Liberals treat small businesses as untouchable pillars of the community.

In reality, small businesses are some of the most exploitative workplaces, and often play a significant role in the gentrification of neighborhoods.

The first wave of gentrification is driven by artsy people moving into a low rent neighborhood. They establish a local scene, music venues and art galleries, which act as a catalyst for the developers and planners to usher in further gentrification.

Eventually most of the first wave businesses will be pushed out by ultra-niche boutiques that only cater to the upper class. Some will remain and be fetishized as “local.”

All the while the true original residents are forced further and further out.

The “local” small businesses and galleries have blood on their hands. Gentrification is not a peaceful process; dehousing people is violence. Eviction is violence.

Property damage is not violence: it is revenge.

So when liberals condemn vandalism of “local” small businesses, it is important to ask: “local” to who?

“Your local, ethical economy is a fantasy, because your local, ethical economy only exists for a certain subset of people.”

https://ia800108.us.archive.org/12/items/CapitalismAndTheMystiqueOfTheLocal/capitalism-mystique-local.pdf

The businesses they consider “local” were built on top of the apartments where my childhood friends used to live.