Whole Foods CEO Outrages Liberal Customers By Calling Obamacare 'Fascism'

An uprising online threatens boycott

Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey is doing damage control after describing the Obamacare healthcare law as "fascism" in a recent interview on NPR to promote his book.

The comment sparked a firestorm of criticism on the web from many progressive customers claiming they will boycott the supermarket that they would otherwise find appealing for carrying a large selection of sustainable, organic, natural and environmentally-friendly products. The Whole Foods company Facebook page was overtaken by angry comments. Underneath one post that asked, "Have you ever seen green beans look so tasty?" with a colorful picture of Szechuan green beans, Facebook user Tracy Collins wrote, "Buy green beans from a local farmer's market. Why line the pockets of this company's CEO?" Another poster, Michael Fiore, wrote "Mmmmm. You know what would look good with those green beens? Affordable health care for all Americans." Facebook user Todd Lister wrote, "Make this work. Be strong. Boycott Whole Foods."

The company's page was so filled with negative comments that company officials responded: "We hear your concerns about our co-CEO's recent comments loud and clear. He offers clarification here in his own words," with a link to a column by him in the Huffington Post.

"I made a poor word choice to describe our health care system, which I definitely regret," Mackey wrote. "The term fascism today stirs up too much negative emotion with its horrific associations in the 20th century... I think for now I will simply call it government-controlled health care to distinguish it from free enterprise capitalist health care."

Via the Huffington Post and Facebook

Would you boycott a business if you disagreed with the CEO's political comments?

[MarkJM]

The last controversy from Whole Foods, and that business picked up. To this day, Whole Foods is one of the best places to be employed at regarding hours, pay, and benefits. Me thinks that Whole Foods will pick up more business by calling 0bamacare socialized medicine for what it really is. Oh and for further reference, I remember a failed "boycott" against Chick-Fil-A when CEO Dan Cathy came out against gay marriage. Chick-Fil-A had perhaps their best months after that. I love it when the Left gets upset at a CEO, it just makes me want to go out and do (more) business with them.

[AceLuby]

Obamacare is a far cry from socialized medicine.

[martydotcom]

@AceLuby just another CEO shooting his company in the foot. Obviously not the right man for the job due to lack of sensitivity with his customer base. Did he think the organic Mom elietist. whole food customer base would jump up and down and rally round the Tea Party

[MarkJM]

@AceLuby maybe so, but it is a step in that direction...

[CaryNickel]

@AceLuby Any government interference in a citizen's medical care is socialized medicine, and is wholly unconstitutional.

[AceLuby]

@CaryNickel What part of Obamacare interferes w/ their medical care and which part of the constitution does it violate?

[RobertJHarsh]

As long as a company provides the service or good I want at a price I am willing to pay, why should I care about the politics of its owners?

[Denizen_Kate]

I only care about a CEO's politics if there is a negative affect on how his employees are treated. I've never heard any sort of public complaint from Whole Foods employees.

[RobertJHarsh]

@Denizen_Kate Neither of I. Besides I hate those stores. They are overpriced and stock food only rich liberals would find yummy. I only went in there once to get a bottle of wine a friend recommended and the bar is over priced, full of people who hate republicans, and there wasn't a child in sight.

[Denizen_Kate]

@RobertJHarsh - Seriously, you don't think there are plenty of Republicans who shop there? In my case, I don't like produce from places like Chile, Mexico, and Asian countries. I live just a few miles from California's rich central valley and there are plenty of local farmer's markets around, with much better produce at much lower prices. I tend to agree with those who refer to that store as Whole Paycheck.

[RobertJHarsh]

@Denizen_Kate Oh I am sure there are Republicans who shop there. I was just describing the crowd that day. I'd rather shop at a 7/11 for groceries and booze. Much better crowd of people. ;)

[Denizen_Kate]

@RobertJHarsh - Plus, you can buy lottery tickets . . . I don't think they have those at Whole Foods. :)

[Knightkore]

First he got his terms mixed up....it is socialism....second....he has the right to express himself in a free country....

Though with attitudes of those that attacked him the socialist police state is here....

[Libertyiskey]

Part of the definition of fascism includes "regimenting all industry, commerce, etc" I think that would include government run healthcare. The fact that people can still attack him verbally gives us hope that we still have freedom of speech. Look on the bright side of things Knightmare it's free speech from stupid people, the country is lucky me and you are here to let them know they're wrong.

I do agree with you that we have sort of a police state I'm just trying to be a little optimistic!

[Dan_Tien]

Freedom of speech does not guarantee freedom from disagreement and consequences.

[OhWiseOne]

What did I tell you folks? Another day, another liberal "outrage". I hope they stay offended forever. It wouldn't bother me a bit.

