# Huh. Whole Foods right wing. Who knew? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 14, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386 "2009-08-14T07:31:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/1 "2009-08-14T07:31:04Z")
I sure didn’t. I used to go there all the time. Not anymore. [Whole Foods CEO Slams Health Reform, Angering Liberal Pro-Reform Whole Foods Customers](http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/whole-foods-ceo-slams-health-reform-angering-liberal-pro-reform-whole-foods-customers.php) > [@](#): > > Here’s a thought: If you own a major supermarket chain that caters to a great deal of liberal-minded people with money, don’t rail against the evils of health care reform in the Wall Street Journal. > > Unfortunately, that advice comes a few hours too late for Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, who did just that. [Here’s the editorial.](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html) He lost me at the headline, by using the term “ObamaCare” which is already right wing crap, before he even starts typing his lies. But, I do love this bit of self-promotion: > [@](#): > > Recent scientific and medical evidence shows that a diet consisting of foods that are plant-based, nutrient dense and low-fat will help prevent and often reverse most degenerative diseases that kill us and are expensive to treat. We should be able to live largely disease-free lives until we are well into our 90s and even past 100 years of age _snort_ I’ll start going to Trader Joe’s, but mainly I’ll stick with Costco, a very progressive company. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/2 "2009-08-14T07:32:37Z")
Drat, meant to type Whole Foods. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/3 "2009-08-14T08:36:42Z")
John Mackay has been ultra-libertarian for quite some time now. There was a great piece that I can’t find now by him describing how when he started Whole Foods, he was ultra-right wing but gradually moved to extreme libertarianism. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/4 "2009-08-14T13:47:59Z")
It was pretty obvious during their takeover of Wild Oats, etc. that Mackay is just as much a Corporate Pig Capitalist as anyone on Wall Street. The fact that he was masquerading as someone else on stock BBSes talking up the takeover was a pretty clear indication that the WF public aura covers a whole lot of stink. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/5 "2009-08-14T14:22:04Z")
Here’s an idea - maybe you should just buy things you need from people who are selling them and not care what they think. They likely don’t care what you think, apart from certain commercial opinions that affect their bottom line. Why should you care? My purchases seem to go to liberals and conservatives alike - I haven’t looked into it terribly closely. I have subscribed to very few boycotts, and I haven’t done so with the expectation that my actions were having much effect. My buying decisions are the right ones for me and my family - that is the most important thing for me right now. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/6 "2009-08-14T14:29:02Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Here’s an idea - maybe you should just buy things you need from people who are selling them and not care what they think. They likely don’t care what you think, apart from certain commercial opinions that affect their bottom line. > > Why should you care? I agree. We’ve seen how sit-ins at lunch counters during the Civil Rights era were total failures. Why did they even try? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go get lunch at one of our local segregated dining establishments. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/7 "2009-08-14T14:50:20Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Here’s an idea - maybe you should just buy things you need from people who are selling them and not care what they think. They likely don’t care what you think, apart from certain commercial opinions that affect their bottom line. > > Why should you care? Maybe the Whole Foods CEO should keep his damn mouth shut. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/8 "2009-08-14T15:04:40Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Here’s an idea - maybe you should just buy things you need from people who are selling them and not care what they think. They likely don’t care what you think, apart from certain commercial opinions that affect their bottom line. > > Why should you care? > > My purchases seem to go to liberals and conservatives alike - I haven’t looked into it terribly closely. I have subscribed to very few boycotts, and I haven’t done so with the expectation that my actions were having much effect. My buying decisions are the right ones for me and my family - that is the most important thing for me right now. Isn’t this sort of the opposite of what most laissez-faire, allow corporations to self regulate, the market will eventually account for poor corporate responisbility types generally espouse? ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/9 "2009-08-14T16:48:17Z")
