[Vision2020] Wal-Mart: Replies to Donovan and Crabtree

[g. crabtree]

My goodness, Campbell, I sure am glad you aren't the touchy, sensitive type. 
I'd be worried that I might displease you by the act of disagreement. A 
crime punishable by wounded post script. What part of my thinking that you 
are wrong is insulting exactly? Is it just the fact that I dare?  Or was it 
being referred to as "junior"? (as contrasted by Nick Gier's senior) Or was 
it that I referred to you as a "philosopher" a profession that you have told 
me repeatedly is a source of enormous pride to you. I really don't get it.

Anyway, as long as you've got a case of the all bent out of shape, lets take 
a look at your responses to my point about aesthetics. Rather than telling 
me how the drawings for the proposed SWM don't live up to your highly 
refined concept of what's beautiful and what's not, you resort to the Popeye 
edict  "I'ze taken all'z  I can takes and I can't take's na more" Amazing 
how it occurs when you've got a crowd to sing the "me too" chorus. 
Politically expedient.

Joe sez (I'd stick to the more formal Mr. Campbell but at this stage it 
seems it really doesn't matter what I say it'll be seen as deadly insult) in 
response to my assertion that preventing a SWM from being built is dictating 
others shopping choices..."YOU ARE WRONG. (my emphasis) There is a 
difference between dictating what people do and using one’s words to 
influence what people do. The latter respects that people have the 
capacities to reason and make decisions for themselves. The former does 
not." How are you "influencing" people with words not to shop someplace when 
by your actions you prevent that venue from being built? Wouldn't seem to 
matter much what the "people" think or "reason." You've made the decision 
for them.

Joe, I've really got to admit that I got a genuine belly laugh from your gas 
station argument. By your logic all wal marts as well as all gas stations in 
Latah Co. should be built on the east side of Granddad bridge, definitely 
reduces that pesky foot traffic. So just exactly what sort of "smart growth" 
retail can exist within the 1/2 mile exclusionary zone of Casa Campbell? Are 
you going to complain to the MCityA council if the kids down the street open 
a lemonade stand? That would be sad.

" Crabtree asks that I provide evidence for exploitation in the form of some 
pro-Wal-Mart website." No, Joseph, I asked for hard evidence of your 
assertion of human rights violations by showing me convictions in a court of 
law.  Either the Dept. of Justice has wracked up the stats. or it hasn't. 
Pretending that this is asking the impossible is to admit that your argument 
is lacking.

Lastly Joe, I don't much care if you say the pledge of allegiance or not. 
Nobody has made any judgment as to your level of perfection and I am most 
certainly not condemning you. I disagree with you. In some way or another, 
on one topic or another,  I am sure I disagree with every person on this 
list. I hope that they aren't all insulted as easily as you.

hugs & kisses,
The Guy





----- Original Message ----- 
From: <joekc at adelphia.net>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 2:49 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] Wal-Mart: Replies to Donovan and Crabtree


> Donovan and Mr. Crabtree,
>
> I’m sorry for the combined post but I have only one more post to use 
> today.
>
> Both of you used an interesting fallacy in response to a previous post of 
> mine on the proposed Super Wal-Mart.
>
> Mr. Crabtree wrote: “Your argument with regard to aesthetics doesn't fly 
> all that well either. … You didn’t pipe up about any of [previous] 
> developments, why the concern now? Sounds more like a case of not ‘in my 
> backyard’ syndrome than any real desire for architectural grace.”
>
> Donovan wrote: “Can you please explain to me how it is that you can buy 
> plastics and gasoline from countries like Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia 
> etc., that have the worst human rights record in the world, yet at the 
> same time scorn Wal-Mart for buying products from other businesses that 
> manufacture their goods in China?”
>
> In response, here is a story. For 15 weeks, children threw eggs at the 
> house of Mr. Crabtree-Arnold. One day, as he was walking to his car, Mr. 
> Crabtree-Arnold noticed young Tommy, throwing an egg at his house. Mr. 
> Crabtree-Arnold scolded Tommy, at which point Tommy replied: “For 15 weeks 
> kids have been throwing eggs at your house. You never said anything 
> against them, so why pick on me?”
>
> Does that fact that Mr. Crabtree-Arnold never said anything prior to this 
> day mean that he has no reason to scold Tommy?
>
> Here are some comments to other points that you’ve made:
>
> 1/ Donovan: “If you believe that countries with bad human rights records 
> should be denied  jobs, and believe the US kills innocents overseas, then 
> why are you not  for exporting US jobs to countries with better human 
> rights records then our own?”
>
> Reply: I love our country and I want to make it the best that it can be.
>
> 2/ Crabtree: “I would suggest that if you stand in the way of a place to 
> shop being built you are most assuredly dictating, in an albeit small way, 
> where folks can and can't shop.”
>
> Reply: .You are wrong. There is a difference between dictating what people 
> do and using one’s words to influence what people do. The latter respects 
> that people have the capacities to reason and make decisions for 
> themselves. The former does not
>
> Furthermore, by attempting to keep a Super Wal-Mart from coming into 
> Moscow, I am not “dictating where people can shop.” We have a Wal-Mart and 
> there is a Super Wal-Mart scheduled for Pullman. People will still be able 
> to shop at Wal-Mart.
>
> 3/ Crabtree: “… having a Wal Mart on the east side of town would seem to 
> be in keeping with the ‘smart growth’ mantra I keep hearing you MCA types 
> carry on about. Isn't the idea to have shopping be within walking distance 
> of residential development?”
>
> Reply: You must be joking. Do you think that Super Wal-Mart would plan for 
> a gas station on location if the intent were only to increase the level of 
> walking customers? If this reply were correct, it would make a mockery of 
> the economic arguments in support of having a Super Wal-Mart in town, 
> which only work if customers beyond the east side of Moscow visit the 
> store often. Part of my concern with having a Super Wal-Mart nearby is 
> that I already have a difficult time walking or riding my bike to 
> different places in Moscow as it is. A Super Wal-Mart on Route 8 will only 
> make matters worse.
>
> 4/ Donovan: “Just because a place offers low prices does not mean that 
> they are exploiting others.”
>
> Reply: I didn’t suggest this argument. I said that Wal-Mart happened to 
> offer low prices because they exploit others. I’m not claiming that this 
> is true because of some general rule. Crabtree asks that I provide 
> evidence for exploitation in the form of some pro-Wal-Mart website and, 
> well, I guess I can’t do that. Clearly there is a problem here since both 
> of you seem to think that any evidence in support of my claim is 
> prejudiced since it is …. well, evidence in support of something you don’t 
> believe.
>
> I did give just one small example of exploitation. Part of the reason that 
> Wal-Mart offers low prices is that many of their products are manufactured 
> in countries that fail to recognize the concept of a human right. Point 
> out that other stores are guilty of the same and I’ll point you to the 
> Tommy story above. I’m not perfect but at least I can try to stand up to 
> principles in which I truly believe as best as I can. I don’t condemn 
> people who think otherwise. I do wonder why people worry so much about 
> whether we recite the pledge of allegiance instead of just living in 
> accordance with the thoughts and sentiments it conveys: “liberty and 
> justice for all.”
>
> 5/ “P.S. Tony, sorry if I'm stepping on your toes a bit here but when it 
> comes to our resident junior philosopher's musings there's plenty 
> ‘wrongness’ for ten folks to respond.”
>
> Reply: I’m so glad you included this PS. Otherwise it would be difficult 
> to refer to you as “the guy who is unable to say anything to me without 
> insulting me.”
>
> Until tomorrow!
>
> Best, Joe
>
>
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