It's not about Walmart!

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; .. and I'm not sure about the the universe."- Albert Einstein

Continuing the discussion on why companies like Walmart should not be patronized ... I came across several other resources on the web like the walmartwatch.com and other related pro and anti walmart websites ... and such similar topics over the last few days. Well folks it is not about Walmart ... this is about some morals and principles in life ... what is Urdu has a perfect word - 'oosul'.

Pardon me for using the names of some established stores that I am familiar with, but using a real name makes it more visual rather calling something A, B or C. But I do not have anything against any establishment- it's about trying to figure out why I should shop in one place aginst another. They wanted me to have a choice- don't I have the right to figure out the right choice for myself in public? I think a dialogue will do us good here:
Q. Why should I go anywhere else if a 12-pack coke costs me $4.99 elsewhere but $2.99 at my favourite store?
A. True, we understand that expenses are an important part of everybody's agenda. Ok, let's be practicle and ask you- so if you have more money in the near future will you still be buying from your fav store and saving money? Chances are that you might. Now you might decide to gradually start moving to a slightly higher priced store gradually testing your budget ... and that's a good thing.

And besides, what good does soda do?

But this issue is beyond buying cheap or expensive. It is about what you as a human being feel about certain things. Try this:
Take a deep breath as you step into your favorite store. And let your senses be fully alert- sense everything around you, while you process all those things in your mind. Now try the same experiment at a different store, somewhere you mind a lot of natural products for example. How do you feel in each case?
Here's probably how you feel- at your favorite store all your senses will be flooded or rather bombasted with things. Your eyes see bright colors, bright lights, moving lights, large quantities of everything, large sizes of everything .... same with your nose- you smell strong fried chicken, buttered pop-corn, lots of meat, lots of perfumes and all other kinds of smells competing with each other to get to you ... I guess you get the picture ...
And now at the other store how are things ... very subtle, very gentle ... isn't it? Soft music, pleasing aromas, and serene colors ... What gives you more pleasure? To be bombarded with various things loud and big all at once or soft subtleties in life? You are a human being, an organism with higher intellect. What do you think is good for you? What do you think is nice to do?

And now the cost issue. Who knows or who has the time to find out how much our manufacturers pay to the producers of the goods we buy? We hear about Walmart paying 18 cents for an hour to some kid in Bangladesh to make a toy that is sold to the kids in the US for $18 a piece. Well now if I bought a similar toy for $25 from another store- would that mean that the store reimbursed more for this toy to whoever produced it? So should I feel morally nice to shell out a few extra bucks? Well that's not it ... that's not the point ... is it? The point is trying to be aware and respond responsibily. One day somewhere all wrong things backfire, and if you are in the way, you are bound to get hurt.

Remember the story of the six blind men and the elephant? We tend to think and presume things in a manner where we are blinded by our own intellect. Are you sure you have considered the big picture?