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http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2011/09/2011915172736118705.html

From your own article.

The American lifestyle

Being poor in America is not that bad, according a report from the conservative Heritage Foundation, which has analysed Tuesday's census data. Eighty per cent of poor households have air-conditioning, 92 per cent have a microwave, and 42 per cent of poor people own their own home.

One third of poor Americans have a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV and two thirds of poor Americans have DVD players.

Researcher Timothy Smeeding scoffs at this analysis. "I reckon two people at the Heritage Foundation spent more on lunch today than the cost of a DVD player," he said. "There are certain things that have become regular parts of life."

Unlike much of the world, poverty in the US "does not mean living on a dollar per day". It is more like "eight dollars per person, per day", Smeeding said.

Back at the food bank in Tennessee, Marcia Wells knows poor Americans still have an easier time than people in much of the world. "I certainly see that our problems seem tame when compared to abject poverty and hunger you see in other countries," she said. "But it is all relative and [food insecurity] is no less real here, in relation to the American lifestyle."

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I am not saying people are not suffering Sini. The economy is trying to crawl out of the gutter right now and the lower end of the spectrum has it tough. I just do not believe we have people dying of starvation out in the streets because Walmart isn't paying them a fair wage.

That illusion is created by people who are in general anti-business and will blame every bump in the road on some large corpoartion. If you want to believe we have starving camps of kids dying in tent cities all over America than so be it.

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Originally Posted By: Sethan

Back at the food bank in Tennessee, Marcia Wells knows poor Americans still have an easier time than people in much of the world. "I certainly see that our problems seem tame when compared to abject poverty and hunger you see in other countries," she said. "But it is all relative and [food insecurity] is no less real here, in relation to the American lifestyle."


Starving and living in tents with no access to healthcare isn't any different in US or Africa. The difference is that in US you also happen to have access to DVDs and maybe internet while you are at it.

This is "look they have a DVD player, PS1 and an Old TV (that have nearly-zero value)" argument that I don't see as valid. You don't starve any less because you have some Salvation Army electronics. It just shows that these people are starving in a rich society.

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Being poor in America is not that bad, according a report from the conservative Heritage Foundation, which has analysed Tuesday's census data.


Yes, when you compare to starving Nigerian kids in a refugee camps. Simple fact that such comparison was made with some people living in United States of America, the richest country in the world, should give you a pause.

Quote:
Eighty per cent of poor households have air-conditioning, 92 per cent have a microwave, and 42 per cent of poor people own their own home.


I call shenanigans on "household" definitions. It is likely "of poor people who happen to live in a house", conveniently omitting ones who live in an old trailer or tent city.

Last edited by sini; 04/18/13 08:13 AM.

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Originally Posted By: Sethan


""Here’s a crazy thought—might it have something to do with the fact that Costco pays nearly all of its employees a decent living (well in excess of the minimum wage) while Wal-Mart continues to pay its workers as if their employees don’t actually need to eat more than once a week, live in an enclosed space and, on occasion, take their kids to see a doctor?""

Come on.....Really Forbes? This is a straight up smear article.



While conclusions might be unsubstantiated, criticism of Wallmart is very well deserved and by no means misplaced.

If you don't see it that way consider it a strong indication that your belief system is sliding into fever swamps.


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Nope...no difference at all Sini. We just have dvd players and internet.

Americans are not starving to death. Why do you insist on pushing this illusion?

Last edited by Sethan; 04/18/13 08:07 AM.
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Originally Posted By: sini
Originally Posted By: Sethan


""Here’s a crazy thought—might it have something to do with the fact that Costco pays nearly all of its employees a decent living (well in excess of the minimum wage) while Wal-Mart continues to pay its workers as if their employees don’t actually need to eat more than once a week, live in an enclosed space and, on occasion, take their kids to see a doctor?""

Come on.....Really Forbes? This is a straight up smear article.



While conclusions might be unsubstantiated, criticism of Wallmart is very well deserved and by no means misplaced.

If you don't see it that way consider it a strong indication that your belief system is sliding into fever swamps.


Walmart could do a better job with their people. I totally agree with you on that. This guy said that Walmart believes their people should not eat more than one meal a week though.

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Originally Posted By: Sethan
Americans are not starving to death. Why do you insist on pushing this illusion?


We shouldn't even have to have this conversation. USA, the richest country in the world, should not have anyone concerned with basic needs like food, healthcare, shelter. We are collectively rich enough that they could be provided for, no IFs or BUTs. The facts that they are not, while 1% getting richer and richer, shows that we are sliding into medieval levels of barbarism.

How could you be talking about kid's opportunity, American Way, when kid's parents are living in a tent towns dying from a whooping cough in their mid 20s?!


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@Sethan

Level of service makes a huge difference, just FYI. Maybe you do not notice or care - in many cases I sure dont. (other than noting the general state of disorganization of the shelves, slow stocking, etc)

But I can tell you lots of people do - especially middle aged women. Who gossip about the good or poor service they get at a store alllll the time. Trying to say that there is no connect between pay/benefits and service, and service/sales is a nonstarter. It makes a huge difference, go strike up a watercooler conversation about places to shop and service with some females at your workplace sometime. Especially if they are 40+



For who could be free when every other man's humour might domineer over him? - John Locke (2nd Treatise, sect 57)
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Now we are talking.....

We should not have some people living the way they do in this country. I agree that no one should go without basic food, shelter and medic treatment in America. We need to be focusing on government waste though and not Walmart.

Look at all the billions of tax dollars our government waste on projects that the American people are not standing behind. I doubt you will find a level headed tax payer that would not like to see their tax dollars go to forming a better foundation for those three basic needs.

So I absolutely agree with that statement. I just will not believe it is the fault of corporations and hate it when they are used as a scapegoat for the problem.



http://www.nrcc.org/thewastelist/

Just shift through this website for a bit and you will see what I mean. The tax money is there to start working on those 3 basic needs but it is being wasted on robotic squirrels.


Last edited by Sethan; 04/18/13 08:58 AM.
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<-- doesn't shop at Walmart

Not because of poor service though. It is just out of my way and several local places are on my way to the house. Also the local places don't sell vegetables that taste like cardboard.

The last time I went to Walmart was in Florida a few weeks ago. We needed some ice before we went down to the beach. It literally took us over 20 minutes to get out of the store because the ice didnt have a scan bar. They had to bring a manager over to ring up the ice. My brother was going to get a gas card but decided it wasnt worth the wait for them to figure out how to take our money for it.

So you will not see me defending Walmart's customer service anytime soon on this forum. We could probably make a whole thread about how crappy their service is.

I just pointed out the article was an over the top smear job that Forbes put on it's website.


Last edited by Sethan; 04/18/13 08:48 AM.
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