I understand the theme of the article; I hate Wal-Mart, what it has done to many American small towns and how it treats its employees. I avoid shopping there when I’m not with relatives. However, the conclusion of this article does not follow from the premises given. Yes, Wal-Mart is terrible. But look at this article from Business Insider: It says, “The closings include 154 locations in the U.S. — 102 of which are the company’s smallest stores, called Wal-Mart Express, which have been in pilot since 2011.” Wal-Mart tried to extend its market share by creating its own versions of CVS or Walgreens and found that did not work, so it is closing them. Further research will also reveal that the rest of the stores being closed have been underperforming. The Business Insider article goes on to say that Wal-Mart is shifting employees to other stores where it can and is providing the rest with resume and interview training. So you are correct, in a sense. Wal-Mart is trying to maintain its place at the top. But your ad hominem attack on the Walton family and its business lends no credibility to your argument — the business certainly isn’t throwing its employees around like wasted garbage.

Sincerely,

Aaron Vodicka