Walmart at Brave New Films

A Brave New Worldwide Web

2008-07-24T09:29:19Z

When the furor about the Rev Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama was at its height a few months ago, one of the biggest hits on YouTube revealed that the Republican contender John McCain had his own pastor problem.

Sandwiched between the kind of comic clips for which the site is best known, the video produced by Brave New Films showed the Rev Rod Parsley, a spiritual adviser to John McCain, making incendiary comments about Islam. When the mainstream media ran the story, McCain was eventually forced to distance himself from the church leader.

The success of the video and the sequel - The Real McCain 2, which documented several policy flip-flops on issues such as Iraq and the US economy, and was viewed more than 500,000 times within the first 24 hours of being released on to YouTube - justified the decision by Robert Greenwald, Brave New Films' founder, to move from feature films into an online career.

Wall-E's Wal-Mart Robot Conspiracy Exposed

2008-07-24T12:52:41Z

***MINOR SPOILER ALERT***

www.illdoctrine.com

Uncovering the secret code hidden inside the year's best movie. Now, I don't expect this type of movie (or any movie) to cover every sociopolitical issue comprehensively—but I did find it interesting how it approached environmental issues in a way that basically left class and race off the table. Race and class are so often left off the table when the environment is discussed.

Watch the video

McCain: Town Hall 5/5/08

2008-06-30T22:57:14Z

John McCain
Town Hall
Charlotte, NC 05/05/08

TRANSCRIPTS:
JOHN MCCAIN: If somebody gets ill and has a routine health care need, what's wrong with a walk-in clinic? Wal-Mart wants to set up a walk-in clinic with a doctor and a pharmacist and you've got a routine health care need, walk in and get it.

LABEL:
JM NC 5-5 (EW#6) -- Clip D

To download a high res version of this clip, VISIT: https://issuealliance.box.net/shared/7uybs3h8g4

To download the full campaign event, VISIT: https://issuealliance.box.net/shared/z2gb2c14og

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Small Town Secrets

2008-07-02T06:43:43Z

Bigger, faster, and richer are not necessarily better.

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Andy Stern: "We must be our brothers and sisters keeper"

2008-07-24T12:51:07Z

Speaking before the 2008 SEIU Convention in Puerto Rico, SEIU President Andy Stern shares two stories before the delegates gathered on the first day of the convention. For more news, photos, blogs and video from the 2008 SEIU Convention, visit www.seiu2008.org

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WALMOSQUE ONE

2008-07-24T12:32:20Z

from www.blimptv.net
The grand opening of Iraq's first big box outlet, WALMOSQUE

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Wal-Mart for President?

2008-07-19T18:04:58Z

Just because Hillary Clinton is ignoring her Wal-Mart ties, that doesn't mean the rest of us should.

New footage from the Center for Public Integrity confirms what Hillary Clinton has conveniently omitted from her website and campaign speeches: she was on Wal-Mart's Board of Directors for six years, from 1986-1992.

It was during those six years that Clinton served with the notoriously anti-union Rose Law firm in Little Rock, defending Wal-Mart against workers who tried to unionize. It was also during those six years that Clinton served with fellow board member John Tate, whose favorite saying was: "Labor unions are nothing but blood-sucking parasites living off the productive labor of people who work for a living."

Walocaust, Wal-Qaeda, and the Ensuing Suits

2008-07-19T20:45:06Z

[Charlie Smith has battled Wal-Mart for the last few years, in and out of court. Below is his account of confronting Wal-Mart's mighty legal clout over free speech issues.]

I'm not the first person to call Wal-Mart "Nazis."

In December 2004 while reading a book detailing the history of the rise of the Nazis and their attempt to take over the world, I came to a part that described how union leaders and liberals were among the first groups persecuted by the Nazis. Upon learning that, I thought, whoa! Taking over the world? Union bashing? Sounds like Wal-Mart.

