Strollerderby : capitalism

Cops Bust Girls' Veggie Stand

Amy S.F. Lutz — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:56:00 GMT

I always thought there was nothing more wholesome than roadside stands manned by eager, adorable kids with homemade signs. And what good lessons the kids learn from their budding enterprises: math, money, salesmanship - even the broader philosophical underpinnings of capitalism. In fact, I can't really think of too many more productive ways for kids to spend their time.

But now 11-year-old Katie Lewis and her 3-year-old sister, Sabrina, will have a lot more time on their hands to stare at the TV or play video games. The girls had been selling melons, radishes and zucchinis from their garden on Saturday mornings from a stand by their home in Clayton, California - until the cops shut them down.

Clayton mayor Gregg Manning defended his officers' actions, claiming, "They may start out with a little card-table and selling a couple of things, but then who is to say what else they have . . . Are they going to have eggs and chickens for sale next?"

This - for those of you who didn't spend four years on a college debate team, as I did - is known as a "slippery slope" argument - i.e., "If we let these girls sell their zucchinis, then before you know it they'll be peddling t-shirts manufactured in Chinese sweatshops!"

As you've probably figured out, such slippery slope arguments usually come off as a bit hysterical. All I have to say to Mayor Manning is - lighten up a little!

Wal-Mart Now Selling Religion, One Toy at a Time

Karen Murphy — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:06:00 GMT

Hey! If you've been looking for alternative to Bratz dolls, maybe a Samson action figure will do the trick! That's what Wal-Mart is betting on, anyway, as they enter the faith-based toy marketing arena. Next month, 425 Wal-Mart stores (just a drop in the bucket of the Evil Empire) wil begin carrying toys by One2believe, self-appointed "messengers of faith" who are singlehandedly carrying on the "battle for the toy box" (is it me or are these guys a little...scary?).

Wal-Mart critics agree that the retailer's altruism factor or commitment to religion seems to be eclipsed by simple capitalism. After all, who knows better how to make a buck? Or several bazillion of them? But parents looking for a faith-based alternative likely won't mind and instead will zero in on the 2 feet of toy shelf space being allotted to these new toys in targeted Wal-Marts with a high volume in Bible sales.

Is Wal-Mart Too Evil for Parents?

JasonAvant — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:34:00 GMT

Those who travel through the parenting territories of the Blog-O-Sphere know that there are a number of hot button topics, which when brought up tend to lead to discussions bearing an uncanny, almost eerie resemblance to the one depicted here. Absolutism, in case you haven't noticed, is the bread-and-butter of many a parenting blog, and Evil can be found everywhere, from parents who (gasp!) give their babies formula to a certain cadre of happy-go-lucky Australian entertainers who extoll the virtues of fruit salad and New York firefighters.

One big (big, as in "makes more money than most of the nations on Earth" big) target of derision is Wal-Mart. Full disclosure: I rarely shop there, for a number of reasons (chief among these - the greeters, with their empty smiles and lifeless eyes...black eyes, like a doll's eyes...when they come at you, they don't seem to be living...), and I don't really have an opinion of Wal-Mart (other than "the greeters, they ain't right") either way. But a lot of parents choose not to shop there, for reasons that are decent ones: the company has a reputation as a low-paying, small business-crushing behemoth that's made its fortune on the backs of sweatshop slaves. Thus we have the argument over Wal-Mart - whether or not it's morally right to shop there. So is Wal-Mart really evil?

Perhaps not, suggests Jeremy Siegel in this article. Siegel brings up some good points: Wal-Mart's average salary hovers at the $10 an hour level, higher than the Federal minimum wage and that of most states; the company is moving to offer a variety of health care plans; and (this is his weakest argument, and in no way excuses the often horrific conditions found in many overseas factories, but he does have a point) the inclusion of overseas manufacturing provides for jobs and growth in developing nations. But perhaps the most compelling reason why Wal-Mart isn't all bad: the fact that it enables a sizable percentage of people to buy products - stuff as basic as groceries to "luxury items" like PC's - that they might not otherwise be able to afford.

I'm pretty happy that I can pop on down to Whole Foods or Bristol Farms for a six pack of Saison Dupont and a pound of lox flown in from New York the night before. I'm also pretty goddamn lucky that, financially speaking, Wal-Mart's just one of my many shopping options. So does this mean that Sam Walton should be put on the fast track to beatification? Probably not - the monster he spawned still has a way to go before it becomes a model company - but it's interesting to consider the other side of the Wal-Mart argument. It is an argument. Yes it is. It is. Is!

Helicopter Parents Need to Chill

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 23:00:00 GMT

Helicopter parents -- those over-worried people who believe their children require assistance with every little task -- are being advised to ease up. There is plenty to be afraid of these days and it is understandable that a natural inclination to protect might easily become hovering.

But what is the difference between proper protection and attending to the needs of your children and training stressed out Little Freaks of Capitalism?

I think it's time to re-institute healthy neglect -- leaving your children to their own devices. A little more "Go outside and play!" and less "Would you like to build a radio transmitter with Daddy?"

I think it is quite likely that children allowed the freedom to play with low-tech toys, relax and do nothing, and left free of the flashcards, language and dance lessons and sideline instructions from tight-lipped parents, might in the end find out that freedom and creativity are more satisfying than preschool at Harvard.