mercedo's Journal: Walmartisation

I think the term 'walmatisation' was used by someone before. I want to use the term again referring to the meaning in which a kind of globalisation by multi-national corporation defined not by its products but by creating labour force, working place, which characterised by lowering of working conditions, very serious influence to the nation's economy.

pre-walmatisation era

Back to 1960s... for example, there have been products from multinational corporations like Coca-Cola, Nestle. While we have had lots of products like Coke and Nestle, their corporation activity never seriously affects our daily life in general. Because they were operating their corporation activity only in a very limited arena. That we call first generation of foreign company's activity in Japan.

Secondly, new age comes. Fast food chain stores represented by McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken started arriving in our country. They influenced a lot. Our working conditions have been changed a lot, our salary changed largely from monthly basis to daily basis. But they never affected profoundly enough to our society. Because they offered lots of job oppotunity mainly in students, young unemployed, or housewives who want to make use of their vacant hours.

During four decades or so Japan's society has been allowing foreign 'products' pouring into first then 'foreign new life style' like fast food settling in then...What's next?

That was an attempted invasion of banking system. The attempt was made by CitiBank Corporation. It was a revolutionary. It created 24 hour bank teller etc. However strange enough their activity was banned abruptly because of the minor violation from Japan's corporation code. So their bold attempt has been failed so far. Of course 'finance' is our artery of economy, politics. It is not difficult for us to imagine they met a strong opposition from domestic bank.

Now that the age of walmatisation has arrived.

Just wait until Wal*Mart comes in

[Marxist Hacker 42]

You ain't seen nothing yet. Wal*Mart's standard business plan is this:

1. Gain exemptions from standard government rules on labor and environmental practices to put a Wal*Mart in a run-down area. Aim is to find run down areas no more than 3 miles apart- so that even if they drive the society down to the point where transportation is unaffordable, there will still be a Wal*Mart within walking distance of wherever you live.

2. Pay employees at the lowest possible wage- discourage unionization so that the

Re:Just wait until Wal*Mart comes in

[mercedo]

to pressure suppliers

Degrees sent me a comment in which he introduced the example of this. - That's what happened.

putting other retailers out of business

Considering the movement here and around, -that's what is happening.

it will be the end of manufacturing in Japan eventually

In order to end the manufacturing of Japan, not only retailer but financier like CitiBank is needed. So you are right, eventually leads to the end of manufacturing some time later.

even if it's not Wal*Mart executing the plan.

Re:Just wait until Wal*Mart comes in

[Marxist Hacker 42]

In order to end the manufacturing of Japan, not only retailer but financier like CitiBank is needed. So you are right, eventually leads to the end of manufacturing some time later.

Not so much- if the retailer is large enough it can become it's own financier. Here in America, Wal*Mart owns a credit union, a customer bank, and a small business shopping club in addition to the well known retail stores- the first and second are financing the third and forth's takeover of Corporate America.

This is actually

Nightmare again

[mercedo]

nothing preventing

Here lies our basic differences between two countries. In the case of your country, because you have vast hinterland, you don't need to seek for the land other than your hinterland itself. Back in our country, although we have a candidate of hinterland in South East Asia, for many reasons we prefer Asian continent mainly China as a hinterland of our country- that's exactly what happened to the area back early 1900s. As an aggression to that country.

Even newer one, which is not known in

Re:Nightmare again

[Marxist Hacker 42]

Therefore we can't help but seek for geographically distant country.

Has anybody tried to figure out how to build on previously unbuildable land yet? I'm reminded of a scene from my childhood- a Yakima Native American fishing platform in the Columbia Gorge. The river there is ideal for salmon fishing- but there is no shore, just straight-down 100 foot (about 30 meter) cliffs into the water. Even the freeway in that region is built on a bridge- because there is no shore. What the Yakimas did was from a