In Tech Central Station, Ryan Sager has a quick review of who Wal-Mart is fighting against:
First, there is the labor movement.... Wal-Mart has taken over one-fifth of the nation's grocery market -- supermarkets being one of the last union strongholds outside of the government -- has brought the matter to a head. Partnering with local small businesses, the unions are exerting tremendous pressure on city governments to say no to Wal-Mart.Mr. Sager had a recent column about WM in The New York Post, which generated fascinating responses; he blogs at Miscellaneous Objections.Aiding and abetting the unions in their fight against Wal-Mart are the various urban "experts," Starbucks-phobic grad-student types and other elitists who wouldn't be caught dead in a discount store....
Yes, there is more than a little bit of elitism and self-interest behind much of the opposition to Wal-Mart. That's not to say that there are no reasonable concerns to be had about the retail giant. It does change the character of the towns it enters. But change in the form of lower prices and more jobs is nothing to be afraid of -- especially in cities with no mythical Main Streets to lose in the first place.
Posted by Kevin on January, 21 2005 at 10:33 AM
