Teotihuacan vs. Wal Mart

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/09/11/mexico.walmart.reut/index.html

This really makes me sad

Yes and no.
Progress is inevitable. If the Mexicans were truly concerned about preserving the ruins they wouldn't allow tourists anywhere near the sites. Nor would they continue to expand their city (Mexico City).
From what I am aware, the site where the Wal-Mart is going was throughly examined and excavated before contstruction began for the building.

Frankly, I think this is nothing more than an attempt to stop Wal-Mart from coming in and helping make Mexico a better country.<small> (another debate for another day, however)</small>

How many other american corporations are there in Mexico? Perhaps they don't want powerful american corporations to take over their land. And how would Wal-mart make Mexico great?

By supplying jobs and services to a 2nd/3rd world country.

Patrick said:

How many other american corporations are there in Mexico? Perhaps they don't want powerful american corporations to take over their land. And how would Wal-mart make Mexico great?

Click to expand...

When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed (I don't know 10 years ago?), it was pretty much a given that American would be allowed to build plants in Mexico and Canada and vice versa.

So America building into Mexico should not be too much of a problem unless it conflicts with the locals and preserving their way of life which this seems be the case.

Wal Mart is a good and bad entity. Good because produce and retail prices have remained the same for years because Walmart is so powerful it can dictate how much they will sell their goods and force distributors not to mark up their costs. Otherwise that $.99 2-liter Pepsi would be selling about $2 plus right now.

Bad, because Walmart can pretty much outsell and outdiscount EVERYONE in the vicinity with its retail power. This puts local mom and pop stores out of business.

Sure Walmart makes jobs, but by putting other businesses out and force them to close...they take a lot more jobs away.

I've heard that Wal-Mart "exploits" their workers though, and that it was minimum wage so I don't think too many people will want a job there.

There is a sort of Patriotism I bet there, that they can live on their own, and don't need help from anyone else. They want to keep their pride.

Why don't we carry this over to the Off Topic forum for further analysis? This sounds like a topic for debate.<small> In a civil manner, of course.</small>

I think that discussing the merits of Wal Mart and its good and bad effects on any given community may be off topic,but the merits of preserving Teotihuacan certainly do fall under archaeology.

Just my 2 cents

Without a dobut, TR!

Here's an update to this story:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/apbiz_story.asp?category=1310&slug=Mexico Wal Mart Ruins

"What might this mean? Perhaps they can build a strip club at the Holy Sepulcher, a McDonald's at the ruins of Montealban, or a Hard Rock Cafe next to Pyramids of Egypt," wrote columnist Javier Aranda, referring, respectively, to the site where Jesus was buried and to another famous Mexican ruin.


If this was the entire gist of their argument, its no wonder they lost. LOL!

You cannot move any of these ancient monuments this journalist mentioned to a different perhaps better locale.

But the small decaying platform/structure they were so apt save not only could be moved but the move might make it easier to save.

The corporate villians strike again.