I have always been interested in the idea of progress causing destruction or as the phrase proclaims, "creative destruction," a process in which the old ways of doing things are destroyed and replaced by new ways. The term was coined by Joseph Schumpeter. Schumpeter believed that the success of capitalism would lead to a form of corporatism, a political system dominated by corporations.

To that extent, the misery caused by people losing jobs through downsizing, outsourcing, and misguided economic policies are harsh realities that I felt needed a stronger designation. And so, I invented the parody term “walocaust.” The purpose of the portmanteau is to call to mind the name “Wal-Mart” while at the same time expressing strong opposition to Wal-Mart and what the “Wal-Mart effect” truly represents.

Wal-Mart Sues Brain-Damaged Employee

2008-07-21T23:20:38Z

Debbie Shank used to stock shelves at night for Wal-Mart so she could spend time in the afternoons with her three sons. Now she lives in a nursing home, requires around-the-clock medical care and owes Wal-Mart almost $500,000.

The story of the Shank family is heartbreaking in the sense that it could happen to anyone. Driving home one night, Debbie's car was hit by a tractor-trailier, leaving her brain-damaged and paralyzed. After collecting health insurance money for hospital bills (Debbie's policy with Wal-Mart paid for over $400,000 worth of emergency care), the Shanks sued the trucking company responsible for the accident, hoping to provide for Debbie's long term needs.

Wal-Mart: Drag and Discrimination

2008-06-15T15:30:54Z

This footage is originally from a Wal-Mart managers meeting in 1995. Seems the company deemed it appropriate to incorporate a drag competition into the official proceedings. The video puts the massive class-action gender discrimination lawsuit currently pending against the company into a stunning context.

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New bill creates a conflict of interest in toy safety testing

2008-03-21T06:58:03Z

The Senate approved a bill yesterday which will put the important job of testing the safety of toys in the hands of the same labs who already work for retaliers, manufacturers and importers.

Some critics worry the thoroughness of testing can be compromised because labs are dependent on retailers and manufacturers for business. John W. de Gravelles, a Baton Rouge, La., attorney who represents consumers injured by faulty products, cites what he calls a "cozy arrangement" between Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and its primary testing lab, Consumer Testing Laboratories Inc. "How rigorous the testing is, I'm sure, is less determined by CTL than it is Wal-Mart," he said.

Read the full article.

How Hillary Clinton made change at Wal-Mart

2008-07-09T19:23:38Z

Hillary Clinton was on the Wal-Mart board of directors from 1986 until 1992, when she became first lady.

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Preview of Interview with Robert Greenwald

2008-06-10T03:30:38Z

Go to www.consciousmedianetwork.com for the full interview FREE!

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CGI: Let the Annual Meeting Begin

2008-07-24T12:36:20Z

The 2007 CGI Annual Meeting kicks off with an inspiring welcome from President Clinton
announcing the first round of major commitments to action made by CGI members. The opening ceremonies include a lively panel discussion with the presidents of Afghanistan and the Phillipines, former vice president Al Gore, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the president of the World Bank and the CEO of Walmart on how we can - and must - fight
global climate change today.

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CGI Opening Plenary Clinton Introduction

2008-07-24T12:36:20Z

To kick off the third annual meeting of the CGI, former U.S. President Bill Clinton shares three convictions needed to confront the world's most critical challenges: recognition of our common humanity, shared responsibility, and the knowledge that we all can make a difference. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott, Jr., World Bank President Robert Zoellick, and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore stress the need for global action to overcome crises of conflict and oppression, poverty, and climate change.

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Wal-Mart Hits Rock Bottom

2008-03-07T07:03:19Z

Wal-Mart now bears the dubious distinction of being the world's worst retailer! Market Watch reports that according to the University of Michigan's quarterly American Customer Satisfaction Index, Wal-Mart's score "fell 6% to 68, well below the industry average of 77 and at an all-time low."

