Current Events > I'm fucking sick of the romanticization of Small Businesses

(+) Yeah! (+)

legendary_zell posted...

It's not off the table, it's just not being brought up in good faith. My work isn't off the table either, I don't have an issue saying what I do and how it informs my worldview. But then again, people don't hate me as much.

I promise you I didn't bring it up to mock his lifestyle or career choices or whatever. I'm just curious what kind of person he is. How you discuss employment practises with an anarchist versus someone who just wants to reform employment law in a democratic socialist way is obviously going to be different.

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Balrog0 posted...

You're just assuming it's being brought up in bad faith, though. I don't assume that's Pinky's reasoning, is there some reason I should?

I just generally assume that people putting words into my mouth are not acting in good faith

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Pinky didn't put any words in your mouth...

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averagejoel posted...

I just generally assume that people putting words into my mouth are not acting in good faith

I apologise for paraphrasing then. You did not literally use the word "evil". You just equated small businesses with big ones in the sense that they are capitalist and therefore exploitative. I didn't think it was much of a stretch to assume you would use the word evil.


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pinky0926 posted...

I apologise for paraphrasing then. You did not literally use the word "evil". You just equated small businesses with big ones in the sense that they are capitalist and therefore exploitative. I didn't think it was much of a stretch to assume you would use the word evil.

He had already refused to respond because it was irrelevant before you got to that point anyway, don't let dude off easy lol

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averagejoel posted...

answer my question first and I might consider answering yours.

What question?

What about your initial post is unclear?

Nothing was unclear about your initial post. It was nice little micro-thought. People are just curious if you can expand on it at all, and are trying to determine if you have any solutions. Or even a concept of what a solution might somewhat look like.

Others are trying to determine if you have any significant degree of worldly experience to make such claims, but I dont believe those are necessary.

The Trent posted...

An argument for what? The existence of businesses? Lol

It's crazy how indoctrinated most people are that they can't comprehend a world without capitalism.

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While its better than home invasion, its still disgusting crime.
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pinky0926 posted...

I promise you I didn't bring it up to mock his lifestyle or career choices or whatever. I'm just curious what kind of person he is. How you discuss employment practises with an anarchist versus someone who just wants to reform employment law in a democratic socialist way is obviously going to be different.

fine.

as someone said, I do do music. mostly teaching. I perform and write too though. everything is drastically reduced because of the global pandemic, so I'm largely subsisting on the CERB right now (a temporary UBI-type service for Canadians).

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p-m posted...

It's crazy how indoctrinated most people are that they can't comprehend a world without capitalism.

imagine there's no capitalism
it's easy if you try

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For as big as corporations are, small businesses make up the majority of the economy.

So you are self employed, or work through a program?

I mean it sounds like you are a small business owner, although you probably don't have a business premises to burn.

I can see the point that we shouldn't dismiss the riots because "but objects are being destroyed" is a weak rebuttal to social injustice. It just seems odd to level the criticism at people who are self employed.

Anecdotally, no one starts a coffee shop because they have a hard on for treating employees like garbage and making big bucks doing it.


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p-m posted...

It's crazy how indoctrinated most people are that they can't comprehend a world without capitalism.

I think they can, they just cant comprehend a world that would function.

I've been thinking the same thing recently TC. Every small business my fiance or I have worked at has tried to fuck us around in some way.

She had to threaten legal action to actually get paid overtime, nepotism runs completely unchecked by any sort of ethics department, benefits might as well be a myth, and the owner was always some local country club fuck with too much time on their hands

I've had better work experiences in "big business" which is saying something because those experiences were all quite shit
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TheApexPredator posted...

So because you know of one small business that is bad, that means all small businesses are bad too?

And if its so well known about that business hes talking about then why is he talking about it on a video game website and not alerting all news outlets and all authority types wherever he lives to get it shut down.

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NeoShadowhen posted...

I think they can, they just cant comprehend a world that would function.

If everyone thought like that we wouldn't have capitalism to begin with.

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who posted 115
is it clearflagrant or whatever

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who posted 118

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some idiot who doesn't understand anything

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pinky0926 posted...

So you are self employed, or work through a program?

I mean it sounds like you are a small business owner, although you probably don't have a business premises to burn.

well I do both. but yes, functionally I am a small business owner.

I can see the point that we shouldn't dismiss the riots because "but objects are being destroyed" is a weak rebuttal to social injustice. It just seems odd to level the criticism at people who are self employed.

I wasn't even leveling criticism at small business owners! only at the romanticization of them; at people who bring them up as a talking point.

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pinky0926 posted...

I promise you I didn't bring it up to mock his lifestyle or career choices or whatever. I'm just curious what kind of person he is. How you discuss employment practises with an anarchist versus someone who just wants to reform employment law in a democratic socialist way is obviously going to be different.

You seem to be bringing it up in good faith. Basically everyone else isn't though. And most people aren't when they argue with anyone left of center. Maybe I've been on the internet too long?

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Hey you know that place you never shop because it has terrible prices and terrible selection? You should shop there.

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averagejoel posted...

well I do both. but yes, functionally I am a small business owner.

I wasn't even leveling criticism at small business owners! only at the romanticization of them; at people who bring them up as a talking point.

There is something to be said for that. In general there's a whole lot of pearl clutching going on as an attempted distraction. Anything to provide a buffer from the ugliness.

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NeoShadowhen posted...

Nothing was unclear about your initial post. It was nice little micro-thought. People are just curious if you can expand on it at all, and are trying to determine if you have any solutions. Or even a concept of what a solution might somewhat look like.

then they probably should have phrased it that way to begin with instead of putting words into my mouth.

