« The Church of the Holy Smokes | Main | Autumn on the Lakeside »
October 19, 2006
Iraq for Sale
If you don't watch another video before the election, don't miss this one. This should serve to anger just about everyone from every political flavor. As taxpayers, we should be outraged that our hard-earned money is being squandered without oversight. For those with loved ones in the military, you will be outraged that our troops are treated like second-class citizens and subjected to perils beyond the normal course of war. Parents whose kids are being recruited; women whose husbands are being taken advantage of and put in danger for profit should be incensed. Business owners and their employees should be outraged that so many contracts are going to so few companies.
I don't care who you are, this movie is going to make you really, really angry.
By the way, if you don't boycott WalMart already, this documentary should convince you:
I've shopped at WalMart fewer than five times in my life, so they won't miss me.
Comments
http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_rob_kall_061018_ohio_lawsuit_to_rein.htm
Restoring voters to the Ohio elections.
Posted by: loretta | October 19, 2006 10:41 AM
I would much rather trade with Wal-mart than Target Stores. Target is anti veteran, anti salvation army bell ringers, anti toys for tots. and the list goes on an on. Wal-mart may have some faults. But when comparing them to alternative stores in the same market. I will take Wal-mart every time.
Posted by: Vet4Bush | October 19, 2006 02:01 PM
Given my financial circumstances at the moment, I have to go with the store with the most affordable prices.
Unfortunately, I think a lot of people are in that same situation.
I do write a lot of letters to City Council members, Senators, Legilators, Ahhhnold, and our idiot President, if that counts for anything.
Posted by: Nadine | October 19, 2006 02:57 PM
That Iraq for Sale video is ticking me off. Thanks for that link, Loretta.
You're right, as taxpayers, it should rile us all up big time.
I respect the right of anyone who wants to enlist to do so, but given the fact that our government doesn't seem to respect its citizens or military personnel, I think it's a bad idea right now.
To be patriotic is one thing. To have that be grossly taken advantage of for profit in Iraq is entirely another.
Posted by: Nadine | October 19, 2006 04:54 PM
Walmart is doing a great service to the elderly in having the lowest prices for prescription drugs. My diabetes and hypertension drugs are through the roof at other drug stores. I think the Democratic slam against Walmart has more to do with Union (Commie) politics than any real economic harm done by giving Americans the lowest prices for their hard earned dollars.
Posted by: Vet4Bush | October 19, 2006 04:56 PM
Loretta, the WalMart story reminded me of the Krispy Kreme invasion here a few years ago. One of them opened up close to a small local Mom and Pop donut shop. Of course, the bigger store was pretty popular because of its size and variety. Lots of protesters made complaints about it being unfair to the small shops that had been around for years.
I have never bought a Krispy Kreme donut, by the way, for that very reason.
Krispy Kreme has closed most of the stores it had opened here in California.
Posted by: Nadine | October 19, 2006 05:50 PM
Well, okay Loretta, after watching the WalMart video, I see your point.
I'll make a more conscious effort to buy the things I would get from them at other places.
There are 4 small neighborhood stores where I buy a lot of our groceries with locally grown vegetables, including a Thai market.
We also have a small family owned hardware store here that my husband and I buy a lot of things from, including garden supplies and tools.
Posted by: Nadine | October 19, 2006 06:26 PM
WalMart wouldn't have to deep discount Rx drugs if the Rx companies weren't so greedy.
It all boils down to greed, greed, greed.
Posted by: loretta | October 19, 2006 07:23 PM
Google keeps your queries for a long time. 40 years or something. HA! They must have busloads of servers for all this stuff.
Time to mix up your search engines. No more automatic googling for me.
Posted by: loretta | October 19, 2006 09:03 PM
We just watched the Wal-Mart movie for the third or fourth time.
I won't shop there. I used to. I haven't in nearly a year.
I hate what they do to communities and I hate how they treat their employees. Indentured servants in China. Buy American.
The world's largest employer and won't provide affordable health care for their employees nor a decent living wage.
This is not what Sam Walton was about.
Posted by: Axis Sally | October 19, 2006 10:05 PM
So, Vet4Bush, it's okay that Wal-Mart employees, even though they are employed full time, still qualify for government programs since don't earn a living wage because your scripts are cheap?
That's bait and switch. Lure you in with cheap scripts so you buy their other inferior slave made products.