Wal-Mart is dragging down ACSI's 100-point scale. Claes Fornell, director of the Donald C. Cook Professor of Business Administration and head of the ACSI, said of Wal-Mart, "Competing on price is no longer enough to offset lagging quality."

Watch these confessions for more on Wal-Mart's standard of excellence, and of course, the trailer for Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.

#1 recipient of Wal-Mart campaign contributions? Hillary Clinton.

2008-07-09T19:23:35Z

As many now know, Hillary Clinton served on the exclusive Wal-Mart board of directors from 1986 to 1992. What many may not know is she is currently the top recipient of campaign contributions from Wal-Mart executives, taking in more than Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee.

For Clinton, the contributions come just months after she turned away $5,000 that Wal-Mart had donated through its PAC to her Senate campaign. At the time, in February 2006, Clinton's spokeswoman said the senator rejected the money because of "serious differences with current company practices.

Read the full story.

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Wal-Mart Medical Clinics

2008-06-10T21:30:45Z

Watch a discussion of the news that Wal-Mart intends to open 400 medical clinics in its stores over the next two to three years.

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Wal-Mart turns to public relations firm in environmental fiasco

2008-04-30T09:31:01Z

Wal-Mart has been using wood from protected Russian forests in it's products says The Environmental Investigation Agency in a detailed report. This is in large part to Chinese suppliers using less expensive wood to meet Wal-Mart's unrealistic pricing structures. At first the company simply turned a blind eye to the practice, but because of growing negative publicity, the company has turned to the largest privately owned public relations firm, Edelman.

Edelman claims that it won't be until 2010 that Wal-Mart provides full transparency on it's sources for wood.

A Wal-Mart supplier speaks up in new book

2008-02-23T16:34:26Z

Sheba Foods, a Georgia based Wal-Mart supplier speaks up in the new book "Life with Wal-Mart: A Vendor's Story." In the book, Kunmi Oluleye details the most fascinating moments of a two and a half year journey being a mintory company selling ethnic food to Wal-Mart.

Oluleye writes:

"There were so many distractions, discouraging comments and events when it came time to write the book. What if the people I talk about, Ambassador Andrew Young and Mr. Jesse Jackson react negatively? What if Wal-Mart and Dun & Bradstreet have a temper tantrum? Can I deal with it? What if someone sues me for libel? What if other supermarkets blacklist me for fear that I might write about them?
It was difficult keeping emotions out of the book. I didn’t want to be portrayed as an irate black woman lashing out at Wal-Mart or the others that I talk about. I tried to remain as objective as possible in stating the facts. Chapters Three to Five were the most difficult to write, with Chapter Five being the most excruciating. It forced author to revisit painful memories."

Learn more at lifewithwalmart.com.

Going Big Box Vs. Going Local

2008-06-09T15:30:11Z

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Wal-Mart turns a blind eye to illegal timber sources

2008-02-26T13:44:35Z

Al Norman writes on AlterNet:

According to EIA, Wal-Mart does not ask its suppliers where their wood comes from, and the retailer's 'don't ask' policy "is having particularly dangerous consequences for the high conservation value forest of the Russian Far East and the endangered species dependent on them, including the world's largest cat, the Siberian tiger.
Roughly 84 percent of Wal-Mart's wood products, like cribs and toilet seats, are sourced from China, and much of China's lumber is imported from Russia, where as much as 50 percent of the logging is illegal. EIA undercover investigators met with 8 Chinese manufacturers that supply Wal-Mart with wood. EIA asserts that Wal-Mart is focused only on price, and "has not concerned itself with the origin of the timber used for its products." Wal-Mart's supply chain "will contribute to the depletion of Russia's 'protected' forests unless concerted changes are made," the EIA warns.
Alexander von Bismarck, the Executive Director of EIA, says, "To have Wal-Mart ignore measures that to the rest of the world seem common sense -- such as asking where your suppliers' wood is from -- has an enormous impact. It undermines the current global efforts to clean up the timber industry. When Wal-Mart fails to implement an entire category of environmental responsibility, it creates demand designed to take advantage of that. This is currently feeding the illegal logging problem." The EIA believes that Wal-Mart has within its power the ability to "limit the destruction of some of our planet's final frontier forests and the wildlife and people who depend upon them."
Today, there are more than 6,800 Wal-Mart stores around the globe (the company recently opened its 3,000th international store), but only 400 remaining Siberian tigers. That's not very sustainable odds.

