The Democrat Thread

[StrangeSox]

Final report from the Republican-led House investigation on Benghazi:

 

The final report, from Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, and ranking member Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Maryland, concludes there was no intelligence failure prior to the attack, no stand-down order to CIA operatives trying to go assist at the besieged consular building and found conflicting intelligence in the wake of the attack about the motive and cause, which were reflected in early public comments by the administration.

 

But the investigation also found the security at the diplomatic outpost was weak and it described a "flawed" process used to create talking points for House Intelligence Committee members and then-U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, whose public statements after the attack incensed critics who said the administration was avoiding calling the attack terrorism.

[StrangeSox]

Walmart organizes food drive for its own employees

 

 

[cabiness42]

Walmart organizes food drive for its own employees

 

I long ago gave up shopping at Wal-Mart, except for furnace filters because I have an unusual size that nobody else carries. I do shop at Sam's, but only because the nearest Costco is 30 miles away and even then I really try to limit what I buy there.

[Balta1701]

Walmart organizes food drive for its own employees

This is a yearly article at this point btw, you just have to find which one runs it first.

[Y2HH]

I don't really care what anyone says or thinks, I shop at Walmart from time to time because it saves me money, and not shopping there won't make a lick of difference. Well, other than you knowing you paid more for something. Retail is, by nature, a low to no profit margin industry, and places like everyone's beloved Amazon have made it even worse. But I know, Walmart bad, Amazon good.

 

Edited November 25, 2014 by Y2HH

[Balta1701]

I don't really care what anyone says or thinks, I shop at Walmart from time to time because it saves me money, and not shopping there won't make a lick of difference. Well, other than you knowing you paid more for something. Retail is, by nature, a low to no profit margin industry, and places like everyone's beloved Amazon have made it even worse. But I know, Walmart bad, Amazon good.

Amazon's methods of treating their employees are just about as bad.

 

You've just made a great case for federal laws to improve the treatment of those workers. Glad you support them.

[Y2HH]

Amazon's methods of treating their employees are just about as bad.

 

You've just made a great case for federal laws to improve the treatment of those workers. Glad you support them.

 

Well, I do think all workers should be treated better, regardless of what company they work for. I was merely pointing out the faux outrage and fake hatred of Walmart from the same people who shop on Amazon and tout how amazing Amazon is while ignoring they're Walmart, too.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Y2HH

[StrangeSox]

Well, I do think all workers should be treated better., regardless of what company they work for. That was merely pointing out the faux outrage and fake hatred of Walmart from the same people who shop on Amazon and tout how amazing Amazon is while ignoring they're Walmart, too.

I think I've posted this article here before, but yeah Amazon (or their warehouse contractors) treat their employees pretty horribly also. And you're also right that individual consumer boycotts generally mean s***.

[cabiness42]

I think I've posted this article here before, but yeah Amazon (or their warehouse contractors) treat their employees pretty horribly also. And you're also right that individual consumer boycotts generally mean s***.

 

That's interesting, because Amazon has a million square foot distribution center here and I've never heard anybody complain about working conditions.

[Y2HH]

That's interesting, because Amazon has a million square foot distribution center here and I've never heard anybody complain about working conditions.

 

So because you haven't heard any complaints, there must not be any.

 

Well, I have heard them, read up on them and am aware they exist and treat their employees just as poorly as places like Walmart.

[Jenksismyhero]

So because you haven't heard any complaints, there must not be any.

 

Well, I have heard them, read up on them and am aware they exist and treat their employees just as poorly as places like Walmart.

 

Although with any large company you have complaints. People b**** and whine. It's work. The vast majority of people are working a job they don't want to be at.

 

[StrangeSox]

That doesn't mean that large companies, especially in retail, don't routinely treat their employees like garbage.

[Harry Chappas]

Retail is, by nature, a low to no profit margin industry

 

Except for the Walton family

[Y2HH]

Except for the Walton family

 

That's merely scale, Walmart is also low profit margin.

[cabiness42]

So because you haven't heard any complaints, there must not be any.

 

Well, I have heard them, read up on them and am aware they exist and treat their employees just as poorly as places like Walmart.

 

I think with any large corporation, even Walmart, there are differences between individual stores in how people are treated.

[Y2HH]

I think with any large corporation, even Walmart, there are differences between individual stores in how people are treated.

 

I'm sure there are, but if you've ever worked fast food or retail, you'd know that's the exception to the rule. In a huge corporation such as these, you aren't impoetant, you're but a number in a sea of numbers.

[StrangeSox]

Random fact: in 1866, Mississippi spent 1/5 of the entire state budget on artificial limbs caused by the civil war:

 

Nugent was among the lucky ones: he came back alive. More than a third of Mississippi’s 78,000 soldiers were killed in battle or died from disease. And more than half of the survivors brought home a lasting disability of war. Visitors to the state were astonished by the broken bodies they saw at every gathering, in every town square. Mississippi resembled a giant hospital ward, a land of missing arms and legs. In 1866, one-fifth of the state budget went for the purchase of artificial limbs.

[Balta1701]

Jesus f***ing *****.

Mr. Boehner urged patience, saying there was a “narrow path” to get something done, despite opposition in his party from what Republican aides call the “boxcars crowd,” a reference to conservative members who favor deportation for most of the 11 million.

