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The War on Small Business: How the Government Used the Pandemic to Crush the Backbone of America
For years, government bureaucrats have been looking for ways to destroy small businesses. With coronavirus, they finally had their chance.
In 2020, the American economy suffered the biggest financial collapse in history. But while Main Street suffered like never before, the stock market continued to reach new highs. How could this be? The answer is that government had slapped oppressive restrictions on small businesses while propping up Wall Street and engineering a historic consolidation of power and wealth.
This isn't a new problem. During the last financial crisis, Washington bailed out large banks, saying they were "too big to fail." When the federal government finally pushed out the CARES Act in 2020, it clearly favored the wealthy and well-connected, showing that small businesses were too small to matter. People across the political spectrum constantly complain about the tyranny of big business, and they're not wrong. However, too many think government is the solution. In reality, government is the problem.
In The War on Small Business, entrepreneur Carol Roth unveils the many abuses of power inflicted on small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Small business owners were thrown in jail for trying to make a living. Individual rights were discarded. Big government did what it does best--intentionally protect the rich and powerful.
This is the most underreported story coming out of the pandemic. The government chose winners and losers, who would thrive and who would fight to survive, based on not data or science, but based on clout and connections. This enabled the government, with the aid of the Federal Reserve, to oversee the largest wealth transfer in history from Main Street to Wall Street. The issues started long ago and continue today with a highly tilted playing field that favors those "in the club" to the detriment of the average Americans.
This book is about the Davids vs. the Goliaths and the decentralization that can help the small, independent businesses and individuals participate in wealth creation.
If Americans don't wake up and stop it, politicians will continue to produce policies that intensify their war on small business and individuals and all that stands in the way of centralized power and control.
In 2020, the American economy suffered the biggest financial collapse in history. But while Main Street suffered like never before, the stock market continued to reach new highs. How could this be? The answer is that government had slapped oppressive restrictions on small businesses while propping up Wall Street and engineering a historic consolidation of power and wealth.
This isn't a new problem. During the last financial crisis, Washington bailed out large banks, saying they were "too big to fail." When the federal government finally pushed out the CARES Act in 2020, it clearly favored the wealthy and well-connected, showing that small businesses were too small to matter. People across the political spectrum constantly complain about the tyranny of big business, and they're not wrong. However, too many think government is the solution. In reality, government is the problem.
In The War on Small Business, entrepreneur Carol Roth unveils the many abuses of power inflicted on small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Small business owners were thrown in jail for trying to make a living. Individual rights were discarded. Big government did what it does best--intentionally protect the rich and powerful.
This is the most underreported story coming out of the pandemic. The government chose winners and losers, who would thrive and who would fight to survive, based on not data or science, but based on clout and connections. This enabled the government, with the aid of the Federal Reserve, to oversee the largest wealth transfer in history from Main Street to Wall Street. The issues started long ago and continue today with a highly tilted playing field that favors those "in the club" to the detriment of the average Americans.
This book is about the Davids vs. the Goliaths and the decentralization that can help the small, independent businesses and individuals participate in wealth creation.
If Americans don't wake up and stop it, politicians will continue to produce policies that intensify their war on small business and individuals and all that stands in the way of centralized power and control.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 29, 2021
68 people are currently reading
653 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
June 25, 2021
Amazing book. Watch my interview with Carol Roth on my YouTube Channel to learn more about the War on Small Business.
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August 11, 2021This book exposes the ruling class' war against the small business owner by big business and big government working together. It outrages, it is eye opening, and the facts laid out make her argument by themselves. I served in the Reagan Administration at an agency. I saw Carol's expose up close.
Carol solemnly states she is NOT a Republican, but it is hard to understand how parts of her support today's American Marxist Biden administration. Open borders -- she says bring them in as long as they have visas. Yet an uncheceked flow hurts the working class and consequently small business. A great idea is suggesting that all the laws on the books, dating back to 1776, ought to be reviewed and in most cases pulled up by the roots as anachronisms, stupid, overly regulatory, and choking free enterprise and human freedom.
Cheers for the book, but Carol's continued refusal to formally embrace conservative values is puzzling, and in large part at war with her argument.. Great book, one of those rare ones that can trigger change. I hope she advocates on all media, tirelessly.
Carol solemnly states she is NOT a Republican, but it is hard to understand how parts of her support today's American Marxist Biden administration. Open borders -- she says bring them in as long as they have visas. Yet an uncheceked flow hurts the working class and consequently small business. A great idea is suggesting that all the laws on the books, dating back to 1776, ought to be reviewed and in most cases pulled up by the roots as anachronisms, stupid, overly regulatory, and choking free enterprise and human freedom.
