Colour me unsophisticated.

Granted, the Montréal Gazette is a rag but where else am I going to go for daily English-language local news? The Chronicle? If it's true that competition is the whetstone of talent, then the corollary must be that monopolies dull the mind--and nowhere is this more evident than in the news media. And politics. And the "new left."

But I digress.

So I read the Gazette because I have little choice and I read Jay Bryan's column in the Business section because he usually approaches his subjects with a blend of bourgeois wit and no-nonsenseness(*) that makes for an endearing (if not always informative) read.

But sometimes he's full of shit.

Apparently, Wal-Mart "succeeds" ($256 billion in annual sales, largest retailer in the world, etc.) because it's "operate[d] more intelligently and more efficiently" than its competitors and applies "information technology and creative retail strategies to undercut competitors." Uh-huh. Its unbelievable dominance of the retail market couldn't possibly be due to its union-busting policies (which Bryan briefly--and dismissively--refers to) or the alleged widespread and systematic discrimination faced by its non-white, female or senior employees. Or the allegations of employees not being paid for overtime.

Naw, couldn't be. They're just tough competitors, right Jay?

(*) It all depends on who is to be the master: you or the words. - Marc Bouffard