Reflections on Big Business

Normally, a trip to Walmart or Target would be inconsequential and hardly worth mentioning. But I thought I'd share my reflections on a recent trip to Target. Walking up and down the spacious, immaculately clean aisles, I couldn't help being amazed at the selection, quality and prices. After returning home from Italy, the Target experience was something of a culture shock. I never saw anything comparable to this in Europe; a continent where government regulations on business hamstring enterprise and the development of corporations. I used to dread going to the grocery store in Italy: uncouth workers, interminable lines, limited selection, high prices, untidy aisles, the list, (fruits of socialist machinations) could go on and on. There was a good number of "mom and pop" stores but these were incredibly expensive. By comparison, shopping for the basics in America is a breath of fresh air. People from all walks of life shop at Target because Americans, rich or not, like a good deal, and Target delivers on that front. Walmart and Target have their fair share of critics, most notably on the far left bank in American politics (Clinton, Obama, Edwards) but their critiques are ill-founded.

Many romantics (and there are legions among the Catholic far right and far left) bemoan the plight of the "mom and pop" stores that sink into oblivion beneath the quicksand of the mighty corporation. If you look around, though, you can still find these stores and if you have the extra cash, by all means shop there. I will be the first to admit that there is something quaint about the small business that is conspicuously missing at Walmart, but the growth and success of Walmart owes much to the fact that everyday people prefer lower prices and efficiency over quaintness and provincialism.