I'm just frustrated; this topic was largely for the purposes of venting.

I don't think it's necessarily even a problem in the systemic sense here. the solution would just be... for people to stop romanticizing small businesses

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IShall_Run_Amok posted...

Exactly. And the fact that TC does or doesn't work, or that he does and doesn't get his food in a certain place, doesn't discredit or counter his argument. The only reason people are trying to make these points is that they don't have an argument themselves.

the tc has yet to make an actual argument though. if he does i will respond to it

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averagejoel posted...

then they probably should have phrased it that way to begin with instead of putting words into my mouth.

I'm just frustrated; this topic was largely for the purposes of venting.

I don't think it's necessarily even a problem in the systemic sense here. the solution would just be... for people to stop romanticizing small businesses

I didnt put words in your mouth.

So all you are saying is that when other people say oh man, its a shame that those small businesses are getting destroyed, you are annoyed and frustrated because you feel that those businesses also exploit people.

Is that the romanticizing you are referring to?

Imagine being anti capitalist in 2020

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Surprise surprise TC lives off welfare

Totally didn't see that coming


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NeoShadowhen posted...

I didnt put words in your mouth.

many people did

So all you are saying is that when other people say oh man, its a shame that those small businesses are getting destroyed, you are annoyed and frustrated because you feel that those businesses also exploit people.

Is that the romanticizing you are referring to?

most of the talking points boil down to that, yes. though the phrasing isn't usually that blunt, and generally involves a lot more cursing protestors and saying things like "the community will suck without this specific business"

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Samurontai posted...

Imagine being anti capitalist in 2020

imagine not being anti capitalist in 2020

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Romulox28 posted...

socialists hating workers they pretend they do everything for, must be a day that ends in Y

Samurontai posted...

Imagine being anti capitalist in 2020

What, are we going back to arresting anyone who has an unconventional belief while chastising any country that does the same again?

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A business owner is not a worker.

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legendary_zell posted...

A business owner is not a worker.

Ill let the immigrant aunties that run pho shops that they are capitalist scum that need to be eaten

CruelBuffalo posted...

Ill let the immigrant aunties that run pho shops that they are capitalist scum that need to be eaten

Why even waste the calories to post such strawmen? Running a business doesn't automatically make you a bad person, but definitionally, you are not a worker when you do so. Therefore, critizing their practices as a business owner is not attacking workers somehow.

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Joel, I know you don't really care, but this is why I've always had a hard time with your argument style even on topics where I agree with you. You've taken a premise that has some meat to it, "We should stop romanticizing small business owners" where you could point to practices of small businesses that make things worse for their employees such as avoiding minimum wage restrictions in some states, etc. But instead you've reduced it to an instance of a black and white maxim you hold "All businesses are exploitative".

It just seems like if you believe that, it's silly to be upset that people romanticize small businesses because those people don't believe "All businesses are bad except for small businesses".

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Anteaterking posted...

Joel, I know you don't really care, but this is why I've always had a hard time with your argument style even on topics where I agree with you. You've taken a premise that has some meat to it, "We should stop romanticizing small business owners" where you could point to practices of small businesses that make things worse for their employees such as avoiding minimum wage restrictions in some states, etc. But instead you've reduced it to an instance of a black and white maxim you hold "All businesses are exploitative".

It just seems like if you believe that, it's silly to be upset that people romanticize small businesses because those people don't believe "All businesses are bad except for small businesses".

Some users here clearly didnt learn how to argue. Idk if their teachers never had lessons on it or what

Anteaterking posted...

You've taken a premise that has some meat to it, "We should stop romanticizing small business owners" where you could point to practices of small businesses that make things worse for their employees such as avoiding minimum wage restrictions in some states, etc.

while I do take issue with such practices, they don't apply to all small businesses

But instead you've reduced it to an instance of a black and white maxim you hold "All businesses are exploitative".

It just seems like if you believe that, it's silly to be upset that people romanticize small businesses because those people don't believe "All businesses are bad except for small businesses".

the point is that "small businesses", despite not being any less "bad" than other businesses, get a lot of slack simply because they're small. also that the term itself in common usage is extremely vague

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Gamefaqs is small business. Get out of here. Look around you, almost everything was built because someone wanted money. Get rid of it all and go live in the woods. Practice what you preach.

Normally all the insane communists stay on Pol, it's like a containment board.

I guess occasionally they get lost and find there way here where they start rambling.

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Crash posted...

Like all basement-dwelling commies, he's probably unemployed. He'll never admit it either way, though. It's always hilarious to me when they begrudgingly do actually have a job. How do you like contributing to capitalism, commies?

lol

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Wow people are really quick to twist your words huh TC?

I get what you're saying. A small business is not inherently more trustworthy than a big corporation.

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Cheese_Crackers posted...

Wow people are really quick to twist your words huh TC?

I get what you're saying. A small business is not inherently more trustworthy than a big corporation.

The problem now is people are seeing small businesses as victims so they aren't willing to stand against them at this point and time. There are times to call them out for being evil but during this crisis it is not one of those times.

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Pull your hair out then

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Damn TC you got buried

Cheese_Crackers posted...

Wow people are really quick to twist your words huh TC?

I get what you're saying. A small business is not inherently more trustworthy than a big corporation.

TC is using blanket statements to say blanket statements are not accurate. He's so enlightened

I'm sick of communists self-projecting. They are the most exploitive and dont even realize it because they are blinded by their false sense of moral superiority

Wasssup Now posted...

Damn TC you got buried

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