Wednesday, June 8, 2005

Wal-Mart, Seagulls, and M. de Villepin

I think I'm going to love the new French Prime Minister, Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin. According to this article in the Daily Telegraph, he loves poetry and philosophy, and is a "hobby marathon runner." Me too!

Too bad he despises America so much. But something in the Telegraph's article makes me think he may be coming around. It quotes de Villepin comparing Europe to the seagull. He said,

The seagull is intoxicated by the sky. She turns, carried by the winds, with undulating wing, uttering from time to time her agonising peal of laughter. She watches, soars, comes closer, climbs, descends, turns suddenly. The straight line is rarely her course. She listens to the world.
M. de Villepin, the seagull has listened, and what has she heard?

"Always low prices. Always."

Photo: Eulalie Frye

6 comments:

The Traveler said...

Great Post! Good thing that Wal-Mart isn't going to be built. I don't want any visits from "The Seagull"

Anonymous said...

Walmarts serve the low income community with affordable and utilitarian goods they could otherwise never afford. These folks aren't particularly interested in planned communities that reflect the views of elitist bloggers. They simply need someplace close by where they can get clothes/food/and the multitude of other stuff they need; they can't afford a lot of driving, and many have to use public transportation to get there. Sam Walton has done more for these people than any state or federal anti-poverty program yet devised, and for these folks, you can't have too many Walmarts.

David Wharton said...

Um, that was sort of my point.

But low-income people very often do live in planned communities, like Willow Oaks in Greensboro, or in the River Walk neighborhood near my house.

Maybe it isn't possible for them to have low-priced retail and communities that make it easy for them to get there -- but maybe it is. I'd like to see us give it a try, at least.

David Wharton said...

Uh, I think you misinterpret what I mean. I was implying I don't want the new French Prime Minister stopping by. It just so happened that the birds were in the parking lot of a Walmart. I agree with david's point though.

Anonymous said...

The Above post was done by Sam, not David.

Laurie said...

anonymous said:
"They simply need someplace close by where they can get clothes/food/and the multitude of other stuff they need; they can't afford a lot of driving, and many have to use public transportation to get there."

Um, is that why Wal-marts are usually built way out on the edge of town next to the suburbs?