borrowing from the IMF and World Bank.

11-17-2004, 04:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
wilbjammin * * *	I enjoyed the show, I've been discussing globalization in my Civics class and I brought this in today. I think Wal-Mart's domination of manufactures through their "pull" tactics of knowing just how much it costs manufacturers to make their goods has done a lot of damage to the manufacturing base of the United States by forcing many corporations to leave the US and start-up factories in China. Wal-Mart is a huge reason that our trade deficit has exploded with China, it is causing people to lose high paying jobs, and it has created huge downward pressures on wages and benefits in our country. In spite of that, I think Wal-Mart is the result of a structural global problem that has been endorsed and enforced by the WTO. If it wasn't Wal-Mart, it would have been someone else. Unless there is something done structurally, the exodus of manufacturing jobs to other countries with lower wage standards and worker rights will continue. I personally think that the goal of being self-sufficient is one that we should once again work towards, but not in an isolationist scope. There are ways to work out these issues in the world without a race to the bottom, and I find it very frustrating that there is no will from those with the power to change things to do so. I'd suggest that you view "Life + Debt" that discusses how globalism has affected Jamaica as a case study to see how this global system has created real barriers towards self-sufficiency in "3rd world" countries that have been forced into borrowing from the IMF and World Bank. __________________ Innominate.