That famed "locking in" incident happened at one particluar location where management supposedly had a problem with merchandise walking out the back door after hours. I agree that this wasn't a good idea, since it took place when there were no supervisors with keys present, which would have become a real disater in case of, say, a medical emergency. But at union meetings, this story gets told and retold as though it were nationwide Wal-Mart policy to shanghai slaves. But then you added:
It muscles into heretofore residential neighborhoods by corrupting local officials and bringing costly lawsuits against individual homeowners and neighborhood association members who deign to appear at public forums and object to granting WarMart zoning variances and permits for building.
Personally, I'm pleased as hell that Wal-Mart has taken the lead in steamrollering those NIMBY yammerheads who have gratuitously held up every privately-funded piece of infrastructure in America, while at the same time giving godlike powers to governments, passing endless busybody regulations that make any significant home improvement project an exercise for lawyers, rather than for masons and carpenters. If we had only had a muscle boy like Wal-Mart on our side about thirty years ago, we might have electric cars powered by the nationwide phalanx of nuclear power plants we need instead of fighting endless wars in the Middle East.
Even if I never bought a single stick of gum at Wal-Mart, having this chain around would be worth it for this reason alone.