John Mackey's Conscious Capitalism: The Whole Foods CEO on health care, veganism, and free markets

[hellerase]

this guy is a joke

[summondadrummin]

People who believe in the Bottomline or the GNP as  deeply meaningful ignore the fact that the tool through which we measure these numbers~Money~ is just a made up tool for tracking exchanges and is non physical. The solidity which we give to these numbers is the result of collective belief and the measuring system may not have anything to do with physical existence at all.

[MisssAnthrope49]

Never live any where close to this rip off & arrogant 'lifestyle' market. They are very bad neighbors and BULLIES!

[Safeco1999]

FMGT 8911 BABY!

[MrCpa36]

Hey there! Have you considered intellectus 424 diet (google it)? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my work buddy lost a ton of weight with it.

[rifat0didar]

from this video i am able to know some more important things about food thanks for sharing

[AciddReign]

whole foods is gay. ive seen processed food there! out of code food, reselling expired food and spoiled food. how do i know? i fuckin work there. i hate it but its my job but it doesnt stop me from telling customers to shop elsewhere

[Josh0473]

@AciddReign I've been shopping at whole foods for years, r u serious?? Everything seems fresh to me, plus me and my family always eat at the restaurants there.

[AciddReign]

@Josh0473 i dont know how other whole foods operate but this is how mine does. they store produce literally a couple of feet from our main dumpster. i dont know how they pass inspection. i hate how they contradict themselves bcuz i once gave my TL an idea to sell day old sandwiches and stuff but mark them down like other stores cuz we throw alot away, he tells me " we only sell the freshes quality product". but they reused out of code product on the salad and hot bar at regular price. retarded!

[AciddReign]

@Josh0473 just pay really close attention next time you shop. I'm always honest when people ask me when something is made. other people exaggerate. they'll always say "oh it was made yesterday" while im in the corner laughing and say to myself" yeah right that shit was made 5 days ago". all we do is resauce and garnish everything with parsley to make everything look fresh.

[Josh0473]

@AciddReign haha my mom would never believe me if i told her. She practically lives at whole foods and always gets pissed when someone tells her its all bullshit. But expired food?? i don't think i buy that.

[AciddReign]

@Josh0473 we had a bean salad that was in the case for over week. when we put food in the case we do something called the sniff test if its almost getting there we stretch it out to one more day. but if u can really notice the smell we warm it up and put it in the hot bar. every whole foods is different tho. we have customers come in before registers are even open. i hate it bcuz im trying to set my bar up and these muthafuckers are asking me for tongs. i wanna be like bitch! Wait! but i cant

[ragingavion]

Whole Foods has surrendered to GMOs

[ChynaFox]

John Mackey is so full of shit. You work at Whole Foods and you get this "great healthcare"? What a lie! They've cut hours and forced the majority of people out of full time, meaning? NO healthcare! The deductible is $2,000 for treatment alone. Another $2,000 for medications. They schedule people at 29.75 hours, so they can't hit the the 30 hour full time mark. I cannot wait until I can fully spill the beans about this horrid store.

[smilesgirl17]

Whole Foods offers health care to Part-time employees too.

[jfry58]

pnd810: You are not telling the truth. I am an American who has lived in the UK for over 8 years. What you wrote is BS. The NHS would NEVER take your money - anyones money - you fool! Stop spreading crapola. You would never wait 5 hours at a GP's office. You may wait a while in the ER - and again, they would NEVER ask you for money or take your money.

The NHS works. Period. You know what doesn't work? The system the USA has been hoisting on everyone forever.

[TheMattDeez]

Organic Capitalism: making yourself believe in a system that is inherently wrong. This "Whole" discussion is a big excuse to absolve the guilt of making billions of dollars in a poverty stricken world. John Mackey sucks.

[john41262]

All of you that say it is hard to find work and that the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer are completely ignoring cause and effect. Like the man said, think for yourself. Why is there unemployment? Could it be because the majority of jobs are small businesses and private sector? The government is continually regulating them and driving away business in this country. The government propping up bad, unethical businesses with bailouts only encourages the corporatism we have.

