Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by birdymcbird 1157 days ago
>> The closures are another example of the shortcomings of local governments and even national political leaders betting on leading chains to provide key public services and fill gaps.

>> Unlike local government, which is theoretically accountable to voters, companies answer only to their shareholders and don’t have an obligation to stay in communities if they aren’t making a profit.

>> Whether it’s handing over responsibility for providing public bathrooms to Starbucks and McDonald’s or vaccines and basic health services to CVS and Walgreens, the public is left vulnerable when these companies’ business priorities change or they close locations.

main idea in this story is that people trusting these big companies to come to they neighborhoods for food and jobs but these companies only care about money and leave.

story pushes narrative about specific ethnicity and economic group being victims.

main questions this story never asks is WHY these businesses closing?

and if billion dollar company like Wal-mart cannot survive in this places, how can small business?

cnn conveniently did not describe these communities in detail.. out of control crime, organized theft at businesses, missing or reduced law enforcement.

as immigrant myself from country where healthcare is more danger than you sickness (imagine getting a shot and catching hiv or hepatitis), where electricity only for 6-8 hours a day in 40+ centigrade, where running water not a real thing and to flush toilet you empty bucket of dirty water into toilet to force it flush..

the big sin is not walmart leaving but this fake news media making people victims born in USA. victimhood mentality

3 comments

Have you been to the neighborhoods in question?
The people didn’t trust them. Walmart came in with all types of promises of economic development but the people did not want those stores. They lied thinking they could still profit and now in a short time they destroyed alternatives and are leaving as well.
Why do you keep posting misleading information over and over again on this topic?

People are literally PROTESTING the closure, but yet here you are, once again with your BS...

The one "lying" clearly is you...

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-walmart-closures-p...

CHICAGO - Activists protested the closure of four Chicago Walmart stores Thursday morning in Chatham.

https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/chicagoans-blast-walmart...

Community activists gathered at 84th and Stewart in Chatham at the site of one of four Walmarts that is set to close, slamming the retailer’s decision.

“Everything I go into this store, it is packed with people,” said Father Michael Pfleger.

[deleted]
>> ...as if any of the things you've suffered justify your anti-Black animus.

my comment on stores unable to operate in high crime environment. it does not mean im anti black. you comment a personal attack. this is not reddit. maybe you forgot what website you are on.

>>> By being a local business that people don't associate with exploitative labour practices?

strawman argument. my point that if large company cannot afford to “swallow” losses in high crime location.. then small business have zero probability.

> By not being an attempt to turn misery into a profit center?

oh yes! the extreme misery of having born in USA where you have option to move and climb upward and get education.. where internet easily available everywhere.

it is truly a horrific atrocity that crime filled city or no personal accountability have consequence.. yes? even born in USA one needs charity of government or business??

good on wal-mart for leaving such places. there many places in world desperate need of charity. but you strawman personal attacks not charity and help no one but perhaps you ego.

You can't just dismiss the suffering of one group because it is worse somewhere else. Even if it is much, much worse. It isn't a race to the bottom or a game where we should tell people their problems don't matter because "it could be worse" and it can be dealt with.

There are huge swathes of people that simply don't have the opportunity. More so in other countries, yes, but there is a great deal of it in the USA too. More than is acceptable.

me believe that if you want to achieve something.. you can do it in USA. and if you goal not to change world or become rich but just lift from poverty.. yes you can do that in this country. just need hard work and determination.

but if you idea hard work that you have easy job.. little stress not too much labor then USA not enough by itself. Now you must blame someone and show you victim.

People and companies who would quickly kill unprofitable business cheerlead propaganda campaign. CNN writes this propaganda article against business but how willing is CNN to keep funding ventures that do not make money? Where is their justice war then?

They don’t care. Its just to get eye ball and clicks.

Yikes, can you please refrain from personal attacks and/or posting in the flamewar style? You've unfortunately been doing the latter repeatedly. It's not what this site is for, and destroys what it is for.

If someone else is wrong or you feel they are, please explain how they are wrong thoughtfully—odds are they won't learn from it, but there will at least be a chance (unlike what you posted here), and more importantly, the rest of the audience reading your post may have a chance to learn something.

If you wouldn't mind reviewing https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and taking the intended spirit of the site more to heart, we'd be grateful.