by David Safier
John Mackey is the CEO and founder of Whole Foods. Apparently, he's not at all fond of what the Dems are doing by way of health care legislation. He thinks it goes too far. In a Wall Street Journal op ed, he begins with this quote from Margaret Thatcher: “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”
Pretty much lays out his world view, doesn't it?
Mackey has a perfect right to his opinion and to express it loud and proud, but the rest of us also have our rights to our opinions, and to spend our money as we see fit and where we see fit. Mackey probably won't be surprised to know that a large percentage of his clientele are people who want health care reform at least as strong as what the Democrats are proposing, and many of us would like more.
If you're interested, here''s a Boycott Whole Foods website on Facebook.
Discover more from Blog for Arizona
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
David, your comments on Mr. Mackey’s position indicate you both actually share the same worldview. He doesn’t want you telling him how to spend his money, and you don’t want him telling you how to spend yours. I guess I’m just wondering which part you don’t agree with.
Nope. Can’t. When two people’s views are worlds apart on a certain issue, there’s not enough common ground for a reasonable argument. It’s like a Muslim and a Christian arguing which religion is better. Ridiculous.
“Pretty much lays out his world view, doesn’t it?”
Right, but can you offer at least a few words as a succinct counter?
David,
Really? That’s all you can say? If I’m wrong, please say more.
Are you suggesting that if I don’t pay my taxes, they Federal Government will just forget about it?
Or, is it likely that they will send armed agents to arrest me?
“When the government tells me I am going to pay taxes, they are taking it at the point of a gun. Period.”
All I can say is, Wow, Brice. Wow!
JT:
When the government tells me I am going to pay taxes, they are taking it at the point of a gun. Period. Also, please demonstrate where Mackey is trying to stiff his customers on health care? Is he closing down hospitals, or doctors offices? Or is he just suggesting that everyone should pay their own way?
Donna:
Yes, I am against tax, except that which is constitutionally permissible. Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution enumerates under which instances the Federal Government should collect taxes. Welfare is not one of those instances. You may also be surprised that I didn’t support President Bush.
JD:
Best of luck in your endeavor! Why don’t you start the alternative to Whole Foods, and once you get it running, donate 100% of the money the business takes in to the government!
There are other choices out there. And, like the public healthcare option, Mackey’s views could very well have a positive effect on the marketplace since those of us who want to buy untained food will now be looking elsewhere to shop, someone will fill the demand.
I am going to boycott until Mackey is gone. No doubt it will cost a lot of money to get rid of him since, certainly a good portion of the money that the public held company could use to spend on employee healthcare will be used for whatever clause required to pay big money to get rid of him. Either way, in the short term Mackey wins but in the long run we can all win if we stick to our principals and hold out till he’s gone.
Brice, you must be one of those tax protesters. Bush spent a ton of tax money on things that I didn’t approve of and I didn’t have choice in the matter.
Where were y’all from 2001 to 2008?
Whose forcing people to spend their money at the force of a gun? If the John Mackey is idiotic enough to apply the same economic model to health-care as he applies to his grocery chain, then why should we continue to make his stores successful? If Mackey advocates stiffing his customers on healthcare, then I’m happy with making the minimal switch to purchasing the rest of my goods at the 17th Street Market and/or the Food Conspiracy. That’s the one, small drop-in-the-bucket choice I can make, but nobody is forcing me to do it.
John Mackey has really ticked off the holier-than-thou organic munching progressives.
The funny thing is, these people support a plan that would squeeze doctors out of business by forcing them to accept low payments. In their Obama love-sick minds, they bow at this alter of “efficiency” even as they celebrate food that can cost up to twice as much and is no more nutritious than the conventional stuff you can buy at Giant or any other regular supermarket.
Wholefoods is like church for these godless loons who believe some new software at the doctor’s office can produce half a trillion dollars in savings on grandma’s healthcare so we can cover illegal aliens.
They’ll wander back once they start jonesing for their organic bean curd and their hunger pangs disrupt their dreams of a socialist utopia.
Did these freaks not understand that Mackey was a capitalist all along? No nit wit socialist could build a commercial empire like Whole Foods!
Funny thing is, if one starts digging into the “whys” of Mackey’s position one learns a considerable bit about the economics at work here.
“but the rest of us also have our rights to our opinions, and to spend our money as we see fit and where we see fit.”
What an insane response.
You can spend your money wherever you want. That’s not the problem, we don’t care what you do with YOUR money. The problem is that you are attempting to force me to spend MY money, at the point of a gun. How does that square with your statement?