[pinkfloyd1973]

Mackey fails on a few points:

1) Britain, Canada, and other countries with Universal Health care spend less GDP on health care than the US (which leans more to a private insurance system)

2) Whole Foods health plan is only limited to full time team members, not part time

3) Mackey promotes economic fairness and equality through Whole Foods (fair trade, organics, etc.) yet praises a system that throws the poor into a pit and makes rich people like himself, richer.

[pnd810]

@pinkfloyd1973 I lived in the uk for 5 years. You will wait for hours to get a check up if you don't pay cash. I had an ear infection once. I went to the gp it was like 100 people waiting they told me to sign a paper and wait my turn. They heard my accent and said oh your american just pay 20 quid and you can go right now. So I paid that it was about 7am. 12:00pm im walking to the gym which is down the road from the GP and about 20 of the same people were in the waiting room. 5 hour wait WTF.

[freightmike]

u should drive down the prices at wholefoods. ur insurance sucks

[bloodhoof1000]

I've never trusted libertarians. I mean come, on do people real think anarchy is the answer?

[aruytpadyugf]

@bloodhoof1000 That's no what libertarians believe in at all. If anything they are competely against anarchy and big goverment

[bloodhoof1000]

@aruytpadyugf All libertarians want to do is get rid of government; a state with no government is the definition of anarchy.

[aruytpadyugf]

@bloodhoof1000 I am really not trying to argue with you it's just that I don't want misconceptions to be circulating the internet, there is enough of false shit around here. But you can't compare anarchy with a smaller goverment. btw I am NOT a libertarian,political philosophy is my major thats all.If you doubt me about my information then I suggest you go to the Libertarian website: h t t p : / /w w w.l p.o r g / p l a t f o r m

[aruytpadyugf]

@bloodhoof1000 I am sorry I did get the defenition of anarchy wrong. However, from what I have read at least, libertarians do believe in the presence of a goverment for the protection of an individual (crime, firemen, police ect.) but they do not believe that the goverment should have any affairs with private enterprise or regulation of capitalism they prefer laissez faire. Libertarians do want a goverment, just a smaller goverment.

[blablasometin8]

woot! libertarians!

[definemaybe]

FDR who?

[0ViewTube0]

Alternative, integrative, chiropractic, holistic and wellness type doctors are usually too incompetent to be on any insurance roster and therefore must practice off-grid. They would benefit from Mr. Mackeys proposal. He in turn would continue to benefit from the sale of all the (sometimes dangerous) supplements those type doctors prescribe.

Should this businessperson be dictating what healthcare in this country should look like? No.

[thorsmitersaw]

Conflation of capitalism and corporatist, neo-mercantile markets with free markets is a major problem here in this video.

[1029blue]

@farblonjet Yes, there are homeless people in those countries, but some of them are just out in the street because they are too proud to take the money that they could receive from the government. Unfortunately, governments are cutting back on the safety net that they used to provide. The result is that many are, without fault of their own (!) unemployed and can barely pay the bills. I am from Germany and I know how tough it is to find work over there.

[Wormtail81]

I am an economics student. I love Milton Friedman. And like him, I think that corporate social responsibility is a dangerous idea. Charity and business should not mix. Companies get rich by /pretending/ to do good. Even when they actually do contribute a lot to charity (e.g. Wholefoods), they create a sort of bystander effect: people think they can just shop instead of having to actively contribute to charity to make a difference. I do not have a problem with tax exceptions at all, though.

[return135]

John Mackey FTW!!!

[FinanceUS]

Youre kidding right? You expect something in return for giving a charitable contribution? Do charities a favor, dont give.

Thats a heartless and selfish thing to say!

What the F is wrong with this country.

[FinanceUS]

Capitalism allows many people to fall through the cracks. (Ever see a homeless person?) Some individuals are not as smart and/or capable to take care of themselves, should they suffer through the rest of their lives? What of all these Autistic children in the US? Should none of us help them lead a productive life?

A simple saying sums it up: (Do onto others as you want done to yourself).

