This so doesn't work on me. It don't un-do who they really are. It's a diversion.
It's not a diversion. It's a demonstration of the fact that very little if anything in this world is either all good or all bad. Shades of gray, learn to see them.
Having lived in NWA for several years, the amount of money I saw the Walton family give back to the community there is staggering - and not all of it with their name stamped across it. One of the scholarships I used to attend U of A was from a Walton family endowment, but it took some effort to uncover that information. The company itself is separate from the family, of course. But they also do a lot of giving as evidenced by the OP.
Does that mean I have to approve of their business model or put myself through the PITA that is shopping in their stores? Nope. But a recognition that nothing is all bad is certainly in order.
Yes, shades of gray so they'll have something to point to and say "Nuh-uh, look! We're not all bad!" when they receive deserved criticism.
Wal-Mart is far from the only example of Taylorism destroying the middle class. The whole country has been franchised out. But Wal-Mart is probably the biggest offender, and is certainly the most visible.
Sorry GC, I can't agree with your analysis. Throwing a handful of change back at a community you've helped to destroy doesn't make everything O.K.
That reminds me, I have to add a couple of items to my Wal-Mart shopping list. Thanks!