Um, y'all know what that references right? Seriously? You're ok with that reference being deployed at fellow Republicans? Seriously?

[Jake]

Amazon workers have been f***ed up and down in all kinds of ways and the only reason it hasn't been as publicized is because we don't interact with those workers while we shop. They have tried to unionize and been shut down, have had several instances in which they have been made to work overtime with no pay, and all kinds of other ridiculous things.

 

The trick with our economic system is that we can't do s*** about it. Shopping elsewhere means cutting off our nose to spite our face.

[Balta1701]

Amazon workers have been f***ed up and down in all kinds of ways and the only reason it hasn't been as publicized is because we don't interact with those workers while we shop. They have tried to unionize and been shut down, have had several instances in which they have been made to work overtime with no pay, and all kinds of other ridiculous things.

 

The trick with our economic system is that we can't do s*** about it. Shopping elsewhere means cutting off our nose to spite our face.

The answer to that of course is government action, because that's the only way to put everyone on the same level. But any who, that's out of the question because government is evil and a minimum wage job is freedom.

[Y2HH]

Amazon workers have been f***ed up and down in all kinds of ways and the only reason it hasn't been as publicized is because we don't interact with those workers while we shop. They have tried to unionize and been shut down, have had several instances in which they have been made to work overtime with no pay, and all kinds of other ridiculous things.

 

The trick with our economic system is that we can't do s*** about it. Shopping elsewhere means cutting off our nose to spite our face.

 

This is a complex argument when it comes to our economic system. On one hand, the fact we have a "minimum wage", which is merely an arbitrary number tied to nothing helps at the same time it doesn't help. If we want to establish a minimum wage, that minimum has to be tied to some sort of benchmark, or, what exactly is this a minimum of?

 

As for our economic system, many people sure as hell can do something about it. Start by acquiring a skill or an education that matters to the world around you. If you want to love what you do, fine, but while you're at it, fall in love with being poor, because the number of people that followed their passion in order to do what they love that actually make a lot of money are quite rare. While I don't hate what I do, I don't "love" it either, there fare more things I'd rather be doing that I actually do love, and work isn't one of them. That said, what I do gives me the money/ability to do those other things quite often, so it's the middle ground trade off I'm willing to make in order to do something about the economic situation we find ourselves in.

 

[Reddy]

This is a complex argument when it comes to our economic system. On one hand, the fact we have a "minimum wage", which is merely an arbitrary number tied to nothing helps at the same time it doesn't help. If we want to establish a minimum wage, that minimum has to be tied to some sort of benchmark, or, what exactly is this a minimum of?

 

As for our economic system, many people sure as hell can do something about it. Start by acquiring a skill or an education that matters to the world around you. If you want to love what you do, fine, but while you're at it, fall in love with being poor, because the number of people that followed their passion in order to do what they love that actually make a lot of money are quite rare. While I don't hate what I do, I don't "love" it either, there fare more things I'd rather be doing that I actually do love, and work isn't one of them. That said, what I do gives me the money/ability to do those other things quite often, so it's the middle ground trade off I'm willing to make in order to do something about the economic situation we find ourselves in.

 

Not to throw a wrench in your plans here, but the reason I've been MIA this year? I'm making a lot of money doing what I love.

[Y2HH]

Not to throw a wrench in your plans here, but the reason I've been MIA this year? I'm making a lot of money doing what I love.

 

How does this throw a wrench into my plans? Making a lot of money is relative to your life situation, and if you're making what I consider a lot of money, that puts you into the "quite rare" category of people that chase their dreams and actually end up making a lot of money, which I already spoke about.

 

I have two kids and a stay at home wife to support. I need to make enough to comfortably support them, a house, two cars, take vacations, etc. And I still want the time to do the frivolous things that I love like posting on Soxtalk, playing World of Warcraft, fishing, etc.

 

If I had followed my dreams to be an artist (which was my high school dream), I most likely wouldn't make enough to support the life I've chosen and now love, and I'd likely have to work longer hours doing unrelated jobs to make up what I'm not making elsewhere. It's actually kind of funny, what I thought were my dreams no longer fit into the picture of my life. I wouldn't even want to be an artist anymore, nor do I miss it in the least. I'm rather enjoying things as they turned out, instead.

Edited December 1, 2014 by Y2HH

[Reddy]

How does this throw a wrench into my plans? Making a lot of money is relative to your life situation.

 

I have two kids and a stay at home wife to support. I need to make enough to comfortably support them, a house, two cars, take vacations, etc. And I still want the time to do the frivolous things that I love like posting on Soxtalk or playing World of Warcraft (which I do).

 

If I had followed my dreams to be an artist, I most likely wouldn't make enough to support the life I've chosen to live and I'd have to work far longer hours, which I absolutely don't want to do.

 

I was just messing with you. Of course it's relative. But for the first time, I'm seeing a feasible path towards all the things you mentioned you have (because I want those things too), while still working in the field I WANT to be in. The two aren't inherently mutually exclusive, is all I'm saying.

[Y2HH]

I was just messing with you. Of course it's relative. But for the first time, I'm seeing a feasible path towards all the things you mentioned you have (because I want those things too), while still working in the field I WANT to be in. The two aren't inherently mutually exclusive, is all I'm saying.

 

No, they're not, it's just rare to get both. I sincerely hope you do, too. You're one of the few people I actually like around here.