Basically the title, I feel like Americans have been brain-washed to see “small-business” owners as somehow inherently ethical underdogs you should root for? It's like people don't realize that small businesses are just as likely to exploit their employees and engage in unethical behaviors as large ones. In fact, in some industries, small businesses are exempt from the same standards and regulations as large ones.
That being said, I feel like it is soooo culturally engrained to admire these people. For what it's worth, I'm not coming after the person who sells their crocheted doilies at the farmers market. I think y'all know who I'm talking about.