Yesterday, Fox News “business show” discussed the Black Friday Walmart protests. Host Brenda Buttner set the tone when she described it as a “war on Walmart.” But on Fox, it was more like a war on living wages and the evil unions advocating for pay raises for Walmart workers.
Democrat David Mercer argued the importance of earning a living wage. “I don’t think it’s in America’s interest to be paying tax dollars for food stamps to supplement the lack of wages or decent wages that Walmart is not willing to pay its employees that make Walmart what it is today, productive and successful.”
Buttner turned to one of the four conservative panelists “balancing” Mercer, Gary B. Smith. She said, “Gary B., productive and successful it is, and it does pay a lot of taxes first of all, but what do you think, is this in America’s interests?”
In a word, no. Apparently, Smith is only interested in everybody and every entity being as selfish and greedy as possible:
SMITH: I don’t think it’s the unions’ responsibility, to be honest with you, to look out for America’s interests. But on the flip side, I don’t think it’s Walmart’s responsibility to look out for America’s interests.
The way capitalism works is, you know, Gekko had it right in the movie Wall Street, I guess back in the 80s, when he said greed is good. Everyone looks out for themselves. That’s the essence of capitalism. There’s no one out there saying, “You know what? I’m going to put the other person’s interest before mine.” You look out for yourself and if everyone looks out for themself, you have to come to some mutual agreement. David talked about, you know it’s kind of Walmart’s responsibility for a living wage. Who decides that living wage? No one. You yourself decide if you can make a living wage working at Walmart or you can work at Target or you don’t even have to work in the retail industry you do something else. There is no such thing as a living wage that’s equal in New York City as it is to Des Moines, Iowa.
Then, showing how out of touch Smith is with the heartland, he asked, “Or is it Des Moines, is it Idaho? I forget. Sorry about that.”
Mercer reminded Smith that Des Moines is in Iowa.
Later, Mercer reiterated that Walmart workers are “still having to supplement their income - because they’re not being paid enough – to have food stamps.”
Panelist Byrnes threw back her head and moaned, “Oh, God.” It was not because she was so upset at the thought of someone getting paid so little as to qualify for food stamps.
Panelist John Layfield insisted that Walmart has “done more for the lower income than the government has done.”
Watch it below.