Cheers for the book, but Carol's continued refusal to formally embrace conservative values is puzzling, and in large part at war with her argument.. Great book, one of those rare ones that can trigger change. I hope she advocates on all media, tirelessly.
December 16, 2021
The first half of this book set my temper ablaze but it also pushed me to see things differently than I had previously seen them. I caught myself getting upset at small business owners that insisted on opening back up during the pandemic because the media led me in that direction. After reading this book, I felt very differently. I really appreciate that this author took the time to lay out this research in a rationale way and now I'm all fired up about consolidation of power. It really sucks.
The second half of the book could and maybe should have been a separate book. She argues against a federal minimum wage and universal basic income and I would like to flush those arguments out a bit more. I understand her theories but I'm not sure about them.
I also don't really think she has much of a prescription for what citizens can do and what she thinks will happen because the U.S. is "too big to succeed." Then again, who does have all of those answers? I appreciate that the took the time to write the book but doesn't predict the future. Only I wish there were more that each of us could do rather than just shop small business and call politicians out on their incompetence. Sigh.
A worthy read if upsetting and accurate.
The second half of the book could and maybe should have been a separate book. She argues against a federal minimum wage and universal basic income and I would like to flush those arguments out a bit more. I understand her theories but I'm not sure about them.
I also don't really think she has much of a prescription for what citizens can do and what she thinks will happen because the U.S. is "too big to succeed." Then again, who does have all of those answers? I appreciate that the took the time to write the book but doesn't predict the future. Only I wish there were more that each of us could do rather than just shop small business and call politicians out on their incompetence. Sigh.
A worthy read if upsetting and accurate.
July 30, 2023
For all the pretending that it aims to do the opposite, the government has worked to weaken small business for decades. In retrospect, it should be no great surprise that small businesses bore a disproportionate brunt of the COVID-19 shutdowns. In The War on Small Business, Carol Roth breaks down with agonizing precision how politicians propped up powerful corporations while turning their backs on the little guy.
Sharyl Attkisson, bestselling author of Slanted
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“We're living amid an artificial reality, persuaded to believe it's real by astroturf engineered to look like grassroots.”
Sharyl Attkisson, The Smear: How the Secret Art of Character Assassination Controls What You Think, What You Read, and How You Vote
---
“Right now, as you read these words, versions of history and current events are being written and revised in real time according to what powerful interests wish them to say. Our “memory hole” is found in growing efforts to “curate” or censor information on the news, ban certain facts, declare selected viewpoints illegitimate, cleanse social media of particular accounts, and judge people and events of the distant past using today’s evolving and controversial standards. Even those who know better are left, like Winston Smith, to guess and wonder how many others like them are out there—how many of the unindoctrinated who don’t buy the spin?”
― Sharyl Attkisson, Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism
---
Attkisson was formerly an investigative correspondent in the Washington bureau for CBS News and a substitute anchor for the CBS Evening News. Attkisson resigned from CBS News on in 2014, after 21 years with the network.
Sharyl Attkisson, bestselling author of Slanted
---
“We're living amid an artificial reality, persuaded to believe it's real by astroturf engineered to look like grassroots.”
Sharyl Attkisson, The Smear: How the Secret Art of Character Assassination Controls What You Think, What You Read, and How You Vote
---
“Right now, as you read these words, versions of history and current events are being written and revised in real time according to what powerful interests wish them to say. Our “memory hole” is found in growing efforts to “curate” or censor information on the news, ban certain facts, declare selected viewpoints illegitimate, cleanse social media of particular accounts, and judge people and events of the distant past using today’s evolving and controversial standards. Even those who know better are left, like Winston Smith, to guess and wonder how many others like them are out there—how many of the unindoctrinated who don’t buy the spin?”
― Sharyl Attkisson, Slanted: How the News Media Taught Us to Love Censorship and Hate Journalism
---
Attkisson was formerly an investigative correspondent in the Washington bureau for CBS News and a substitute anchor for the CBS Evening News. Attkisson resigned from CBS News on in 2014, after 21 years with the network.
January 25, 2022
This book is very well researched and fairly well written. It is sometimes a little overly dense with statistics and stock prices, some of which are unnecessarily repeated. Also, it loses its focus on the Chinese-caused pandemic near then end, as if the author appended material that she had written previously. But all the author’s points are accurate and valid.
