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Small businesses are important for a whole host of intangible reasons. They provide dignified employment (as opposed to invisible work in a warehouse), they en

Small businesses are important for a whole host of intangible reasons. They provide dignified employment (as opposed to invisible work in a warehouse), they encourage entrepreneurship, they increase the tax base of a locality (by ensuring money stays within a local economy), and they contribute to local culture, community and character. Amazon killing small businesses has sucked even more of the life force out of small towns, and that’s sad because said towns were already shellacked by the death of manufacturing. It’s hard to argue with Amazon’s excellent customer experience, but the externalities involved are nontrivial and IMO outweigh the benefits.

tk75x 6y ago
For every small business that treats their employees well, there is another hiring and abusing people with limited options such as undocumented immigrants and felons. I would also claim that keeping taxes in the local economy, while a very worthy goal, does not require the presence of small business. Big business can be made to support local community and culture. Just because the Walmart headquarters are outside of my small town, doesn't mean they don't have to pay a percentage of their earnings from the local warehouse to that community. Also, minor grammar nit, you may have meant to use "shell-shocked" instead of "shellacked", but shell-shocked wouldn't fit the context you're going for either.
- phaemon 6y ago
  "shellacked" means "physically beaten", though it's usually used metaphorically.
Siira 6y ago
I find all your reasons are either fluff, or just saying that small businesses are good for their owners. Economic efficiency is net positive, and people who aren’t small business owners benefit a lot from online, efficient shopping. If some segment of society needs charity, they need to convince either the gov or nonprofits to give them some money, not rent-seek on other people.

tk75x 6y ago

For every small business that treats their employees well, there is another hiring and abusing people with limited options such as undocumented immigrants and felons. I would also claim that keeping taxes in the local economy, while a very worthy goal, does not require the presence of small business. Big business can be made to support local community and culture. Just because the Walmart headquarters are outside of my small town, doesn't mean they don't have to pay a percentage of their earnings from the local warehouse to that community. Also, minor grammar nit, you may have meant to use "shell-shocked" instead of "shellacked", but shell-shocked wouldn't fit the context you're going for either.

phaemon 6y ago
"shellacked" means "physically beaten", though it's usually used metaphorically.

Siira 6y ago

I find all your reasons are either fluff, or just saying that small businesses are good for their owners. Economic efficiency is net positive, and people who aren’t small business owners benefit a lot from online, efficient shopping. If some segment of society needs charity, they need to convince either the gov or nonprofits to give them some money, not rent-seek on other people.