General Music Chat

No one complains much about the fact that Walmarts low pricing has caused others to significantly lower their prices in order to compete, and by that consumers benefit whether they shop at Walmart or not. I just bought a new washer from a mom and pop store. Perhaps I could have made a better deal, but I didn't ask for one, and I am sure I could have made out better purchasing from a chain store.
I enjoy the fact that Sears, Target, Shopco, and the other chains have Walmart to help hold down the prices of the things that I need.

After this regime gos through my wallet there isn't much left to buy anything that isn't sold at bargain prices. And it isn't getting better. Every dollar they are printing has unlawfully taxed my savings along with every dollar I have earned.

Walmart is the "King" of "Getr done fer next to nothing". To sell a product line, the WM business analysts tell you what your margin of cost will need to be, in order to stock their shelves with your product. As a result, vendors have sacrificed enormous quality to meet those "standards" of cost. There are even a boatload testimonials by small vendors, who had to "re-invent " their own products to meet the WM criteria of low costs.

Now, when Sears gets wind that Walmart can sell a washing machine at a fraction of what Sears charges, naturally, Sears is inclined to adopt the same cost-margin strategy that Walmart uses. To execute that strategy successfully, now Sears has to drop its quality. Its the same story for all the retailers... In fact, read about "The man who said no to Walmart: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/102 ... apper.html.
He is an example of preserving product quality at reasonable cost, and manages to offer a reasonable price. He basically told Walmart to take a hike.

So, Slacker, when yo say that Walmart holds down the prices of things that you need, I can say with certainty that they also hold down the quality (and in many cases, the longevity) of your purchased products.

If you got anything from my original post , you probably noticed the math of replacing the coffee pots.

Code: Select all9 * 3 == 27 bucks a year to make a simple coffee (maximum bulk of 4 cups)
27 * 6years  = 162.00 bucks on a 4-cup simple coffee unit

-OR-

Code: Select all150 * 1 , = 150 Bucks on a 12 cup , cappuccino, latte, chai-tea spewing unit that will last about ten years.

To bring that 150.00 down to say 50 dollars for the same features, something has to give. The number one sacrifice is quality of workmanship, parts materials , or both.

Did I make you mad, Glen (one N)? I'm just havin' fun at YOUR expense. It's funny!

Hey, Glen (one N), in this internet age, I just have a simple suggestion for you.. Tweet others as you would want others to Tweet you.

The government and the unions drove business over seas. i drink a pot of coffee a day. I have a coffee maker that I purchased at Walmart for about $20. Had it for a year and it is still going strong. The previous Walmart coffee pot lasted about 4 years and it was only about $17.00. Your fuzzy math is either greatly exaggerated, or you have made poor choices in your Walmart brands.

I also have a couple of Big screen TV's that I purchased at Walmart, at about a $200.00 savings each. No problems. I don't believe a computer has been made that hasn't used Chinese Boards and cards. Even the biggest brand after market boards are made in China. The fault lies in the quality control in a lot of the cheaper Chinese merchandise.

How about guitars? The little yeller fellers were putting out guitars that put many American made guitars to shame for quite some time. The joints were nearly invisible, the neck action was to die for, and even some pickups were pretty good, although I always change mine to custom made pickups, (But I also do that with all my Fenders and Gibson guitars) and the finishes and craftsmanship were second to none. And the matching of the matching of the figured top patterns and the finish were far better than on most American brands. And it is still that way with a lot of brand name guitars. I have had more great playing guitars come through the shop that were foreign made than American made for years. Both Gibson and Fender went through crappy workmanship years while the yeller fellers were putting out great lines at bargain prices. And no, they didn't use slanty eyed wood. The figured tops are still as good or better matched than a lot of off the shelf American guitars. I seldom find a musician that didn't wish he had kept a foreign made guitar he previously owned at one time. And a lot of them wax nostalgic about how good it was. I wish I still had several that passed through my hands at one time or another. I bought Gibson Custom Shop guitars and was very disappointed in the quality. I paid the highest price of any guitars for them, and they were crap. But then, that was my own personal experience with Gibson Custom Shop quality.

