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FrenchSocialist
DarwinianLeftist


Registered: 08/02/06
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Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers
#6828213 - 04/24/07 04:23 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
BENTONVILLE, Ark.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been recruiting former military and government intelligence officers for a branch of its global security office aimed at identifying threats to the world's largest retailer, including from "suspect individuals and groups".
Wal-Mart's interest in intelligence operatives comes at a time when the retailer is defending itself against allegations by a fired security employee that it ran surveillance operations against targets including critics, dissident shareholders, employees and suppliers. Wal-Mart has denied any wrongdoing.
Wal-Mart posted ads in March on its own web site and sites for security professionals, including the bulletin of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, for "global threat analysts" with a background in government or military intelligence work.
The jobs were listed with the Analytical Research Center, part of Wal-Mart's Global Security division, which is headed by former senior CIA and FBI senior officer Kenneth Senser. The analytical unit was created over the past year and half, according to published comments by its head, Army Special Operations veteran David Harrison.
The job description includes collecting information from "professional contacts" and public data to anticipate and assess threats stemming from "world events, regional/national security climates, and suspect individuals and groups."
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8ON2P400.htm
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 "Both liberty and equality are among the primary goals pursued by human beings through many centuries; but total liberty for wolves is death to the lambs" -- Isaiah Berlin
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elbisivni
Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 2,839
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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: FrenchSocialist]
#6828400 - 04/24/07 05:12 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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silly wal-mart
-------------------- From dust you are made and to dust you shall return.
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rubixcubies
porch monkey ferlyfe



Registered: 08/05/06
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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: elbisivni]
#6828431 - 04/24/07 05:19 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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it seems to me that we may be turning into a walmartian soceity
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DrCamacho89
Mazel Tuff



Registered: 03/12/07
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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: rubixcubies]
#6835028 - 04/25/07 11:30 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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Don't you think Wal-Mart has reached it's limit of ridiculousness? Now this shit is just silly. Walmart is a powerful company and they can do whatever the fuck they want. We sometimes forget that the people who run these companies are fucking crazy! Intelligence officers against people who were wronged by the company? HA! I guess that's how they'll stay on top. Money to throw around.
-------------------- "The Highways of Life are Paved with Flat Squirrels who Couldn't Make Up Their Minds"
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elbisivni
Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 2,839
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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: DrCamacho89]
#6835193 - 04/26/07 12:29 AM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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one day you will see the true might of the wal-mart, as legions upon legions of blue-vested stormtroopers march across your land and crush underneath their soles the very fabric that is your existence!!! mwahahaha
-------------------- From dust you are made and to dust you shall return.
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fireworks_god
Sexy.Butt.McDanger



Registered: 03/12/02
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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: elbisivni]
#6836102 - 04/26/07 09:15 AM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
elbisivni said: one day you will see the true might of the wal-mart, as legions upon legions of blue-vested stormtroopers march across your land and crush underneath their soles the very fabric that is your existence!!! mwahahaha
Please, before the year is over there will be no more blue vests.
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If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you
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fireworks_god
Sexy.Butt.McDanger



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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: FrenchSocialist]
#6836108 - 04/26/07 09:18 AM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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The thought that this story reflects negatively on Wal*Mart is pretty ridiculuous. The more information a company has regarding itself and its relationship with the rest of the world, the more capable it is of effectively doing business. To think that Wal*Mart is the only company that collects intelligance in this manner is absurd. The only reason you see this in the news is due to the smear campaign by labor organizations that want to drink Wal*Mart's blood.
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If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you
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trippindad82
Trusted Cultivator of Trich



