When Wal-Mart is a beacon of hope . . .

[Amelia G]

I saw the CEO of Wal-Mart on CNN tonight and he was clearly moved by what is happening in New Orleans and ready to do something about it. Wal-Mart is giving $15 million dollars worth of aid. They have forty stores closed and they are not whining about it. They expressed concern for their employees. They expressed understanding and sympathy for the people "looting" their stores, including those who were stealing guns.

Wal-Mart. Aren't they supposed to be practically the Evil Empire? This is decency and commitment to community and country on a really impressive level. I feel like I'm going to have to buy some stuff there now. Based on CNN today, I want Anderson Cooper for President and The Salvation Army and Wal-Mart as favored charities.

[Evilbink]

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.

Good to hear their are still humans in the world.

[killerkat]

nissan gave them a TON of money and trucks as well....


but wallmart...............................that is all............

[Morning Glory]

well not to be the cyncial one all the time, but you asked for it...

cost of giving $15 million in aid for walmart:
less than one days gross earnings.

PR benefits from giving aid that incite people to proclaim,
"from now on i'm going to shop at walmart!":
priceless

[Tequila Zaire]

Only 15 Million? A bit on the low end given how much money that region pumped into their pockets...but in this case every lil bit counts.

They are evil though...frontline did an excellent story on them not to far back. Great way to scare the hell out of yourself and wonder who they're more of a threat too...the U.S. or China.

[cheinara wraithwalker]

well not to be the cyncial one all the time

Too late!

But at least they're giving something, any thing helps, and 15 million isn't *little*. If I had that kind of money to give, I would.

[Evilbink]

A drop in their rather large corporate bucket for sure.. but then , they didnt have to do a damned thing.

[Amelia G]

well not to be the cyncial one all the time, but you asked for it...

cost of giving $15 million in aid for walmart:
less than one days gross earnings.

PR benefits from giving aid that incite people to proclaim,
"from now on i'm going to shop at walmart!":
priceless

And yet, with all the hugely paid megacorps out there, most of them haven't come up with anything to help. Whether or not PR crossed his mind, the Wal-Mart CEO also managed to communicate genuine concern and care in a way that I feel some people whose freaking job it is to be concerned are not really showing.

Fifteen million dollars of aid is a lot to give for someone else's problem and my hat is off to Wal-Mart. They could be calling for the police to shoot starving and sick and naked people if they dare to steal from the mighty Mart, but instead they are calling for compassion.

Psyched to hear about Nissan too, killerkat. They could certainly use vehicles to get the heck out more than just about anything else.

[Morning Glory]

I don't disagree that it's a good thing they are doing. I'm just saying that it doesn't neccesarily mean that they are the good guys. If a guy robs you and then gives the money to an oprhan, would you shake his hand?

[Tequila Zaire]

I don't disagree that it's a good thing they are doing. I'm just saying that it doesn't neccesarily mean that they are the good guys. If a guy robs you and then gives the money to an oprhan, would you shake his hand?

Sure I would...then I'd rob the orphan.

[Morning Glory]

then he'd have to get a job at walmart.

[Evilbink]

And then the circle of life is complete

[Rockwulf]

well not to be the cyncial one all the time, but you asked for it...

cost of giving $15 million in aid for walmart:
less than one days gross earnings.

PR benefits from giving aid that incite people to proclaim,
"from now on i'm going to shop at walmart!":
priceless

You beat me to it but I was going to say the exact same thing. How many families have they bankrupted by destroying small business all over the country? Wallmart giving 15 mill in a big, public way is about the equivalent of me buying a burger for someone in need...

The only difference being that I won't get a ton of free good publicity and double my earnings because of it.

[Evilbink]

You beat me to it but I was going to say the exact same thing. How many families have they bankrupted by destroying small business all over the country? Wallmart giving 15 mill in a big, public way is about the equivalent of me buying a burger for someone in need...

The only difference being that I won't get a ton of free good publicity and double my earnings because of it.

No... the difference is that they gave 15mil in relief aid...did you buy anyone a burger?

[Amelia G]

You beat me to it but I was going to say the exact same thing. How many families have they bankrupted by destroying small business all over the country? Wallmart giving 15 mill in a big, public way is about the equivalent of me buying a burger for someone in need...

The only difference being that I won't get a ton of free good publicity and double my earnings because of it.

A lot of big businesses which destroy cottage industry and demolish neighborhoods and communities . . . well, they do nothing to replace the social structures and safety nets they destroy. Wal-Mart giving like this is a big step towards doing a genuine replacement.

[Rockwulf]

All their stores are insured and they don't stand to lose much in the way of anything due to anybody looting those stores. Just as, at the end of the fiscal year they can write off all loses due to your everyday, run of the mill shoplifter, they will write all of this off and reap hundreds of millions, if not billions in free advertising to compensate.

I'm sure there are hundreds of companies who have donated to various relief charieties but there's a difference between an anonymous donation to help those who need it, and going, "Hey! Everyone! Look how much money I'm giving away! Isn't that great!?!?!?!!?!?"

[Morning Glory]

good point, I have more respect for the guy that works at walmart for 5.15 an hour that is giving some of THAT money to charities. those are the real heroes.

