Is Wal-Mart good or bad?

Wal-Mart is evil.
They pay their employees terribly.
They block every attempt to unionize their “associates.”
They sell goods from third-world countries, making them guilty of supporting virtual slave labor in sweatshops.
They come into town and run the small stores out of business.

Wal-mart bashing is in vogue these days. Groups like “Wake Up Wal-mart” and “Wal-mart watch” organize rallies and urge their supporters to avoid shopping at the evil retail giant. Politicians with presidential aspirations like Joe Biden, Evan Bayh, John Kerry, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton have placed Wal-Mart in their crosshairs.

That's one version of reality. In an alternate universe...(should we call it "America?")

Wal-Mart is good.
They pay their employees well.
They provide significant benefits without having to deal with unions.
They sell goods cheaply so that Americans of modest income can enjoy a rather comfortable existence.
They even are resisting the siren song of political correctness and allowing their associates to wish their customers a “Merry Christmas.”

This Friday is “black Friday.” The day after Thanksgiving is a make-or-break sales day for many merchants because it sets the tone for the holiday shopping season. (Just so no minorities have a cow, the colors “black” and “red” indicate “profit” and “loss” in business jargon.)

My wife works as a circulation director for the Hillsdale Daily News, and they are required to keep the Wal-Mart ad for Wednesday under lock and key…and anyone found leaking the specials contained in it are to be fired. However, the word was leaked to the press and Wal-Mart's "Black Friday" ad is readily available at places such as Gottadeal.com It makes you wonder just how cheaply Wal-mart is going to sell the PS-3 or Wii or Gamecube this year.

Politicians have made a name for themselves bashing Wal-Mart, but sometimes even they can’t resist a good deal. Former Senator John Edwards, who was the Vice-Presidential running-mate for John Kerry in 2004, apparently sent a staffer to Wal-Mart to get a piece of the PS3 action. Wal-Mart had this to say about their “loyal customer.”

“The Company noted the PlayStation3 is an extremely popular item this Christmas season, and while the rest of America's working families are waiting patiently in line, Senator Edwards wants to cut to the front. While, we cannot guarantee that Sen. Edwards will be among one of the first to obtain a PlayStation3, we are certain Sen. Edwards will be able to find great gifts for everyone on his Christmas list – many at Wal-Mart's "roll-back prices."

Those who want to make Wal-mart into some kind of evil incarnate mystify me. It’s a corporation that makes money with a minimal profit margin. People who don’t want to shop there have many available alternatives, but it always seems crowded in Wal-Mart to me. If you don’t want to work there, get a job somewhere else. On second thought, it isn’t really a mystery. Socialists can’t tolerate a successful capitalistic venture, so when one makes a lot of money, it must be either gouging its customers or taking unfair advantage of its employees.

Anyways, see you at Wal-Mart..and may the spirit of holiday shopping not detract us from the message of Peace on Earth brought about by Jesus, whose birth we look forward to celebrating.