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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: fireworks_god]
#6836254 - 04/26/07 10:05 AM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
fireworks_god said: The thought that this story reflects negatively on Wal*Mart is pretty ridiculuous. The more information a company has regarding itself and its relationship with the rest of the world, the more capable it is of effectively doing business. To think that Wal*Mart is the only company that collects intelligance in this manner is absurd. The only reason you see this in the news is due to the smear campaign by labor organizations that want to drink Wal*Mart's blood.
I can agree with you that plenty of other companies collect intelligence, however they typically use psychologists, not ex-military intelligence officers. There is a big difference between trying to understand the clockworking of your customer and trying to control the same individuals.
While I can agree with you that there does seem to be a smear campaign against WalMart, most of it is not unfounded. Sure, other companies use the same tactics, but not to the extent that WalMart does. Do you find it acceptable for WalMart to drop a supplier because the supplier REFUSED to layoff its American workforce and move over the border? Not only were they dropped but they were specifically told that they could remain a supplier if they moved operations. They were told this by walmart. And it wasn't so walmart could sell the product for cheaper, it was so walmart could make the markup they wanted. WalMart cares about nothing more than making a profit. Sure, they defend themselves with the whole, "we provide jobs", but the problem is not that, it's who they hurt. Locally owned businesses keep the money LOCAL. Walmart does not. While they might be able to provide more jobs than a local retailer might (and I said MIGHT), they hurt those in local towns who DON'T have the transportation. (What I mean is a walmart was opened in Geneseo. It didn't just hurt the small retailers in Geneseo, it hurt retailers in EVERY town within a 25 mile radius.) Not everyone has a car to make the journey to WalMart.
Sorry about the above rant.
-------------------- Trying to explain a journey to someone who has never experienced it is like trying to explain what a zebra looks like to blind person who has never seen a horse. ^^^The above matter may be a complete fantasy that I concocted out of possible boredom.^^^ --------------------------------------
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DrCamacho89
Mazel Tuff



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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: trippindad82]
#6836407 - 04/26/07 10:52 AM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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Adjust to the way the world is, or leave it. Only the strong survive. I don't like WalMart any more than you do, however, nothing is going to change. Those companies need to adapt. Simple as that. Start taking a cue from WalMart's book on a growing business, and take it from there.
-------------------- "The Highways of Life are Paved with Flat Squirrels who Couldn't Make Up Their Minds"
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fireworks_god
Sexy.Butt.McDanger



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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: trippindad82]
#6836555 - 04/26/07 11:40 AM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
trippindad82 said: I can agree with you that plenty of other companies collect intelligence, however they typically use psychologists, not ex-military intelligence officers. There is a big difference between trying to understand the clockworking of your customer and trying to control the same individuals.
How would they control them through employing ex-military intelligence officers? Military action? 
Perhaps they have employed ex-military intelligence officers, not because of the nature of the intelligence that they were engaged in collecting, but rather the effectiveness by which they are capable of gathering that intelligence? I'm pretty sure that ex-intelligence officers in the United States military must have been pretty damned effective in carrying out their tasks.
Quote:
While I can agree with you that there does seem to be a smear campaign against WalMart, most of it is not unfounded.
I'm not so certain. As far as I know, Wal*Mart typically pays better wages than competitors. I've reviewed some of the output by these organizations, and they will make claims that Wal*Mart's associates live below poverty levels. How do they determine this? They present the notion of a single-income family of three, in which the mother works a part-time, entry-level position at Wal*Mart. They then compare the annual wage of such to the poverty level for a family of three.
Now, Wal*Mart offers a lot of part-time positions, such as cashiers, for a reason, and it isn't because they are trying to gyp their associates. Trust me, I will check in on the sales so far for the day during multiple times during the day. Anywhere from 50% to 75% of the sales in a Wal*Mart store occur within a four-five hour time period.
Now, the greatest thing a store can do for its associates is to limit the store's expenses. Profit is shared with associates and shareholders alike, although I'm sure these campaigns would sneer at how little is shared. It is extremely inefficent to schedule the amount of cashiers that you need for that four hour period of time for an eight hour shift. It simply doesn't make sense.
Now, is it Wal*Mart's liability that the people who apply for a part-time position with them are using that income as the sole means of supporting a family of three? Do you think it would be legal for Wal*Mart to ask in an interview how many people they will be supporting with the part-time position they are seeking to fill, or to mention to them that "this is only a part-time job, do you think this will produce enough money to support your family"? No. I certainly was trained that it isn't.
How can these groups hold Wal*Mart accountable for this?
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Do you find it acceptable for WalMart to drop a supplier because the supplier REFUSED to layoff its American workforce and move over the border?
I think it is acceptable for Wal*Mart to make a decision regarding how much a product should cost them. We as consumers do so all the time. You would have to provide us with some sources for this for me to be capable of analyzing the situation in a reasonable manner.
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And it wasn't so walmart could sell the product for cheaper, it was so walmart could make the markup they wanted. WalMart cares about nothing more than making a profit.
That's a corporation for you, setting out to accomplish what it was designed to do, within the regulation of the federal government. If this fact is so appaling, then I urge you to contact your representatives.
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Sure, they defend themselves with the whole, "we provide jobs", but the problem is not that, it's who they hurt. Locally owned businesses keep the money LOCAL. Walmart does not.
So, what about the local and state taxes that Wal*Mart's sales generate? What about the money that is invested into community service? What about the fact that Wal*Mart is a local store. Obviously a lot of the money that is made in sales and profit are distributed back up the company, but isn't that due to the investment that the company has placed in that local store? The store might sell a $1 baton bubble and there might be a 50% margin on that item, yet that $0.50 is profit at the store-level. What about the operations that brought that item into the store and that put the store there and gives it what it needs to make that sale? It came from China, how much do you think it costs to ship something from China to the States? How much of that dollar is profit in the end?
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While they might be able to provide more jobs than a local retailer might (and I said MIGHT), they hurt those in local towns who DON'T have the transportation.
Of course Wal*Mart is capable of providing more jobs than a local retailer, as a Wal*Mart store is capable of generating more sales than a typical local retailer.
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If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you
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DrCamacho89
Mazel Tuff