[Rockwulf]

And then the circle of life is complete

Truth be told, yes, I have, probably close to a hundred in my life.

But then I started working at the liquor store and came to know all the vagrants in the area who, as soon as they had the required $3.10 to get the cheapest available half-pint of vodka would bolt into the store.

Then it became a situation of "You're just going to spend it on alcohol....and that's what I'm going to spend it on."

I still help people out when I can but I make sure I don't recognize them first.

[Amelia G]

good point, I have more respect for the guy that works at walmart for 5.15 an hour that is giving some of THAT money to charities. those are the real heroes.

Their money won't make enough of a difference. I mean, I respect people giving, but I honestly don't respect someone giving to a charity when their own kids need food and medicine and money saved for school. Someone earning $5.15/hr in most places does not have the dough to spare.

The people who have the dough to make a real difference, to change the course of history, to help thousands of people . . . it hurts that so many of our leaders seem to be treating the New Orleans crisis like something to tick off on a to-do list at some point or other. After three days without potable water in the Louisiana heat, people die. This is not a get-around-to-it type of rescue mission.

If Wal-Mart sends huge quantities of actual supplies to the area right now, today, that is going to make way more of a difference than if Joe Burger Guy donates a hundred bucks he should have spent on his family.

[Evilbink]

I'm sure there are hundreds of companies who have donated to various relief charieties but there's a difference between an anonymous donation to help those who need it, and going, "Hey! Everyone! Look how much money I'm giving away! Isn't that great!?!?!?!!?!?"

No question there..but no one turns a cruel eye to all the other companies that do nothing. I would rather see Walmart helping for greedy reasons, than not helping at all.

[KilLAtomiK]

dude its $15 mill do we realy need to nit pick at where it came from

[Rockwulf]

If you or I needed help, then yeah, 15 mil would be a HUGE deal.

Forgive my pecimism but compared to what it's going to take to fix the damage and compensate the insured, that's not even going to make a dent.

Fuck a dent, 15 mil isn't even a pin-hole.

[Vitorro]

reading todays news, and hearing of the corpses littering the streets, Wal Marts help is most likely to be a godsend to those who are near starving, or dehydrated. It irks Me to see negative resopnses to their helping in at least some way. Now Im in no way a big fan of Wally World, but at least they do more with this gesture than Bush has so far. One story I have read, was that a group of people broke into a kitchen at the dome, and the national guard told them and I quote from the paper," get the fuck out or we will blow your brains out". All l they wanted was something to eat, and the military counted them amont looters, and the shoot to kill order given by the "Man". wether for the PR, or a political reason, Wal Mart has taken the first real step to give help to the people who need it.

[Evilbink]

SOME MONETARY DONATIONS

-- Chevron: $5 million.
-- JPMorgan Chase: $3 million.
-- Citigroup: $3 million.
-- Walt Disney Co.: $2.5 million.
-- Pfizer: $2 million.
-- Abbott Laboratories: $2 million.
-- State Farm: $1 million.
-- EDS: Will match employee contributions up to $1 million.

HEALTH CARE DONATIONS

-- Eli Lilly: 40,000 vials of refrigerated insulin.
-- Wyeth: antibiotics and nonprescription pain relievers.
-- Merck: antibiotics and hepatitis A vaccines.
-- Johnson & Johnson: Pain relievers, wound care supplies and kits containing toothbrushes, soap and shampoo.
-- Abbott Laboratories: At least $2 million in nutritional and medical products.


SOME OTHER DONATIONS

-- Nissan: 50 trucks for Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
-- General Motors: 25 cars and trucks to the Red Cross.
-- Sprint Nextel: 3,000 walkie talkie-type phones for emergency personnel.
-- Qwest Communications: 2,000 long-distance calling cards.
-- Kellogg: Seven truckloads of crackers and cookies.
-- Culligan International: Five truckloads of water.
-- Anheuser-Busch: more than 825,000 cans of water.
-- Office Depot: Contents of its five New Orleans stores, valued at $4 million.

One pinhole of light in a dark room is like a Lighthouse to the lost.
Lets fill a few more pinholes till the job gets done, and not worry about where/why it comes from.

[KilLAtomiK]

-- Anheuser-Busch: more than 825,000 cans of water.

i wonder whats up with those water cans i remeber back during the big quake in 94 my family got 3 boxes of em but ive never seen em in stores

[Morning Glory]

One pinhole of light in a dark room is like a Lighthouse to the lost.
Lets fill a few more pinholes till the job gets done, and not worry about where/why it comes from.

my sentiments exactly.

[Rockwulf]

-- Office Depot: Contents of its five New Orleans stores, valued at $4 million.

OH HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!


THIS shit is funny! They decided to say "Fuck it, wet paper isn't worth the salvage cost" and they get listed as donations........*sigh*

[Evilbink]

i wonder whats up with those water cans i remeber back during the big quake in 94 my family got 3 boxes of em but ive never seen em in stores

They turn over their machines to bottle water instead of beer during a time of crisis. It's not a product line.

[Vitorro]

.

-- Office Depot: Contents of its five New Orleans stores, valued at $4 million.

