Howdy Comrades!
Alas, prospects for a single payer system; even a "government option" for health insurance are dimming by the moment. Indications are that we may get some scheme involving nonprofit Co-Ops competing with the greedy for profit insurance conglomerates instead. As you know, I've lived in Austin for nearly three decades and recall how John Mackey first began his "health food" empire here in Austin. At first, he had not acquired Whole Foods. He formed a company he called
"Safer Way." The only problem for John Mackey was that over a dozen customers of Safer Way developed horrendous cases of Hepatitis because of bad sanitation practices at his new company. One hopes those first customers had health insurance. Obviously, although Safer Way is a clever name for a natural foods
store, the irony of customers contracting a debilitating, potentially deadly disease engendered a good deal of skepticism among those of us here in Austin seeking better quality food. Consequently, John Mackey
abandoned his own company and sought to purchase his main competitor, Whole Foods. Does this tactic sound familiar to anyone? Progressives here in Austin can only roll their eyes in disbelief when someone we once considered a cool hippie gets a bunch of money and devolves into a raging right wing, rapacious capitalist. I have joined the boycott of Whole Foods with Mark Carpenter, and I hereby order all Blind Panther Party members to do the same. Thanks for the update from Precinct 362 and CounterPunch!
Regards,
Chairman Mal
Power to the Peeps!
----- Original Message -----
Saturday, August 15, 2009 5:06 PM
Subject: Fw: [precinct362] Why You Should Boycott Whole Foods
----- Original Message -----
From:
MARK CARPENTER
To:
carpbear@sbcglobal.net
Sent: Saturday, August 15, 2009 8:50 AM
Subject: [precinct362] Why You Should Boycott Whole Foods
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/141961/why_you_should_boycott_whole_foods/
Why You Should Boycott Whole Foods
By
Russell Mokhiber ,
CounterPunch.
Posted August 14, 2009.
The company's CEO has just launched a major campaign to defeat a single payer national health insurance system.
John Mackey is a right wing 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 yesterday in 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, we are 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.
"It is better to vote for what you want and not get it
than it is to vote for what you don't want and get it."
--Eugene V. Debs
