Eye Opener

I watched a very disturbing film over the last two nights, called "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price."

Now, I have been a Wal-Mart shopper for years, as there are 2 "super centers" conveniently located within a few miles of my home. I can do all my shopping for the week in one stop, and for relatively low prices. However, I never stopped to ponder why or how the same item at Wal-Mart could be more than a dollar cheaper than at Kroger or other chain stores.

I knew that the corporation had a traumatic affect on small town economics, but hey, this is Peoria. I knew that a lot of the goods were imported, but who doesn't import these days? However, the fact that they will do anything to make a dollar, including trampling their own employees into poverty, forcing them to turn to federal aid just to buy groceries or get health care for their children while working 40 hours a week, is appalling. The U.S. government is paying over $1 Billion/year just for health care for Wal-Mart employees and their families.

The film interviews former managers, supervisors, and trainers that admit being forced to erase the overtime hours of their employees so Wal-Mart wouldn't have to pay extra. They install "anti-union" surveillance packages in the stores to prevent any such organization within the ranks. This doesn't even break the surface of all the inhumane labor conditions going on overseas.

Saving a few dollars of my paycheck is not worth the moral injustices occurring across the globe. However, if people don't shop there, will these same employees find better opportunities elsewhere? Should the government do anything? Thoughts?