This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Monday, April 27, 2015

Walmart (Elements of Blogging) #AtoZChallenge


Walmart on Blogs

       Of all of the businesses that people blog about, Walmart might generate the most online chatter.  Beloved by many and demonized by others, the mega monster chain has blogs in it's favor and blogs of detractors as well as company blogs that promote Walmart from the inside.  When you start searching you can find many blogs focused on Walmart.

       Originally I had not intended on using Walmart as my "W" topic until a very suspicious thing happened with my local Walmart that is an anchor store in the shopping center across the street from where I live.   To me going to Walmart is somewhat of a hassle so I usually only shop there once or twice a month.  However they offer much cheaper prices on certain items so I tend to shop for these at Walmart instead of the higher priced grocery store where I do the majority of my food shopping.

Suspicious Walmart Incident

      Probably few of you heard of the situation to which I am referring, but I'll tell you the story and then let you come up with your own conclusions.   On Thursday April 16 I heard mention on the radio that the employees of the Pico Rivera Walmart were protesting at a nearby hotel where a labor meeting was underway discussing the status of our closed store.  Closed?   I had not heard that they had closed.

        Apparently on Tuesday April 14th with 5 hours notice to the employees, the store management announced that the store would be closing for an undetermined period of time in order to fix ongoing plumbing problems.   The estimate was that they could be closed for up to 6 months.  Some employees could have the option of moving to other store locations, but many would be out of work.  This all with only 5 hours notice.   They just happened to make the decision to start repairing the plumbing that quickly?

         Now curious, I began researching online for any information about this closure and what I discovered next amazed me and left me very suspicious.  Besides our Pico Rivera Walmart, the corporation simultaneously closed four other stores in the same manner--four stores across the U.S. in Oklahoma City, two stores in Texas, and one in Florida.  Looking at a map these stores are somewhat evenly distributed across the southern United States.   Some strategic connection could be construed by looking at where these stores are in relation to each other.   The plumbing alibi at five different stores across the United States doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

        Conspiracy theories abound on this story and anyone who has been reading Tossing It Out for a few years probably knows that anything conspiratorial catches my attention, especially when corporate America or the United States government is implicated.  When you add religious prophecy then you've really got my attention.  All of these things start coming into play with the Walmart story.

What Is Walmart Up To?

        The most immediate reaction to why these stores had closed was that it was a sort of punishment to labor and a warning to the unions to back off.   As I had reported here on November 23rd of 2012 in a post called Does Walmart Deserve a Whipping?, our local store was one of the targets of the labor movement against the Walmart corporation.

      The jabs at Walmart by labor have continued ever since at the Pico Rivera store and reportedly at the other stores recently closed for plumbing problems.  Using the store closures as a retaliatory action against labor seems like a feasible corporate strategy, but on the other hand a questionable one that could backfire in a number of ways.  The labor angle sounded possible, but I wasn't buying that explanation so I went further down the crazy rabbit hole of the internet.

A More Sinister Walmart Conspiracy?

       My next investigations into Walmart connected the current events to suspicious reports dating back over the past few years.  Google and YouTube are rife with stories about underground tunnels crisscrossing the United States for the purposes of troop movements and underground cities being built in case of some above ground catastrophic event.

       This tunnel theory starts sounding a bit fantastical, but there is somewhat convincing evidence that it can be done more easily than most of us might think and that it has actually been achieved to some degree and this work is currently underway throughout the United States.  When we consider the research now being done with  ETT (evacuated tube transport) that is developing super trains that could potentially run at speeds up to 1800 MPH, we can see how a vast tunnel system would be necessary for this type of technology to be practical.

         Some wild theories now abound that the closure of the Walmart stores have nothing to do with plumbing, but the Walmart Corporation is in league with the U.S. government to use the locations in conjunction with work currently being done on the tunnel systems.  This is all far-fetched sounding and even impractical from the standpoint of why they would need tunnels that intersected Walmart locations.  Then again Walmart is known for their highly efficient supply chain management strategy (Vendor Managed Inventory) that requires an intricate web of transportation and warehousing.  The Walmart model of operating has certainly not gone unnoticed by the U.S. government.  Besides how much do you trust the U.S. government or any corporations these days?

