Karl Frederick
08-13-2009, 02:57 PM
From Common Dreams | News & Views (https://www.CommonDreams.org) today:
John Mackey is a right wing libertarian.
He’s a union buster.
He believes that corporations should not be criminally prosecuted for their crimes.
He has just launched a campaign to defeat a single payer national health insurance system.
And he’s the CEO of Whole Foods.
Read more here:
Boycott Whole Foods | CommonDreams.org (https://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/13-0)
Karl
podfish
08-14-2009, 02:16 PM
There's merit in what he said, and I think little merit in the attacks. (in case it matters, I'd prefer to gamble on what Obama and the Democrats will come up with, but that's just me.) I just read the Bill Maher article on "stupid americans". That's not a codeword for right-winger or conservative. I haven't seen a refutation of Mackey's actual proposals here yet.
"John Mackey is a right wing libertarian.
He’s a union buster.
He believes that corporations should not be criminally prosecuted for their crimes.
He has just launched a campaign to defeat a single payer national health insurance system.
And he’s the CEO of Whole Foods."
=== Has pretty much nothing to do with the merits of his argument. I suppose you can claim it gives you a bit of insight into his motivations, if that matters...
"I got as far as "social security entitlement spending" before stopping reading this drivel. Social Security is not entitlement spending, we have paid into the system our entire lives. If you want to dismantle social security, fine, just refund my money, with interest, and you'll get no objection from me."
=== Unless you die earlier than expected, without any disabilities, you'd come out ahead if you let them give you Social Security payments. It's not a bank account or normal investment. The expected returns are much better.
I still don't like his idea, though. Mostly because high-deductables are only great if you have enough money to self-insure. Sadly most of us don't and many will be screwed when it turns out that we do indeed have an expensive medical problem.
But he's totally right that we have a huge problem because Americans insist on the right to live unhealthy lives and expect to be repaired regardless. A majority seems to think that economic limitations are totally inappropriate when lives and health are at stake. I have no idea how to reconcile that with the way people in the health care business are supposed to get paid. I can't imagine a system where we ensure everyone gets whatever care and drugs they need; while encouraging them to live in a way to preserve their health; while reforming the business of health care so it can deliver services, equipment, medication, and research extremely inexpensively. Especially since you can't start with a clean slate - you have to get there from here.