Wal-Mart Growth

Mexican liberals are upset that Wal-Mart is building a store in close proximity to ancient ruins which the Aztecs named Teotihuacan - The Place Where Men Become Gods.

TEOTIHUACAN
An open letter to President Vicente Fox carries the complaints of the artist community, including painter Francisco Toledo and novelist Laura Esquivel.

"Teotihuacan is for Mexicans our greatest cultural heritage, an expression of our history and our identity as a people and nation," the writers and artists said in the letter.

Although the national anthropology institute has stated the new Wal-Mart poses no threat to the ruins, local protesters disagree and claim that the new store will spoil the site. They also charge that small businesses will be killed and life in the area will change.

"We're afraid it would open the door to more development ... McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken," said the novelist, poet and activist Homero Aridjis.

What a dichotomy! When there is too little or no development, the liberal community complains and protests. Leftists also complain and protest when there is any notable development. It's a no-win situation. The liberals cannot be satified and it's difficult to dispute the contention that they are primarily opposed to free enterprise. As indicated by the following report, liberals may have a litany of complaints but the same is not true of the customers.

Meanwhile, in Honolulu, Hawaii, yesterday Wal-Mart opened its first urban store on Oahu near Ala Moana Center. Crowds of shoppers arrived early and, when the doors opened, they were described as washing into the store excitedly. Outside, a couple dozen people protested the store being permitted to open before the reburial of ancestral remains that were found during construction. The protest was peaceful and, other than by the media, largely ignored. Archaeologists are still sorting through the remains which are intermingled with garbage and animal bones.

In summary, Wal-Mart overcomes the impediments and roadblocks and continues to grow because it is "the better mousetrap" of the retail world. The company is the top retailer in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. with significant and growing presence in Europe, Asia, and South America. Wal-Mart expansion has become as predictable as the changing seasons.