Low Prices at What Price?

by Lah-May

While dining at a restaurant one evening the topic came up about a Wal-Mart Supercenter being built nearby. Having just read Barbara Ehrenreich’s book, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, I didn’t have anything positive to say about the supercenter. One man at the table was adamant it was a good thing—it would bring jobs. In my counter-argument I pointed out that a Wal-Mart Supercenter would, more likely than not, result in small businesses being closed down; other grocery stores possibly closing down; the county picking up the health care tab for Wal-Mart employees (since wages are so low they wouldn’t be able to afford insurance premiums); and the fact that so many items Wal-Mart carries used to be made in this country but are now made in other countries because of a cheaper labor pool…yada, yada, yada. A heated argument ensued which probably spoiled the appetites for everyone at the table that evening.

I not only have not changed my position, but I continue to run across studies and articles that detail the effects of globalization, including the effects Wal-Mart is having on the global economy. On one hand, inflation is kept in check and overall efficiency has improved. But I have learned there is a price to pay—a human price especially.

Joel Bakan has a book out, The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, in which he compares corporations to psychopaths in that they feel no remorse for the pain and suffering they cause others; they feel no moral obligation; they are only self-serving. In reading about how Wal-Mart operates, I must admit I do see this description could apply. Wal-Mart is obsessed with low prices. To get those low prices, factories in this country have been shut down and work outsourced to overseas factories where wages are much lower. Any company, in this country or elsewhere, which has contracts with Wal-Mart is constantly challenged to lower the cost of their products they sell to Wal-Mart, diminishing their own profit until they can no longer survive. If a company refuses to sell to Wal-Mart at the price they demand, Wal-Mart just finds another supplier elsewhere on the planet. There is, unfortunately, a market of poor young women in countries like Bangladesh willing to work for pennies a day (and I’m not referring to a mere eight-hour shift).

Wal-Mart also gets their prices low by paying low wages to their own employees—especially in comparison to union wages and benefits paid at other grocery stores. The strikes you see happening at supermarket chains are a result of the management of those companies trying to get workers to accept lower wages and fewer benefits in order to compete with Wal-Mart.

Concerned cities and citizens are taking a closer look at the effects of mega-markets, supercenters, etc. A year ago, the Los Angeles Times ran an in-depth three-part series on how Wal-Mart operates and the effects it is having on small businesses, the grocery industry, workers’ salaries and benefits, and communities in general. The overall consensus: it’s not a good thing.

Several years ago I attended a conference on poverty held in Phoenix. Local leaders from all parts of the state participated. Also in attendance were assistants to state government officials. The primary discussion focused on how to generate more jobs, especially in impoverished regions of the state. When I was afforded an opportunity to comment, I spoke on the fact that communities should not overlook the needs for individual fulfillment, giving examples that musicians should be able to be musicians and artists should be able to be artists. My comment was followed by a brief moment of silence. But then discussion once again resumed on how to generate jobs. Afterwards, only one person came up to tell me she appreciated what I said.

In our studies within the global change, spiritual educational organization of Aquarian Concepts Community, we acknow-ledge three levels of reality: the physical, the mindal, and the spiritual. We learn that as a planet evolves, these three levels of reality become balanced and coordinated. Yet due to a number of factors, including the dispersion of Luciferic concepts initiated 200,000 years ago, the world is imbalanced—resulting in too much focus on the physical, the material…often acquired through greed and selfishness.
One of the responsibilities each human being has towards others is to help them manifest their individual destinies in God. I wasn’t speaking a nonsensical pipedream at that conference on poverty I attended; I was speaking of a reality that is destined to be on this world—a reality the Universal Father/Mother expects us to be striving towards. Operations like Wal-Mart Supercenters are hurdles that must be overcome to meet that destiny.

How do we begin to evolve towards a more balanced civilization? Perhaps we should start with our relationships with our neighbors within our own communities and reflecting those values to the rest of the world. Buying artwork from local artists helps support their livelihood and their vision. Attending performances and purchasing music by local and independent musicians enables them to continue to express themselves and evolve their talent. Dining at locally-owned restaurants instead of corporate eateries supports the owners’ way of making a living and keeps money in the local area (and out of CEO’s already bulging bank accounts). Buying food from local farms and farmers’ markets helps farmers maintain their way of life, and also helps ensure a source of locally-produced, fresh, and healthy food. Purchasing used goods—from clothes to electronics—at garage sales, thrift stores, consignment stores, and church rummage sales helps not only the buyer’s pocketbook but also keeps usable items out of landfills.

There are too many people in the world trapped in redundant factory jobs with no opportunities to discover their innate talents and abilities—living only to survive with no chance to thrive. Mega corporations may be here to stay, but if they do, they must transform. They truly need to operate as a member of the human family. With a global family mindset, expecting another human being to live their life as little more than a corporate slave just so your company can sell an item cheap would be unconscionable.
Who are the vanguards to lead the way to a new reality? Who will work to bring balance to this planet—to see that material needs are met, educational opportunities are afforded to all, and personal destiny realization is encouraged? Everyone. Indeed, everyone is called to participate and work together in order to build a new reality founded upon divine values on this world.

References:
Los Angeles Times (three-part series on Wal-Mart), November 23-25, 2003
“The Wal-Mart You Don’t Know,” Fast Company, December 2003