Wal-Mart's Predatory Business Practices Exposed Watch a documentary exposing the greed and questionable tactics that lie behind the rise of Wal-Mart. More than a year ago, I told you about the launch of a grassroots movement to get people to see Robert Greenwald's excellent documentary, Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices. Now you can watch the video for free on Google Video. The film exposes the many social and financial problems created every time a Wal-Mart store opens in your area, all in the pursuit of the almighty dollar. And, now in the pursuit of the organic food customer, Wal-Mart is contributing to the degradation of those same food standards, based on well-founded allegations of selling mislabeled foods produced at factory farms. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Mercola's Comment: You can get a civics lesson on the perils of the growth of Wal-Mart by watching Greenwald's excellent documentary for free. Although I admire the organizational structure that has allowed Wal-Mart to achieve what they have, I strongly disagree with many of their practices and never shop in their stores. (I much prefer their competitor Costco, which is one of my absolute favorite stores.) It might take awhile to watch it, but I can strongly assure that it will be time far better invested than watching most anything on commercial TV. While many consider Wal-Mart a bargain, Penn State University researchers estimate some 20,000 American families have dropped below the poverty level due to the astounding growth of Wal-Mart between 1987 and 1998. What's more, in counties where Wal-Mart stores are located, more than 15 percent of families depend on food stamps, compared to the national norm of 8 percent. The true costs of Wal-Mart aren't worth the apparent savings. As always, your best source of food will be from local farmers, not huge superstores. On Vital Votes, Russ from Soquel, California states: "... after you watch this educational, bone chilling, and very accurate film, one can only come away from it with the famous POGO quote echoing in your head: 'I have seen the enemy and it is US!'" Other responses to this article can be viewed at Vital Votes, and you can add your own thoughts or vote on comments by first registering at Vital Votes. Related Articles: Wal-Mart Will be the Largest Seller of Organic Food, Driving Prices Down: Is This a Good Thing? Wal-Mart to Make Its Own Splenda Knockoff The Wal-Mart You Don't Know, and the Eventual U.S. Decline