First, the little ants at Walmart do have the chance to climb the ladder. My cousin's husband, who is now in management above store level, can attest to that. He even, and this may shock you, has excellent benefits and a healthy salary. He started out at Walmart retrieving shopping carts from the parking lot. At my last home, my neighbor (who modified his mercedes to run on cooking oil) was a manager at Walmart at the store level. He also did well financially. Most of the greeters are either senior citizens earning a little extra money, and they actually enjoy the greeting process, or high school or college students earning extra money. I've spent many a day doing much lower work to earn pay, believe me. My first paying job, outside of working for the family business in a dry cleaners, working the fields of a farm for no pay, or picking strawberries or walnuts all day for days on end (among other jobs), was at Kmart. I was promoted within 3 months to a supervisory position at 17. It is indeed possible, back then, and today. Whether you continue on with the same company or use that experience as a stepping stone is up to the individual.

I think that lowly ants working here in the states have a much better chance of getting further financially in life (especially without any friends or relatives in high places) than in socialist or communist countries. Otherwise, I think our immigration demand (legal and illegal) would be closer to the level of your home country, wouldn't it?

Second, part of it is our culture which so many Europeans comment on. It's what I've seen here on the UT referred to as that 'fake public friendliness' that supposedly means nothing deep down. You see it in nurses in hospitals who present a cheerful friendly atttitude when they are so exhausted they'd like nothing more than to lay down and sleep for 12 hours.


>>>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLQwiC0glA&NR=1
>>>
>>>http://youtube.com/watch?v=WfTvYOKl1a8
>>>
>>>http://youtube.com/watch?v=z48kJTYSl8s&feature=related (warning - sound a bit loud)
>>>
>>>They only need the little red booklets with pearls of Sam Walton's wisdom, and to hold them high while marching the streets...
>>
>>Nothing like that I am sure.
>>Unike in China, who ever dare to say that all this is so uterly ridiculous in presence of an executive, they can still keep the job at walmart. This is where they differ! I am sure this NikiT still works there <g>
>
>But that's the point, isn't it? In rigid socialist systems, you couldn't say a thing or you'd lose; in capitalism, you can say whatever you want, it doesn't mean a thing. You still may lose the job if you flatly refuse to partake in the ridiculous and humiliating rite every morning. I mean, working at Walmart is already low; cheerleading for it is pretending you love it.
>
>Remember our definition of "superpoltron" (*)? When the big boss reads the speech he wrote, he applauds with the others. And superpoltron squared also takes notes.
>
>But these sleazes at least know there's a chance they'd climb up the ladder, worm their way into the apple, stuff their pockets and get reimbursed for the inconvenience. What do the little ants at Walmart have to hope for? That they'd become venerated greeters?
>
>----
>(*) in our political slang, "poltron" is a suck-up, could be also called a suppository, because he'd insert himself up there into the big kahuna's posterior if it would advance his chances and career

6OLQwiC0glA