A "Whole" Betrayal

JW,

In the hallowed halls of The Wall Street Journal, an unlikely hero has emerged. If you do nothing else today--and let's face it, there's a good chance you won't--do yourself a favor and read John Mackey's take on "health" "care" "reform." And yes, all three words now require their own sarcastic quotation marks.

In case you're wondering, John Mackey is the co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, and here's where the unlikeliness of his conservatism comes in. Whole Foods, as you know, is beloved by liberals (it's #48 at Stuff White People Like) and is one of the very few national chains where the hipster set feels good about giving its green tithe. Frankly, I'm not sure what Mackey's thinking by publicly opposing Obama on an issue so dear to his customers. Either he's trying to expand his business to you and me ("Wink and nod, everyone--I'm trying to persuade Republicans to shop here.") or he has woefully understimated the humorlessness of his existing base. Like moths to a flame, like pedophiles to the Little League World Series, liberals will sniff out political betrayal, and they will put your Margaret Thatcher-quoting ass out of business.

Especially when, as Mackey's is, your departure from socialist orthodoxy is so thoroughly smart. In addition to the aforementioned Thatcher citation ("The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money."), Mackey lands solid punches against the Obama plan's financial excesses, its inevitable use of rationing, and its promise to make us less free. Most importantly, he hits upon the philosophical point ungirding the right wing's opposition to "reform":

Health care isn't a right. It can't be.

As Bill Whittle wrote last year in The National Review, a right is that which cannot be taken away from us by the government, not that which must be given to us. After all, Whittle writes, "There’s a word for someone who has their food, housing and care provided for them… for people who owe their existence to someone else. That word is slave."

Yet here's the Democratic Party, chasing the permanent, Karl Rove-style majority that they reviled when Republicans were in charge. Give enough loot to enough people, they realize, and they'll forget how to provide for themselves. They'll be dependant on you for everything. And then you've got them. A less cautious man would point to the generational trap of public housing as evidence, or the fact that FEMA trailers are still housing New Orleans refugees. I'll simply close by inviting our readers to drive through those areas of town that receive greatest government assistance. See how the experiment's working.

A word of advice before you go. Lock your doors.

-GM

GM,

OhhhHHHHhhh! So Whole Foods wasn't founded as another avenue for liberal snobbishness; that was just an inevitable side effect. They just want us to pay a little more to lead healthier lives. You're not kidding when you use the word "hero," either. Mackey's article boldy advocates self discipline, personal accountability, and a unanimous acceptance of the Constitution and Declaration--three concepts liberals despise. Strategically, you'd have to question his open stance, which could lead to a serious stock-price plunge if the boycotting libs advance their efforts to a short-selling conspiracy. That would take a significant increase in general market awareness in such circles, but only one of them has to figure it out before the rest get in line. If I were Mackey, I'd be scared.

A girl I dated once took me to a local organic-food store to buy us something to make for lunch. The idea of (her) spending $24 for one grocery-store meal displeased me in principle, but if I ever feel like doing it myself, I'm definitely going to Whole Foods. If you read the article, you can tell that Mackey isn't just sort of conservative on the issue; he captures and embraces every aspect of the right (right) point of view. I read it once for information and a second time for pleasure!

It may seem like we've reached a point at which we can collectively afford to take care of everyone. That's because we have. And I even believe it is a moral failure if a person dies because he cannot afford a certain procedure, but who has failed? Certainly not the government! After all, what would they be guilty of, giving us one more freedom?!

The whole idea of freedom not being free is wrong. If you believe in fundamental American ideals, you have to believe that freedom is inherently free. There is, however, a cost to defending it. We have to take measures like funding a strong military and voting Republican no matter how incapable of public speaking and independent thought our candidates may be. NOTE TO GOP: If you select your nominations wisely, you might have a shot at returning to the White House. If you don't, we'll soon be deciding between a Democrat who's secretly socialist and a Socialist who's secretly the Antichrist.

-JW