Blank-Mart

Winds of Change has a very good post today about Wal-Mart, the favorite bogey-man of urbanites everywhere. I don't particularly like Wal-Mart myself (I'm a Tar-jay guy) but I chuckle over the vitriol that Wal-Mart inspires.

There is a reason, often ignored by critics, that Wal-Mart has been so successfull that is key to any business: they provide what consumers want. Nothing tricky about that, eh?

The funny thing is that I can't ever recall hearing a criticism about Wal-Mart from someone in its core customer group. Most criticism comes from upper-class "intellectuals" with little care in the world about what it takes to provide for a family on a meager salary. I have been guilty myself of having an elitist attitude about places like Wal-Mart.

I'm already wondering when we are going to see Wal-Mart brought up on charges of being a monopoly or some such nonsense.