Progressive Democrat Issue 53: VIRGINIA ACTION AGAINST WAL-MART

New York City has had Wal-Mart on the run for a couple of years now. We blocked them in Queens. Then we blocked them in Brooklyn. Now we are well on the way to blocking them in Staten Island. You can read about our efforts in a Daily Gotham diary I wrote.

I am asking Virginia to join in our fight against one of the worst examples of what can go wrong with capitalism this side of Halliburton.

Why keep Wal-Mart out in the first place? You can find the facts on Wal-Mart from Stop Wal-Mart.org.

And if you live in any of the following areas, you can go to a screening of the new movie revealing Wal_Mart’s dark underbelly:

Blacksburg, VA. November 28, 2005 07:00 PM

Falls Church, VA December 08, 2005 07:00 PM

Fredericksburg, VA. November 30, 2005 09:00 PM

Richmond, VA December 04, 2005 01:00 PM

But there is also a “new,” more “conservative” argument against Wal-Mart. This opposition focuses on the tendency of Wal-Mart to suffocate small businesses, though I would argue that this is in no way a “conservative” value since most liberals are very much pro-small business.

WE have to show OUR opposition to Wal-Mart quite clearly. There are good alternatives (like Costco) that DON’T mistreat their workers and break labor laws. Whatever your reasons—labor issues, women’s rights issues, small business issues, traffic issues, sweatshop issues, etc.—if you oppose Wal-Mart, you have to write your local media and city councilmembers. Write your local media, and your local politicians.

We have the power to just say NO to Wal-Mart and YES to worker’s rights, comfortable neighborhoods and our local small businesses.