You can purchase a good many Chinese, Taiwan, or Korean products that are well worth the price. They hold up and can stand side by side with the same products made anywhere. You just don't buy the cheapest product offered, foreign or American made.

My FX boxes sound great. They hold up great. None were made in the USA. How about those crappy foreign made cameras selling for big bucks? And even the cheaper ones work like a charm. Like some Canons, Minoltas, or Nikons kick butt. And before cell phones had cameras they cost an arm and a leg. Now you can get them really cheap, and they still have great quality control. I can't think of many big brand electronic products that have a high recall, yet none of them are made here. Designed here, yes. Quality control standards set here, yes.

It is a different world today. Perhaps not always for the better, but different indeed. You can't wish it away and you can't make it go away.... get over it. At American labor pricing, and with outrageous government regulations and taxing of companies you couldn't own a pittance of what you could afford if it were all made in America. Organized labor drove the company I worked for out of America. High axes and oppressive government regulations drove many companies and jobs away. And this regime is doing it as no other has before. Blame those fat sit on their asses high life style living bastards that we elected to serve us for most of our problems. They are nothing but little Napoleon type traitors to both this country and to the people who elected them.

Your transportation, appliances, or much of anything else you own is not all American made. The"only buy American" crowd complains, but they sure own a lot of toys not made in America. Dump all your not made in America stuff, then get on your soapbox. Go buy an American government owned and manufactured car. They need the business, no one wants their over priced crappy "environmentally challenged" products. Get real.

Walmart is in business because most people can not afford those made in American only products that also break down. You don't like foreign made products? Then don't purchase any of them. The world isn't going to go backwards to please you. The American labor movement has made sure that most Americans do as little as possible for the highest pay. Both in the private sector and in the public service sector.

Rant on, but I have been around long enough to remember a lot of American products that sucked.

The American labor movement has made sure that most Americans do as little as possible for the highest pay.

therein lies the culprit of all our woes....







We need to make government employee unions a thing of the past to save the country, and we need to make unions illegal to save our economy, but we're so screwed up that it would take a long time even after they are gone.

The government and the unions drove business over seas. i drink a pot of coffee a day. I have a coffee maker that I purchased at Walmart for about $20. Had it for a year and it is still going strong. The previous Walmart coffee pot lasted about 4 years and it was only about $17.00. Your fuzzy math is either greatly exaggerated, or you have made poor choices in your Walmart brands.

One of the first things to go for guys your age is mental agility.... Now, your whole post is about China production... My post was about Walmart Cost requirements... Take it slow. Read CAREFULLY and out loud if you have to...

I also have a couple of Big screen TV's that I purchased at Walmart, at about a $200.00 savings each. No problems. I don't believe a computer has been made that hasn't used Chinese Boards and cards. Even the biggest brand after market boards are made in China. The fault lies in the quality control in a lot of the cheaper Chinese merchandise.

I almost bought an HD Big screen at Walmart. The reason I actually didn't buy it was because the clerk could not ring up the sale as a split between cash and credit balance. The manager, could not do any better... They both stood their like idiots. The TV went for $999.00 . I gave up trying to buy it after 30 minutes at the register. I'm sure the TV would have worked fine..It was a Samsung (Not a Walmart) As fate would have it, I found a better Samsung at Best Buy for about $200.00 less. So much for savings at Walmart.

How about guitars? The little yeller fellers were putting out guitars that put many American made guitars to shame for quite some time. The joints were nearly invisible, the neck action was to die for, and even some pickups were pretty good, although I always change mine to custom made pickups, (But I also do that with all my Fenders and Gibson guitars) and the finishes and craftsmanship were second to none. And the matching of the matching of the figured top patterns and the finish were far better than on most American brands. And it is still that way with a lot of brand name guitars. I have had more great playing guitars come through the shop that were foreign made than American made for years. Both Gibson and Fender went through crappy workmanship years while the yeller fellers were putting out great lines at bargain prices. And no, they didn't use slanty eyed wood. The figured tops are still as good or better matched than a lot of off the shelf American guitars. I seldom find a musician that didn't wish he had kept a foreign made guitar he previously owned at one time. And a lot of them wax nostalgic about how good it was. I wish I still had several that passed through my hands at one time or another. I bought Gibson Custom Shop guitars and was very disappointed in the quality. I paid the highest price of any guitars for them, and they were crap. But then, that was my own personal experience with Gibson Custom Shop quality.

