The Undercurrent: Wal-Mart and the New Corporate Feudalism (VIDEO)

Black Friday marked the first major national strike against corporate behemoth Wal-Mart. The Paramount, CA protest drew 1,500 people, and I was on the ground in the middle of all the action. In this episode, I interview striking 16-year employee Carlton Smith, and get a non-statement from Wal-Mart Chief Marketing Officer Duncan MacNaughton. Demos policy analyst and author of "Retail's Hidden Potential" Catherine Ruetschlin tells us why major corporations can afford to pay employees a baseline of $25,000 a year without hurting their profits, and I distill my thoughts in a new bit called 'The Bottom Line.'