Maybe Sam invented a better mousetrap than the mom and pop shops. I think Sam and his family were very good and shrewd business people, but when Walmart began selling stock on Wall Street and financial gurus came into the company, that's when I think Walmart became evil. Especially after Sam passed away. Plus if you ever look at their homes in Bentonville you'd realize they are fairly modest people for the wealth the have accumulated. Heck, Sam's house is not large at all and his daughter's house a few hundred yards away is big, but not ostentatious. The Walton's are good people, it's the new business minded people that are taking the company into a different direction. It's them you've got to blame.