Wal-mart teams up with US Army to expand workforce

This is just creepy:


www.boston.com...

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has signed on to an Army Reserve program in which the company and the Army will work together to recruit and train people interested in serving in the military and working for the giant retailer.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest private employer, has more than 1.4 million US employees.

An agreement signed yesterday obligates Wal-Mart to interview and consider all qualified, participating soldiers for employment after they complete military occupational specialty training.

When a reserve soldier who works at Wal-Mart is called to service, the company can draw on 1 million or so citizen soldiers to help identify a qualified replacement to work in the soldier's place.

The arrangement is expected to lower costs of recruiting and training for Wal-Mart.

Let's think about what this means. Right now, most of the military force are those from middle and lower class families. Most of the Wal-mart demographic is also middle and lower class families.

It seems like they are trying to setup a system in which Wal-mart employees will be prompted to join the military, and military veterans / those currently not in active duty will be able to get a job at wal-mart easily.

I understand the pros of this, however the cons seem to far outweigh such an idea.

- Pushing even more unexperienced, financially stressed people into the military, as a last resort (assuming that Wal-mart was already a last resort)

- Putting military directly into a retail setting, without recognizing that someone that has been conditioned by the military does not interact with civilians the way you might expect a normal person to.

- This is setting up a endless cycle - shop at walmart, work at walmart, join the military, go back to wal-mart, etc.


I'm already terrified of what Wal-mart is going to become in the next few decades... and that was before I had even thought of a partnership between the largest public corporation in the world, and the US military. Hooray for globalism!

I made a thread bout something similar to this a while back. It was about the purposeful manipulation of the economy in order to increase recruitment into the military. The US gov needs fresh young minds and bodies to be fodder for the next war of expansion, and since the number of volunteers is at an all time low they now have to get crafty as to how to draw in new recruits.

One way would be to make it increasingly difficult economically for young lower and middle class kids to make a living so that military service is a good last resort option compared to unemployment and starvation.

Now the evil empire Wal Mart is taking the same poor kids who are working for slave wages and no health benefits and creating a fast track into military servitude. Then after they have been in the military and managed to survive they can come right back to good old Wal Mart to work for peanuts and no health insurance once again.

See a trend here? The same young people get exploited again and again and there is always a steady stream of low paid, expendable "employees" who will work for nothing and do what they are told.

Originally posted by BlackOps719
steady stream of low paid, expendable "employees" who will work for nothing and do what they are told.

that's the part that I was really trying to point out. I'm interested to see where this will be going. Obviously there will be discounts for military members. Perhaps the base commissaries (BX/PX) will be taken over by Wal-mart as well...

reply to post by scientist





It wouldnt suprise me, th part about the PX's being taken over and controlled by Wal Mart. They have taken over just about everything else, so it wouldnt suprise me.

It reminds me of that movie Demolition Man, where every restaurant was owned by Taco Bell. I can almost imagine a future where everything is owned and operated under the Wal Mart banner.

Scary yes, but very possible. And by contracting with the military it all but guarantees that no competitor will stand a chance to challenge their standing.

I guess when Wal Marts start popping up in Iraq and on the Gaza West Bank we will know for certain that an alliance has been forged.

Maybe we'll get a Wal-Mart Mercenary force out of this.
I can see it now, "All your mercenary needs at LOW LOW PRICES!". They can use good ol' smiley as the logo.

Then the government won't pay people to fight beside our soldiers $100K+. Which I think is demoralizing for our troops itself.

this reminds me so much of the movie "Idiocracy", the scene where they go to the Costco store to buy supplies...haha

Watch the clip here

Isn't this deal a GOOD thing? It 'guarantees' soldiers a job....

I have no idea what to think of this. Go fight in the wars and genocide, so that you can return home for a job at Wal-Mart...
I am stopping this here. Really, mind-blank..

I tuned into this a few years ago and saw when the whole Food distribution system became federalized and at the same time Walmart began to restructure their operations and lay out of stores, it was a very big sign of the times to come.

They are crating an atmosphere where the two are seen as a casual joining of forces, getting people accustomed to the two being at the same location, and then to one day become the locations where lines of people will come through to get their rations, and be herded into detainment areas if they during check in are found to be on the red list.

There will be no other way to get goods and services in the near future by some calamity unforeseen by the average person but well known by the controlling forces. People will not rise up or fight for those that are carted away, they will stand silently shaking within, all the while accepting it as if it is a necessary evil. It will be for their own safety.

after reading all this information, after having watched "idiocracy". I honestly can't help but be compelled to fall on the floor and weep for this nation

Just looking at Idiocracy alone is a sad reminder of what it is our young generation thinks is "cool" (jackass, Borat, et al) and makes me worry about our future as a species.

