Everyone knows Walmart is one of the largest companies in America. But is the extensive Walmart security necessary and just part of doing business?
Walmart Security is over the top! {or is it?}
We’ve mentioned what we felt was unnecessary security measures in the past (the “Lot Cop” video robot).
And a recent visit to the Hackettstown Walmart (actually in Mansfield, but who’s counting beans), it just seemed like there were security cameras wherever we looked.
At least three dozen upon quick glance, probably more like between 50-100 cameras if we scoured the area more carefully.
We could easily pen a 10,000-word diatribe about this whole situation, societal changes, capitalism, etc., but we will touch on four basic viewpoints.
Viewpoint 1: Walmart does what is necessary
Anyone that has a company, does what they have to do to protect their assets. In this case, it is ensuring they have “evidence” of any criminal activities, etc.
It’s also for legal protection.
Sure, this is “over the top,” but Walmart has the resources to afford such mechanisms.
Viewpoint 2: The rich get richer! (at the expense of the poor?)
Another angle is that Walmart is so wealthy (as a company and “family,”) that they are now in a position to protect that wealth at all costs.
But don’t forget that while Walmart is for all intents and purposes the “cheapest” place to buy almost anything – they also have some shoddy working parameters. Tons of low-paid employees (they do hire practically anyone with a pulse). It’s a bizarre arrangement.
In essence, they’re just protecting their wealth (and legal status!)
Viewpoint 3: Walmart attracts criminals
For some odd reason – because of the low-end aspect of a “cheap” store, it always seems to attract thugs of society.
Maybe crafty criminals feel justified stealing from Walmart. Maybe they think it’s easier because it’s such a big entity. Who knows, but they are certainly a big target also because of their massive presence in America. Especially in urban areas.
Viewpoint 4: Orwellian!
Lastly – there are people, regardless of the justifications for such visual security measures, who will decry “Orwellianism!”
In a way, that is true. Because the “data” of your face is probably being sold to someone – or given to a massive database somewhere. In order to keep a digital fingerprint of every single human being alive.
Nothing excites control freaks other than being able to actively monitor every person on earth. It’s a power-trip thing, really.
Society is also changing
In today’s digital society, general viewpoints are becoming very polarized. It can be practically anything. Politics. The haves and the have-nots. The financial markets. Sports. Celebrities. Anything whatsoever. We could go on.
But at the same time – it appears that civil discourse and resolutions also seem to be further from reach. Problem-solving isn’t a strong point in modern society. Hence, you now see “mass shootings” that happen at places like Walmart. So they protect their assets by installing video documentation. Perhaps it’s a requirement from a law-enforcement perspective as well.
Don’t forget the mind-altering drugs a good chunk of society is ingesting (also thanks to the pharmacies at Walmart). Society is collectively going more “nuts.” Whether by design or accident – it doesn’t really matter.
Does Walmart security bother you?
The specific security measures at Walmart don’t bother us exactly – as we have no reason to “fear” such “Orwellian” surveillance.
However, what does concern us – is the fact that we even need such levels of protection and “overseeing.”
In an ideal society, we wouldn’t ever need such implements. People would be honest, and so on. Violence would be next to non-existent.
But we’re not at that point. For whatever reason, we (as a society) have indeed become polarized. Certainly, some of that has been by design – but whoever plans how things work out RARELY considers all the possibilities. Especially over multiple generations.
We’re basically in “uncharted territory” here. We’re collectively witnessing what is happening to “us,” but at the same time – not enough people are having intelligent discussions about what is happening from a holistic perspective. You have “black and white” these days. “This or that,” and not much of “in-between” or sensible compromises.
Many “futurists” are spot-on. This is only going to get worse (the surveillance state) until it hits a breaking point. (Think: social credit scores, Minority Report, etc.)
Constant (automated) surveillance is not what is part of humanity. There is a distinct danger of allowing technology to circumvent human behavior. The same way rear-view cameras literally remove the ability to use your head – it will be very much the same as we continue automating next to everything in our lives.
Tread carefully!
