"Don't Blame Wal-Mart" -- you might find this a surprising perspective coming from Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary, Mass. gubernatorial candidate (for whom I stuffed many an envelope), and founder of The American Prospect. But he's got a point in this NYTimes OpEd: "Today's economy offers us a Faustian bargain: it can give consumers deals largely because it hammers workers and communities." That is, we all love a bargain, though we claim to loathe the corporations who offer us dirt cheap airfares, toilet paper, and cellphone minutes. A solution? "Make our purchases a social choice as well as a personal one." That is, "tax" yourself by choosing goods and services from responsible companies, even if they cost more. What a concept!