# Why has Walmart not failed due to opposition? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 20, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-walmart-not-failed-due-to-opposition/300305 "2005-04-20T20:33:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-walmart-not-failed-due-to-opposition/300305/141 "2005-05-11T06:12:06Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > The conclusion I draw from this thread is that we need socialized medicine in this country to make the playing field more _level._ Or not, and the playing field is still level. No company is \*\*required \*\*to provide medical insurance to its employees. Where does the idea come from that medical insurance must be provided for by your place of employment? No other insurance is provided for by your employer-- not auto insurance, not homeowners or renters insurance, not umbrella policies, no other insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-walmart-not-failed-due-to-opposition/300305/142 "2005-05-11T06:26:06Z")
I don’t think the employer should provide insurance–the government should. Then GM, etc., could compete better against the Japanese automakers. Etc. I think ere long Big Biz will pressure the Gov for one-payer system or something similar. BTW, I basically agree with what the conservs ( **Stone Mason** , heh) have been saying in this thread. Wal-Mart’s theme is cheap everything: cheap products, cheap labor, cheap buildings–with their value-add being the option to buy cheap for the masses (I shop there myself for many things. Why? It’s cheap!)–poor or not-so-poor. A certain very low minimum of ethics law-abidingness is expected of all companies, and I think Wal-Mart meets such standards. I’m talking about respecting basic human rights–not beating your employees with a cat-o’-nine-tails, that kind of thing. Some companies’ business models will embrace better treater of and _coolness_ toward employees (Trader Joe), and some will go for the bare minimum (Wal-Mart). In order to get _all_ companies to go above that minimum, you need to regulate a new minimum socialistically. A higher minimum wage and universal health care, for example. At any rate, bravo to the righties for seeing Wal-Mart thus clearly and correctly. They probably won’t agree that the government should do the things I said above, but that’s another debate perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-walmart-not-failed-due-to-opposition/300305/143 "2005-05-11T06:42:32Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Or not, and the playing field is still level. No company is \*\*required \*\*to provide medical insurance to its employees. > > Where does the idea come from that medical insurance must be provided for by your place of employment? No other insurance is provided for by your employer-- not auto insurance, not homeowners or renters insurance, not umbrella policies, no other insurance. > [@JohnT](#): > > Every time an uninsured mom 'n pop worker goes to the ER, all Floridians are picking up the bill. Every time an uninsured contractual state employee goes to the ER, Floridians are picking up the bill. Every time an uninsured Costco employee goes to the ER, Floridians are picking up the bill. Your quote is non-argumentative. Then where exactly are these Wal Mart workers supposed to get the money to see a doctor from? The majority of full-time workers can’t afford the health care plan the company offers and they obviously can’t afford private insurance. What _are_ they supposed to do when they get sick? Would those of you who are opposed to UHC kindly explain to me what you would do to treat them? Or would you simply prefer not to? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-walmart-not-failed-due-to-opposition/300305/144 "2005-05-11T12:22:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Where does the idea come from that medical insurance must be provided for by your place of employment? If this isn’t a rhetorical question, here in the US the idea came from the wage and price controls enacted during WW2 when companies had to use benefits (such as health insurance, life insurance etc, which weren’t covered by the price freezes) in order to attract and promote employees. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-walmart-not-failed-due-to-opposition/300305/145 "2005-05-11T14:02:42Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > And then we could have a national standard wage, to level it even more! And I could wear earphones that emit a sharp noise every 15 seconds so I can’t concentrate and use my natural intelligence to my advantage! And strong people could wear backpacks full of bricks! That would level it even more! > [@lavenderlemon](#): > > Even if you don’t everytime you pay for medicaid you subsidize Wal-Mart’s profits. The way I see it is that Walmart is reducing the taxpayers burden by providing jobs for people who would otherwise be doing nothing productive except for collecting welfare. So the system works. Isn’t that what you wanted - government providing assistance to people who can’t do for themselves? What are you complaining about? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-walmart-not-failed-due-to-opposition/300305/146 "2005-05-11T15:37:40Z")
> [@lavenderlemon](#): > > Then where exactly are these Wal Mart workers supposed to get the money to see a doctor from? > > The majority of full-time workers can’t afford the health care plan the company offers and they obviously can’t afford private insurance. Where are unemployed people supposed to get health care? Someone who has a job is better off than someone who doesn’t have one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-walmart-not-failed-due-to-opposition/300305.md?page=7)