This is *not* a new problem. The luddites had much the same problems with mill owners setting up textile mills. Before that time, individual weavers worked at home turning out hand crafted cloth. Some of us like the advantages of economy of scale (cheaper - higher quality cloth!). History has come down on the side of the mill owners. In a very real sense this has been the enduring theme of the industrial revolution. Deal with it. Mark Browne <snip> The trouble with the huge chain stores is that they take all the profit out of the areas they take over. 10,000 local stores each with 100 employees means 1,000,000 workers earning a living and 10,000 local owners making a profit. 1 chain store with 1,000,000 employees means 1,000,000 workers earning a living and 1 owner making all the profit. <snip> > > > > > > Not to start a flame war, but that's 3 anti-Walmart posts. What the > > heck > > > > do you people have against Walmart? Especially so bad that Jim "hates > > > them worse than Microsoft"? Sure, I'll take Target over Walmart if > > given > > > > the option, but I'm not to the point of badmouthing Wlamart for any > > > reason. Just makes me curious... :-) > > >