Aren't most Wally Worlds in red states?

http://www.businessinsider.com/state-eco…

This list of economic strength of states, you have to get to #38 before you get to a blue state, Illinois. I can't help people in red states if they choose to vote against their own economic self interest, but what saddens me, I don't think they fund their education (we're guilty as well, but people here at least seem to pay lip service to it) enough so that the electorate can inform themselves.

The meaning I make out of this is that regular people in Red States DON'T HAVE ANY FUCKING MONEY, a problem that is set to get worse because of the slow-mo global financial crash that is currently currently underway. Why? Because we didn't clean up the financial industry last time and it's still as corrupt and predatory as hell.

Walmart's business model destroys the economic vitality of a community, turning it into a low wage, public assistance needing population, and then closes its doors when there is simply no further cash to be had out of the locale. It lobbies for low to no local taxes, so the local infrastructure deteriorates as their trucks wear down the roads, bridges, and water systems with no tax money coming to repair or replace. Walmart depletes communities until even the customer base no longer has the spending capabilities to support it as an ongoing concern in the community because the few people who still have good jobs as time goes on, aren't enough for a healthy economic environment.

Walmart simply pulls up stakes and moves on after they determine that by staying any longer, they would have to invest in the community to make it viable again.

This is how much they value the suckers that allowed them to ride roughshod all over them for years. Which is to say, deservedly, not at all.

Low-income households are getting squeezed so hard that they can't afford to buy as much low-end merchandise as they used to. Walmart has succeeded in its goal of destroying the wage floor in this country, but oops, now its customer base can't afford to shop there! And middle-income shoppers who, during the recession, got into the habit of dipping into the low-end stores to be more frugal, are tired of putting up with Walmart's shitty retail experience when they can find comparably low prices at less-unpleasant stores like Target, or online.

Meanwhile, Southerners will keep waving those Dixie flags because freedom, and make America great again! Honestly I'm kind of conflicted when I hear self-inflicted bad news about the economy in the south. Southerners seem to be happy with the caste system because they keep voting to maintain it. It's as if it would damage their pride to even imagine the possibility of something better. Let 'em keep their shitty economy. On the other hand, the reason why white working class southern voters are satisfied with their caste system is because, as low as they are in the hierarchy, the system ensures that minorities stay even lower. And our global economy is in a race to the bottom, so the faster the south rushes towards that sinkhole, the faster the rest of the country will follow.

Kudos to you @4, you're 100% correct. They are hometown-wreckers.

What a lazy article. There is so much to write about on this theme. What about the Main Streets these monstrosities destroyed, and the low wage jobs that taxpayers subsidized -- jobs that replaced middle income manufacturing jobs that were outsourced to China by Walmart? What will become of small town America and the poor families that depended on these jobs -- even if the sucked? Surely there is more to the story than eluding to the failure of Republican policies.

@8. It's a five-sentence blog post, quite clearly making a very narrow point. Why would you expect it to go into depth about any of the points you want? Does every thing written on ear need to discuss its topic exhaustively? If you're so inclined, I'm sure there are dozens of treatises on the economics of Wal-Mart you can read.

Charles, we appreciate your disclaimer for once that you're tossing out contorted observations based on events and stereotypes just to see if it will stick.

@10 Your actual rebuttal to the post is coming soon, I trust.

@4 great analysis.

Reminds me of the aliens from Independence Day.

Walmart is still planning to open over 150 new stores, including some Sam' Clubs in the U.S. plus about 200 outside the U.S. As to the Republican party representing only white men that is completely false and untrue. The republicans represent those with power and money; when it comes to money they don't care what your color or gender is. Subordinate men, regardless of color are simply tossed to the side. The Democrat party is exactly the same in this respect. The same could also be said of the general media.

@13, I'm sure that the fact that the vast majority of people with lots of money--which is power, in this world--are white men is just some statistical fluke, right?

Not a fluke-it's true. But they represent a very small group. Most men are not rich and powerful; neither party pays any particular attention to them.

It does exist. What I meant was they don't care about race or gender when it comes to money. Money (power) is their god; if you have a lot of it you are welcome. Mr. Mudede says that the Republican party only represents white men. In this country most of the money is held by white men but they are actually very few in number when compared to all of the white men in this country. If you just an ordinary non wealth white man they will just push you aside. The same hold true for the Democrat party and I would presume for the Socialist Alternative party as well. I think that if you look closely the homeless population has a huge amount of white men in their ranks.
Mr. Mudede also says that the Democrats represent white men along with everybody else; simply not so.

Ok, I can't watch the game anymore as I've bitten all my nails to the flesh.

There's no Walmart in Detroit city. Plenty outside the DMZ. The only Walmart in Baltimore city is on the closure list. I use Costco in Seattle and am guilty of shopping at Walmart for deals while living in the South. In Seattle, there are choices, but is Kmart or Target any better?

As a resident of a very blue city in a very blue state about to lose a Wal-Mart (Long Beach, CA), I am baffled by this narrative you're trying to weave. Is there some cause/effect relationship between the local politics and the decision to close a Wal-Mart?

If one were to visit the Walmart in Renton, one would discover that the vast majority of people shopping there are people of color. Two questions for anyone here: (1) what argument(s) would you use to try to persuade them to stop shopping at Walmart and (2) what kind of a reaction do you think you'd get?

@20, I've visited the Supermall Walmart numerous times, and I've never seen it dominated by PoC. At 29.9% of our population (US Census numbers), PoC would have to be shopping at Walmart at a rate 2.35 times greater than the "White only" (US Census label) population. Those numbers are significant enough that nobody should be taking your assertion as valid without quite a bit of additional proof.

libertine, by Supermall, do you mean the one in Auburn? If so, that's a different Walmart (Renton <> Auburn) and I wouldn't expect the shoppers there to be predominantly people of color.

@22, having lived in Tukwila, SeaTac, Renton, and Auburn, this claim of one having a significantly higher instance of PoC shoppers, well, borders on flat out racism.

libertine, I will say that two things seem quite clear: (1) you've never been to the Renton Walmart and (2) you're the kind of person who just loves hurling accusations of "racism!" or "racist!"

Laughably wrong on both accounts. But hey, continue to explain how I am wrong using subjective, fallacious points of view and ad hominem attacks. I assure you, it is making your argument look golden.