[PNWest]

The ones who should be pissed off are the shareholders of Whole Foods. Look at what happened to the value of Papa John's Pizza stock when their idiot founder made stupid remarks about Obamacare costing the company 6 or 7 million. The stock value went down by nearly 150 million. These CEOs need to keep their mouths shut about politics. We they pipe up on controversial issues they piss off roughly half of their customer base. Very stupid.

[Denizen_Kate]

There are two subjects that should never be discussed at the workplace or in a business context: politics and religion. Discuss at your peril, whether you're a CEO or not.

[PNWest]

@Denizen_Kate I can't understand how any CEO can be this stupid. Just stay apolitical and take the money from liberals and conservatives alike.

[WMCOL]

He did immediately back off saying fascism was not the right word. What he wants is business free to do whatever it wants without any government restrictions...a plutocracy, banana republic. Doesn't sound like healthy food to me.

[Libertyiskey]

He wants conscious capitalism. I haven't read his book but my context clues tell me he wants us to choose healthy foods from businesses that do good healthy business and not purchase from the ones doing bad business therefore forcing bad business's to do good business so they actually get business. Not sure if that made any sense in writing, it did in my head!

[WMCOL]

@Libertyiskey

Whatever way business operates he does not want government regulation of it, "conscious" or inconscience. He wants the plutocrats of capitalism to regulate it and that leads to sweat shops, child labor, unsafe woking conditions, price goughing, and the conditions that existed in Chicago Packing Plants as described by Upton Sinclair in his 1906 book "The Jungle". John Mackey is a self-described laissez faire capitalist.

[Libertyiskey]

@WMCOL Upton Sinclair as described by Teddy Roosevelt, "He is hysterical, unbalanced, and untruthful. Three-fourths of the things he said were absolute falsehoods. For some of the remainder there was only a basis of truth." He (the ceo of Whole Foods) believes in the intelligence and desire for good from everyday citizens like you and me to make good choices and look into the ways a business does business before we give them our money for services. That is if I'm guessing what his interpretation of "conscious capitalism" is correct. You can go ahead and believe a novel as fiction all you want, do I think working conditions were bad or sub par sure, but not the way Upton Sinclar described especially when the biggest progressive of all Theodore Roosevelt called him a liar in those writings.

I believe us humans have a lot of good in us and with minimum restrictions, minimum not none, a free market will work better than a controlled market.

[WMCOL]

@Libertyiskey
>>>"He is hysterical, unbalanced, and untruthful.<<<
Many said the same thing about Teddy Roosevelt.

As the facts were revealed they stuffed Teddy Roosevelt's words down his own throat.

Sinclair used inspectors in plants disguised as workers to convince Roosevelt to send inspectors into the plants. At the time what Sinclair revealed was unbelievable. No one outside of the plants believed conditions could be so bad, not even Teddy.

Sinclair's accounts were found to be accurate and are used in academia as credible and significant description of the horrors that existed in the Packing Plants at the beginning of the 20th Century. His revelations led to changes in the slaughter houses and other work places.

And like was stated, no matter how Mackey runs his business, or how others run theirs, he does not want government regulation of ANY business, and left to its own devices capitalism will not do the right thing on its own.

[DARSB]

Almost wish there was a Whole Foods near me so I could not patronize it... ;)

[Gary_Owen]

People are getting really nasty over their disagreements with each other. You can disagree without demonizing each other. Both sides of the political spectrum are guilty of constantly doing this to each other. I like many of President Obama's views, but disagree with him vehemently as to how to reduce firearms violence. We need to start by decriminalizing drugs. Once we've done that, we destabilize the powerful drug cartels, and eliminate the criminally-insane turf wars of those heavily-harmed 14-20 year old "kids" in the inner cities that regularly shoot it out with each other and target innocent people for murder to pass their initiation into drug-dealing gangs. Then we'll have the necessary funds available for triage and treatment of potentially violent severely mentally ill people, including the wherewithal to commit them permanently as a danger to themselves and the community if they exhibit such violent behavior and resist treatment. Banning ANYTHING after the Supreme Court ruled in Warren v. District of Columbia that the police don't have a duty to protect the individual and Attorney General Erik Holder's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has saturated the illegal gun markets with so-called assault weapons is not only irresponsible, illogical and hypocritical, it's downright INSANE. See tinyurl dot com/Jim-McCauley for downloadable US Department of Justice Reports.

[jessejaymes]

I won't be shopping whole foods.

[Patt]

If the CEO or other principal thinks that their opinion on a political issue is so important that they broadcast it, then I think it's important enough for me to pass judgement on. Let the chips fall where they may. There was a time that politics and business were separate, business leaders did not voice their politics. At this time, however, business is so involved in the government as to control it. But the American people are waking up to this. I think the vocal CEO's are actually exposing their panic that they may lose control over government and people.

