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There's absolutely nothing wrong with a government tipping the playing field towards local companies.

There’s totally something wrong with favouring local businesses owners at the expense of local consumers. The benefits accrue mostly to people with incomes far in excess of the average.

Local business owners hire local employees.

Yes there is, especially if it results in the consumer paying more for a product. That's the government taking (additional) money away from you, and handing it to a local company.

If that doesn't make sense, an example could help when you want to buy a hypothetical WidgetBox.

Amazon WidgetBox: $100.00

Local WidgetBox: $102.00

After the added tax on Amazon, now you have no choice but to pay $102.00 for something you could previously pay $100.00 for. In business speak, it's call "screwing you" - in the article it's dressed up as "helping local businesses (screw you)".

Apart from the local company's payroll makes up $50 of that cost, of which $20 goes to taxes, so society is still up $18.

It's far more complicated than you make it seem.

> Yes there is, especially if it results in the consumer paying more for a product.

I don't see why ever-decreasing prices seems to be your metric for good here.

I voluntarily pay more for certain things because it is a more ethical choice in those cases.

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