i live down south and keep seeing local business owners posting in local groups pleading people to come buy shit at their stores prior to this winter storm because if they have to close for a few days it’s apparently detrimental for them. like they’re entitled to exist. in any other context this behavior would be considered desperate and begging. but we’re conditioned to think small business tyrants are some class above us all who are entitled to not have to work a job like the rest of us. worst case scenario they lose their business and that’s what happens, and working people are conditioned to feel sorry for them. “please don’t let me become underpaid by some asshole exactly like myself!!!”
The only places I’ve ever known my friends and family to have their pay stolen outright are the petit demagogues of “small business”.
The big corps will lie, cheat, and steal your labour too, but they’re at least smart enough to to dilute the moral and ethical decisions through bureaucracy; petit bouge will scalp you for the thrill of it and say it’s because they’re performing some charitable service to humanity.
I work for a large corp that lost a class action lawsuit for wage theft. They were found to be getting people to work during their breaks. I got mailed a check for over a grand as did thousands of others.