Read the full post here.

Wal-Mart's damage to communities far outweighs charitable donations

2008-04-17T04:02:23Z

Alex Goldschmidt from Wal-Mart Watch shatters the myth that Wal-Mart's charitable donations make up for any harm it causes:

Wal-Mart loves to be seen donating money to local charities, especially around the holidays. These donations, while perhaps beneficial in their own small way, don’t even begin to make up for the amount of resources and taxpayer dollars Wal-Mart drains out of local economies. For Wal-Mart, these donations are nothing but some cheap PR.

Wal-Mart lowers median wages, exports jobs, shifts company costs to taxpayers, and leans on public subsidies to make its billions. These costs far outweigh any local donation Wal-Mart has ever made.

Wal-Mart’s charitable donations continue to lag behind its close competitors, and the Walton Family itself is ranks only 37th on the list of generous donors. But perhaps more tellingly, is that Wal-Mart donates most to charities in its own best interest.
Wal-Mart’s donations to little league teams and nursing homes also pales in comparison to the company’s donations to non-profits, think tanks and individuals willing to lobby on its behalf or grant favors in return. In doing so, Wal-Mart buys the power necessary to continue harming communities and getting away with it. Think Wal-Mart’s generous? Maybe so, but only to itself.

Girls' undies, Fox News, and Wal-Mart! Who could ask for more?

2008-01-12T20:43:05Z

It's almost too good to be true! Faux News, Wal-Mart and girls' undies all in one post! The stars are aligned. Via Writes Like She Talks re: the Fox News report:

Suggestive pink Santa panties targeting young girls are being removed from Wal-Mart stores after parents objected to the offensive undergarments.

The panties, which were sold in the juniors department, seemed to suggest that girls don’t need money, they just need a sugar daddy — in this case Santa Claus.

The hipster briefs — carrying the slogan “Who needs credit cards …” on the front and “When you have Santa” on the derriere — caused an uproar among parents, who called for the $2.96 drawers to be pulled off the racks.

“We have directed our stores to remove this merchandise from our shelves,” Linda Brown Blakely, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, told FOXNews.com Wednesday.
Now, I still think all these questions from my original post about the panties should be answered. And I give kudos to Fox for naming Feministing as the place where it all started, as far as letting people know what Wal-Mart, the Liberty-Counsel sanctioned “nice” place to shop because they use the word “Christmas” rather than “holiday” had been selling these items where they were.
In the meantime, anyone think that the panties will show up in impoverished areas of other continents where kids and adults can’t read?

Just thought you'd enjoy that post as is.

H/t to the exceptionally bright and awfully nice OhDave.

Wal-Mart loses battle to prevent discrimination lawsuit

2008-01-12T20:42:02Z

Wal-Mart lost their battle to keep the largest gender discrimination lawsuit in U.S. history from proceeding yesterday. The 9th Circuit Court of U.S. Appeals issued a ruling in Dukes v. Wal-Mart which stated the lawsuit must move forward.

Wal-Mart Watch spokesman Stacie Temple commented on the ruling:

Wal-Mart has discriminated against its female managers and employees for years. It is shocking that a company which depends so deeply on women as customers treats its female employees so poorly ... Perhaps Wal-Mart's leadership will finally recognize it would benefit by making substantive changes to its business practices; the company needs to fix its employment practices and stop discriminating against its workers for starters.

Read the Court's opinion here. (pdf)