Nothing beats a hand made custom guitar. I have a Martin Acoustic, custom made and built right here in Good ol USA. It was expensive, but I'll be passing that beautiful work down a few generations. Everything about that instrument is worth the money I paid. (And I was still able to pay the rent when I bought it). I have lifetime warranty with it...haven't had to use it yet...
My Gretsch was made in Korea. I will agree with you the craftsmanship is excellent, if not superb.
If I had bought it at Walmart, I'm sure it would have been a lemon reject from the factory, and the manufacturer would have been happy to recover the base costs and unload it thanks to Walmart. But the Chinese factories Build according to Vendor Specs. Walmart's Specs include horrific cost cutting margins that effect design quality. To that end I would never by my Chines or Korean made guitars at Walmart (Because THEY wouldn't buy them either). I'd rather go through a certified dealer for those.

My FX boxes sound great. They hold up great. None were made in the USA. How about those crappy foreign made cameras selling for big bucks? And even the cheaper ones work like a charm. Like some Canons, Minoltas, or Nikons kick butt. And before cell phones had cameras they cost an arm and a leg. Now you can get them really cheap, and they still have great quality control. I can't think of many big brand electronic products that have a high recall, yet none of them are made here. Designed here, yes. Quality control standards set here, yes.

You proved my point... Walmart sets the specs which interfere with well planned designs and standards. I recommend you buy your Nikon at a certified retailers. If you see it at Walmart, Its because that unit did not make standards on the assembly line... Here's a big Phrase for ya: "6 Sigma" . That's the highest manufacturing standard, currently available. Its also expensive. Walmart takes it down to 3 sigma or less. They pass the savings on to you and you get to play with crap for toys. Think Poor and you become Poor.

It is a different world today. Perhaps not always for the better, but different indeed. You can't wish it away and you can't make it go away.... get over it. At American labor pricing, and with outrageous government regulations and taxing of companies you couldn't own a pittance of what you could afford if it were all made in America. Organized labor drove the company I worked for out of America. High axes and oppressive government regulations drove many companies and jobs away. And this regime is doing it as no other has before. Blame those fat sit on their asses high life style living bastards that we elected to serve us for most of our problems. They are nothing but little Napoleon type traitors to both this country and to the people who elected them.

No, YOU get over it. If you lost your job, its because you were happy to just sit on your butt and "do your time", instead of lighting fires under the right asses.. Speak for your self about labor. I worked my ass off to get where I am. And I'm doing pretty good. You wanted your SOLO cup utopia and ya got it... Sorry But I don't want to own your tupper-ware, plastic unbreakable beer hats, and tennis shoes that light up... I dont want your oxygenated gasoline, your stupid transistor radios...your pet rocks, or your Ginsu Knife set. Please, Dont bring your trailer, or your your ESPN saddled TVs dishes and your Hibachi grills into my yard or for that matter , my sight .

Your acceptance of 'less' has quite possibly f**k up my attempts to embrace and elevate a sense of higher standard. People with logic like yours are like a f**k - ing blood clot, blocking an artery. I guess its too much to simply ask folks like you to please step OUT of the f**k way?

Your transportation, appliances, or much of anything else you own is not all American made. The"only buy American" crowd complains, but they sure own a lot of toys not made in America. Dump all your not made in America stuff, then get on your soapbox. Go buy an American government owned and manufactured car. They need the business, no one wants their over priced crappy "environmentally challenged" products. Get real.
Walmart is in business because most people can not afford those made in American only products that also break down. You don't like foreign made products? Then don't purchase any of them. The world isn't going to go backwards to please you. The American labor movement has made sure that most Americans do as little as possible for the highest pay. Both in the private sector and in the public service sector.

I dont work for a union... I EARNED my Salary.
Walmart is in business because of simple minded goobers ... (Given your distastes for just about everythingI have posted , I'm seriously beginning to believe you fall in there)

You came out of the gate bashing Walmart. You whined about your poor choice of coffee pots made in China. Next time take your mommy with you when you shop. She'll take your hand, lead you through the store, and tell you what to buy so that you don't get another bad coffee pot or whatever. I realize my post was a bit hard for you to understand, but I was givving examples of foreign workmanship and quality, since your post obviously mentioned foreign quality in Walmarts products.

Obviously you don't think Walmart prices had anything to do with the lower price at Best Buy, which incidentally is generally seldom the best buy in the market place. But the truth is that if Walmart was so bad, they wouldn't be so successful. Best Buy also sells seconds. They even put their own brand names on some of them.

You made no point about quality control. Every manufacturer sets his own. I'm sure you are enlightened, but let me point this out to you anyway. When you purchase a product by brand name, you pay a considerable amount more for the brand name. I open a lot of things for repair. I see identical electronics in a lot of them. IDENTICAL The point being that whether Walmart sells them, or if Best Buy or any other company sells them, the guts are often the same.
For example look at Mother Boards. Some are cheaper because they leave features off the boards. Such as on board Audio, or video, or other functions that the buyer may not need or use. That does not make them sub standard. Some have faster chips in them, but that is part of the buyer information spec sheet, so a buyer can choose which model he wants.
A good many products that are sold at Walmart and OTHER stores are units that are top of the line as far as specs, but may have had a malfunction from the assembly line such as scratches or other trivial things. If and when they are up to spec, they often sell them as seconds. So it is with units that fail under warranty and are refurbished. I have no problems with a refurbished unit as they are inspected and tested more than a unit that hasn't had a problem, just to insure that they don't return again. In most cases, a NEW sub board is replaced and the unit is as good as if it were fresh from the assembly line.

As for guitars, I bought a Super 400 Gibson from the custom shop years ago. It came into the store with one pickup hanging out of it and deep belt buckle scratches dug into the back of it. Another timeb I sent my ES 355 to the Gibson custom Shop get a new fingerboard put on it. It came back with a warped fingerboard. Custom guitars aren't always as great as some would believe. They just cost more.
I never bought a Martin guitar because the necks were known for warping. I asked the Martin rep why Martin didn't put truss rods in their guitars. He said "We value tradition". I asked him if they still rode horses to work every day.
I'm glad you like yours. I never played a Martin that I liked, but I am sure there are a few of them out there. Eventually they did put truss rods into them. Can you play yours?

I never lost my job. I said the factory moved overseas for the reasons I previously mentioned. Learn to absorb meaning behind the words, not just watch the words go by.

You and a sense of higher standard? Your attempts to embrace and elevate? That's worth saving. I'm sure all your students out here truly appreciate that you are enlightening them. Unfortunately I feel you really need to get a realistic view of how unimportant you really are. Get real dude, you are less then nothing in the greater scheme of things, as we all are.
Wake up and smell the roses... this world is going to continue to deteriorate from liberal agendas until the cheapest Walmart product will be on your wish list. Your lofty aspirations won't do a single thing to change that. Liberals have done their best to insure that the American dream will be destroyed.

As to your last two statements, and a few of your previous posts, you have the right to remain delusional and to remain ignorant. Those, like you, who try to change the unchangeable, are the most ignorant of all.
Perhaps you will wake up when your life hits the brick wall of reality. That reality is headed this way, and it will be here soon.

By the way, I don't own many of the things you mentioned in your rant.

You earned your salary? Is that past tense? You worked hard to get where you are.... by posting on the Internet all day? I suppose that would work. If not, get back to work instead of spending all your time on the computer. I need you to insure that I get my social security check every month... in case I need to go to Walmart to purchase something.
I realize that you probably won't be working far into the future. The Libs are working on that making a job a loosing prospect. Hope your house is paid for... or you'll being paying rent to big brother pretty soon. Oh well, perhaps we all will if they get their way.

Um, what's up with the last quote and paste and your response? You must have missed the majority of what I said. Did you fall asleep thinking that you were at work? Wasn't it about giving up your foreign stuff and buying American only? I love the guys who are so patriotic when speaking to others about buying American but only own a handful of American made products. At least by comparison to all the foreign products that they own.

Your name calling is juvenile and pathetic at best. Go take some name calling classes from the liberal politicians. They are really good at it.

You came out of the gate bashing Walmart. You whined about your poor choice of coffee pots made in China. Next time take your mommy with you when you shop. She'll take your hand, lead you through the store, and tell you what to buy so that you don't get another bad coffee pot or whatever. I realize my post was a bit hard for you to understand, but I was givving examples of foreign workmanship and quality, since your post obviously mentioned foreign quality in Walmarts products.

I never bashed Walmart...You just don't like the salient truths i pointed about about their cost margins. Worse for you is the sting in the possibility that I'm right (while you have supported walmart shopping for years, no doubt, believing you came out ahead.).

Obviously you don't think Walmart prices had anything to do with the lower price at Best Buy, which incidentally is generally seldom the best buy in the market place. But the truth is that if Walmart was so bad, they wouldn't be so successful. Best Buy also sells seconds. They even put their own brand names on some of them.

Yeah , but I still saved 200.00 for a Samsung, that was even better than the more expensive smaller one at Walmart. So what is your point here?

You made no point about quality control. Every manufacturer sets his own. I'm sure you are enlightened, but let me point this out to you anyway. When you purchase a product by brand name, you pay a considerable amount more for the brand name. I open a lot of things for repair. I see identical electronics in a lot of them. IDENTICAL The point being that whether Walmart sells them, or if Best Buy or any other company sells them, the guts are often the same. For example look at Mother Boards. Some are cheaper because they leave features off the boards. Such as on board Audio, or video, or other functions that the buyer may not need or use. That does not make them sub standard. Some have faster chips in them, but that is part of the buyer information spec sheet, so a buyer can choose which model he wants.
A good many products that are sold at Walmart and OTHER stores are units that are top of the line as far as specs, but may have had a malfunction from the assembly line such as scratches or other trivial things.

You know what they say about a triple Core Computer processor, don't you? Its a quad-core with a broken 4th CPU. You wont find that fact readily disclosed on any Buyer spec sheet. You calling that trivial? I mean, I think that's significant.

If and when they are up to spec, they often sell them as seconds. So it is with units that fail under warranty and are refurbished. I have no problems with a refurbished unit as they are inspected and tested more than a unit that hasn't had a problem, just to insure that they don't return again. In most cases, a NEW sub board is replaced and the unit is as good as if it were fresh from the assembly line.

I'm sorry... So, you think 'refurbished is ok', do ya? You think that the cost to inspect work a 2nd time (when it should have been done right the first time is ok? No wonder America gets blamed for producing shoddy crap... I understand defects occur...But, When did it become okay to produce anything less than 100 percent (at a profit rate that actually puts secondary markets over initial Production)?

As for guitars, I bought a Super 400 Gibson from the custom shop years ago. It came into the store with one pickup hanging out of it and deep belt buckle scratches dug into the back of it. Another timeb I sent my ES 355 to the Gibson custom Shop get a new fingerboard put on it. It came back with a warped fingerboard. Custom guitars aren't always as great as some would believe. They just cost more.
I never bought a Martin guitar because the necks were known for warping. I asked the Martin rep why Martin didn't put truss rods in their guitars. He said "We value tradition". I asked him if they still rode horses to work every day.
I'm glad you like yours. I never played a Martin that I liked, but I am sure there are a few of them out there. Eventually they did put truss rods into them. Can you play yours?

Indeed I can play mine... I can also play your Super 400 as well. How about you... If you had a Martin, do you think you could play it? Please do send me the title track of your hot selling CD. I'm just five minutes away from Walmart..

I never lost my job. I said the factory moved overseas for the reasons I previously mentioned. Learn to absorb meaning behind the words, not just watch the words go by.

Your prose used passive /past tense. I'm sure I'm not the only one who could read your statement and assume you probably lost your job. But if you say you didn't lose your job...well ok then.

You and a sense of higher standard? Your attempts to embrace and elevate? That's worth saving. I'm sure all your students out here truly appreciate that you are enlightening them. Unfortunately I feel you really need to get a realistic view of how unimportant you really are. Get real dude, you are less then nothing in the greater scheme of things, as we all are.

Thank You Slacker...Once again you have eloquently proved my point. You accuse me of being less than nothing, and in the same breathe you try to drag the rest of us in with your cynical world. (You did use the words: "As we all are"...so there really is no mis-interpretation here) If you want to rate yourself as less than nothing, you have that constitutional right to do so. But don't drag me down through that trailer park... It simply aint me. By the way, you are very quick to point your finger at my reading skills...Where on earth are you getting the idea that I have students?

Wake up and smell the roses... this world is going to continue to deteriorate from liberal agendas until the cheapest Walmart product will be on your wish list. Your lofty aspirations won't do a single thing to change that. Liberals have done their best to insure that the American dream will be destroyed.

Me thinks Thou doest protest loudly..."

As to your last two statements, and a few of your previous posts, you have the right to remain delusional and to remain ignorant. Those, like you, who try to change the unchangeable, are the most ignorant of all. Perhaps you will wake up when your life hits the brick wall of reality. That reality is headed this way, and it will be here soon.

Did you forget to take your Paxil today?

You earned your salary? Is that past tense? You worked hard to get where you are.... by posting on the Internet all day? I suppose that would work. If not, get back to work instead of spending all your time on the computer. I need you to insure that I get my social security check every month... in case I need to go to Walmart to purchase something.

Oh shucks. Slacker... Did I fail to mention I took some vacation? I'm not retired... As for the social security check.. Sorry bro, You and your peers , pretty much blew that on Timothy Leary's acid labs before it was even cool to be Walmart shopper, or live outside of a commune. You made your beds, now...Don't blame me if you gotta go lay in them ....

I realize that you probably won't be working far into the future. The Libs are working on that making a job a loosing prospect. Hope your house is paid for... or you'll being paying rent to big brother pretty soon. Oh well, perhaps we all will if they get their way.

I expect to work until I drop dead. With any luck, I hope it happens during my Annual review, or while I'm sitting at a stop light at the intersection where a Walmart is located. Mind you , I don't ever WISH to retire... Just some sizable vacation time here and there... I can't imagine not doing something... Even if I become a greeter at Walmart.

Um, what's up with the last quote and paste and your response? You must have missed the majority of what I said. Did you fall asleep thinking that you were at work? Wasn't it about giving up your foreign stuff and buying American only? I love the guys who are so patriotic when speaking to others about buying American but only own a handful of American made products. At least by comparison to all the foreign products that they own. Your name calling is juvenile and pathetic at best. Go take some name calling classes from the liberal politicians. They are really good at it.

You know what, I agree it is juvenile.. Ya been busting my chops for two weeks... There's no getting on page with you.. ( I guess I buckled...
However, I will try to watch that name calling ...

