by Madeleine KandoYesterday, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey made a splash when, during an NPR interview he characterized President Obama‘s Affordable Care Act as “fascism.” I decided to write him a letter.
Dear Mr. Mackey*:
If I could remember how long I have been a patron of our local Whole Foods store I would certainly tell you, but it’s been too long and I’d rather not be reminded of how much of my hard earned money I have put in your pocket over the years.
I know you like to be in the limelight and voice your political opinions, although I have read somewhere that it is sometimes a sign of an overblown ego. But that doesn’t apply to you, I am sure.
Your recent comment comparing Obamacare to Fascism was not as well received as you might have hoped, although hardly a shock for someone who is familiar with your strong support of ‘consumer-driven’ health care. You have compared Obamacare to Socialism in the past, so I am not surprised at your recent statement that:
‘[Obamacare] is more like fascism than socialism. Socialism is where the government owns the means of production. In fascism, the government doesn’t own the means of production, but they do control it, and that’s what’s happening with our healthcare programs and these reforms.’
I would like to correct you on two points: First, under Socialism it is the people who own the means of production, not the government. I am afraid you are confusing Socialism with Communism. Second, comparing Obamacare to Fascism makes even less sense. Fascism is best described as a merging of corporate and government interests. How, exactly, does Obamacare fit into this definition?
You tout your own company’s healthcare package, a high-deductible health plan combined with a health savings account, as an alternative to Obamacare. Your company benefits from this alternative option by shifting the burden of health care costs to your employees. I understand now why you hire mostly young, healthy, often clueless employees who do not need the coverage that a traditional plan provides. For the rest of us, less fortunate individuals, high deductible plans with health savings accounts are a scam.
You have managed to gobble up all the wonderful mom and pop stores in the business, the ones that actually stocked their shelves with foods that are healthy, that provided a large bulk section which is no longer available in most of your stores. You have managed to transform the concept of ‘Natural Foods’ into an overpriced, fancy delicatessen store, where ‘health foods’ now means vitamin pills and fancy take out, what is there left for you to do?
If the quality of your stores is an indication of how you view your social responsibility, you might want to do some serious soul searching. You moralize about individual responsibility for taking care of one’s health by eating better foods. I find this obscene. If you are serious about this concept, why not provide free ‘health food’ for the needy, or at best ‘free education classes?’ Put your money where your mouth is.
I don’t doubt that you are an excellent CEO, Mr. Mackey, but the world would be better off without your unsolicited political opinion. I, for one, would trade it for a better bulk section any day. leave comment here
5 comments:
I saw an interview with this fellow and was shocked at how poorly informed he was. He is self-serving and his libertarianism conveniently supports his greed.
Tom - My, my, my. Mr. Mackey seems to have gotten under your skin. A couple of comments. First, there is of course a distinction between the socialism of theory and practice. In the socialism in practice the people never own the means of production - the government does. And from my perspective, while the analogy that Mr. Mackey makes is strident, it is correct. Obamacare attempts to run a complex system not by owning it but by managing in (or more appropriately mangling it). Government running a system or providing a monopoly or even regulating the hell out of private providers never seems to operate very well. Think of Temex in Mexico (one of the worst phone systems in the world), or British dental care or even better the whole farce of "scientific socialism" of Cuba or Russia.
You argue that a high deductible health care plan somehow shifts costs to the society. Just how does that happen? Individual employees are responsible for the day to day costs of their health care but covered for things that they could not cover on their own - that is the concept of insurance. It makes for responsible consumers. Those employees do not rush to the doctor for every sniffle. And if they follow the Whole Foods notions about diet they probably utilize health care a lot less. When I have been in Whole Foods I have found the employees to be pretty well informed about both the products they sell and healthy lifestyles.
Finally, there is the canard about the loss of "mom and pop" stores as a result of this chain being in business. Do you also decry the growth of Raley's who have probably had more effect on getting small markets to close? Just what is a "mom and pop" store - is that the place that charged more for lower quality food?
The good thing about the market system (as opposed to socialism and fascism) is that if you do not like Mr. Mackey's views or his products or even his dog spot - you don't have to patronize his company. The problem with socialism and fascism is that you are forced to choose their brand.
Jonathan,
This is not my post.You need to discuss it with the author, not with me
I suggest you look at the British NHS. Study after study shows it to be more efficient and equitable than any private health care system in the world.
It is also loved and valued by the majority of the British people.
In relation to dental care, it is true it is not as good as it used to be. But that is because it has largely been removed from the NHS and provision is dominated by private dental care.
UN PRESIDENT TIM KALEMKARIAN, US PRESIDENT TIM KALEMKARIAN, US SENATE TIM KALEMKARIAN, US HOUSE TIM KALEMKARIAN: BEST MAJOR CANDIDATE.
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