Is it really a big deal to provide basic healthcare for EVERYONE???

[return135]

You seem to think socialism will help the less fortunate people eh? well think again cause its only since a largely capitalist system has been in place that peoples standard of livings have risen. The reason standards of living have not increased even more is because of the ever growing socialist entity called the government. obviously we all want cheep and good quality healthcare thats why the market should provide it. once that happens even the poor will benefit.

[herbs814]

Capitalism allows opportunity for all. It is big government (socialism) that allows people to fall through the cracks.

And it is government's fault that healthcare is not more affordable and accessible for everyone already. Government is the cause of every economic problem. Capitalism is always the solution.

[Offatwork]

In fact, according to a very recent AEA (American Economic Association) survey, most US economists (~70%) agree with Mackey.

[tenderfoot44]

cheep cheep?

[Offatwork]

I highly suggest you actually find out what "propaganda" is before you decide to throw around the word. "Propaganda" is not just simply something that you disagree with. It is a political spin of the facts. Presidents, and political leaders do it all the time.

Just because Mackey donates to Reason means nothing at all.

To the rest here: There are so many nut-jobs on the internet, arn't there?

[agilulfone]

Keep digging, jackass, keep digging.

[Yankhadenough]

Everybody , this is propaganda (ok, I just heard the Peanut Gallery say "DUH" in unison)... no , really, Mackey has donated to ReasonTV, so there is a "reason" this is just powderpuff fluff (in other words, NOT journalism)

[sleeplesseye]

Whole Foods isn't a "great health insurance" policy. It's inferior in benefits to pretty much all of their unionized competitors.

Rather, it's one where you pay the first several hundred dollars of everything yourself... and since most WF employees are young and healthy, that means most employees forego preventative medicine, as they'd have to pay for it.

It would be a lot easier to believe WF's propaganda about "great" healthcare, if they paid for a basic level of preventative medicine.

[sleeplesseye]

John Mackey comes off as a disingenuous ass, and looks like a giant patch of carcinoma.

So glad the boycott is taking business away from his faux green company.

[nonantianarchist]

"Capitalism won the 20th century."

Hardly. Statist corporatism won in the end. What we have isn't even close to capitalism.

[cellspotbiz]

Austin is the most libertarian city in USA, not suprising this guy is from there.

[nonantianarchist]

Really? It always seemed like more of a lefty city to me.

[cellspotbiz]

Yes its most libertarian but there are a lot more democrats there than libertarians. I would say its maybe 20% libertarian.

[TylerNull]

When I hear terms like "compassionate conservatism" or "conscious capitalism", I'm struck by the apologetic tone and surrender to the mythology proselytized by the political Left.

There is NOTHING compassionate about socialism. Indeed it is merciless. It's effects are so spectacularly toxic to humanity that the only way they can defend it is to avoid any observation thereof.

Western civilization has gone insane.

[TheLegalImmigrant05]

Amen to every word.

[marco114]

I wish this guy would have pledged support for Ron Paul when he was running, it could have helped some!

[lmankj]

Good one.

[SheyOneTen]

Hot 2 on 1 Interview Action!

[chevydriver1123]

lol

[hoomelemele1]

Is there something wrong w/my sound? I can't hear this

[FafyrdGir]

I had to crank it way up too.

[flowerpt]

What a swell guy for putting up with the Reason crew's repeated and obviously unwanted attempts to try to get him to say, "I'm a Libertarian".

[FafyrdGir]

He said he voted for Bob Barr, a Libertarian.

[flowerpt]

right, when he wouldn't answer them the first three times they got more pointed.

[ecawildcats123]

I voted for Bob Barr as well!!!

[caltrop69]

Me too!

I can't hear this interview.

[caltrop69]

Oh....Had to turn my monitor up-side down.

All fixed.

[samuils]

Employer based health care is a big problem and not only because if you leave you dont have healthcare anymore. It is a major problem because this way employers create almost monopolies out of insurance companies. If employers were not involved then insurance companies would have to compete for every customer, thus increasing the competition and lowering the price.

