[Modernman]

What is it that causes usually rationally thinking people to propose all kinds of government restrictions aimed at Wal-Mart and abrigations of our rights to do what we want to do that they wouldn't tolerate when directed at anyone else?

Envy. Deep down inside, many people don't like to see others do well.

Wal-Mart is VERY good at its business model. It has killed, or nearly killed, a whole bunch of other retailers that weren't as good at figuring out how to make the low-cost/high volume retail business model work. On the other hand, Wal-Mart's success has forced other surviving retailers to innovate and come up with new business models and it has encouraged the creation of new companies that can cover areas outside of Wal-Mart's business model (such as high-cost/high-quality retail).

That being said, there have been a lot of companies that were very good at their business model but that went extinct when the world changed around them. A century from now, Wal-Mart might only exist in history books.

[KevinDavis]

That is correct, who knows some store will overtake Walmart.. When I don't know...

[The Great Yazoo]

Wal-Mart might only exist in history books.

The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) and Montgomery Ward come to mind. Each of Sears, J.C. Penney, and Big K has approached meeting its eternal demise.