I have a genuine question about this movement. Small businesses and startups aren’t the problem. Why “buy from EU” instead of “stop buying from big corporations” regardless of their countries? Small businesses (from anywhere) cannot absorb the rising costs and tariffs, and they are struggling.
Big EU business is definitely less problematic right now than big US business. Granted, they’re often trying to be as bad.
Business with the US leads to tax payments to the US government.
Doing business with the US is very risky right now if you’re in any way locked-in, they might start imposing tariffs, steal your data, be generally fascist or just get put out of business by government policy at any moment. And part of the way we’re locked in is that in many fields, there are no or nearly no european competitors who can supply the goods at a similar price and performance.
From a purely egoistic perspective, it’s generally better to support local small business instead of overseas small business.
I agree with the support of local businesses’ perspective. However, EU companies are also vulnerable to policy changes like the recent Italy DNS poisoning law or the France encryption backdoor law just last month. Supporting a small business also comes with fostering a community. Especially if it’s FOSS, a subculture, or minority-owned.
Why would Europeans pick small US businesses to shop? Do Americans give priority to buying from small EU businesses? No.
You buy from the US first, big or small, and only then do you look for alternatives outside if something doesn’t exist in the US (which means, never).
The French law did not pass at all, was downvoted to hell by all representatives. There was a proposal but There is no French encryption backdoor law. Period.
Democracy in action.
There is all mics in IOT can be opened to investigations law that was passed thought, but with hard limits to the conditions of the surveillance.
True, but none of these are good arguments for choosing US businesses over EU businesses when you’re an EU resident. Why should I support a US-based community, subculture, minority when I could support the same kinds of things in my own country or neighboring countries?
@dangling_cat @rumschlumpel With all due respect, but thinking like that will just drive you mad. French law proposal for encryption backdoor didn’t pass, BTW
The only constant in life IS change. We need to keep making the right choices, the choices that represent our values best (right now) and if we do that long enough, we might have a shot at leaving this mudball better than we found it.
It’s not going to drive me mad to pick local small business over small business from a fascist state.
@rumschlumpel I meant @dangling_cat
That way of thinking, that all companies are subject to change of policy so it doesn’t matter who you support… It DOES matter. A lot.