socialists are taking over

https://reason.com/podcast/2022/08/1...e-taking-over/

Whole Foods' John Mackey: 'I Feel Like Socialists Are Taking Over'

The 'conscious capitalism' innovator on overregulation, COVID mandates, and why he will be speaking his mind much more freely when he retires.

Nick Gillespie | 8.10.2022 4:15 PM

John Mackey of Whole Foods at FreedomFest
(Lex Villena, Reason)

"My concern is that I feel like socialists are taking over," Whole Foods CEO John Mackey tells me on today's show. "They're marching through the institutions. They're…taking over education. It looks like they've taken over a lot of the corporations. It looks like they've taken over the military. And it's just continuing. You know, I'm a capitalist at heart, and I believe in liberty and capitalism. Those are my twin values. And I feel like, you know, with the way freedom of speech is today, the movement on gun control, a lot of the liberties that I've taken for granted most of my life, I think, are under threat."

If you're as old as I am (I just turned 59), you will remember how dreary food shopping was before Whole Foods exploded the concept since it came on the scene in 1978. When I was a kid, you were lucky to find two or three types of potatoes in the produce aisle, one type of eggplant, maybe a green bell pepper, and a sad jalapeno or two (jalapenos were almost always sold pickled and in cans). Even in big cities, you had to roam around all over town to find oddball spices that you can now pick up in 7-11s and gas station convenience stores.

At the end of August, Mackey, born in 1953, is retiring from Whole Foods. Throughout his career, John has developed and evangelized for what he calls "conscious capitalism," or businesses that seek to "create financial, intellectual, social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, physical, and ecological wealth for all of their stakeholders." That may sound a bit hippy-dippy to you, but John is one of the most hardcore capitalists I've ever met, yet also an incredibly spiritual and thoughtful guy who wants to help all of us live better, more interesting lives.

That comes through loud and clear in his epic 2005 debate with Nobel laureate Milton Freidman and former Cypress Semiconductor CEO T.J. Rodgers about rethinking the social responsibility of business. "I believe that the enlightened corporation should try to create value for all of its constituencies," wrote John. "From an investor's perspective, the purpose of the business is to maximize profits. But that's not the purpose for other stakeholders—for customers, employees, suppliers, and the community. Each of those groups will define the purpose of the business in terms of its own needs and desires, and each perspective is valid and legitimate." In many profound ways, John's vision is now widely accepted, partly because he's speaking to a post-industrial world that is rich enough that more and more of us are starting to bump our snouts further up Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Even in the developing world, more and more of us are trying to figure out how we can flourish rather than just subsist.

I caught up with John at FreedomFest, the annual gathering in Las Vegas, and we talked about his time at Whole Foods, how his company did an exceptional job of staying open and serving people during COVID, what he thought about the government's response to the pandemic, and a whole lot more. We also, of course, talked about what he's going to do once he's retired.

In terms of business ventures, he's planning to open a series of wellness centers and cafes. Of greater interest to me, John said that he felt muzzled in his position as CEO of Whole Foods. For many reasons, he says he couldn't speak his mind on various issues, especially what he sees as a dangerous drift toward more and more control of everyday life, commerce, and speech. That all changes in September, he said, and we should expect him to be even more outspoken in his celebration of capitalism, which he considers the greatest anti-poverty program ever created, and many other issues.

Previous Reason interviews with John Mackey:

"Can 'Conscious Capitalism' Make Business a Heroic Enterprise? John Mackey Is Betting Yes: Podcast," August 14, 2018

"John Mackey's Merger Made in Heaven," July 1, 2018

"'They're More Conscious and More Awake than My Generation Was,'" March 31, 2018

"Whole Foods' John Mackey on Amazon Merger: 'A Meeting of the Souls,'" March 30, 2018

"Whole Foods' John Mackey on Veganism, Gary Johnson, and How Regulation Is Stunting Innovation," August 16, 2016

"Whole Foods' John Mackey: Why Intellectuals Hate Capitalism," August 12, 2015

"John Mackey on Whole Foods, Conscious Capitalism, and Life Beyond the Profit Motive," March 21, 2013

"Whole Foods CEO John Mackey on the Moral Case for Capitalism," August 10, 2012

"Whole Foods Health Care," December 15, 2009

This stupid SOB must not realize the SC is 6-3 full tilt right winger!

This stupid SOB must not realize the SC is 6-3 full tilt right winger! Originally Posted by WTF

He is exactly right. Used to be people remembered the Black Markets of WWII and they didn't fall for the socialism garbage. Now they don't realize that while the promises sound good the reality is a whole lot worse.

Sooner or later, the Socialist Utopian Society will morph into a Thugocracy, and all of the “Serfs” will have a choice of hoeing potatoes in the Gulag, or getting stood against the wall.

He is exactly right. Used to be people remembered the Black Markets of WWII and they didn't fall for the socialism garbage. Now they don't realize that while the promises sound good the reality is a whole lot worse. Originally Posted by farmstud60

What on earth do the Black Markets of WWII have to do with people not falling for socialism.

Anybody else choose their form of government by that metric?

Or am I missing something here?

What on earth do the Black Markets of WWII have to do with people not falling for socialism.

Anybody else choose their form of government by that metric?

Or am I missing something here? Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

You clearly don't have a clue about history, If you don't know what black markets have to do with socialism you really are clueless about economics

Why not explain it, please and thank you.

He is exactly right. Used to be people remembered the Black Markets of WWII and they didn't fall for the socialism garbage. Now they don't realize that while the promises sound good the reality is a whole lot worse. Originally Posted by farmstud60

We are headed in the direction of Fascism, not Socialism.

the thing i find curious about socialists is

they all want to get rich

and isnt rich only to be found in a comparison to those with less?

oh wait, maybe socialism really means, we want to be rich without working or providing any service to society and we only give a flip about us

We are headed in the direction of Fascism, not Socialism. Originally Posted by WTF

I agree. With the billion dollar Main Stream Media, 90% of all Social Networks, huge drug companies making billions off of government mandated vaccines, the President and Speaker of the House making billions off of influence peddling and insider trading. The Justice Department and it’s chief investigating branch, the FBI doing the bidding of one political party……..yes, we are pretty close.

All are 98% in the camp for the Democrats.

We are headed in the direction of Fascism, not Socialism. Originally Posted by WTF

No real difference between Fascism, Socialism, or Communism just depends on how soon they shoot you for not complying with government.

We are headed in the direction of Fascism, not Socialism. Originally Posted by WTF

knock knock...

fascism is just another flavor of socialism, one that tolerates capitalism.

No real difference between Fascism, Socialism, or Communism just depends on how soon they shoot you for not complying with government. Originally Posted by farmstud60

actually there is a difference between the 3.

socialism relies on other peoples money
fascism relies on the capitalists money
communism relies on none of the above

regarding getting shot...
1st one depends on who's running the show; you might get shot or not.
the last two will shoot you for non-compliance.

I thought that Whole Foods was one of the WOKE corporations.

I thought that Whole Foods was one of the WOKE corporations. Originally Posted by ICU 812

You see? False assumptions on your part have prevented you from the plumpest tomatoes in town.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA