Boycott Wal-Mart

As I meandered through the cavernous lanes (aisles are smaller) of the local Wal-Mart, dodging the not-so-occasional "scooter-for-fat-peeps", I looked around for the singing hipsters (drinking Coca-Cola) who were the heros of the really cool and even fun Wal-Mart commercials that saturated the airwaves this holiday season.

That really cool cat whose party in some million-dollar loft in NoHo was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I saw really, really gravity-challenged people (read: OBESE); slightly in-bred folk with over-sized Steeler shirts ($11.97); old folk trying to stretch their vanishing pensions by shopping at the "Mart"; and, I saw families of all sorts, young ones struggling to clothe and feed that young one whose appearance was less than planned (thank God for the Bush policies of abstinence as opposed to family planning); middle and upper middle ones that had either been dislocated or were on the brink of being so by the current economic quagmire.

My in-laws, proud Russians yet awed by America's massiveness and obvious wealth (Russians are ever comparing themselves to America and Americans), were stunned into silence by the prices.

But, they too, noticed the girth of the people who just sort of staggered through the lanes as if on autopilot, picking up highly processed foods, ugly and oversized shirts and pants, not-so-fresh vegetables and massive barrels of snacks and bottles of coke. Oh, I forgot about the pounds of processed meats and cheeses, frozen waffles with jugs of fake syrup and frisbee-sized "cinnamon" rolls.

Having woven our way past the hostile scooter-drivers to arrive at the check-out line, the wait commenced. Endless conversations about the great prices on things like the hair-dryer on lane 1,398 ($4.97) ; a check is run on a debit card that had worked "a while earlier at the fill-up station"; some wisdom is shared on the chances for the Eagles and Steelers meeting in the Super Bowl and then the purchase is bagged and the one-toothed cashier (this is totally true) smiles and says: "You be good now, Eddie." "Aa will. I learnt ma lession. I ain't gonna be getting in no more trouble (he was about 40)."

In the car, as we crept away having felt like we had stolen the items because they were so cheap, my in-laws made two very true and for me disturbing comments (the curtain was slowly being pulled back and the wizard it seems has his pants at his ankles!): "everything is made in China;" and, "they are all so poorly dressed and seem so poor."

Years ago, I had defended the decisions to send low-technology labor overseas. Factories that might otherwise hurt our environment, I figured, would be better off in China; let Americans learn more intellectual labor, technologically demanding. But, we have not made the jump to that new labor market--again, probably because of the Bush Administration, big business's greed--and now, when virtually EVERYTHING we touch in a given day is "made in china" (even the frames in which the hand-painted pictures the Amish sell), our "base for national and economic strength" is so underemployed, growing into such an underclass that a leap to a higher-tech economy may soon be impossible: people will simply be too unhealthy, too stupid to make this move upwards.

As for Americans being poor, well, this is an accusation more suitable for being parried. We are not poor by any means, in comparision, and our quality of life is still among the best. Our infrastructure still has Europeans drooling.

However, many have become completely ignorant of what is needed to be happy, healthy and how to live THE RICH LIFE, not in a material way. The Bush followers have dumbed our nation down and people do dress poorly; speak as if English were a second language; mindlessly eat things that a farmer wouldn't dare feed his livestock.

American businesses should be penalized for sending jobs overseas. America is business. Always has been. If we want to progress further, then we have to force Wal-Mart to buy American-made goods--at least 50% of the things that sit on their shelves today. Why can't we make a frame for a picture?

The increased costs will be offset by the increased employment that will come about by the increased demand on small, local businesses. The increased tax dollars will help our nation and slowly but surely we will make a move to higher-tech economy and those going into these jobs will be healthy, mobile and have more than one tooth!

Action is required. Wal-Mart does not care about America. Wal-Mart is the 8th largest trading partner with China (it does more trade than most countries in the world do).

Boycott Wal-Mart now! Make them feel our pain!