Amazon didn't just disrupt retail. They gutted Main Streets across America. Independent bookstores, toy shops, hardware stores—the businesses that sponsored Little League teams, that knew their customers by name—have been disappearing from communities nationwide.

While local businesses invest in their communities, Amazon extracts. They've achieved a $2 trillion market cap while paying an effective tax rate of just 9.4%—half the statutory rate. They spend $21 million annually lobbying against fair competition laws and $14 million fighting worker organizing efforts. Between 2018-2021, they avoided $12.5 billion in taxes that could have funded schools, roads, and services.

Small Business Saturday isn't just about shopping. It's about reclaiming economic power. When you choose local, you're not just buying a product—you're casting a vote for community over consolidation, for neighbors over algorithms, for Main Street over Wall Street. In Vermont, 62% of employees work for small businesses—when you support them, you're supporting your neighbors.