[furyofbongos]

WOW, WHAT A LAME, LAME INTERVIEW (yes, I'm shouting). Featherweight questions. What total pussies ReasonTV people are. I'm this close to unsubscribing.

[flowerpt]

please do!

[stratvic]

Politicians are driven by greed ... greed for power.

Non profit organizations would not be so hostile to the productive class if they did not get money in return for votes from the political class..... Money that the politicians extort from the productive class (dirty money).

[Anakha13]

Great interview.

[Wilbur665]

Now, if only Whole Paycheck Foods was cheaper!

[RogerOnTheRight]

Why do you think they are overpriced?

[averagejoe040]

John Mackey seems like my kind of guy.

He is conscious of the appeal of public service that government represents.

It would have been nice if he pointed out what a sham it is.

The majority of our Federal "public servants" are parasites in branches that ought not to even exist.

The Department of Energy is a sham as is the Department of Education.

I don't mean to belittle truly appropriate and useful public workers like Police, Firemen, Postmen and so on.

Government needs to shrink somehow.

[sniper6081]

Hey that's pretty cool. I voted for Bob Barr too.

[airborne373]

Is it just me or is the audio on the low side?

[chucksheen]

DEFINE YOUR TERMS!!!

For a look at the different types of government, dispell myths surrounding capitalims and free markets; please watch Overview of America. It's only 20 something minutes.

True World History info #1

or

Million Dollar Cinema com #3

[TedCikowski]

This is a good interview but I wish it was longer. As a libertarian and a vegetarian I find John Mackey to be very thoughtful and I have always liked Nick Gillespie too. The op/ed Mackey wrote in the WSJ is absolutely correct on health care.

[gabiyummy]

The full version's on the site. See the description.

[abarzilai664]

The young are idealistic because they are in the words of Hilliel Halkin were "living on welfare" that of their parents. When they got out of college and started raising a family they become more frugal in money and started drifting away from libralism.

[KladionicaCity]

Polarizations of the society in general is bad,because then it's tackling the other team.That's why Reps and Democrats can't get nothing done,because their are too busy fighting each other,and not fighting for the best interest of the people.

[soundmoneyfan]

If they were to fight for the best interest of the people they would reduce the size and scope of the gov't. They only fight for special interest. It is the only way they can feather their own electoral nests in the context of our political institutions. Partisan politics is a fools game for the masses. It is sad that the masses have been conditioned to love this blood-soaked beast rather than hating the predatory state.

[BloodiCheeseCake]

I'm 19 years old and I used to think with that idealistic mindset. I always accused capitalism for being a greedy system and praised socialism for being fair. I used to disregard the history of socialism and it's failures. But once I started to learn more about economics, I realized it that socialism is only good on paper, it failed because its unsustainable and susceptible to dictatorship. Now I know that liberals are critical thinkers but they need to know a lot more about economics.

[Betty5150]

Remember, Liberalism today, is what liberalism fought against then. Classical Liberalism, is the enemy of Modern Liberalism. There isn't that much difference between a classical Liberal, or a libertarian.

Modern liberals rely on the failures of corporatism. And believe that there alternative, is far better, but they don't realize, that while they try to fight corporatism, there alternative, is just the next step to corporatism. Which is, Fascism. Big government, is a failure.

[Apptendo]

Liberals are a bunch of faggots for boycotting Whole Foods over because you didn't want the government invoved in heathcare

[soundmoneyfan]

take your hate speech somewhere else. the goal of Reason Magazine is to encourage discussion and honest discourse, not name calling a slurs against homosexuals. We all know the liberals are wrongheaded, no need to make it so ugly. Libertarians will continue to be validated over time, so lets do it gracefully.

[MagnusIan]

Mackey brings up a good point. Most young idealists look at capitalism and think "Oh they're just horribly greedy bastards. Shame on them!" even though they haven't studied why capitalism works and socialism doesn't. When you get down to it, everyone is greedy in one form or another. This is not a big thing, we naturally want more for ourselves. We want to take that job that pays more, we want better things, etc.

[Nexus974]

Mackey is one of us....good to know.