       I won't go into too much detail in this post since I want to keep what is turning into a long article from becoming even longer.  If you're interested you can do your own searches about the tunnel theories.  But there is another sinister report that has come out that I think is worth a mention.

FEMA Detention Camps!!!

       Either there are some people with wild imaginations out there who are trying to scare us or there is some element of truth to the story.   Some of you have heard the rumors of government sponsored FEMA camps being organized around the country to be ready for some future event that will require rounding up large sectors of the population and placing them in camps or detention centers.  It's happened in other places throughout history.  Could it happen now in the United States of America?

       There have been plenty of scenarios related to epidemics, natural disasters, civil unrest, foreign invasion, or the collapse of the power grid that could be motivations for the government to move populations into controlled areas to establish control and order.  Any of these threats could potentially cause a chaotic state among the populace to the point where government would feel compelled to avoid the chaos that would likely ensue from any of these disasters.

        The temporary closings of the Walmart stores have caused some to speculate that these sites might be getting retrofitted to act as detention centers that might be needed in the near future.  In the event of the collapse of the infrastructure in the area where I live, I believe that this as well as all urban areas would be especially frightening as people struggle to survive.  A detention center manned by government control officials might be seen as necessary to stabilize the societal deterioration.   Has Walmart become complicit in helping to organize authoritarian rule of the people?

         When you think about it, the Walmart machine is highly efficient at logistical movement of supplies, management of labor, crowd control. and organizational structure.  A nation governed by a corporation or network of corporations is not unforeseeable and probably is in place already to some extent.   Are you looking forward to being moved into a control center managed by the U.S. Government/Walmart?

Shmita!

       No this is not some profane utterance, but a principle of Judaism that I will not go into detail about here.  You can look it up.  And why am I bringing this up in relation to the Walmart Conspiracy?

        A few days prior to the Walmart closing and my investigations into all the crazy sounding conspiracies, I happened to flip the television on to some show about Bible prophecy where they were talking about things like "the Blood Moon", Shmita, the Rapture, and the Tribulation. (Again I offer these terms with no explanations but Google can explain to the uninitiated.)

       The guy on TV was telling about how the next seven year cycle culminating in Shmita would be coming this September of 2015. He said at the end of every seven year cycle there is an economic downturn, the most recent being 2001 and 2008 which some of you probably recall as being somewhat bad economic years.  The TV prophet added that this year the Shmita would correspond with a blood moon, which some of you might recognize as something with prophetic implications.

        The upshot of all the prophecies was that in September we will be seeing the biggest economic collapse ever and perhaps the collapse of the U.S. as we know it.  There will be chaos and martial law will be declared with government troops fanning out across the nation to take control of every community.

        Okay, I know that now some of you are thinking I'm heading into Crazy Town, but I'm just telling you things I heard and observations I have made.   One thing that did come to mind when the Walmart story emerged was that if the stores open in six months as projected, that would be in September just in time for the Blood Moon, Shmita, and martial law being administrated due to a chaotic state resulting from everything falling apart.  They would need dentition camps and strategic networks for movement of troops and supplies.

          Yes, wild sounding I know, but could it happen?   If anything I think there is some great material here for some dystopian fiction.   I hope it's fiction.

          Have you heard about the Walmart closures, the tunnel network, or Shmita?   Why do you think the Walmart stores have been closed for an approximately six month period?   Do you read any of the Walmart related blogs?

Blogs about Walmart (can you believe it?):

Walmart Is Pure Evil

Walmart Watch

Walmart Blog  (official company site)

Walmart Sucks

I Heart the Mart  (coupons and deals)

The People of Walmart  (hilarious and at times unbelievable though true)

...And the list goes on...



68 comments:

  1. I can remember Walmart in various places in the US when I visited thought they were good. We used to have a store here in the UK called Woolworths,( I had my first job there), but they were closed down some years back........very similar to Walmart in looks and goods.
    Wonderfully interesting post Lee.
    Yvonne.

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    1. Walmart has just about everything and mostly at very affordable prices.

      Lee

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  2. Ok, I confess I only read to the Fema detention camps, as I've come across that before. I've not see any blogs about Walmart pro or con. Personally I marked them off my places to shop about 15 years or so ago for political reason. Short story long they chased an elderly man out in the parking lot, attacked him saying he was shop lifting. He had batteries in his pocket so he would know what type to buy. They were so over zealous he ended up a paraplegic. I didn't and don't want to give them any of my business. They've put many good businesses out of business, treat their employees horribly, many have to go on welfare to compensate. I don't think anyone should shop there. The very people they've put out of work in some cities are the ones that shop there, it's a real catch 22. Punishment for Labor...totally believeable.

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    1. For me my pocketbook trumps any political motivations. The supermarkets abuse customers on certain items I believe so they are just as bad. I find the shoplifter story as believable as the tunnel stories. That sounds like liberal political propaganda. From what I've heard the Walmart policy is to not pursue shoplifters. I've spoken to some of the employees at my local Walmart and they seemed happy with their employment. I'm certain from everything I've heard about it that the Walmart labor situation is mostly protesting coming from the unions hired hands. I trust unions less than I do corporations.

      Lee

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  3. Wow, that was a lot, Lee. Hadn't heard anything about those conspiracy theories. If it's the Rapture though, I say bring it on. I'm ready to go.

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    1. I'm not sure that the theories fall into the typical schedule that I've heard interpreted from the Bible, but then again there is no absolute agreement on that either.

      Lee

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  4. There was a time when I would've read this and thought, 'Lee is nuts' but these days, I don't think anything is out of the realm of possibilities. There are some scary, wealthy, very conservative white men out there who are power and money hungry and they don't give a crap about the average person. My husband has been saying that we are long overdue for an overthrow of our government. I've watched enough movies and XFiles episodes to know that it potentially could happen.

    I haven't heard about those Walmart closures at all. It does sound suspect for sure. I shop at one out of necessity b/c it's convenient and cheap, but a part of me dies inside every time I have to go in there.

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    1. Well, I think the "white men" accusation is way off base as I don't see it as any racial thing. There are many people of all races throughout the world that fit the description you've give. And I think we might have as much or more to fear from liberal groups. When any group because powerful enough to rule they will begin squashing any opposition.

      Lee

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  5. Damn I left a rather long comment and got 'service unavailable' when I tried to publish. Maybe Walmart doesn't like what you had to say and are blocking comments. lol

    Seriously though, I suppose it wouldn't surprise me one bit if there was something going on, literally underground. There are a lot of power/money hungry rich white conservative men who don't care about the average citizen. Walmart is evil, but I have to shop there out of necessity b/c I am poor and they are cheap and convenient.

    I don't believe in the rapture or any of that stuff of course, but it wouldn't surprise me if we were headed towards another economic collapse. There are a lot of bad things going on in the environment too...the lack of water out west is very troubling, yet big oil is allowed to use gallons of it for fracking. There's no doubt that this country, mankind and the world are devolving.

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    1. Funny thing is that your "long comment" published just fine not just once, but twice. I deleted the second one.

      My suggestion to you might to be reevaluate some of the information you are receiving about "rich white conservative white men". To me that's a racially offensive statement.

      Lee

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  6. By Golly, Lee! You may have hit the nail right on it's proverbial head! I have noticed they have increased the sizes of the Walmart Stores to gigantic proportions. Many people have expressed the changes that have taken place in our country over the past ten years. Those who died twenty years ago would not recognize the place any more. Conspiracies... Yes, I can believe it. Pity those fellows who don't believe in the Rapture, though. Good post, my friend!

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    1. The new Walmarts are like small towns with restaurants, banks, and other services in addition to the merchandising they already do. Yes, the world is changing--fast.

      Lee

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  7. I've heard the prophecies, but I haven't been aware of the Walmart stuff. Yet, Walmart has already driven out many mom & pop stores across the country. If they did team up with federal government for good or for evil, they'd be a power to be reckoned with. - Hannah Bug interviewed me for her history class yesterday about the decades of the cold war. We ended the story with the first Gulf war. I stood in our home town and joined hands across America to pray for God's protection and a swift end to the war. Yet when it was over within a week, did we pour out into the streets to praise and thank an awesome God?!? No, we as a nation chalked it up to our technology. And praised our all powerful technology over every medium. I believe that is when "the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, caught the last train for the coast" and God lifted His hand of protection off of America. He's still with individual believers. But as a nation, His back is to us.
    ~ The end in in sight!!! ~ I meant the A to Z, but this has another context, eh?
    Visit me at: Life & Faith in Caneyhead
    I am Ensign B of Tremps' Troops
    with the A to Z Challenge

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    1. If the power grid and the computer networks are destroyed our technology is essentially screwed at least for a few years. We've become more dependent on governments and corporations than the powers that can replace those things.

      Lee

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  8. Wow. A lot of this does sound far fetched, but it's still really interesting!

    And strange enough: I'm from Seattle, where there are no Walmarts and they are not allowed to be opened within the city limits. Now that I live in Georgia, there is a Walmart on nearly every corner.

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    1. Seattle is also a very liberal place that would be opposed to the philosophy promoted by Walmart. Ironically they don't mind Starbucks in Seattle.

      Lee

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  9. Those are quite the theories for something like store closures. Either people have too much time on their hands or we should start preparing for the zombie apocalypse. ;)

    ~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Member of C. Lee's Muffin Commando Squad
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

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    1. The motives of Walmart might deserve a closer look.

      Lee

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  10. A great morning read , good Sir....
    The FEMA camp story has merit....
    All of those mobile homes that they had gotten after LA Flooding.... that they later said were not up to standards... they are being used to construct many of such "camps"...
    Dirt mound-type walls gate and guard tower....inside you can catch glimpses of the (partially buried) Trailers....
    Not supposed to be "Detention Centers"....but a "safe" dwelling places for "survivors" to be housed and "protected" by the US military... At least that is what they have to say about these camps ...this is the explanation given to the locals , who got "upset" at the instillation of one such camp in the NC mountains... (that was over 10 years ago... heard nothing else about it since...) I have seen the photos of that "Camp"... taken by a local.... so At least a couple such "camps" in my state are Known... So is there a "cover-up"...???? ... I mean , the people Know that it Is there... and accepted the Gov's "explanation".
    And glad you liked our choice of Villain for "W"...
    a great day to you good Sir...

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    1. Camps or emergency housing, it's all interchangeable and a bit disconcerting. I've seen so many things about the FEMA stories on the internet that even though some are probably overreactions, many seem to have an element of truth that is scary.

      Lee

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  11. Leapin' Lizards! You've certainly done your research, but I hope it isn't true. Although I do believe the demise of America began about seven years ago.

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    1. I not sure about the depth of my research. I haven't found the government or corporate rebuttals to any of these stories, but maybe there is nothing for them to say. Yes, demise seven years ago--that kind of makes sense to me.

      Lee

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  12. Yikes! Have you read Hart's trilogy (The Watery Tart) I mean? Your story started sounding like her fiction - creepy! One thing totalitarian states have always been good at is using the existing infrastructure so I don't think - even if this isn't true - that it is a far off concept. I was going to skip reading this but because I didn't want to ruin my perfect record of reading certain posts every day of the A to Zed I went ahead. I'm glad I did - so thrilling and crazy. Thanks Lee.

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    1. As they say, "truth is stranger than fiction", so I'm not going to totally disregard these stories as nut job rantings. There is some credible evidence that raises questions about what has been happening.

      Thanks for reading and for letting me know your reaction.

      Lee

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  13. I'm no fan of Walmart. I am a fan of The People of Walmart, though. That site is hilarious. Being such a huge, soulless corporation, I also wouldn't be surprised if they were up to no good. I mean, the fact that so many people would think such things in the first place already show what people think about Walmart's character, whether it's true or not.

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    1. The People of Walmart is scary in a different sense in that it is real people captured in life. You couldn't make up some of those people. Walmart may be a great place for bargains, but we might be also selling our souls by shopping there.

      Lee

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  14. I've decided that the only thing I'm certain of is that when the time comes that it all truly goes to hell, we won't accurately predict the way we get there. I mean we may get parts of it right, but there is always so much going on behind the curtains that we don't know about to get it right. Which, of course, makes sense.... and also makes these conspiracy theories sound so crazy to the public at large. (Besides, no one wants to believe that their government is working hand in glove with big business to "get them.")

    I do very little shopping at Walmart. Reading this only makes me want to do less.

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    1. Now with my local store closed I won't be shopping at Walmart for a while either. I guess now I'll have to get some of the items I previously bought at Walmart at Target or Food-for-Less. Or maybe I'll make a Costco run for some of the items..

      And I agree about figuring out what's happening or what's going to happen. I think the government throws up a lot of diversions to distract us from what's really going on. Take for example the California bullet train fiasco. Sounds good in theory, but why are they doing it the way they are doing it? Personally I don't trust Jerry Brown or any of the people in power.

      Lee

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  15. I'm pretty sure the Walmart closings are 'labor' related. I only go to Walmart maybe twice per year. I used to go when my kids needed school supplies but I'm by that now.

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    1. The labor argument seems logical on the surface, but it also seems like a risk for them that could have some big negative ramifications in the future not to mention potential government actions. So I don't know if I totally buy the labor retaliation argument. This may merely be a diversion.

      Lee

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  16. We're actually in a shmita year now. It began in September 2014. It was the topic of a recent Torah Tuesday class at the student religious center I attend. It doesn't have a lot of personal implications for most modern people, since relatively few people are still farmers, but it has a lot of implications for what kinds of produce people in Israel can buy and how they can attain in, and how we can get proper produce shipped from Israel. I'll have to pay particular attention to the laws if I ever realise my longtime dream of having my own little farm on several acres of land and have made aliyah (moved to Israel).

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    1. It's interesting to see the economic downturns at the end of the most recent cycles of the Shmita. I'd be interested to know how often these downturns had occurred in the past in relation to Shmita.

      Lee

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  17. Have you ever shopped at Wal-Mart? It feels just like being in a detention camp.
    Hey Oh!!

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    1. If I were ever to be trapped in a store I guess I'd pick Walmart over something like Staples or Petsmart. You could survive for a long time inside of a Walmart.

      Lee

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  18. Your conspiracy theories are ripe with potentially good fiction, but I think anything relating to big government and liberal corporations is possible. I, like you, hope none of this gloom and doom stuff comes to pass, but the Bible does foretell a time when things will get pretty ugly. You really got my mind turning on this one now. Interesting perspective!

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    1. These days we shouldn't be too surprised at anything that comes down the pike. These are some crazy theories, but there is something believable to any of them.

      Lee

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  19. OMG. This was some read. I think I'll wait till September to see what happens. Good read! Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com

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    1. Maybe you should stock up on food and survival supplies in the meantime. You know, just in case.

      Lee

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  20. That would make a great story. I don't like Walmart. Too many hickerbillies!
    Bushman
    2015 A to Z Challenge Ambassador
    @jwb81074

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    1. I mostly see regular looking people when I go. Sometimes there are a few who look like they might have gang affiliations, but that look is getting pretty common here in Southern California.

      Lee

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  21. Well, I don't know about all these conspiracy theories. I do know that the Target stores closed down here in Ontario and Walmart is taking them over. I find the Walmarts in the States so much better than the ones we have here but I do agree the prices of some things are cheaper than in other stores.

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    1. I prefer Target stores and I'd be disappointed to see Walmart taking over Target locations. Maybe this is another part of the conspiracy that hasn't been brought to light yet.

