the LA Times is running a 3-part series on Wal-Mart you can catch at their web site.
Armed Liberal wrote a really thoughtful post about what the Wal-Mart economy means:
http://windsofchange.net/archives/004311.html
he notes that social mobility has decreased in the past few decades. you used to once being able to dream about bettering your parents--and it happened for the most part. now so many Americans find themselves just trying to tread water, if not slip behind their parents. i think this is an incredibly powerful theme Democrats need to tap into---that we are the party that facilitates social mobility, that the GOP only offers stagnation, that we build middle classes, not destroy them. unfortunately, i think CLintonomics did it's fair share to hurt the working class (see NAFTA, eroding Glass-Steagall).
this quote from another LA Times article cited by Armed Liberal is also telling:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-factory23nov23,1,2084880.story?coll=la-news-
a_section
"There's not a market anymore for a guy who shows up for work and does his job well," said Devan Rhum, 37, a former factory worker. "All of a sudden, we've got our hands out. It's degrading."
fact is, angry white guy without a college degree (that's most of 'em) have a reason to be angry and fearful. they haven't seen a raise since 1973. in fact their wages have gone down and their wives have to work to maintain any sort of middle class existence, making family life suffer. they can't find jobs that offer health insurance or pensions anymore. want to talk to the South? that's what to do. make sure to tell them black people and immigrants are not to blame.
not all was rosy in the time where GM dominated America, but man, at least they treated their workers ok and they got decent wages and pensions. the Wal-mart economy doesn't offer any of that.
but i was very heartened by this article about Costco. they have a starting wage of $10, the CEO actualy limits his pay and they actually welcomed unions. i'm glad i can shop somewhere without feelin guilty!
http://www.fortune.com/fortune/investing/articles/0,15114,538834,00.html