I don’t think it’s as quite as cut and dry as many do. Walmart created millions of jobs. (Keep in mind, my families old business was crushed by big box retailers, and personally, I hate shopping in these uniquitous stores void of any character or personality. But still…) And another way to think about it is, would you rather have your kids grow up to work in a US based factory that makes socks, working 10 hours a day on a factory line, or would you rather they work in a store where they can at least move around a little, interact with people, and it’s not quite as back breaking and mind numbing?
To me, the issue is, we somehow have come to idoloize factory workers. We bemoan the loss of factories in the US to over seas competitors. We scream “bring those jobs back!” But the reality is, those jobs are leving because facotry workers in the USA are organized and demand a living wage for their labor. We all know thism right? And even without the unions, we have a minimum wage - low though it may be - that prevents US production of simple goods being cost effective. (Side note - the US is still like the #2 producer of goods in the world. We might even be #1…I forget…it’s just htat we can only be competitive in high price point goods becuase our labor prices are higher because we don’t want to be China where labor is so cheap they essentially have a caste system…a Golded Age to beat the band…)
So we have tons of jobs here that are just different. Instead of making hte socks, we sell the socks. I don’t see that as inherently bad.
But since the retail sector is largely unorganized, labor rates stay incredibly low, and people really can’t live on the wages that Walton pays. Which is why in the onboarding material at Walmart, they teach their employees how to suplement their pay with state and federal assistence - they teach their employees how to get on food stamps while working for Walmart.
This tax payer subsidization of a private corps work force is criminal. And the easiest way to stop it is raise the minimum wage, or unionize retail workers. Raising the minimum wage is easier, faster, and better for the corp. Raise the minimum wage and link it to inflation so it’s no longer a political issue.
Yes, the socks will cost more at Walmart, but not nearly as much as if we somehow started making socks in the US again instead of importing them from China.
Then, working at Walmart becomes a sustaining job. The folks get paid a living wage from their employer , supported by the customers who choose that business, not the tax payers who don’t. They become happier, healthier, our entire country benefits.
TL;DR
The problem with Wlmart isn’t them buying from china, the probelm is not paying a living wage.