      Lee

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  22. Wow! Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this when I popped over here. Scary stuff. I hadn't heard about the Walmart closings but I've done some reading on the tunnels and underground "cities": it was my understanding that those in the know/the network are actually purchasing "property" in these undergrounds for when our country falls apart and I've heard that it will be only the very wealthy that will be starting the new civilization. I know this all sounds crazy but I believe some of these conspiracy theories. I don't put anything past our government: it hasn't been a government by the people, for the people in a very long time. I'm very anti-Corporate America. This is all scary-sounding stuff! But hey, look at it this way: you're more likely than most to get into the tunnels, being that they're likely right across the street from you. Just save me a spot down there, will ya??
    Michele at Angels Bark

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    1. I've also heard those stories about the underground cities as escape retreats for the privileged classes. I'm probably more apt to be in a detention center than any place of privilege. Or worse, just left on our own in our house with no utilities fending off gangs and bands of marauders. It could be a scary scenario if it really came to pass.

      Lee

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  23. I hate Wal-mart-I mean hate! I refuse to go into that store no matter what the cost. I have watched documentaries on how vile they are to their staff and have witnessed it first hand from people who worked there. I loved it that they pulled out of Quebec because of the Union plus they could not get a foothold in Germany. I think the plumbing issue, which I did not hear about, is all a way to stifle the workers. I don't think there is any bigger plot unless the government plans to use the people of Wal-Mart as shields:)

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    1. I wonder who made the documentaries and what the motivation was in making them. Walmart does have a lot of merit in some ways, but they do have the downside like just about any other business out there. Like I've already mentioned, I've spoken to some of the employees at our local Walmart and they didn't have much problem with the company. I also spoke with some of the protesters when they were there and none of them actually worked at Walmart and that made me very suspicious about who was behind the labor unrest and why. I have heard that some of the union higher-ups make very large salaries and their main goal is to get more union members to increase the union coffers.

      Lee

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  24. I heard about the WalMart closings and immediately knew that many stores with plumbing problems that necessitated closing all on the same day could not be the truth for the closings.

    I heard most of the theories with the exception of the blood moon, but have kept watch on the economy and feel it will fall apart very soon so why not in September. Now that there is a date I hope my gardens produce enough to hold me over this winter, (only half joking)

    I don't shop at WalMart, I don't like the stores, the way they treat their employees or helping the Walton family grow their $8 Billion fortune any larger.With that kind of money I wouldn't be surprised if they have their hand in whatever may be going on with the government.

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    1. But if your money doesn't go to Walmart then it ends up with some other large corporation in the end. Very few small businesses operate independently of larger entities.

      Lee

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  25. Such horrific chain.. inspite of being such a big name what is the need for such shameless things.

    http://serendipityofdreams.blogspot.in/

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    1. Maybe blaming the chain is not the appropriate response as they do provide what customers are looking for. However if they would be in league with some nefarious government plot then it might be horrific.

      Lee

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  26. I've heard of the store closings, and my personal opinion it's just a labor tactic. The private sector unions not only are struggling to be relevant, but are woefully out of touch with the real world (public sector is even worse. Compare the fiscal solvency with states that have Republican majorities/governors versus states that are dominated by Democrats (like mine) )and you'll see what I mean.

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    1. I think there are many problems with unions and if their are going to be any accusations of evil doings a fair amount of finger pointing should be directed toward the unions. There is probably some abuse of employees by Walmart management but I think union groups are likewise abusing their position by creating problems at Walmart.

      Lee

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  27. I hadn't heard anything about the store closings, tunnels, or any such thing, but I do hate the Wal Mart chain. They are currently building one in my small town after protests didn't work. Along with treating employees badly, I suspect that there will be increased traffic and a decrease in housing (including raising prices) within the community which I'm not looking forward to since my husband and I are trying to compile our money to buy a house. Furthermore, with the new shopping area, older businesses have been forced to relocate or close and these are stores and restaurants that have been there since the 50s!! It's really depressing and making me despise Wal Mart even more. :(

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    1. Our Walmart was built after we moved where we are. I've not noticed any increase of traffic or any other problems. Our house value has also gone up considerably which I think has had something to do with the convenience of the nearby shopping. The tax revenue for the city has increased and the city has been able to make vast improvements and is a much better place to live now.

