User DonTago on Reddit elaborates on what Wal-Marts really are.

“I know it is fashionable to hate on Wal-Mart and all, however, I believe that Wal-Mart is simply an inevitable result or endgame of American’s ultimate desire for convenience, cheapness and efficiency. The development of the car-centered “world of tomorrow” after WWII put the death-nail in just about all down-towns across the US. People in the 60s were convinced by now the world would look like THIS . You saw it in cartoons like the Jetsons, landing on the moon, modern conveniences like the microwave, etc. People really felt we were in the future, so they were willing to discard the tradition of small downtowns for the 60s shopping centre   and one-stop grocery stores. Walmart was the predictable outcome of a mega-combination of those two ideas.

Once people had the luxury of doing all their shopping at just 3 places, then 2 places, the next logical step would be they would want somewhere to do all their shopping at just ONE place. Consumers would refuse to go backwards at that point, where they previously had to stop at 6 or 7 different stores just to do their errands. Hell, it was the future after all, forget that shit. Also, we constantly demanded more, but at cheaper prices. However, we failed to notice [or failed to care] that our demand in cheapness inevitably resulted in a reduction in quality of our products.

So, only now we look back at the traditional model of a town, these hollow shells that exist now, and we sigh. Many blame Wal-Mart for the death of our towns. However, I believe it was not them, it was us. We demanded it, we created it. We saw it as our destiny. We wanted our flying cars, our 5 second pizza, our mega-screen TV, our Back-to-the-Future world. Well, our future arrived, but we don’t like it. And now we are forced to lie in the bed we have made for ourselves.”

Enjoy the insight.

• Tags
• future
• techology
• money
• America

“Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace. These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice. They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown. In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man. In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood. Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man’s search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts. For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.”

— Richard Nixon’s backup speech in case Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had died on the Moon.

Author unknown, probably written by William Safire.

• Tags
• Space
• science
• technology
• America
• History