Your Opinion on Wal Mart Please

[augustianian]

- they treat employees poorly

The employer has the right to distribute labor as he/she sees fit. The employee has the right to distribute his/her labor as he/she sees fit...like if he/she doesn't like the way he/she is treated then, get another job. (see Adam Smith). Besides, couldn't the same complaint be made about every employer at one time or another??

- they are responsible for poor working conditions and child labor/sweat shops in 3rd world and developing countries

And yet this country was built on such labor practices. It's probably not a valuable nor charitable endeavour to take jobs, and money, away from 3rd world families because Western do-gooders don't like the fact that they and their children are sweating.

- they have destroyed American towns and commerce (mom-n-pop shops)

Ahh small town America nostalgia...which is responsible for how many jobs?? I don't think it's right to make a family of four suffer because mom and pop want to keep selling their limited products for higher prices.

- they represent everything that is ugly about America

So...it's not art...it's business.

Yeah...creating a new market, selling cheaper products, making convenience a business necessity for the customer, all the while turning a profit.

You're right...that is what's "ugly" about America.

It's called the free market...and you might think it's ugly, but it is the most American of ideas.

Do you realize that Wal-Mart is responsible for more production and profits than most countries?? Take that out of the American economy...do you think the mom and pop shops could fill that void??