Wal-Mart is evil...

If you have any doubt that Wal-Mart is at the base of the erosion of almost everything that once created a wonderful "livability factor" in small-town America, all you have to do is go to Nevada, Missouri where my daughter was attending college.

This historic (the Bushwacker Capital) and scenic little town in Southwest Missouri has the remnants of what was once one of the most picturesque town squares in the Midwest. A stately courthouse is still the center attraction, surrounded by businesses and storefronts sitting empty with "For Lease" signs dotting almost every window.

Just a scant two-mile drive from central downtown Nevada sits the reason. A Wal-Mart looms in the dark winter sky, like some alien death star in space. The landscape in Missouri is flat. The night sky is dark. This monstrosity is impossible to miss. Open almost all hours, including Sundays and holidays, there is nothing different from this Wal-Mart than almost any other across the country. It is chockfull of cheap imported fluff, sundries and "necessities," most from China and other slave-labor locations in Asia.

In fact, the amount of business Wal-Mart did in calendar year 2005, more than $ 65 Billion dollars, is almost the exact amount that makes up our national trade deficit.

Wal-Mart is like a black hole in the American landscape. Everywhere they go, local businesses close down. Jobs are lost.

Wal-Mart has a reputation for being one of the most vicious, aggressive buyers in the world. Suppliers and manufacturers are forced to meet or beat pricing for goods manufactured by slave-labor in Asia, and must decide whether to lose the contract, or move their manufacturing facilities to the same labor-rich, wage-poor countries in order to remain competitive. More American jobs are lost as the companies close, downsize or move offshore.

The irony becomes what I call the "Wal-Mart vortex." As the jobs are lost, those out of work end up working for places like Wal-Mart. They go from competitive family wage jobs (between 35K-50K a year in most union manufacturing jobs) to less than $10 an hour, with few or no benefits. With huge cuts in income, they can only afford to shop at places like Wal-Mart.

The irony (if you need any more irony) is that because the goods at Wal-Mart are inexpensive, but of far lower quality, they need to be replaced more often. So while you may save money at the time of purchase, by the time you have replaced that item over a short amount of time, once, twice or three times, you have actually ended up paying more…for less.

I have shopped at Wal-Mart a total of one time in my entire life. When I dropped my daughter off at college, she needed a few things for her dorm room. I had no choice, there was no place else to shop in town. I felt dirty. I felt sick to my stomach. I felt like a traitor to my country.

Whenever you see a Wal-Mart, especially if you live in a town that has a Wal-Mart, do yourself and your country a favor. Drive on by. If you can find the same item that you are looking for ANYPLACE else than a Wal-Mart, buy it from a local merchant. Even if you have to pay more to do so.

Almost the entire Walton family are still on the Forbes' Richest People in the World list. There are several of them, almost all "good old Sam's" kids. Together, they have more personal wealth than several small third world nations combined. They don't need your money, and the country would be a hell of a lot better off without this egregious, money-hungry, amoral black hole of the American Dream around to suck us dry.

Boycott Wal-Mart. Your soul will be that much closer to redemption if you do.