Saint Wal-Mart? Well, Let's Look at the Record
by Fazil Mihlar
 Wal-Mart
deserves the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize. And the Vatican may want to
beatify the world's largest retailer.
CONSIDER THAT
WAL-MART:
-
Provides
employment to 1.9 million people; the best defence against poverty
is a job.
-
Creates
thousands of job opportunities for people in developing countries
like China and India; this keeps hunger at bay in many households.
-
Doles
out hundreds of millions of dollars each year in dividends that
help fund the retirement of millions of people; the company
had sales in excess of $348 billion and a net profit of $11.3
billion in 2007.
-
Sells
food, clothing and other necessities to Canadians, Americans
and others at prices that are 15 to 25 per cent below what other
supermarkets charge; this helps millions of low-income families
stretch their dollars.
- Pushes
the inflation rate down and helps keep interest rates low; this
comes in handy for millions of families when borrowing to buy
a house or household appliances.
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the rest of the article
March
31, 2009
Copyright
© 2009 Vancouver Sun
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