One pinhole of light in a dark room is like a Lighthouse to the lost.
Lets fill a few more pinholes till the job gets done, and not worry about where/why it comes from.

hmmm, as for the Office Depot supplies, qouldnt that be under water right now and ruined?? or at least a part of it?

Bravo on the rest though Evilbink

[KilLAtomiK]

They turn over their machines to bottle water instead of beer during a time of crisis. It's not a product line.

i figured it was somethin like that, either that or they have canned water in case of an emergeny . I distinctly remeber those cans tho, they were white with a blue Anhauser Bish logo and i thought it was weird that soldiers were giving us beer during a quake but then i later found out it was just water

[Cafe_Post_Mortem]

And yet, with all the hugely paid megacorps out there, most of them haven't come up with anything to help.

Not to deminish what Walmart is doing, but that is simply not true. Ask anyone who works for a large corperation right now and I am willing to bet they recieved an email or memo describing what thier company is doing. Walmart is getting publicity for doing a large public donation, but many, many others are working quietly to get people what they need.

[TheQuietPlace]

Boeing is currently matching dollar for dollar for current employees. Past employees they will match 50 cents on the dollar.

[ladybug]

SOME MONETARY DONATIONS

-- Chevron: $5 million.
-- JPMorgan Chase: $3 million.
-- Citigroup: $3 million.
-- Walt Disney Co.: $2.5 million.
-- Pfizer: $2 million.
-- Abbott Laboratories: $2 million.
-- State Farm: $1 million.
-- EDS: Will match employee contributions up to $1 million.

HEALTH CARE DONATIONS

-- Eli Lilly: 40,000 vials of refrigerated insulin.
-- Wyeth: antibiotics and nonprescription pain relievers.
-- Merck: antibiotics and hepatitis A vaccines.
-- Johnson & Johnson: Pain relievers, wound care supplies and kits containing toothbrushes, soap and shampoo.
-- Abbott Laboratories: At least $2 million in nutritional and medical products.


SOME OTHER DONATIONS

-- Nissan: 50 trucks for Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
-- General Motors: 25 cars and trucks to the Red Cross.
-- Sprint Nextel: 3,000 walkie talkie-type phones for emergency personnel.
-- Qwest Communications: 2,000 long-distance calling cards.
-- Kellogg: Seven truckloads of crackers and cookies.
-- Culligan International: Five truckloads of water.
-- Anheuser-Busch: more than 825,000 cans of water.
-- Office Depot: Contents of its five New Orleans stores, valued at $4 million.

One pinhole of light in a dark room is like a Lighthouse to the lost.
Lets fill a few more pinholes till the job gets done, and not worry about where/why it comes from.

I agree completely.....in our 4 state surounding area we have local trucking compainies donating trucks for people whom want to donate no pershible items....we also have 25 doctors who are voluntureing down there....a ton of red cross workers....our schools are also puting together releif efforts in there class rooms...and the wal-mart here will double what they make.
I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Wal-mart but damn if they get money down there then so be it....they r trying alot more than Bush right now.

[mmmcherry]

i dont understand why theres this "shoot to kill" fuckin thing in order... why not just tell the looters to fuck off instead, why do they have to kill them?

[cheinara wraithwalker]

i dont understand why theres this "shoot to kill" fuckin thing in order... why not just tell the looters to fuck off instead, why do they have to kill them?

Is it the looters that they're planning on shooting at, or the people that are shooting at them? (Them being the search & rescues, ambulances, helos, etc.)

[Pull~My~Hair]

if every big corp. gave 15 mill....well then the victims would be in pretty good shape! I mean nothing can fix whats happened but the poor people would be fed and clothed and housed...

[Tequila Zaire]

i dont understand why theres this "shoot to kill" fuckin thing in order... why not just tell the looters to fuck off instead, why do they have to kill them?

That's kinda what martial law is though...it's meant to be the last line of keeping order. Though their is one thing in declaring it and another in enforcing it...looters are an odd breed...some want to benefit and some want to survive. You shoot whoever seems to be putting those at the most danger by and large...but I wouldn't say that's always the case.

[Rapturously_Repulsive]

'fraid I have to agree with the cynics out there.. it does smell suspiciously of publicity stunt to me...It's good that these companies are giving money, but they could do a lot more, and giving a percentage of one day's earnings seems to get them priceless credit in the eyes of consumers. I for one am no more likely to shop at Wal-Mart than I was two weeks ago.

[Amelia G]

That's kinda what martial law is though...it's meant to be the last line of keeping order. Though their is one thing in declaring it and another in enforcing it...looters are an odd breed...some want to benefit and some want to survive. You shoot whoever seems to be putting those at the most danger by and large...but I wouldn't say that's always the case.

As recently as yesterday evening, there were military spokesmen stating on television that the military is not in control and there is not martial law.

[killerkat]

hahahahhahahahha!!

http://www.zippyvideos.com/891102377...ing-in-walmart


it's a news crew in a wallmart,with lootong cops


repoter to looting cop,asking what she;s doing:

Lookin' for looters..."

"Oh, well one just walked by you..."

Then she walks around in circles.