OK, nobody's perfect, and I have my problems with Wal-Mart too. I get a little irritated about their corporate culture that allows rampant use of eminent domain to acquire locations. Wal-Mart has been under attack, though, not because of its eminent domain policies, but because it's been doing such a good job in the free marketplace.
Unions hate Wal-Mart, of course, because the Wal-Mart workforce isn't unionized. The people who work at Wal-Mart actually believe that they're working for Wal-Mart. They aren't operating under an allusion that they're working for a union! Since this is an intolerable situation for the unions, Wal-Mart must be demonized!
Other retailers aren't happy with Wal-Mart either. Wal-Mart is a clear low-price leader. For other businesses to compete they have to either offer higher levels of service, better merchandise or lower prices, all of which would affect the bottom line. So, if you can't compete --- demonize. Hop on the union bandwagon and participate in the demonization of Wal-Mart.
These businesses know that if they can do anything to force Wal-Mart to increase its prices, like accepting an unionized workforce or adopting expanded worker benefits, it will help to level the competitive playing field.
Recently
a "documentary" was released by Wal-Mart opponents which purported to show the negative impact that Wal-Mart is supposedly having on our country. The documentary was full of distortions and lies. In one particular instance a Northeast hardware was shown. The owner was shutting down, and the blame was placed squarely on the new Wal-Mart in town. The trouble here was that the hardware store was in the process of closing long before the arrival of Wal-Mart and the owner of that store has admitted that Wal-Mart had nothing to do with the closing. In other words, the opponents of Wal-Mart lied to get their point across. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
So .. has the campaign of demonization been working? It would seem so. A survey done by some anti-Wal-Mart group known as
WakeUpWalMart.com has found that 56% of Americans say that Wal-Mart is bad for America. Amazing, because it's simply not true.
If the unions and Wal-Mart competitors succeed in forcing Wal-Mart to increase its operating costs it will constitute a wage cut for every single American who relies on Wal-Mart for huge savings on the items they need in their daily lives.Maybe these people should be careful what they ask for because they just might get it, and when they do you'll hear them crying from all directions....