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ORIGINAL: graceadieu

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ORIGINAL: Aylee
\I also think that families having a difficult time making ends meet should be setting aside money for the holidays all year or at least in the months prior. They need to figure out their "Latte factor" (No, I do not remember which author talks about that) and see where they can trim a bit.

Do you seriously think that Walmart employees can afford lattes? The things they'd be trimming are stuff like dinner, or electricity, or a new coat for their kid.

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ORIGINAL: papassion

How many of these "whiners" claiming they can't make it on what they make, smoke? drink, gamble, etc. a two pack a day smoking habit cost 3,650.00/year! And it ruins your health and your family's health with second hand smoke! Then theres beer, whiskey, cable, eating out, ordering in, etc. There are too many self indulgent spoiled brats who think the world owes them a living. Look at people who make good money. What do they have that you don't? I bet its education or "in demand" skills. If you DON'T have them, whos fault is that? If you say you didn't have the money for school, bullshit! The only people who can't get school loans are the people who's parents work and have some money.

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ORIGINAL: servantforuse

There are also many Walmart employees who want a part time job. They are happy working when they want and are happy with the wages they receive.

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ORIGINAL: Moonhead

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ORIGINAL: Zonie63
One thing I've noticed in this thread is that there are some posters who seem to feel a certain level of disdain and scorn towards people who do menial or unskilled labor, as if they're worth less than those who might earn higher salaries...

An excellent, and belated point.
A big part of this attitude appears to come from a form of self justification: nobody does shitwork unless they're good for nothing else, and they could be good for something else if they were only as good as me and made an effort to apply themselves. It's a get out clause that absolves those who adhere to it from any feelings of social engagement or sympathy towards the underclass. If it's their fault, then you have no responsibility or culpability for society shitting on people like that.

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ORIGINAL: Zonie63

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ORIGINAL: Moonhead

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ORIGINAL: Zonie63
One thing I've noticed in this thread is that there are some posters who seem to feel a certain level of disdain and scorn towards people who do menial or unskilled labor, as if they're worth less than those who might earn higher salaries...

An excellent, and belated point.
A big part of this attitude appears to come from a form of self justification: nobody does shitwork unless they're good for nothing else, and they could be good for something else if they were only as good as me and made an effort to apply themselves. It's a get out clause that absolves those who adhere to it from any feelings of social engagement or sympathy towards the underclass. If it's their fault, then you have no responsibility or culpability for society shitting on people like that.

I have made similar observations, although I've observed that it really has nothing to do with the actual "job" one does. In America, it seems that everything revolves around the money. A criminal with lots of money is higher up on the social pecking order than an honest person who works a menial or "lower class" job.

The mentality is best summed up from a line from the movie Goodfellas: "For us to live any other way was nuts. Uh, to us, those goody-good people who worked shitty jobs for bum paychecks and took the subway to work every day and worried about their bills were dead. I mean they were suckers. They had no balls. If we wanted something, we just took it. If anyone complained twice they got hit so bad, believe me, they never complained again."

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ORIGINAL: farglebargle

To benefit Wal-Mart Employees. Please donate so that your other Wal-Mart associates can eat this thanksgiving. You know, because as Wal-Mart employees, they're not paid enough to feed their families.

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ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

how DARE they complain eh?

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ORIGINAL: LookieNoNookie

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ORIGINAL: farglebargle

To benefit Wal-Mart Employees. Please donate so that your other Wal-Mart associates can eat this thanksgiving. You know, because as Wal-Mart employees, they're not paid enough to feed their families.

WalMart employees make 11% more than Target employee's and....have better health care.

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ORIGINAL: LookieNoNookie

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ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

how DARE they complain eh?

Look at the line that wraps around every new WalMart for new employees for 8 bucks....it runs in the thousands, even in the middle of downtown NY.

Look at the line that most construction companies have when they post an ad (like mine) that pays $20.00 - $30.00/100% paid insurance...it runs in the tens....as in rarely more than 10 people.

Ask yourself why that is if it's such a crappy place to work.

I don't argue at all that places like WalMart/McDonalds/ARCO gas stations, et al, offer crappy wages and limited health care at best.

I do argue that people have choices, and in a town with 7 WalMarts within 20 miles....and in a town (Seattle area) with some of the highest wages in the country...WalMart and others, don't have any problem finding people to show up every day to get 8 - 12 bucks an hour.

Why debate what clearly isn't bothering these employees enough to increase their skill sets to get more?

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ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

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ORIGINAL: LookieNoNookie

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ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

how DARE they complain eh?

Look at the line that wraps around every new WalMart for new employees for 8 bucks....it runs in the thousands, even in the middle of downtown NY.

Look at the line that most construction companies have when they post an ad (like mine) that pays $20.00 - $30.00/100% paid insurance...it runs in the tens....as in rarely more than 10 people.

Ask yourself why that is if it's such a crappy place to work.

I don't argue at all that places like WalMart/McDonalds/ARCO gas stations, et al, offer crappy wages and limited health care at best.

I do argue that people have choices, and in a town with 7 WalMarts within 20 miles....and in a town (Seattle area) with some of the highest wages in the country...WalMart and others, don't have any problem finding people to show up every day to get 8 - 12 bucks an hour.

Why debate what clearly isn't bothering these employees enough to increase their skill sets to get more?

people who are desparate to work, for what ever reason...what planet do YOU live on

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: LookieNoNookie

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ORIGINAL: farglebargle

To benefit Wal-Mart Employees. Please donate so that your other Wal-Mart associates can eat this thanksgiving. You know, because as Wal-Mart employees, they're not paid enough to feed their families.

WalMart employees make 11% more than Target employee's and....have better health care.

From comments I have heard Meier pays about the same. Interestingly I can't remember anyone making a stink about either one of them. It's always walmart. It reminds me of when they went after McD's happy meals. I never heard any other fast food chain mentioned and they all carry them.

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ORIGINAL: LookieNoNookie
Look at the line that most construction companies have when they post an ad (like mine) that pays $20.00 - $30.00/100% paid insurance...it runs in the tens....as in rarely more than 10 people.

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: LookieNoNookie

quote:

ORIGINAL: farglebargle

To benefit Wal-Mart Employees. Please donate so that your other Wal-Mart associates can eat this thanksgiving. You know, because as Wal-Mart employees, they're not paid enough to feed their families.

WalMart employees make 11% more than Target employee's and....have better health care.

From comments I have heard Meier pays about the same. Interestingly I can't remember anyone making a stink about either one of them. It's always walmart. It reminds me of when they went after McD's happy meals. I never heard any other fast food chain mentioned and they

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ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

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ORIGINAL: thishereboi

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ORIGINAL: LookieNoNookie

quote:

ORIGINAL: farglebargle

To benefit Wal-Mart Employees. Please donate so that your other Wal-Mart associates can eat this thanksgiving. You know, because as Wal-Mart employees, they're not paid enough to feed their families.

WalMart employees make 11% more than Target employee's and....have better health care.

From comments I have heard Meier pays about the same. Interestingly I can't remember anyone making a stink about either one of them. It's always walmart. It reminds me of when they went after McD's happy meals. I never heard any other fast food chain mentioned and they all carry them.

Probably something about the walton family involved in owning and running WALMART
Collectively, the Waltons own over 50% of the company, and are worth a combined total of $150 billion (as of August 2013),In 2011, six members of the Walton family had the same net worth as the bottom 30% of American families combined

There are PLENTY Of people pissed off with slave wages and inequality of income around, but some people are just blind to it

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ORIGINAL: Zonie63

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ORIGINAL: LookieNoNookie
Look at the line that most construction companies have when they post an ad (like mine) that pays $20.00 - $30.00/100% paid insurance...it runs in the tens....as in rarely more than 10 people.

So, would you hire anyone off the street, like some kid fresh out of high school (or maybe even a high school dropout) who knows nothing about construction? Would you give them on the job training?

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

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ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

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ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

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ORIGINAL: DomKen
And all those businesses will fail because profits in a healthy economy should be razor thin. Deflation is always a disaster. Imagining otherwise ignores both economic theory and history.

And, you are wrong. Profits don't have to be "razor thin." Profits should be healthy enough to lure people into supplying the market, but not so high as to lure too many suppliers, leading to oversupply and resource misallocation.
"Imagining otherwise ignores both economic theory and history."

If the profit margin on any item is higher than a couple of percent then, in the theoretical free market, other competitors will move in and under cut prices until that razor thin margin is achieved. That's how people who understand economics knows that at its very most basic heart the US economy is corrupt and has been since sometime in the early 80's when the idea of a 2% profit margin became unacceptable to the investment class.

Your definition of "razor thin" and an entrepreneur's definition of "razor thin" may vary.
Why aren't there more competitors coming in to undercut prices? What is preventing them?
And, just so we're on the same page, you don't get to define what the proper level of profit is for someone else. You are more than welcome to do that for yourself. But, when it's someone else taking risks and making the effort, that someone else gets to define for him or herself, what the proper level of profits is.

Hundreds of years of free market behavior defines what an appropriate profit margin is. Only since the US economy was fundamentally corrupted has that changed. It's a major reason why the economy has never recovered from the 70's stagflation.

• A Conservative interpretation of the US Constitution
  
• Personal Responsibility
  
• Help for the truly needy
  
• Limited Government
  
• Consumption Tax (non-profit charities and food exempt)
  

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ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen

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ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen
And all those businesses will fail because profits in a healthy economy should be razor thin. Deflation is always a disaster. Imagining otherwise ignores both economic theory and history.

And, you are wrong. Profits don't have to be "razor thin." Profits should be healthy enough to lure people into supplying the market, but not so high as to lure too many suppliers, leading to oversupply and resource misallocation.
"Imagining otherwise ignores both economic theory and history."

If the profit margin on any item is higher than a couple of percent then, in the theoretical free market, other competitors will move in and under cut prices until that razor thin margin is achieved. That's how people who understand economics knows that at its very most basic heart the US economy is corrupt and has been since sometime in the early 80's when the idea of a 2% profit margin became unacceptable to the investment class.

Your definition of "razor thin" and an entrepreneur's definition of "razor thin" may vary.
Why aren't there more competitors coming in to undercut prices? What is preventing them?
And, just so we're on the same page, you don't get to define what the proper level of profit is for someone else. You are more than welcome to do that for yourself. But, when it's someone else taking risks and making the effort, that someone else gets to define for him or herself, what the proper level of profits is.

Hundreds of years of free market behavior defines what an appropriate profit margin is. Only since the US economy was fundamentally corrupted has that changed. It's a major reason why the economy has never recovered from the 70's stagflation.

Excellent! What is an appropriate profit margin, then?