Examining the current debate over Wal-Mart enables us to learn more about a number of important larger questions:

1. Why have manufacturing jobs been moved overseas?
2. What is a corporation's obligation to its workers?
3. How do the costs and benefits of low prices change from the perspective of the "consumer" and the "worker"?

Read the Pulitzer-Prize-winning articles on Wal-Mart by the Los Angeles Times

Costco is a fierce competitor for Wal-Mart's member-only version, Sam's Club, but Costco pays its workers 42% more than Wal-Mart. Costco's CEO argues that low prices do not have to come at the expense of workers. In a New York Times article, Steven Greenhouse discusses some of the differences between Costco and Wal-Mart and talks about how Wall Street analysts put pressure on companies to keep worker benefits low (The New York Times, July 20, 2005).

See Frontline's website on Wal-Mart.

Slate's article has several links that also look good.

Wal-Mart Watch is a website critical of Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart corporation has responded with their own site: Wal-Mart facts