Walmart's all about good prices for bad stuff made cheaply in foreign countries. Walmart's products are designed to have on average a two week life from store shelf to burn barrel. Some things last longer and are useful, but in many cases the foreign made things our of incredibly poor quality. Despite the limitations of products sold at Walmart, their stores do provide an invaluable service to small town and rural America.

The stuff at Walmart is cheap. This is good for people who have limited income, and wish to have a quality of life that those in the middle class have. They want the television set, the ATV, and the shinny new floor mats for their truck. The processes used by the store allow people to get such things. At the same time, in communities desperate for jobs, Walmart provides people a place to work.

It's not all good. Walmart is big and they bring in a lot of money, giving them the power to dominate government and successfully lobby for whatever would best make them money without regards for the little guy who shops there. It also encourages consumerism. When something's cheap, you might as well buy it, despite the low quality and lack of lifespan.

If anything that's a call for regulation of big box stores. We need to force Walmart and the alike to offer employees health care, better wages, and the right to unionize. We need to find ways to limit the damage through sprawl by smart planning, and educate consumers to shop carefully at Walmart and the consequences of wasteful consumerism. We don't have to ban Walmart, instead we have to regulate it in ways that make it work for all the people.

Walmart's effect on other stores is questionable. Many of the stores it would compete with are other big box stores with their own share of problems. There is not much of a difference when it comes to sprawl or community planning when you compare a P&J Food or a Price Chopper to a Walmart. Few people who shop at Walmart are going there to avoid shopping at the Farmer's Market or a local organic store. Likewise, people aren't buying high quality appliances or equipment at Walmart.

In many cases when we say these bad things about Walmart, we are saying them about all big boxes. Most of us buy stuff for our trucks at Pep Boys or AutoZone without thinking of the sprawl we are promoting or how we are depriving the local auto parts dealer business. We buy farm and garden equipment at Tractor Supply Company or Agway at the cost of the local feed dealer. Home Depot overshadows the smaller timber mills. Regardless, we get cheaper prices, and greater variety from the big box.

At the end of day, we are all at fault for loving Walmart. When you shop at Walmart though, you don't have to be a consumer. You can instead choose to buy good quality products at reasonable prices. The money you save might just help keep your family farm alive, or allow you to invest in your community in other ways. Finally, don't think that going to Walmart is any worst then Tractor Supply or any of the other big boxes.