Christopher Rovira
SSS100.1907
Professor Steve Lang
5/27/09
Wal-Martization of America
People used to say, “What is good for General Motors is good for America.”
Today people should be saying what is true for General Motors is true for America. As
General Motors continues to downfall because of the bad economic state, America is
also in a time of trouble. Wal-Mart, on the flip side, is booming around the world and
taking the globe by storm. As General Motors stock continues to plummet, Wal-Mart’s
stock is soaring high. To say what is good for Wal-Mart is good for America would be
completely false. What is good for Wal-Mart is good for Wal-Mart; it has very little
positive impact on us. Products for Wal-Mart are manufactured cheaply in China, so
any manufacturers here make no money off of that. Also, office work and computer
programming for Wal-Mart has been offshored to India, so that is of no help to
Americans either. Additionally, Wal-Martization has put many small businesses out of
business because of their low costs; costs so low because they have so much cheap
labor that they can afford to charge cheaper. Wal-Mart only hurts America as a whole,
even though its customers would say otherwise.
Wal-Martization is the process of Wal-Mart taking what were once middle-class
jobs and turning them into low-class jobs. Many businesses have shut down due to the
high cost of their products and higher pay to their wage workers. Wal-Mart pays their
workers much lower than the average worker in the same field. The impact of Wal-Mart
on the U.S. economy is very negative. Manufacturing and computer programming jobs
have already been offshored. The only jobs that could remain in America are the sales
clerks. These jobs are too low paying to support any family.
Consumers might believe that they are getting good deals but it is really hurting
America by buying from these stores. Even though most Americans know this, they
aren’t going to start buying stuff elsewhere for more expensive. In America it’s all
about saving money for yourself. The low prices of products do make it affordable for
most families who cannot buy the products elsewhere. Wal-Mart has a negative impact
on workers, because if you choose to work there, you will not be making money. Sure,
it might be great for high school or college students, but if you have a family to support
it will be of no help. Why would workers who were put out of business by Wal-Mart
choose to work for less money? It wouldn’t make sense for anyone to do that. Also,
Wal-Mart gives its workers little to no health insurance. So if you’re a worker of WalMart and you get hurt, they are basically telling you too bad, pay for it yourself.
Wal-Mart has a huge negative effect on both small businesses and communities.
Wal-Mart superstores offer everything, from groceries, to tools, to electronics and
appliances. With their affordable cost most small businesses had to lower their prices
to compete with them. By lowering their prices they lowered their profit. Not being able
to maintain their business with such low prices, they must close down. The effect on
communities also leads to a negative impact. Wal-Mart has damaged villages with
storied histories, such as the Mexican city of San Juan Teotihuacán. It has put many
small markets there out of business and it has damaged the landscape. The store is
only a couple of miles from the ruins of the Aztecs. Imagine if they put a Wal-Mart in
New York City. It would destroy the many small businesses around the area, which are
many. This would many force many NYC residents into poverty, as it is already relatively
expensive to live here. In the end Wal-Mart would only bring doom to small businesses
and communities.
The Wal-Martization of America can only bring trouble to our future. With the
high paying jobs being offshored to other countries like China and India, there are
fewer opportunities to make a buck working here. Also, lower prices in stores seek to
drive out small businesses and send their owners into poverty. Workers get low pay and
no benefits, creating dangerous conditions in the event someone gets seriously hurt.
The damage to communities is also great, ruining the heritage of some place, and
completely freezing a city’s economy in another. The Wal-Martization of America will
only result in demise for our economy.