I usually avoid shopping at Food Hole because I just can’t stand their goofy, New-Agey, “…our stuff is just better, man, that’s why it costs a little more” bullshit approach to retail, as they play “engulf and destroy” like some hippy-dippy WalMart. It’s not like I really need _more_ of a reason to avoid them. I’m not engaged in an actual boycott, though; the last thing I want is their dreadlock-sportin’, hemp-wearin’, hipster, trust fund flower children calling me “Dude” while I buy my groceries at the neighborhood Publix. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/10 "2009-08-14T16:55:14Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Maybe the Whole Foods CEO should keep his damn mouth shut. Wow…when the First Amendment get repealed? I must have missed the memo. I remember seeing a news story about the Whole Foods health plan for their employees several years ago. It seemed like it worked for them. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/11 "2009-08-14T17:13:55Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > I agree. We’ve seen how sit-ins at lunch counters during the Civil Rights era were total failures. Why did they even try? Different, isn’t it? Because in that case there was generally an action to be protested (generally a law). Here you are objecting to an opinion that has the force of…nothing, really. I mean, really, how do you see these as anything comparable? ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/12 "2009-08-14T17:22:26Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Different, isn’t it? Because in that case there was generally an action to be protested (generally a law). Here you are objecting to an opinion that has the force of…nothing, really. > > I mean, really, how do you see these as anything comparable? If it’s OK for the CEO of Whole Foods to donate money to anti-UHC causes (and I say it’s perfectly within his right to do so), why isn’t it OK for consumers to decide it’s not OK to spend money in his stores? What’s wrong with them putting their money where their mouths are? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Understander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3da27b/32.png) [@The\_Understander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Understander)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/13 "2009-08-14T17:29:59Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > _Wow…when the First Amendment get repealed? I must have missed the memo._ > > I remember seeing a news story about the Whole Foods health plan for their employees several years ago. It seemed like it worked for them. Mmm, low-hanging fruit to make my famous Low-Hanging Preserves! Protip: Editorials, protests, boycotts, and most dangerous of the lot, message board posts–neither individuals, corporations, nor organizations are protected from those by the First Amendment, as they do not stem from the government. Now, if there were a governmental order prohibiting shopping at Whole Foods based on those comments, then you’d have something. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/14 "2009-08-14T17:33:48Z")
It’s rather surprising the guy would go public with his views here since I’m sure Whole Foods customers are strongly left-leaning and this was guaranteed to piss them off. I guess he decided it was worth it as a way to advertise for the business. I haven’t shopped at Whole Foods in a while because they’re expensive and not near me, so I don’t think this is going to make any difference in my life. He’s entitled to his opinion, but Mackey’s kind of a jackass in general. This is the same guy who used to post anonymously on message boards to trash a rival company … which Whole Foods eventually bought. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/15 "2009-08-14T17:42:17Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Drat, meant to type Whole Foods. Out here, we call it “Whole Paycheck”, due to the very high prices.😛 ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/16 "2009-08-14T18:13:44Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > If it’s OK for the CEO of Whole Foods to donate money to anti-UHC causes (and I say it’s perfectly within his right to do so), why isn’t it OK for consumers to decide it’s not OK to spend money in his stores? What’s wrong with them putting their money where their mouths are? It is okay, but if you start down that road of only shopping at places that agree with what you do, soon there are only 3 places in the entire world at which you can shop. It gets pretty lonely living in your unabomber-style shack. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/17 "2009-08-14T18:17:48Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > It is okay, but if you start down that road of only shopping at places that agree with what you do, soon there are only 3 places in the entire world at which you can shop. No, that’s a false dichotomy. Most companies specifically avoid taking public stances on controversial issues because they don’t want to alienate customers and potential customers. CEOs who weight in like Mackey or Wayne Huizenga or Gary Heavin are pretty rare. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/18 "2009-08-14T18:23:27Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Wow…when the First Amendment get repealed? I must have missed the memo. Wow…when did advocating on the internet that someone stop talking abrogate the first amendment? I must have missed the memo. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/19 "2009-08-14T18:37:10Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Wow…when the First Amendment get repealed? I must have missed the memo… I was responding to the idea that a consumer shouldn’t care about a company’s political opinions. The guy is completely free to voice his opinions, but I am correspondingly free to not shop at his store because of them. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386/20 "2009-08-14T18:38:01Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > It is okay, but if you start down that road of only shopping at places that agree with what you do, soon there are only 3 places in the entire world at which you can shop. It gets pretty lonely living in your unabomber-style shack. Choosing to not shop at WalMart and (now) Whole Foods doesn’t exactly cut me off from consumer culture – there are plenty of alternatives to both of these chains. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-whole-foods-right-wing-who-knew/506386.md?page=2)