[Oe List ...] Wal-Mart and the weapons of mass destruction
Herman Greene
hfgreene at mindspring.com
Thu Apr 24 07:28:13 EDT 2008
How do I get the 11th hour?
-----Original Message-----
From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf
Of Marianna Bailey
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 2:59 PM
To: Order Ecumenical Community
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Wal-Mart and the weapons of mass destruction
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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