For decades Globalists allegedly justified their sending tens of millions of jobs overseas by screeching “Cheap stuff!!!” at the top of their lungs.
“Sure, we’ve destroyed large swaths of America. And consigned hundreds of millions of Americans over the decades to desolate lives of hopelessness, poverty and addiction. But you can buy a cheap TV at US-sellout-to-Communist-China Walmart. So it all evens out.”
Except, of course, it doesn’t even out.
The US has become a 70+% consumption economy. Meaning 7+ of every ten dollars of our GDP has to be Americans spending money. Or the entire economy collapses.
Except as mentioned? We’ve spent the last half-century-plus exporting tens of millions of jobs. Here’s a dirty little secret: Before Americans can spend money? They have to be able to earn money. And we’ve made that more and more difficult for more and more Americans to do.
The aforementioned Walmart built its entire empire upon selling out the US. How do we know Walmart is “an American company” – but isn’t actually an American company?
Tariff Storm Clouds Loom Over Walmart’s Low-Price Empire: “(T)he specter of new tariffs imposed by the (Donald) Trump administration is casting a shadow over the retail giant’s hallmark promise: everyday low prices.”
As we’ve noted many times before: “If import tariffs hurt your ‘domestic industry’ – it ain’t a domestic industry.”
Oh: And how awful already is our 70+% consumption economy? Before any Trump tariffs have been imposed? People haven’t been able afford Walmart’s Communist-China-subsidized “everyday low prices” for quite a while now. In 2019 – this happened:
“(T)he (Affirm-)Walmart partnership extends to nearly 4,000 Supercenters nationwide, offering Affirm’s simple financing with repayment terms of 3, 6, or 12 monthly installments.”
Affirm offered a very attractive feature: Interest-free payments: “With Affirm, there are no hidden fees, no interest rates, and no surprise charges. Your payments are interest-free, making it an appealing option for those who prioritize budgeting.”
But why would Walmart leave any of your money on the table? So now, Walmart is scaling up its credit system. And by “scaling up?” I mean the massive interest rates that we will now be charged.
Klarna Announces Partnership with OnePay to Exclusively Power Installment Loans at Walmart in the U.S.: “The agreement will give Walmart’s millions of weekly U.S. shoppers the option of using OnePay to pay for their purchases over time – all to be exclusively powered by Klarna.”
And Klarna is powered? By REALLY high interest rates: “Approved (Klarna) customers will get repayment terms as short as three months and as long as three years. Interest rates will reportedly vary from 10% to 36%.”
I’d bet all the money in my pockets most of the interest rates will be MUCH closer to 36% than to 10%. And, of course, Walmart gets a HUGE chunk of each and every interest penny paid. And then some.
What’s additionally interesting (and nauseating) about all of this? Walmart doesn’t want any part of extending credit themselves. They outsource it. First to Affirm, now to Klarna.
Which is antithetical to Walmart’s business model. Walmart has actually devastated Middle America twice. First by outsourcing Middle America manufacturing jobs. Then by destroying every Middle America small retailer within a country mile of their Superstores.
Walmart sells and does…EVERYTHING. It is the world’s largest retailer. In addition to all the usual Chinese junk of which you think? Walmart also offers: Groceries. Bakeries. Auto repair. Health and wellness. Pharmacies. Optical services. Photo services. Financial services. Protection, home, & tech services.
Local residents around each Walmart once had small businesses dedicated to offering those goods and/or services. Except, of course, none of them could compete with the Walmart Globalist behemoth. So they all went out of business.
Thanks yet again, Walmart.
Yet Walmart – the company that wants to be all things to all people? And keep all that lovely money to themselves? Doesn’t want any part of extending credit to its customers. It’s outsourced it. For years.
This is unbelievably damning of the US economy. And the Globalist fake “free trade” sellouts who made it.
Walmart is a poster child for Not Made in America. And it institutionally acknowledges their outsource victims – oops, I mean customers – can’t afford their Made in China “everyday low prices.”
Walmart has a Market Cap of $700+ billion. And they sell…EVERYTHING. But they don’t self-fund their credit system. Why?
I’d bet all the money in my pockets: It’s because Walmart doesn’t think its victims – oops, I mean customers – can ultimately pay back their Walmart debt.
So Walmart wants someone else on the hook. So they outsource the actual lending to Klarna. And they’ll get paid by Klarna – regardless of how much or if we can ultimately pay back Klarna.
Why is it likely Walmart doubts we can pay them back? Because Walmart is paying attention to the Globalist-ravaged US economy they helped destroy.
Walmart has to offer its own credit? Because We the Victims are carrying $18.04 trillion in total household debt. Including a record $1.2 trillion in credit card debt. Oh: And the US had a $1.2 trillion trade deficit in 2024. Of which Walmart is a huge part.
So if Walmart wants to continue to be a part of the destructive Consumption Economy it helped create? At least until the whole thing implodes? It has to offer its own credit.
But Walmart won’t actually lend the money itself. Because they know the destructive Consumption Economy it helped create is destined to implode.