Whole Foods CEO calls health care "Fascism", Boycott now!

[Stuart]

The CEO has the right to his opinion. But, I am not going to spend one more dollar supporting right wing lies, propaganda and Fox "news".

Every time you shop there, you are supporting this CEO's profits and his perverted opinion of health care, calling it "Fascism". El Salvador has better health care than the US. Europe has had public health care for nearly a hundred years. People he supports prevents this country from having health care similar to the rest of the developed world. Why help him with your money????????

Stop supporting the right wing by shopping at WH. If it closes, the employees will hopefully find a replacement store that is owned by more enlightened owners.

Spread the word, tell your neighbors and friends and shop elsewhere
Stuart
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“CNN Host Confronts Whole Foods CEO John Mackey For Calling ObamaCare ‘Fascism:’”

On CNN this morning, host Carol Costello confronted Whole Foods CEO John Mackey over his recent comments that ObamaCare was tantamount to “fascism” because “the government doesn’t own the means of production, but they do control it.”

“You initially labeled the Health Care Act a form of socialism, and then on NPR you called ObamaCare ‘fascism.’ Why did you decide to change the terminology?” Costello asked at the outset.

Echoing his statement yesterday that he regrets using the word “fascism,” Mackey explained, “That was a bad choice of words, but traditionally socialism means that the means of production are run by the government and in fascism the means of production are still owned by private individuals but they’re controlled by the government. And what’s happening. Our health care system is moving away from free enterprise capitalism towards greater governmental control. That was a poor choice of words due to the baggage and associations that go along with it. So now I’m just calling it ‘government-controlled health care.’”

An unsatisfied Costello then challenged Mackey, saying, “You realize when you say ‘fascism,’ it brings up Nazi Germany and all sorts of things. And we really want that kind language out of our public forum at the moment, don’t we?”
“Apparently you can’t use that word in America any longer, it’s taboo,” Mackey fired back.

As Jonah Goldberg (who’s written a book that’s more than a little germane to the topic) noted in his weekly emailed G-File column today:

None of this surprises me. But it’s still quite amazing. The simple fact is that fascism is a uniquely radioactive political term and the Left has an exclusive license to use it. Liberals are allowed to be as glib and cavalier as they want about the use of the word. But if conservatives use it — entirely accurately — it is an outrage and a sign of ignorance. Yes, technically, it would have been more accurate, and certainly less controversial, if Mackey had said Obamacare is corporatist — the economic structure of fascism — but very few people know what “corporatist” means. [Here's a decent intro -- Ed]
And so you have this carve out for liberals. They get to use the word fascist — incorrectly — all of the time. But if a conservative (or in this case a libertarian) uses it accurately, and not particularly pejoratively either, it’s offensive or stupid.

Immediately after the above exchange, Costello went into concern troll mode with Mackey:

“I think, though, that many of your customers probably wouldn’t agree with you since, I don’t know, you kind of run a store that appeals to the more liberal in America in some ways,” Costello replied.

“I don’t understand what your question or your point is,” Mackey said.

“I’m just saying some people feel Whole Foods is a politically-correct grocery store because you sell organic goods,” Costello explained. “You’re into health, et cetera, et cetera, and some of your customers might be taken aback because of that.”

“They might be,” the CEO replied. “But I mean, Whole Foods is a very diverse company. We have a multiplicity of opinions. Again, we’re the United States. We have freedom of speech. We’re a democracy. We need to have a variety of opinions shared in order for us to remain a vital and prosperous country.”