More proof that political protests are always best expressed through dance and song:
This tuneful Saturday evening protest at an Oakland, California, Whole Foods was intended to smite Whole Foods CEO John Mackey for his recent Wall Street Journal op-ed opposing healthcare reform. Some are calling for a boycott of Whole Foods in retaliation.
You completely misrepresent Mackey’s position. He’s not against “healthcare reform”. In fact, he outlines numerous meaningful reforms. He’s against a political takeover of the healthcare industry as are an overwhelming majority of Americans (currently 56%). Still it’s nice to see all the young people take time off from their employment to participate in a lil’ musical routine.
The protestors are ignorant idiots.
Nice to see some thoughtful people doing something constructive with their Saturday evenings. :)
Quite a creative protest. As to boycotting, I visited one Whole Foods and found it overpriced and not worth my time or dollars. If this video goes viral, it will have more power than any call for a boycott.
I bought extra at Whole Foods this weekend to offset any loss… if any. ;)
Is JohnE O really John Mackey? He has a history of muddying debates by posting false comments under assumed names on message boards. If you read Mackey’s comments, he is clearly against health care reform, just as he is against unions.
This was a creative and peaceful protest for an important cause– Thank You!
I am amazed at how anyone could believe that health care is a right. Truly amazed. Think about the word “right” in this context.
Just because a person is born, they somehow deserve to be able to visit a highly trained professional and get elaborate tests run by state-of-the-art equipment and pay nothing or next to nothing!
Wow.
Imagine if this country was much more primative. Imagine if there were no hospitals and there were no people with M.D.s. Imagine if all there was in this country was a couple of people who knew more about health and sickness than the average Joe. Now, imagine going to this person and demanding that he look at a sore on your arm or demanding that she tell you why your stomach hurt. Imagine telling him that it was your right that he treat you. Imagine making such demands.
That scenario is just as silly as what is going on with these hippies in California.
I usually ride my bike to Trader Joe’s, but this protest inspired me to drive 15 miles (increasing my carbon footprint) to Whole Foods and spend lots of money on good food!
Yes Crow, I am John Mackey. The proof: you never see the two of us in the same room together. Oh, and shop at Whole Foods.
YES! Very creative protest. Since Whole Foods wants to brand itself as a more ‘ethical’ grocer it is quite right to draw attention to Mackey’s anti-health care, ‘I-got-mine-so-why-worry-about-anyone-else’ position.
Tabete- Whole Foods is more ethical than most other grocers in the sense that they offer a majority of products that were produced in an ethical manner. The meat that they sell comes from animals that were treated far better than the average animal raised for slaughter. The fruit that they sell has been picked by a majority of farmers who are not being exploited. The people that bag your groceries are being paid more than the average bag-boy. In those senses, they are more ethical than other food stores.
It’s not your place or anyone else’s place to be the judge of how ethical they should be. They are already head and shoulders above their competition in terms of ethics.