Posted by: Axis Sally | October 19, 2006 10:11 PM
I live on a small fixed retirement income and work part time. Walmart is the only place I can afford to shop. The Sears, Foley's and Albertsons are on another planet. I could never afford to go to those places.
Posted by: Vet4Bush | October 19, 2006 11:12 PM
My biggest objection to Walmart is their homogenizing influence. It's all the same stuff, wherever you go. It may be one stop shopping, and it may be cheap, and I go there for the $1/yd fabric table, and if I need something in the middle of the night, but I loathe it all the same.
I buy most of my clothes at the thrift shops, or the outlet mall.
Posted by: vero | October 20, 2006 12:07 AM
Thanks for the post, Loretta. I have refused to shop at Wal-Mart for about 5 yrs. now. My borther-in law & a sister in-law both work at Wal-Mart. Just so you all know, Wal-Mart will NOT let the $8.00 employee work over 40 hrs. A typical employee can only work about 32 hrs. Being open 24 hrs, Wal-Mart has shifted my sis-in-laws hrs to include getting off at 10 pm and having to be back in at 3 am.
I live in a town where there are 13 empty storefronts..and that's just on ONE side of the street. I have seen a company (Ohio Art, Bryan, OH.. home of Etch-A-Sketch) close up its doors and move to China because Wal_mart pressured them into a lower priced product. (300 employees out of work). And what about Rubbermaid who was based in Ohio? Product now made in India.
Yea.. I may be paying a higher price for the shopping I do, but I will NOT give any of my hard-earned money to Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart is all about the all mighty $, and to hell with the community they are in, and to hell with the employees.
Posted by: Pamela | October 20, 2006 09:00 AM
Celebs Ignore "Green" Wal-mart's Worker Oppression
Prominent liberals are lining up to praise Wal-Mart, and the company can thank its recently-hired Democratic operative, Leslie Dach.
Posted by: Nadine | October 20, 2006 01:40 PM
Link for the post above:
http://www.alternet.org/workplace/43200/
Posted by: Nadine | October 20, 2006 01:41 PM
If this doesn't make your blood boil, nothing will.
America, Land of the Free?
Think again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keith Olbermann on the signing of the Military Commissions Act and the loss of Habeas Corpus.
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/43258/#more
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bush has got to GO.
Vote the Bums out.
Posted by: Nadine | October 20, 2006 02:08 PM
Watching that WalMart video really depressed me. Especially the scenes in China. I felt so terrible.
In a news roundup today, there is an article about Maryland's voting machines and someone sending a disk of code from Diebold.
Paper ballots, anyone?
Posted by: loretta | October 20, 2006 08:47 PM
And Rep. Alexander from Loooisiana was informed of sexual harassment by one of his staff and did...
drumroll....
nothing.
Same Rep Alexander of the Foley Follies.
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/15583-1.html
Posted by: loretta | October 20, 2006 08:50 PM
In California you can sign up for absentee ballots permanently and that's what we have done. Always paper ballots.
Posted by: CountryGal | October 20, 2006 09:21 PM
And since I'm on a Robert Greenwald kick, don't miss "Outfoxed" and "The Whole Truth about Iraq:
Posted by: loretta | October 20, 2006 11:42 PM
I've already registered for permanent absentee voter status. I will NOT use a voting machine.
There's already been a screw-up with some absentee voters getting two "A" or two "B" voting sheets instead of one "A" and one "B". One sheet is for the candidates, one is for the measures and propositions.
Another problem I see is that there's an insert telling people here to be sure to use .63 cents postage when mailing their ballots.
You just know there'll be some who won't do that, and those absentee ballots won't get there in time, and therefore won't be counted.
Posted by: Nadine | October 21, 2006 03:16 AM
August 6, 2003
A CNN news anchor, Jack Cafferty, will pay a $250 fine and perform 70 hours of community service after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, prosecutors said yesterday. Mr. Cafferty was charged with the traffic infraction, along with misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, assault and harassment, after the police said he knocked a man off a bike with his Cadillac on Ninth Avenue on May 14. The bicyclist, Billy Maldonado, told the police he was slightly injured. A traffic officer and several pedestrians ran after Mr. Cafferty's car, but Mr. Cafferty drove through at least two red lights without stopping, according to a police complaint.
Posted by: Vet4Bush | October 21, 2006 10:44 AM