Honestly, how could have the masses allowed themselves to be duped so badly? Maybe we do deserve to become extinct. Just look at how easily the few corrupt can manipulate the many into doing or supporting stuff that is obviously wrong! (I haven't had any coffee so I can't speak as eloquently as I normally do)

Another movie that represents this sort of direction just came out, called "War, Inc." with John Cusack and Marissa Tomei among others. It's sort of like Idiocracy, except much, much darker - and all revolves around how corporations would continue to work in a state of perpetual warfare.

That was actually the first movie I thought of when reading this article.

reply to post by scientist


That was a GREAT MOVIE, especially the tanks looking like Nascar Racers. A little more serious than idiocracy I'd say, just for the pure and simple reason it all seems exagerrated but is exactly like the Miliatary Industrial Complex.

I would love to see the movie is it in DVD? *Bump*

reply to post by antar


yep, it came out in October:

www.amazon.com...

This is truly horrid.

You know, I'm a big fan of "Jericho".

Jennings and Rawl = Wal-mart

When the largest retail corporation signs up to deals with the US military, you know something seriously bad is going on in Washington.

Having said that, in the UK there is talk of those who hold an SIA license (Security Industry Authority) being "signed up" to civilian policing initiatives in the future.

Still, the only way anything will change is through mass movement, people vote with their feet, boycott. I would expect that this will cause a lot of potential employees to find another source of income.

Also, I am a firm believer that no corporation should be permitted to become so powerful as to have an influence like this, and It's sad that people have let this company become a monster. What's even sadder is that most won't care and they'll continue to give their hard earned $ to this hugely greedy machine.

Originally posted by detachedindividual
the only way anything will change is through mass movement, people vote with their feet, boycott. I would expect that this will cause a lot of potential employees to find another source of income.

perhaps this is just my extreme cynicism saying this, but as much as I would like to believe that such a boycott will eventually come... I really, really doubt it. Wal-Mart has 2 huge stores both within a few miles of each other around where I live, and they are both open 24 hours, and both always busy.

When I lived in Biloxi, MS, Wal-Mart was literally the place everyone would to go hang out, of all ages. It was more popular than the mall.

Wal-Mart is already the end-all-be-all store for many people in this country. They sell everything. Cars, gas, tires, food, guns, tvs, drugs, you name it.

The Wal-Mart Super Center in Plymouth NH not only offers a nail salon, a hair salon & an automotive service center, but the local police department has an office at the front of the building. What's up with that?

Just some notes in passing.......

To my knowledge Wal Mart is not looking for any type of government bailout, and they are actually making a profit! That makes them OK in my book! Maybe the automakers could take a look at how Wal Mart is taking on the Unions and follow their example? The Unions are killing the auto industry.

The movie "Idiocracy" is getting more relevant everyday. Look at who we just elected to be our next President. Not a very smart move there. President Camacho, anyone?



[edit on 13-11-2008 by RRconservative]

reply to post by RRconservative


thats a horrible analogy. Auto makers are screwed because they make overpriced and inefficient cars, not because of unions (although I don't dismiss unions from blame altogether either).

Wal-mart does fine because they don't need skilled workers. There is little to no training required, and a majority of the employees are the very epitome of expendable. In fact, wal-mart is already like the military in that regard, considering the compartmentalization and expandability of the workforce.

Well I can not think of a better term other than Fascist,
because that what fascism is... government and corporations working together... what can you say... but.... HELL NO...

It looks like I'm in the minority here, but the way the article reads they are not talking about getting Wal-Mart employees to join the military, they are talking about Wal-Mart at least interviewing any member of the military who applies at one of their stores. Those are completely different things and I don't see a problem with them giving interviews to people who are in the military. A lot of employers won't right now due to the war because they know if that employee is there at least 90 days, I'm pretty sure it's 90 days but I'd have to look it up to be positive, they have to save a position for when that person comes back if they get called up for duty. So, most places don't want to hire military people because they can't just fire them if they get shipped overseas, they have to give them back their job when they get back. That Wal-Mart is willing to grant interviews to any military member who applies is a good thing in my book.

Edit to say I don't think that the majority of those in the military come from lower class families either. There are some who are, but the majority are middle-class. Many people from lower class families that want to join the military can't because they are disqualified in one way or another. (Not that people from middle and upper class families can't be disqualified, I just can't think of a better way to say what I mean at the moment.)

[edit on 13-11-2008 by Jenna]