Registered: 03/12/07
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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: fireworks_god]
#6836574 - 04/26/07 11:48 AM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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Money rules the world. It's very simple. Walmart circulates a lot of that money.
-------------------- "The Highways of Life are Paved with Flat Squirrels who Couldn't Make Up Their Minds"
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trippindad82
Trusted Cultivator of Trich



Registered: 01/07/07
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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: fireworks_god]
#6836830 - 04/26/07 01:06 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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I believe that we will always disagree on this as I have a few friends who are ex-associates and have their tales to tell of what bullshit they were fed while working there. Was it much of the same as exists throughout corporate America? Yes. But I still don't agree with it. Some of my other problems with Wal*Mart
1. Dirty and unorganized 2. The super walmarts are more expensive on most food products than ANY of the locally owned chains, thus the more ignorant customers who don't know any better than "wal*mart is ALWAYS cheapest" motto end up paying more for groceries than they should and can afford. 3. Uneducated employees with ZERO specialty. 4. UNEDUCATED employees.
I also miss the community that used to exist within America. Wal*Mart doesn't help with this. I am sad to see the days of local shops who specialized in something and knew it inside and out. Sure, they still exist, but not to the extent that they did even 15-20 years ago. I thought that America was all about competition. No one is able to compete with walmart (on the scale of shit they offer) and they are in a sense creating a monopoly.
-------------------- Trying to explain a journey to someone who has never experienced it is like trying to explain what a zebra looks like to blind person who has never seen a horse. ^^^The above matter may be a complete fantasy that I concocted out of possible boredom.^^^ --------------------------------------
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DrCamacho89
Mazel Tuff



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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: trippindad82]
#6836951 - 04/26/07 01:37 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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They have yet to buy Park Place and own none of the utilities so I disagree. 
I get what you're saying, but change is inevitible man. America isn't the same place as it was 15-20 years ago, so what are you holding onto? I live in a neighborhood which is so dead against gentrification, it's ridiculous. I agree, I do not want a Walmart within walking distance, mainly because there is a target not too far away, but that's besides the point.
For example. I am busy in the morning. Waking up, showering, slamming down my breakfast, walking to the subway, taking the train into the city for 45 minutes to get to work on time etc. There is a coffee shop en route to the subway station that is a local coffee sho and been there for 20 years. Not only does a large coffee cost me 3.00, it takes longer for the slow ass hippie worker to make it cause he's yapping his trap to me about the weather. Then,, I have to walk over to a counter, put in my own milk (which is usually never out the times I do go there on weekends) add my own sugar and so on. The whole process probably takes between 5-8 minutes.
However, right in the subway station is a Dunkin Donuts. 2 dollar large coffee, made to order, get in, get out, no hassle, I"m out the door in one minute and what do you know? Train is right there.
My Point? Sometimes we pay for convenience. If the smaller coffee shop really wanted to compete with Dunkin Donuts, they should model their service after that successful company. Instead, all they do is bitch about how corporations are taking over their peaceful little community. Change with the times is all I say. Give the people what they want to make their lives less stressful and they will reward you with their patronage.
-------------------- "The Highways of Life are Paved with Flat Squirrels who Couldn't Make Up Their Minds"
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fireworks_god
Sexy.Butt.McDanger



Registered: 03/12/02
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Re: Wal-Mart recruits intelligence officers [Re: DrCamacho89]
#6836982 - 04/26/07 01:44 PM (16 years, 9 months ago) |
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Exactly, the customer decides the market. That's the beauty of it. Its their choice if they want to pay less and to subsequently receive less customer service, or less quality. The customers are deciding which businesses stay and which don't.
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If I should die this very moment I wouldn't fear For I've never known completeness Like being here Wrapped in the warmth of you Loving every breath of you
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