Rich Lowry writes an article defending Wal-Mart and suggesting that the Market will eventually take care of any miniscule problems Wal-Mart might cause.
He defends Wal-Mart the same way he defends President Bush; by suggesting that any disdain for Wal-Mart springs from irrational hatred, rather than from anything specific Wal-Mart has done. When he finally gets around to one of the biggest complaints about Wal-Mart (the effect it has on small businesses), he disposes of it with a comparison to FAO Schwarz and this line. "Yes, the killer store snuffs out charming local retailers, but most consumers simply value convenience and low prices more than charm."
Funny how often American jobs can be written off as negligible, but then all the people who don't have jobs are lazy and immoral.
It also highlights another interesting paradox in Conservative Ideology. Conservatives argue quite passionately that smaller government and local government is better. In other words, the political decisions for your community are best made in your community, by people who know your community and live in your community.
On the other hand, economic decisions in your community (a word I apparently never tire of) are best made by people who do not live in your community but live wherever the headquarters of a large corporation is. Corporations make the call as to how much people make in your community, whether or not people have health care and so on and so forth. Conservatives, like Rush Limbaugh, are maniacally pro-corporation, and lukewarm at best towards small business.
Of course I'm not calling for any form of socialism; but it is an interesting contrast in attitudes. Of course one need hardly point out that your local mayor or city council has little to no power to take on Wal-Mart or any other corporation.
Just something to think about.
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