My greatest criticism is that I think that the book is not going to change many minds. The people who agree with the author are going to be nodding their heads and may learn a few new things. The people who disagree with her often don't understand the basic economic concepts and have long ago closed their minds to politically incorrect thoughts. The author is a good reporter, but not good enough at persuasive writing to break through the defensive walls that the woke crowd erect to deny reality. It doesn’t help that the author is overly deferential to them and makes it clear that she doesn’t wish to be considered one of those ‘icky Republicans'. Not that the RINO GOP Uniparty doesn’t deserve its share of criticism, but if you go out of your way to distance yourself from those most sympathetic to your position, don’t expect it to encourage those less sympathetic to come running to your cause.
The current state of affairs is, as Carol recognizes, "take no prisoners" war, but she doesn't want to have to publicly pick an imperfect side, because that will cause her liberal friends to ostracize her. That is the problem in a nutshell, and the reason that equivocal writers like her are effectively useless.
My greatest criticism is that I think that the book is not going to change many minds. The people who agree with the author are going to be nodding their heads and may learn a few new things. The people who disagree with her often don't understand the basic economic concepts and have long ago closed their minds to politically incorrect thoughts. The author is a good reporter, but not good enough at persuasive writing to break through the defensive walls that the woke crowd erect to deny reality. It doesn’t help that the author is overly deferential to them and makes it clear that she doesn’t wish to be considered one of those ‘icky Republicans'. Not that the RINO GOP Uniparty doesn’t deserve its share of criticism, but if you go out of your way to distance yourself from those most sympathetic to your position, don’t expect it to encourage those less sympathetic to come running to your cause.
The current state of affairs is, as Carol recognizes, "take no prisoners" war, but she doesn't want to have to publicly pick an imperfect side, because that will cause her liberal friends to ostracize her. That is the problem in a nutshell, and the reason that equivocal writers like her are effectively useless.
July 31, 2022
By reading this book, you will understand how the covid lockdowns broke the backbone of the American economy, and therefore the society.
Lockdowns imposed by the government have vastly increased the power of central government at the expense of individual liberty and free economic initiative. This is the path to modern slavery, a basic postulate of the upcoming great reset.
Прочитайки тази книга ще разберете как ковид локдауните счупиха гръбнака на американската икономика, оттам и на обществото.
Локдауните увеличиха неимоверно властта на правителството, за сметка на индивидуалната свобода и свободната икономическа инициатива. Това е пътя към модерното робство, основен постулат на предстоящото велико зануляване.
Lockdowns imposed by the government have vastly increased the power of central government at the expense of individual liberty and free economic initiative. This is the path to modern slavery, a basic postulate of the upcoming great reset.
Прочитайки тази книга ще разберете как ковид локдауните счупиха гръбнака на американската икономика, оттам и на обществото.
Локдауните увеличиха неимоверно властта на правителството, за сметка на индивидуалната свобода и свободната икономическа инициатива. Това е пътя към модерното робство, основен постулат на предстоящото велико зануляване.
July 2, 2021
Save small businesses...what the government is doing to crush these businesses by using inept policies.
November 27, 2021
WOW! I would count this among one of the most important topical books I have plowed through during the past 2 years. Machine-gun delivery of hard-hitting information.
October 28, 2023
The central thesis of this book is that the federal government has become too inflated and centralized in its pursuit of control and through its centralized planning has broken the small business backbone of the country which she says the only solution is to fight more strongly for individual rights, economic freedom, and the decentralization of government.
I think she makes a pretty compelling case against the government and it’s efforts to centralize power, however, I’m not entirely convinced that pure capitalism is the cure which she seems to think. Capitalism has many pitfalls which in all likelihood is what led to the many regulations and laws that exist today. Freedom of choice comes with responsibility and unfortunately as she observes, human nature is wrought with self interest and greed which ends up hurting someone one way or another which leads to people proposing legislation for protection against such infractions. She argues that greed serves as a good in a capitalist system because “it [capitalism] harnesses that greed for the benefit of all in the system” and she also states that excessive living “isn’t any moral failing but a reality that keeps people productive”. Tell that to the many poor people who have neither the means or resources to put a pot of food on their table. Welfare was created because there was a need not being met. So while I agree freedoms should be defended and fought for, I don’t necessarily agree that a pure capitalist economy ever solves it.
I think she makes a pretty compelling case against the government and it’s efforts to centralize power, however, I’m not entirely convinced that pure capitalism is the cure which she seems to think. Capitalism has many pitfalls which in all likelihood is what led to the many regulations and laws that exist today. Freedom of choice comes with responsibility and unfortunately as she observes, human nature is wrought with self interest and greed which ends up hurting someone one way or another which leads to people proposing legislation for protection against such infractions. She argues that greed serves as a good in a capitalist system because “it [capitalism] harnesses that greed for the benefit of all in the system” and she also states that excessive living “isn’t any moral failing but a reality that keeps people productive”. Tell that to the many poor people who have neither the means or resources to put a pot of food on their table. Welfare was created because there was a need not being met. So while I agree freedoms should be defended and fought for, I don’t necessarily agree that a pure capitalist economy ever solves it.
