and here's what I bought and where it's from:

shoes-China
shirts-Bangladesh
underwear-India
Socks-USA

And why can't we find a good paying American Job in the US?

Because no one wants to pay the cost of the shoes/shirts/underwear that are made in the united states.

Everyone continues to bitch about Wal-mart, yet you keep going there...

Making shoes, shirts, underwear and socks isn't really living out the American dream, kid. Let the third-world countries have the sweatshops. I'll stick to my professional occupation keeping American heavy industry going.

You wanna make skivvies? Move to China.

You wanna get a real job? Opportunities are endless in America.

There's a catch, though. You have to actually work. And think.

Quoted: Because no one wants to pay the cost of the shoes/shirts/underwear that are made in the united states. Everyone continues to bitch about Wal-mart, yet you keep going there...

I go to Wal-Mart cause it's cheap and close to home.  

Quoted: Making shoes, shirts, underwear and socks isn't really living out the American dream, kid. Let the third-world countries have the sweatshops. I'll stick to my professional occupation keeping American heavy industry going. You wanna make skivvies? Move to China. You wanna get a real job? Opportunities are endless in America. There's a catch, though. You have to actually work. And think.

I am fine with that, Dzl.  Working and thinking are no-brainers, I'd say.  

Quoted: I am fine with that, Dzl.  Working and thinking are no-brainers, I'd say.

Well, um, no they're not.

Shoving Furbies into a box 18 hours a day is a no-brainer.

Quoted: Quoted: I am fine with that, Dzl.  Working and thinking are no-brainers, I'd say.   Well, um, no they're not. Shoving Furbies into a box 18 hours a day is a no-brainer.

Right but if I want to own a Glock 17 or a Walther PP32 then I have to work and think...right?

Quoted: and here's what I bought and where it's from: shoes-China shirts-Bangladesh underwear-India Socks-USA And why can't we find a good paying American Job in the US?

Back when Sam was alive the big push was for products made in the USA.  I remember signs over displays saying "Walmart created XX jobs in Podunk, Georgia, with orders for this product."

Then Sam died.

The new push was "rolling back prices."

Question: If inflation bumps costs up a few points each year, how can they continuously roll back prices?

By strong-arming their vendors.  

Say you make bicycles and you sold them to Wallyworld for $40 each last year.  Walmart's buyers then come to you and say, "You'll sell them to us for $35 next year."

You reply that you can't, because you're operating right on the thin edge of making a living and meeting your overhead costs.

Walmart responds, "We made a commitment to roll back prices.  If you won't sell us bikes for the price we demand, we'll find someone who will." (And that's usually in China)

When a Walmart opens they'll come out with their propaganda of "We created 400 jobs in this community."

The other side of the coin is that while they create service (stocking & cashier) jobs, American manufacturing jobs have been decreasing because of their policies.

People want their cheap stuff, no matter how it affects our country overall.

Can't find American made products?  That's because people have chosen cheap over supporting our manufacturing sector.

That's the way it is.

Quoted: and here's what I bought and where it's from: shoes-China shirts-Bangladesh underwear-India Socks-USA And why can't we find a good paying American Job in the US?

Because people  like you KEEP BUYING FOREIGN GOODS!

Quoted: Went to Wal-Mart...

Are you bragging or complaining ?

Quoted: Making shoes, shirts, underwear and socks isn't really living out the American dream, kid. Let the third-world countries have the sweatshops. I'll stick to my professional occupation keeping American heavy industry going. You wanna make skivvies? Move to China. You wanna get a real job? Opportunities are endless in America. There's a catch, though. You have to actually work. And think.

+1

Quoted: Quoted: and here's what I bought and where it's from: shoes-China shirts-Bangladesh underwear-India Socks-USA And why can't we find a good paying American Job in the US? Back when Sam was alive the big push was for products made in the USA.  I remember signs over displays saying "Walmart created XX jobs in Podunk, Georgia, with orders for this product." Then Sam died. The new push was "rolling back prices." Question: If inflation bumps costs up a few points each year, how can they continuously roll back prices? By strong-arming their vendors.   Say you make bicycles and you sold them to Wallyworld for $40 each last year.  Walmart's buyers then come to you and say, "You'll sell them to us for $35 next year." You reply that you can't, because you're operating right on the thin edge of making a living and meeting your overhead costs. Walmart responds, "We made a commitment to roll back prices.  If you won't sell us bikes for the price we demand, we'll find someone who will." (And that's usually in China) When a Walmart opens they'll come out with their propaganda of "We created 400 jobs in this community." The other side of the coin is that while they create service (stocking & cashier) jobs, American manufacturing jobs have been decreasing because of their policies. People want their cheap stuff, no matter how it affects our country overall. Can't find American made products?  That's because people have chosen cheap over supporting our manufacturing sector. That's the way it is.

I used to see "Illinois Proud" signs in Wal-Mart, or "USA" or "Nebraska pride"(I visited a Wal-Mart in Nebraska once).

Quoted: Quoted: Went to Wal-Mart... Are you bragging or complaining ?

both...

Hell, I got 2 shirts, a pair of shoes, a bunch of socks, and a bunch of underwear for $65.  

Quoted: Quoted: Because no one wants to pay the cost of the shoes/shirts/underwear that are made in the united states. Everyone continues to bitch about Wal-mart, yet you keep going there... I go to Wal-Mart cause it's cheap and close to home.

Then don't complain about it being from China.

Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime.

Quoted: and here's what I bought and where it's from: shoes-China shirts-Bangladesh underwear-India Socks-USA And why can't we find a good paying American Job in the US?

There are no good paying jobs in America? so you want the job of making shoes and shirts?  Those are good paying jobs?

The money from my good paying American job goes farther thanks to Walmart.

jeej86 The international fashion plate.


My Father-in-law had to shut down his shirt manufacturing business because of this crap.
The factory had been in the family for 106 years. He refused to buy off shore. He chose
retirement over selling out to the zipper heads.

Walmart, Walmart, Walmart!!! Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo...

I'd like to go into the house of every hypocrite who points the friggin finger and Walmart shoppers for selling this country out.

I'd check the tags on your clothes, your linens, your computer, your TV/DVD player, your stereo, the parts in your car, maybe some of the parts in your guns, some of your ammo stash, your furniture, blah blah blah...

Yeah, there is still stuff out there that says "Made in USA" on it. But it's rarer than ever and much of it is either assembled elsewhere, or is made-up of parts that were made elsewhere.

To point your finger at Walmart shoppers for selling-out this country, and to do the same somewhere else is BS. Yeah, there's likely MORE goods at Wallyworld and Costco that are made in China. But these days EVERYTHING is made on the Western Pacific Rim. Welcome to the new millenium! And find me a solution that's REALISTIC and I'll be there. Getting everyone to stop shopping at Walmart ain't it...

Went to Wal-Mart, bought some DayQuil. That's it. Can't stand the store for more than five minutes.

I buy american made clothes and shoes. They cost more, but last longer.

Bought a Subaru. Never again. Thing has been falling apart since we got it. My Plymouth Sundance was a better built car.

Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime.

Are you saying the US unemployement rate is high?  get real.  

Bangledesh UnEm rate is about 40%
India is 8% or so
USA 5%

Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime.

How many American jobs has Walmart created???

Quoted: When a Walmart opens they'll come out with their propaganda of "We created 400 jobs in this community." People want their cheap stuff, no matter how it affects our country overall. Can't find American made products?  That's because people have chosen cheap over supporting our manufacturing sector. That's the way it is.

So why do people blame Walmart?
If they didn't sell Chinese junk, someone else would.
Supply and Demand.
People say Walmart destroys American Industry.
No.  American Consumers destroy American Industry.

And, who is to say that's a bad thing?  Why would we want to pay double or triple for an item?

Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime.

Walmart spent 19 billion with chinese suppliers last year. Walmart spent 300 billion dollars with american suppliers last year.

Quoted: Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime. How many American jobs has Walmart created???

A lot less than they have lost due to putting American business out of business.

Quoted: Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime. Walmart spent 19 billion with chinese suppliers last year. Walmart spent 300 billion dollars with american suppliers last year.

The last number I saw stated that 87% of all sku's stocked by WM are made in other countries. Also I referring to the purchases for resale. Not building stores, paying for fuel and sevices.

Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime.

WRONG.

Take China as a example. It is by far WalMart's biggest offshore supplier. Last year (2004) WalMart purchased $15 Billion in goods from China. WalMarts total COGS for calendat 2004 was about $220 Billion. So, simple math shows that WalMart spent less than 7% of it's operating budget buying stuff in China. Most of the other 93% was actually spent in the US. This would include cost of goods purchased for sale, as well as transportation, warehouse, and payroll. Way more dollars stick in America than go to China.

Facts are stubborn things.

Someone please tell me where there is a store within reasonable driving distance that sells 100% American made products.

Quoted: And why can't we find a good paying American Job in the US?

UNIONS

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime. Walmart spent 19 billion with chinese suppliers last year. Walmart spent 300 billion dollars with american suppliers last year. The last number I saw stated that 87% of all sku's stocked by WM are made in other countries. Also I referring to the purchases for resale. Not building stores, paying for fuel and sevices.

Who cares about a comparison of the number of skus? Comparing $.50 shoelaces to $120 tires and weighting the two equally is just stupid. You need to look at DOLLARS. On a DOLLARS basis, WalMart still spends much more buying US than foreign goods.

Excluding cost of property, fuel and wages is also stupid, since the overwhelming majority of these DOLLARS (to the tune of about $200 BILLION) stay in the US. Or were you just cutting the data to fit your argument?

The problem isnt the Chinese or other cheap labor countries. The problem is the US taxes, insurance and poor work ethic. The American worker thinks the company owes him/her everything and doesnt stick there neck out for the company. The foreign worker isnt allowed to think like that.

I did all or most of my Christmas shopping at Walmart and it doesnt bother me a bit.

Quoted: Someone please tell me where there is a store within reasonable driving distance that sells 100% American made products.

Burger King?

Quoted: Quoted: Someone please tell me where there is a store within reasonable driving distance that sells 100% American made products. Burger King?

yeah, but you run the risk of Zombie attack there.

Quoted: Quoted: And why can't we find a good paying American Job in the US? PROFIT-MONGERING CORPORATIONS

In the spirit of the preceding posts:

Glocks are cheap foreign crap handmade by poor alpine girls in dirndls, their blonde hair in braids, out of recycled plastic in Austrian sweatshops in an effort of underprice the high quality, higher priced guns made right here in the USA.



Save Heidi, Boycot Glock.

ETA: How many of you "Walmart is killing the American workers" crowd own a Glock, a Sig, a Beretta, an HK, etc?

How many of you bash Ruger, ArmaLite, Savage, etc?


Well?

Quoted: Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime. How many American jobs has Walmart created???

Service or manufacturing?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime. How many American jobs has Walmart created??? Service or manufacturing?

Either or both?

The quest for cheap goods was around LONG before Walmart became king. We grew-up shopping at Kmart, as well as Gibsons/Pamida. It's an AMERICAN tradition to like finding a wide selection of goods for cheap. Ironic, isn't it?

A year without 'Made in China'

By Sara Bongiorni Tue Dec 20, 3:00 AM ET

BATON ROUGE, LA. - Last year, two days after Christmas, we kicked China out of the house. Not the country obviously, but bits of plastic, metal, and wood stamped with the words "Made in China." We kept what we already had, but stopped bringing any more in.


The banishment was no fault of China's. It had coated our lives with a cheerful veneer of toys, gadgets, and $10 children's shoes. Sometimes I worried about jobs sent overseas or nasty reports about human rights abuses, but price trumped virtue at our house. We couldn't resist what China was selling.

But on that dark Monday last year, a creeping unease washed over me as I sat on the sofa and surveyed the gloomy wreckage of the holiday. It wasn't until then that I noticed an irrefutable fact: China was taking over the place.

It stared back at me from the empty screen of the television. I spied it in the pile of tennis shoes by the door. It glowed in the lights on the Christmas tree and watched me in the eyes of a doll splayed on the floor. I slipped off the couch and did a quick inventory, sorting gifts into two stacks: China and non-China. The count came to China, 25, the world, 14. Christmas, I realized, had become a holiday made by the Chinese. Suddenly I'd had enough. I wanted China out.

Through tricks and persuasion I got my husband on board, and on Jan. 1 we launched a yearlong household embargo on Chinese imports. The idea wasn't to punish China, which would never feel the pinprick of our protest. And we didn't fool ourselves into thinking we'd bring back a single job to unplugged company towns in Ohio and Georgia. We pushed China out of our lives because we wanted to measure how far it had pushed in. We wanted to know what it would take in time, money, and aggravation to kick our China habit.

We hit the first rut in the road when I discovered our son's toes pressing against the ends of his tennis shoes. I wore myself out hunting for new ones. After two weeks I broke down and spent $60 on sneakers from Italy. I felt sick over the money; it seemed decadent for a pair of children's shoes. I got used to the feeling. Weeks later I shelled out $60 for Texas-made shoes for our toddler daughter.

We got hung up on lots of little things. I drove to half a dozen grocery stores in search of candles for my husband's birthday cake, eventually settling on a box of dusty leftovers I found in the kitchen. The junk drawer has been stuck shut since January. My husband found the part to fix it at Home Depot but left it on the shelf when he spotted the telltale "Made in China."

Mini crises erupted when our blender and television broke down. The television sputtered back to life without intervention, but it was a long, hot summer without smoothies. We killed four mice with old-fashioned snapping traps because the catch-and-release ones we prefer are made in China. Last summer at the beach my husband wore a pair of mismatched flip-flops my mother found in her garage. He'd run out of options at the drug store.

Navigating the toy aisle has been a wilting affair. In the spring, our 4-year-old son launched a countercampaign in support of "China things." He's been a good sport, but he's weary of Danish-made Legos, the only sure bet for birthday gifts for his friends. One morning in October he fell apart during a trip to Target when he developed a sudden lust for an electric purple pumpkin.

"It's too long without China," he wailed. He kept at me all day.

The next morning I drove him back so he could use his birthday money to buy the pumpkin for himself. I kept my fingers off the bills as he passed them to the checker.

My husband bemoans the Christmas gifts he can't buy because they were made in China. He plans to sew sleeping bags for the children himself. He can build wooden boats and guitars, but I fear he will meet his match with thread and needle.

"How hard can it be?" he scoffed.

The funny thing about China's ascent is that we, as a nation, could shut the whole thing down in a week. Jump-start a "Just Say No to Chinese Products Week," and the empire will collapse amid the chaos of overloaded cargo ships in Long Beach harbor. I doubt we could pull it off. Americans may be famously patriotic, but look closely, and you'll see who makes the flag magnets on their car bumpers. These days China delivers every major holiday, Fourth of July included.

I don't know what we will do after Dec. 31 when our family's embargo comes to its official end. China-free living has been a hassle. I have discovered for myself that China doesn't control every aspect of our daily lives, but if you take a close look at the underside of boxes in the toy department, I promise it will give you pause.

Our son knows where he stands on the matter. In the bathtub one evening he told me how happy he was that "the China season" was coming soon.

"When we can buy China things again, let's never stop," he said.

After a year without China I can tell you this: You can still live without it, but it's getting trickier and costlier by the day. And a decade from now I may not be brave enough to try it again.

• Sara Bongiorni is a freelance writer and is working on a book about her family's yearlong adventure in the global economy.

 

Quoted: Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime. Walmart spent 19 billion with chinese suppliers last year. Walmart spent 300 billion dollars with american suppliers last year.

american 'suppliers' that had their crap subcontracted to be made in china- that'd be my guess.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: And why can't we find a good paying American Job in the US? PROFIT-MONGERING CORPORATIONS

Bingo!

Quoted: Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime. WRONG. Take China as a example. It is by far WalMart's biggest offshore supplier. Last year (2004) WalMart purchased $15 Billion in goods from China. WalMarts total COGS for calendat 2004 was about $220 Billion. So, simple math shows that WalMart spent less than 7% of it's operating budget buying stuff in China. Most of the other 93% was actually spent in the US. This would include cost of goods purchased for sale, as well as transportation, warehouse, and payroll. Way more dollars stick in America than go to China. Facts are stubborn things.

But you're comparing their inventory cost to their operating costs.

compare U.S.(made in U.S.A) inventory to imported (made in china) inventory spending

I was almost able to masturbate to the first page.  But the second page killed it.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime. WRONG. Take China as a example. It is by far WalMart's biggest offshore supplier. Last year (2004) WalMart purchased $15 Billion in goods from China. WalMarts total COGS for calendat 2004 was about $220 Billion. So, simple math shows that WalMart spent less than 7% of it's operating budget buying stuff in China. Most of the other 93% was actually spent in the US. This would include cost of goods purchased for sale, as well as transportation, warehouse, and payroll. Way more dollars stick in America than go to China. Facts are stubborn things. But you're comparing their inventory cost to their operating costs. compare U.S.(made in U.S.A) inventory to imported (made in china) inventory spending

No, I am comparing their total Cost Of Goods Sold to what proportion of this was spent in China. In order to buy, move, and sell their goods, WalMart spent over $220 billion. Of this total amount of money spent, less than 7% went to China. Most of the other $200 + billion stayed in the US. It went to pay US workers, and US companies, and US banks, and US investors. Why is that so hard to understand.

Whether a dollar buys a widget, or pays an accountant, it's still a dollar.

Quoted: I was almost able to masturbate to the first page.  But the second page killed it.

TMI, dude.

Have any of you people taken a Macro economics class?

Sounds like hardly anyone has!

Trade benefits everyone.  Yes we don't have factories that make plastic crap.  We have factories that make complex aircraft, nuclear aircraft carriers, microprocessors, develop software, and other high tech products.

Yes you CAN NOT get ahead in the USA with a high school education.  The country doesn't care if billy bob with his 8th grade education can't make enough of a paycheck to support a family unless he worked for the NYC transit authority.  He shouldn't.  The fool should have stayed in school so he could get a decent job.

Let the third world and developing nations produce the stuff that requires the unskilled labor.  Quit bitching.  Yes the big evil corporate farm shut down the family farm.  We don't care.  Find a new line of work or STFU.  The corporate farm will do it faster and cheaper.  Thats better for the country.

Quoted: Because Wal-Mart does 80% of thier buying overseas and puts Americans out a job to save a dime.

       Please quote your sources .

Quoted: Have any of you people taken a Macro economics class? .....

If you took all the economist in the world,

and laid them end to end,

they still wouldn't reach the same conclusion.

I see alot of people here
are taking long, long drinks from the
United Food And Commercial Workers Union
Kool-aid.



Funny how all the WalMart bashing started right around 5 years ago
when the UFCW began picking fights it couldn't win.

LA Grocery Strike....Trying to unionize WalMart, etc.

Quoted: ETA: How many of you "Walmart is killing the American workers" crowd own a Glock, a Sig, a Beretta, an HK, etc? How many of you bash Ruger, ArmaLite, Savage, etc? Well?

Still waiting.  I bet the majority of you do.

Quoted: Quoted: ETA: How many of you "Walmart is killing the American workers" crowd own a Glock, a Sig, a Beretta, an HK, etc? How many of you bash Ruger, ArmaLite, Savage, etc? Well? Still waiting.  I bet the majority of you do.

I know some people that only buy US manufactured weapons.

I was accosted by somone in a class I was in that chatized me for buying Russian ammo, when
I could be buying US made ammo.

I told him what I buy is my buisness and to not speak to me again about it.

I'm sure the % of people that would put thier money where their mouth is about buying US
goods is pretty low.  I bet you can find stuff made in Asia, Mexico, India, etc in thier houses too.

I own three weapons.  2 are US, and, one is German. (Walther)