Wal-Mart, is known as a multinational corporation with low and competitive prices.

While many people speak about the greatness of its business, many more ignore the price that these low prices have cost the people. Lets begin with the allegations made by illegal aliens in 2004. One would think that a large, rich company such as Wal-Mart would be able to pay their workers a fair wage. They can, but choose to pay them poorly, going as far as locking the janitors inside the stores afterhours. Wal-Mart was taken to court for forcing them to work 70+ hours a day for seven days straight and only paying them the paltry sum of 1,500 a month, a travesty if there ever was one. In 2005, Walmart settled with 345 undocumented workers for 11 million dollars. That was a Drop in the Bucket according to Beth Shulman and in her words There needs to be a clear message that treating immigrants the way Wal-Mart did is unacceptable. (Barbaro) As you can see, Wal-Mart is not the paragon of businesses everywhere, rather it is the very thing that goes against Americas capitalist system, it is a monopoly. It is no more evident than in Mexico. In a nation where small business are the lifeblood of the small communities that dot the landscape, the introduction of a Wal-Mart would be catastrophic. The small mom-and-pop shops would not be able to compete, causing a domino effect that would help ruin the local economy. Bodegas would close, families would be left without a reliable source of income, all because a Wal-Mart came to town. So not only does Wal-Mart destabilize local economies, it is also filled with widespread corruption. In 2005, on the eve of their settlement with the illegal aliens, they began to bribe to receive permits all over the country to gain greater market share, spending an estimated 24 million dollars. This illegal action has further shown what Wal-Mart truly is,

a corrupt company with little to no morals and scruples. In the end, it is up to the consumer to make the decision is Wal-Mart is a place they to shop. I would say no, since Wal-Mart has proven that is a monopoly that is neither innovative nor moral.

Barbaro, Michael . "Wal-Mart to Pay $11 Million." Washington Post. 03/19/2005, n.d. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A486122005Mar18.html>.

Barstow, David. "Vast Mexico Bribery Case Hushed Up by Wal-Mart After Top-Level Struggle." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21/04/2012. Web. 1 May 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/business/at-wal-mart-in-mexico-a-bribe-inquirysilenced.html?_r=3>.