August 17, 2023
A nice read that champions for individual rights. You will learn how small business is forgotten and discarded by all our people in government (left and right) so they can focus on all the money that big business brings them.
April 16, 2023
This was good read even though it’s been released for awhile. I’ve had it on the shelf since it released and finally made the time to read it. Thinking it would be solely focused on how covid affected small business I was afraid it would irrelevant at this time. It started off covid focused as it related to small businesses and I was a bit bored bc I knew much of it…but the book quickly changed and I learned a lot about how Big Government has had it eye on destroying small businesses for awhile now. Definitely worth reading if you have an interest in learning the difference between central planning and the free market. The book is easy for anyone to read & understand and I’m looking forward to reading the authors book that releases this summer, “You will own nothing” the author has a lot of knowledge about what currently happening and is worth following to try stay up on it.
March 4, 2023
I admire Carol Roth's knowledge of small business nuance, and find her ability to articulate this knowledge outstanding. Being a business owner myself who has started several successful businesses, I can attest to her claims that small businesses like mine are held at a considerable disadvantage by government polices compared with our larger corporate counterparts. We pay higher tax rates per capita; we have no 'real' protection against misappropriated (stolen) intellectual property, no true representation in government (no lobbyists) and are the first to be shut down in a crisis. This in spite of being responsible for new technologies, new jobs, a thriving economy..... why? Because entrepreneurs are independent thinkers, such that the enormous power wielded collectively by small business remains decentralized, that is, uncontrollable by political or other means. Ms. Roth describes this extremely well in her book, and if you are a small business owner, a non-business owner, or a person simply sharing planet earth concerned of such things as free enterprise, I advise you to read it.
August 23, 2023
I thought the first part of the book regarding what happened to small businesses during the pandemic was a great reminder, but I was hoping for more and the author delivered. Others might find the regulation portion of the book to be dry, but not me. I thought the author helped me to understand why minimum wage, over-licensing, the PRO act and things like that need to be looked at very skeptically and critically. While most legislation gets proposed like it is helping the worker and businesses out, it is usually just to gain more centralized control. Centralized control is a power grab that needs to be stopped. I don't understand why people think the Government is better at figuring out how to keep the playing field even. Never has, never will. EDIT: I thought about this book some more and I will add that government can break a monopoly (which is a good thing) so I wanted to add that to not sound so negative about what the government could do. After reading this book, I am definitely more in favor of de-regulation across the board.
November 15, 2021
There were great ideas in here, but I wanted more details. An example would be about the dairy mountain because my wife is reading Salt Sugar Fat and we both found it interesting. It’s really just mentioned though with little explanation or relevant facts. What it does not lack is anxiousness and fuming frustration. I like Carol Roth and what she stands for. There is value in reading this, but you may find better, more succinct ideas elsewhere. I look forward to cheering her on as she learns and grows.
September 8, 2021
This book does an excellent job of pointing out how government used the Covid pandemic to pick crony big business winners by allowing them to continue operations and crushed small businesses by forcing them to shut down.
The author does a good job explaining how this is not capitalist behavior, but rather anti-capitalist behavior which favors big money and big business, destroying the backbone of the American economy which is small businesses.
The author does a good job explaining how this is not capitalist behavior, but rather anti-capitalist behavior which favors big money and big business, destroying the backbone of the American economy which is small businesses.
July 21, 2021
This book includes a lot of facts and figures to back up its premise. It shows how everything that has happened in the past year and a half was carefully planned and executed to help large business and to destroy small businesses decreasing competition.
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August 10, 2021This book reinforces everything I've suspected with the current economy and financial situation. It's frightening and frustrating.
August 16, 2021
Excellent.
September 6, 2021
Excellent. The author makes a strong case based on solid economic theory and facts.
September 29, 2021
Must read for a behind the scenes rundown of 2020
November 10, 2021
I found this book to be completely nonpartisan and courageously honest.
November 22, 2021
One of those where I wish I could do half stars. Good primer for people who maybe weren't immersed in this stuff the last two years.
January 17, 2022
A well researched book on how the government used covid to destroy small businesses (again).
August 11, 2022
Really important book from an important thinker. Highly recommended.
November 9, 2022
A little obvious, but a good overview
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews