[Oe List ...] Wal-Mart and the weapons of mass destruction

[Marianna Bailey]

As a P.S. to the Wal-Mart conversation, I highly recommend watching the DVD 
"The 11th Hour" . It gives a very big picture of where we are headed.
Marianna
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Baumbach" <wtw0bl at new.rr.com>
To: "Order Ecumenical Community" <oe at wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 9:53 AM
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Wal-Mart and the weapons of mass destruction


> Marianna Bailey said:
>
>
> "I think the point is. "Wal-Mart" is not a sustainable model for the 
> future.
> We need to do some big picture thinking of how do we deal with global
> distribution of food. or world hunger. Seems like I remember us saying 
> that
> every community has the possibility of feeding itself. I'm not sure if 
> that
> is true today."
>
> It is interesting to note that the definition of sustainable model depends 
> on one's perspective.  Her comment is true as far as it goes.  What is 
> missing is the understanding that no model is sustainable ad infinitum, 
> even one that redistributes wealth, food and resources to the humans 
> throughout the world.
>
> If one looks at the WalMart model from a capitalism's perspective it is a 
> sustainable model as long as it has raw materials and resources that it 
> can sell profitably, as long as there is a market for its products and as 
> long as people can afford the products and keep buying them.  To keep the 
> model alive in capitalism the creators of the model must continually 
> innovate to keep operating profitably.  Presently, innovating seems to be 
> expanding product lines, building more stores, reducing prices usually by 
> finding cheaper work forces, using cheaper raw materials and buying in 
> such huge quantities that freight and transportation costs can be absorbed 
> into the price.  There are extremely strong forces intent on keeping this 
> model in being and there are also opposing forces that will break the 
> model down.  The model works very well now as it is measured by 
> capitalism's standards of profitability.  Capitalism is amoral and will 
> just as easily crush its adherents as it does other forces that stand in 
> its way.
>
> The WalMart model is not the problem, it is a symptom of our culture's 
> life style.  As long as it supports that life style, it has a good chance 
> of staying in being.  When the majority of its customer base no longer 
> wants its products nor desire its presence in their community, the model 
> will fall.  And we will abandon WalMart without hesitation if it fails to 
> satisfy us.
>
> Models that try to operate outside of the self-centered rules of 
> capitalism are usually short lived despite their sustainability.  Even in 
> the light of all the warning signs of global warming, diminishing potable 
> water supplies, pollution, etc., etc., human beings are functioning as a 
> biological species that is out of control.  Added to all of the fouling of 
> our own nest, we strive to increase our world's population which in itself 
> is unsustainable.  Human beings must change and do so quickly if there is 
> to be any surviving during the next 100 years or so.
>
> Jim Baumbach
>
>
>
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