In a perfect world where there is a level playing field and capitalism is practised even steven then Walmart would simply be the natural result of somebody figuring out a better way to compete. However the world economy is NOT a level playing field. Each country has different economic circumstances. China has just a few more people than we do. In this world economy they do what is necessary to FEED their people. That includes offering American companies the cheapest and in some cases best trained labor in the world. That includes Chinese leaders ignoring enforcement of intellectual property rights of foreign music, literature, movies, etc that is being black marketed to the tune of BILLIONS of dollars without the rightful owners of the property receiving one penny. That includes China KNOWINGLY dumping inferior and in some cases environmentally dangerous products onto foreign shores whenever and wherever possible. That includes China continuously manipulating monetary exchange rates to their advantage. China is adding new coal-fired power plants EVERY month and for DECADES they have been ignoring international clean air standards. There might be exceptions to inferior Chinese products but understand this simple truth: The world economy is NOT a level playing field. When you purchase a Chinese product it is from a country that is PURPOSELY ripping us off in so many ways. It is an absolute shame that there is a monopoly in some categories of products. A friend of mine is a handyman and he tells his customers he WILL NOT warranty his plumbing repairs because the products (gaskets, hoses, etc.) Are made in China. Walmart is simply doing the capitalist thing: trying to outsell the competition. Unfortunately they are doing it with products from a country that is ripping us off.

Everyone needs someone, so I suspect that answer might be yes. There aren't that many sheep in America, why?

Wow, ya go away for a little bit to hear someone's show and THIS is what I come back to?

ouch.


Rant on, angry debaters..just don't burn anything/cause a riot.

In a perfect world where there is a level playing field and capitalism is practised even steven then Walmart would simply be the natural result of somebody figuring out a better way to compete. However the world economy is NOT a level playing field. Each country has different economic circumstances. China has just a few more people than we do. In this world economy they do what is necessary to FEED their people. That includes offering American companies the cheapest and in some cases best trained labor in the world. That includes Chinese leaders ignoring enforcement of intellectual property rights of foreign music, literature, movies, etc that is being black marketed to the tune of BILLIONS of dollars without the rightful owners of the property receiving one penny. That includes China KNOWINGLY dumping inferior and in some cases environmentally dangerous products onto foreign shores whenever and wherever possible. That includes China continuously manipulating monetary exchange rates to their advantage. China is adding new coal-fired power plants EVERY month and for DECADES they have been ignoring international clean air standards. There might be exceptions to inferior Chinese products but understand this simple truth: The world economy is NOT a level playing field. When you purchase a Chinese product it is from a country that is PURPOSELY ripping us off in so many ways. It is an absolute shame that there is a monopoly in some categories of products. A friend of mine is a handyman and he tells his customers he WILL NOT warranty his plumbing repairs because the products (gaskets, hoses, etc.) Are made in China. Walmart is simply doing the capitalist thing: trying to outsell the competition. Unfortunately they are doing it with products from a country that is ripping us off.

BOB, very well stated and quite true.

Wow, ya go away for a little bit to hear someone's show and THIS is what I come back to?

ouch.


Rant on, angry debaters..just don't burn anything/cause a riot.

I Unblocked you but still read your posts, cuase sometimes I actually do appreciate your points of view....

...and you know what's even sadder? We saved China's ass in WWII from the Japanese. How's that for gratitude? Let's go ahead and fu*k our saviors in the as*....

We can talk all day about how Walmart has screwed us out of mom & pops. They were far from the first. When you go overseas and then go to a Mega store, you will still have a problem... You don't know the city AND you don't know where to find what you want. Try to find a Walmart in Spain, or Greece, or Japan, or France, or Italy, or Yemen, or Russia, or Egypt, or (add country's name here), and you will find Pizza, but you won't find CDs. Find CDs you won't find Pizza. I have not found in this world a country that has a you can get it all here kind of store like Wal-mart. Step out of this country and you'll be begging people where you can get a Tattoo and a good cigarette after looking stupid all over your arm unless it's Mexico, but then, you'll need Big bandages. Same roof? NOT! Go where, ask for directions in another language before your arm turns green. Still think you're smart- post a picture of your arm 2 years after your tetanus shot and show us what a wise man you were when you did that, maybe fearing others whom haven't gone that far into stupidity! I have not seen a mega store in America that also doesn't invite other mom & pops that Wal-mart doesn't have a claim on the strip mall beside them. I would however, warn you of the idiots who get tattoos close to Wal-marts. Evidence shows it is the same people that can't patch a tire.