      I hear the stories as you describe and I know it's happening, but I also think it just a matter of a changing economic landscape. If anything the biggest threat to the retail merchants is the internet such as Amazon. Restaurants I don't worry much about since those are among the business that are flourishing the most.

      Lee

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  28. I don't shop at Wal Mart on principle. Back when the Red Cross used a paper voucher system to give disaster victims financial help, Wal Mart was the only major chain that would not except a Red Cross voucher. They said it increased their paperwork which cost them money. There were instances of disasters in small towns where Wal Mart was the only department store available and they still refused to accept the vouchers.

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    1. I don't know anything about what you're talking about. I can understand the position that Walmart might have taken on this issue, though out of compassion it doesn't seem right. Really though I can't comment on this.

      Lee

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  29. This post kept me riveted, long as it was. I knew of the Walmart closing and its suspected ties to labor disputes, but nothing more than that.

    I don't know if any of these predictions will come to pass, but it's clear we are headed for some problems. We have water issues in the West that will affect our food supply, we have people underemployed because of jobs going overseas, and we live in an economy that succeeds only if we consume more, which is bad for the environment. Walmart is the kind of place that would take advantage of that kind of reality. Best not to shop there at all. Sometimes the cost of a few dollars' savings is way too high.

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    1. But when funds are limited I guess a lot of us get more concerned about ourselves than any collective future issues. I think I fear the government more that a corporate Walmart, but a Walmart government is really a scary thought. Then on the other hand we look at the powder keg situations like we're seeing in Baltimore we might have to wonder if the government as we know it is truly capable of keeping things in order.

      Sometimes I'd like to just live in some isolated small town in Idaho or someplace like that.

      Lee

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  30. Fascinating as these theories sound, I'm pretty much a skeptic and consider them mostly alarmist fear mongering. Then again, I live in a different country with a much-smaller population and government, so what do I know? ☺ Most likely, in my opinion is the union-busting scenario. My husband went through a similar experience as a member of The Steelworkers Union, where the employer locked them out. I had no idea that Walmart was a popular blogging niche.

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    1. Other than People of Walmart I didn't realize Walmart was a popular blogging niche until I started my online investigation of why my local store closed. Alarmist theories? Probably, but we know that stranger things have happened in our world in the past.

      Lee

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  31. I work in a Wal-Mart pharmacy, so my pharmacy manager informed us of the closings before it hit the news that evening. My first thought was that there is no way it's a plumbing issue. I know that the one here in Oklahoma was in a bad part of town and had a lot of inventory shrinkage. You found a lot of interesting conspiracy theories, I'm not sure what to believe. All I know is that I did see a report about some military helicopters flying toward the one in Texas. Hmm.

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    1. Ooo, military helicopters, Elizabeth? The mystery deepens.

      Lee

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  32. Ayn Rand would be the first to say "Mind those corporations." She told us to keep an eye on them years ago.

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    1. Rand would have us be more wary of the government I think. Especially the type of government we have now.

      Lee

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  33. Walmart has sneaked into the UK by buying into Asda - and I have to say that , good & cheap tho Asda is, these huge conglomerates starve the smaller 'competition' out - however, going back to your subject - maybe they actually are losing money - and are looking at ways to cut back on some of their stores - but can't admit it?

    you may like to hear about my little campaigns - a post I wouldn't have written if I didn't need a subject for X - but glad I did!

    http://julzcrafts.com/2015/04/28/x-is-for-xtra-xtra-read-all-about-it/

    Also glad I have just posted the last entry - Z for Zippo!

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  34. Just going around reading blogs I mostly missed and found this. Guess I will have to get ready for September with all the stuff you mentioned plus the black helicopters, at least I need to lay in a supply of extra toilet paper. or plan where to dig the outhouse.
    http://findingeliza.com/

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Lee