by Jack Merridew

Created on: July 01, 2011

As Wal-Mart recently succeeded in evading a lawsuit from an entire gender, it seems the right time for society to bring a unified indictment against the Bentonville, Arkansas company. But in so doing, do we bring an indictment against America? For what, other than apple pie and baseball, can be so easily branded "American" as Wal-Mart? You will see that only a skeleton of anything American remains in Sam Walton's former company.

One can hardly expect now, looking out at the 185,000 square foot monster-stores dotting 3,619 separate locations, that Wal-Mart started as the very "mom and pop" store their existence has doomed to obsolescence. "Walton's Five and Dime" still stands in downtown Bentonville as a museum of Wal-Mart's innocent past. Directed now from an abrupt, red brick building in the same city, Wal-mart netted $15.35 billion dollars in income for fiscal year 2011, nearly the entire economy of Nicaragua. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the world in terms of revenue, and has spread to 15 different countries. Wal-Mart saves families, on average, $2,500 a year, and bolsters the U.S. economy with 210,000 jobs. Wal-Mart also strengthened charities and food banks with $467 million dollars in generous contributions for 2010. And while the benefit of superior prices, and widespread convenience is extraordinary, Wal-Mart remains a menace to our country.

A STRONG ECONOMY SANS WAL-MART

To look at the phenomenon that is Wal-Mart, we will imagine a city called Pepperville: a quaint suburban community, thriving on its farmers markets, local art scene, and immaculate downtown boutiques. With few large cities nearby, Pepperville has had to remain locally-grown. Nearby wonders, scenic mountains, and no traffic congestion to speak of make Pepperville a locale frequented by tourists. Cities nearby, less concerned with independent culture and more concerned with business and revenue, have integrated Wal-Mart into their economies. Few denizens of Pepperville make the drive to the far-away retailer, as the gas needed to get there already depletes any savings one could preserve by making the trip.

AN ABRUPT CHANGE

All at once, depositing their earth-moving gear onto a vacant field, construction crews break ground on the new Pepperville Wal-Mart Supercenter. Set to encompass 200,000 square feet of floor space, the new mall of discount goods and fluorescent lighting is lifted in a hasty three months. Roads all around the new center must be torn apart and extra lanes must

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