I think that this guy needs to get a dictionary and look up the definitions of the words he tosses around so loosely. He truly exposes his ignorance as well as his politics. Of course, he's from Texas, so.....

[AceLuby]

I've never supported Whole Foods as they use shady business practices. They don't even have a research team to determine where to put new stores, they simply look for successful farmer's markets and local organic stores, set up shop as close to them as possible, and then lower their prices to push the local guys out of the market. Rinse, repeat, profit. They are the walmart of organic foods. I'd rather shop at Target.

[SavageMazx]

Hmmm Whole Paycheck...errr I mean Whole Foods needs to shut up and just sell me overpriced organic produce from some third world country...

[Warrior_Judge]

I don't think businesses should be forced to pay for an employee's personal choice. And let's face it, abortions and birth control are PERSONAL choices. What's next?? Making them pay for a man's condems?? I don't think so. If you choose to have sex or have an abortion, pay for it yourself. Go to the health department, you can get a bag of condems for free.

[Warrior_Judge]

Better yet, if you don't want to get pregnant, keep your legs closed and your clothes on.

[DARSB]

Hmm... if "Go to the health department, you can get a bag of condems for free" is true then "What's next?? Making them pay for a man's condems??." is already true since individuals and businesses pay into the local tax base and health departments are tax-supported public utilities.

But here's the cute part of your post - you're against things like birth control for women but you don't exclude coverage for Viagra.

Sexist much? ;)

[Food4thoughts]

@DARSB
You can't get pregnant without a vagina...duh.

[Warrior_Judge]

@DARSB
not sexist at all since I am a woman. Not all insurance companies cover viagra.

[Mogal]

@Warrior_Judge Misogyny also applies to women who despise their own gender.

[CircuitCircus]

Oh my god, all the liberals will STARVE to death without whole foods. Where will they shop? Walmart Super Center? Trader Joes perhaps? Target?

[Mogal]

We grow our own, city boy.
Please.

[Denizen_Kate]

I live just a few miles from one of the world's biggest "bread basket" regions. I don't like Whole Foods because they sell foreign-grown produce at inflated prices. There are several nice local farmer's markets and eating locally grown food is better for you, anyway. Why do you think our children are developing more and more food allergies? And what makes you think conservatives don't shop at Whole Foods?

[Mogal]

@Denizen_Kate Exactly, buy local, support your local farmers.

[artjeb]

@Mogal There are some places that do not allow your farming. It is claimed unhealthy to grow your own food,. Friggin politics

[Mogal]

@artjeb I hear ya, been there, done that....I was doing the urban farming thing before it became trendy.
The neocons can call me a crunchy granola type if they wish, but I actually care about what me and mine eat, you know?

[Food4thoughts]

*facebalm*. Way to excite your base Whole Foods!

[Food4thoughts]

Facebalm? Sounds like a million dollar idea!

[Mogal]

Meh, the closest WF is 90 miles awayin Orlando, been there twice, wasnt terribly impressed.

[Mogal]

*away in.

[AlexMIA]

This must be how the left cares about peoples jobs and the economy. Disagree or say something bad about the messiah and shut them down. Facist indeed!

[KyleMFb]

I boycot stores...the only big corporations I don't boycot is Micky Ds and Walmart I would never shop at Walmart ever again if I had a choice just bc wal mart is a job killier not a Job creator and their modern day slave owners

[Food4thoughts]

Micky D's and Walmart...who would need or want anything else

[DogLady_1]

Must our food also be politicized? Come on! get real! How can you possibly know the political leanings of everyone you do business with? Ugh! Anything to keep the factions as wide as possible... I think I'll just start calling our country the Factious States of America! There is no unity!

[AlexMIA]

Ridiculous, isn't it?

[DogLady_1]

@AlexMIA - totally... first they started with the whole "Buy American!" and then it devolved into "Buy American only if I agree with their political philosophy!"

"The reason why the world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is, because man is disunited with himself." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

[AlexMIA]

@DogLady_1 Isn't that very behavior facist to begin with? And to assume that everyone shopping there is liberal is rediculous, I see mostly wealthy people shopping there. Which could mean both.

[DogLady_1]

@AlexMIA - it may be fascist, but it most certainly is statist and hegemonic... thereby ANTI-AMERICAN...

[AlexMIA]

I would love to see companies boycott liberals for a change! For example, I would love to see all those gun companies in CN, NY, and IL just up and move to some pro second amendment state like TX, TN, or FL. Not only will their jobs and products be better appeciated, but they won't have to deal with unions as much, and they can give them the finger as they take their tax dollars to greener pastures.

[artjeb]

Here in N Y state you just might see a exodus because of CUOMO do do passing a stupid gun restriction bill.

[AlexMIA]

@artjeb Oh well....if you ask me should be due to more than that. Not just business but people too.