The sins of Wal-Mart.

It's certainly valid to discuss whether or not corporations "should" provide health care benefist to all employees, or whether nationalized health care makes sense.

But, it seems that before such discussions take place, it would make sense to try to understand why healthcare in the US is so outrageously expensive compared to other countries. While Mexicans look north for jobs, Americans are starting to look south for healthcare.

It has been my general observation that whenever there is an intractable problem, politics is involved.

Slightly off topic, but Al Gore said, specifically, "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet" during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN on March 9, 1999.

So no, he didn't say he invented the internet, just that he created it.

I included those "rathers" because I didn't think it was a conservative and liberal issue in your mind, but rather that those who disagreed with you were uneducated on the issue. You specifically said it was conservatives that needed to be more discerning, which would lead one to believe you don't think liberals needed to. In this case, your political stance on this leans towards the liberal view.

So back to my original question, was that what you were trying to say?

Originally posted by madmanacrosswater
Did Al Gore actually say he invented the internet? No, but somehow that became the mantra. I'm saying if something is repeated enough time then somehow it becomes the gospel when many times nothing could be further from the truth.

The meaning of his words are subject to spin driven debate. But, this is what he said:

During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. From this interview.

Concerning Wal-mart:

Purchasing goods from China was in practice before Wal-mart. Big distributors put mom and pop operations out of business before Wal-mart. People in labor positions received crap for pay and benefits before Wal-mart. The only thing Wal-mart is guilty of is bringing to middle America the knowledge that we now live in a world economy driven by corporations.


Eidt: I took too long to write the on topic portion of my post.

[edit on 22-12-2005 by Raphael_UO]

Raphael wrote:
During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. From this interview.

Well, it turns out that this statement was true - he recently received an award for it! "took the initiative" is very, very different from "invented". The word "invented" was substituted/paraphrased by neo-Con talk radio hosts.

just for the record...

You may want to check out this story - there is nothing lost in interpretation.

Jury Awards $172 Million
To Wal-Mart Employees

www.belowtopsecret.com...

Originally posted by Two Steps Forward

Originally posted by Toelint
Would someone PLEASE tell me exactly what it is Walmart sells which is driving other business out of the picture?? I live in Sacramento ( a midsized town by California standards).

Sacramento is the state capital. It has around 400,000 people. If that is "midsized by California standards," this is only because California includes Los Angeles, which is huge. Sacramento is in no way, shape, or form a rural small town.

Wal-Mart cannot drive all competition out of business in a city the size of Sacramento. But it can do so in smaller towns in rural areas.

Two Steps, I wish you had also quoted the examples of which businesses thrive, even in the shadow of a Walmart store...BUT...just for the record, you're right about the size of Sacramento. Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and San Jose are bigger, and of course there's plenty that are smaller. My point is, there's plenty of niches that Walmart simply can't fill.

THERE'S where new business growth lies.


[edit on 11-1-2006 by Toelint]

I can't even tell you how much I hate this store. In case you haven't seen this link its a PBS show they did on the store. You can watch the movies. Well worth the time.

www.pbs.org...

www.netflix.com...


If you have Netflix and hate walmart then rent this movie. It's about 2 hours long even though it says 1 hour.

Fantastic Documentary

So no, he didn't say he invented the internet, just that he created it.

Exactly my point. Gore was the ONLY Senator aware of the Army's use of what is considered the internet. He introduced the legislation because he realized the business applications of the internet while the rest of the beltway had no idea what he was talking about.

Yes, he certainly was instumental in the creation of the internet for those outside the military.

He has been a man way ahead of his time in many subjects yet is lampooned because of his superior intelligence.