The Fight Against Wal-Mart

[YSR]

I just attended the first meeting in my small town's effort to resist Wal-Mart coming here.

There was an enormous amount of boring bullshit about "not opposing free markets, just unfair ones blahblahblah" and petty fights between members of the community who have longstanding land disputes which play some peripheral role in this debate.

But I was struck with the membership of the group. It was a lot of local business owners, some young working people, a few of the old liberal/hippies who recently gained control of the local Democratic party, some elderly folks who live in the area, a few religious hangers-on, and the assortment of environmentalists (we live near one of the best cold-water trout streams in the country, and they're always out to protect it). Long story short: mostly liberals who love to talk and nothing else. The only guy I liked was an old man who interrupted the out-of-town speakers and suggested that everyone got up right now and get a petition to the mayor to recall all the unelected officials (city planner, etc) in town.

I quickly got tired of their bullshit and the sanctimonious "prescription" on how to fight Wal-Mart from the "Wake Up Wal-Mart" folks from out of town. So I gave a little schpeel about how the youth of the town overwhelmingly oppose Wal-Mart and will work to keep it out, then made my exit.

Anyhow, biking home I started wondering about the whole struggle. On one hand, we are fighting a giant, evil corporation that will most likely destroy my town. On the other hand, the tactics of these bourgeois liberals annoy the shit out of me and I can't believe that their petitions to the local politicians (who have always tried to have the least transparent government possible. They make the Bush administration look like a bunch of anarchists) will do anything worthwhile. Or am I just using radicalism as an excuse to sit on my ass until it's too late, then launch some action that won't do anything?

How have you other comrades been engaged in any of these struggles, with what tactics, and how have you related to the rest of the anti Wal-Mart group?

[Orange Juche]

I relate to you more than you probably would think. My area is just as bad with the bourgeois liberal bullshit, sometimes I want to pull my fucking hair out.



"Or am I just using radicalism as an excuse to sit on my ass until it's too late, then launch some action that won't do anything?"

Radicalism is never an excuse, if you truly believe. Never give up on that for some wanker-liberal bullshit.


Wal-Mart has been where I live since I was quite young, so I don't know what to say in regards to resisting them. The way I think - I would say, try to be creative. Do something that'll gain attention, something that will make a strong point. Abbie Hoffman kinda shit. Have fun with it. Think outside the box to find ways to bring the issue to light for alot of people.

[YSR]

I bump my topic, as the schmuck that I am.

[Guest]

I'm not sure how the people you listed there qualify as bougie.

Just scanning through that and personally, I hate folks who say things like 'I'd go do that, but i'm too far left to join them' and then end up doing fuck all. I really do see it as an excuse. It's easy to criticise from a distance.

I'm not about to attack you for that because I don't know who you are or what you're all about.

But all the greatest radicals out there had to unite with other workers, even if they weren't revolutionary. because that's what gets things done around here. Bosses use the "divide and conquer" tactic all too often, like racism and sexism, and it works very well.

That struggle in your town is a very important one and I wouldn't let silly things like that divide you guys. Besides, it's not as if you can join that "radical ultra-leftist only group" that fights wal-mart in your hometown. And if you did, it would probably be too exclusive to be taken seriously. Coalitions are great things! :)

[YSR]

True that, guest, and no offense taken. I'm just not sure whose hands I'm playing into. Essentially, popular rage against Wal-Mart is being channelled into the hands of the Democratic Party and local small business owners. They're the ones (I estimate) who have the most to gain from keeping Wal-Mart out. Then again, we all do better without it in town.

Is it a (vastly scaled down ;) ) version of the Spanish Civil War? Leftists ally with the Republic in order to fight the Fascists? Or would I just be buying into the myth that "competition is good" and spreading that to others with this campaign?

Apologies, I feel like I'm talking to myself here. But I'm just concerned how I, the only outspoken radical (as far as I know) in my town, can engage in this fight without becoming an advocate for the petty bourgeois.

[OneBrickOneVoice]

I'd write a petition. Call a meeting or ask the leader to call one. vote on the petition and get it signed. Than stand on the side of a road or on a street and offer a stick of gum to anyone who signs it. You'll have 50,000 sigs in no time. LOL jk you don't need to use gum. If you're a little pushy people will sign anything.

The other thing that can be done is offer a plan for something else that could be built where wal-mart would be built. For example, a community garden or a park or school. Also try to raise money. It's not as easy as getting sigs but it's worth a try.

Rallies are also good.

So you should make an agenda.

1. Petition
2. Plan for space
3. rally

[YSR]

Petitions: not legally binding, ineffective, and already being done anyway.
Plan for space: It's private property, we can't just turn it into a park unless the farmers who own it let us.
Rally: I guess.

My problem here isn't finding specific action but finding whether or not action is acceptable within the confines of radicalism.