Wal-Mart destroys culture
Wal-Mart destroys sacred ancient sites
Published: Tuesday, September 14, 2004
As the world's largest corporation, little time seems to pass when Wal-Mart is not in a battle with a community that, despite the corporation's promise of always having low prices, is not interested in having the gigantic superstore set up shop. This time, Wal-Mart has its eye on a site at the edge of ancient Aztec ruins in Teotihuacan, Mexico, a major archeological site outside Mexico City. Opponents in the town have taken legal action to try to stop the superstore's construction, because they say it is an invasion into their way of life and that this conquest of their town by global commercial interests will lead to the destruction of their culture. According to CNN, the construction site sits less than a mile away from a gated park that houses the main ruins. If the protesting residents fail in their David vs. Goliath-like struggle to stop construction, park visitors who go to scale the ruins' main site - the Pyramid of Sun - will from now on be treated to a majestic view of Wal-Mart down below. A disturbing sight that proves to some that nothing really is sacred anymore. The controversy also does not end simply with the construction site's proximity to the park. The Mexican government reported that during the construction an altar dating back to before Spanish settlement was uncovered, reaffirming the sanctity of the land. Though there are several success stories of groups in the United States blocking Wal-Mart construction, the task faced by the people of Teotihuacan looks to be almost too daunting. In 1996 residents of Gig Harbor, Wash. were able to stop the construction of a Wal-Mart only after an exhausting 2-year legal battle. The Peninsula Neighborhood Association took on "The Wal" because they said they realized there is more to life than "cheap underwear." The corporation had proposed to build a superstore on 20 acres of forested land - a project that would have destroyed local streams, wetlands and animal habitats. Last April, the residents of Inglewood voted to reject Wal-Mart's proposal to build a retail and grocery Supercenter on a site spanning the area of 17 football fields. The residents' motivation was the economic and social impact the corporation has been seen to have: forcing smaller retailers out of business and offering wages well below that of other retailers. A study released by the UC Berkeley Labor Center in August 2004 confirmed Inglewood's fears, the study reported that on average, Wal-Mart's wages are 31 percent below that of a large sample group of retailers - $9.70 an hour versus $14.01 an hour. The study also found that the employees, because of their lower earning power from inadequate wages and benefits, have caused a strain on the state of California's public-assistance budget, because they often rely on social programs such as food stamps, Medicare and subsidized housing in order to get by. According to the research, if all California's major retailers cut wages and benefits as low as Wal-Mart's it would cause the state's public-assistance budget to rise by $410 million annually. Wal-Mart often pleads its case saying it brings jobs to communities that otherwise would not exist. However, with the closing of small retailers and low wages, the corporation has also been responsible for unemployment and underemployment in many of these same communities. I, like you, have seen those television commercials explaining the philanthropy of Wal-Mart and the donations and service it provides to local communities. However, with the overall effect the retailer has on communities, some new books and computers for local schools do not exactly make up for all the cultural, environmental, economic and social damage the company has done and has attempted to do around the United States and elsewhere in the world. There is no arguing that Wal-Mart, with its massive reach, is a triumph of capitalism, and some say that is all that matters because a corporation's job is to maximize profits not provide social welfare. But the people of Teotihuacan, Gig Harbor and Inglewood have shown that easy access to cheap clothing and DVD players is not worth handing over the control of their community's culture and well-being to big-box retail giant. I know I will symbolically continue to join them in their fight by shopping elsewhere. |
posted by kven @ 9:21 PM
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