I just read David Barstow’s expose’ in the Sunday NYTimes of Wal-Mart’s latest shenannigans, “Vast Mexican Bribery Case Hushed up by Wal-Mart After top-level struggle which exposes bribes, pay-offs and cover-ups as Wal-Mart was developing their monster chain in Mexico. Horrors!!! Did you know that one out of five Wal-Mart’s is in Mexico. Do you think Wal-Mart may have something to do with Mexicans coming here?
Now, I don’t like Wal-Mart, and I won’t shop there. I don’t like the way they treat employees, especially women–but people still work there and lots of women; I don’t like the way they crowd the ‘Mom and Pop’ stores–but that’s what capitalism is all about. I could give you a page full of reasons why I don’t like Wal-Mart–in pica print–but the thing I dislike the most is what I see as an arrogant attitude as they change communities in a self-serving, self-righteous manner–this annoys me mightily.
I read the article with relish, eager to read bad stuff, smirk abit and nod my head knowingly, but I was disappointed, it sounded like old news and I doubt that I’m alone.
Over more than a decade, we have been bombarded with Enrons, irresponsible bankers, an unrestrained Wall Street, unscrupulous Hedge Funds, private interest groups, a paralyzed government encumbered with self-serving bureaucrats, and worst of all, a sad and sinful war. Wal-Mart seems little by comparison.
After all we’ve been through, it’s easy to want to say, “They all do it, WalMart just does it bigger”; but we can’t. If we don’t address BAD then how can we expect BETTER. I’m going to remember that the next time Wal-Mart is naughty. And for that, I thank the press, and in this case the NYTimes and David Barstow for reminding me. That’s Jeanstake, what’s yours?
