Published on Thursday, August 13, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
Boycott Whole Foods
by Russell Mokhiber
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.
Primo hangout of liberal Democratic yuppies.
“We are all responsible for our own lives and our own health,” Mackey
wrote yesterdayin the Wall Street Journal. “We should take that
responsibility very seriously and use our freedom to make wise
lifestyle choices that will protect our health. Doing so will enrich
our lives and will help create a vibrant and sustainable American
society.”
Yes it will, John Mackey.
Yes it will.
I do take that responsibility very seriously.
I try to eat well.
And exercise regularly.
I also take my responsibility as a citizen seriously.
After all, Mr. Mackey, we are all responsible for our own civic lives
and our own civic health.
We should take that responsibility very seriously and use our freedom
and make wise civic and consumer choices that will protect our
nation’s health.
Doing so will enrich our civic lives and help create a vibrant and
sustainable American society.
That’s why, today, Single Payer Action is calling on all American
citizens to boycott Whole Foods.
Why?
Because Mackey has launched a public campaign to defeat single payer
national health insurance.
This despite the bottom line reality that single payer is the only way
to both control health care costs and cover everyone.
As Dr. Marcia Angell says in today’s New York Times, “if you keep
health care in the hands of for-profit companies, you can increase
coverage by putting more money into the system, or control costs by
decreasing coverage. But you cannot do both unless you change the
basic structure of the system.”
Mackey leads his Wall Street Journal diatribe against national health
insurance with a quote from one of his heroines – Margaret Thatcher:
“The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other
people’s money.”
And the problem with Mackey’s campaign is that it results in the
deaths of 60 Americans every day due to lack of health insurance.
Mackey is responsible for these deaths as much as anyone.
And we are responsible for putting money into his Whole Food bank
account so that he can continue his campaign without resistance.
I know that this boycott of Whole Foods will upset many liberal
Democrats.
Where will they buy their organic wines?
And cheeses?
And tofu?
There are options.
Your local health food co-op.
Farmers’ markets.
Community supported agriculture.
Other corporate chains like Trader Joe’s.
So, please, join the Single Payer Action Boycott of Whole Foods.
Don’t cross the picket lines.
Don’t spend another penny at Whole Foods until John Mackey and his
right wing friends are defeated.
And single payer is enacted.
Onward to single payer.
Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate
Crime Reporter. He is also founder of singlepayeraction.org._______________________________________________
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