Whole Foods CEO regrets comparing Obamacare to 'fascism'

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/whol...cism-1B8022914

Whole Foods co-CEO John Mackey said Thursday that he regrets his "poor word choice" in a radio interview comparing America's health care system to "fascism."

In an NPR interview on Wednesday, Mackey said Obamacare is driving up his health care costs, which he believes he will ultimately have to pass on to his employees. When asked about an op-ed he wrote in The Wall Street Journal in 2009 likening Obamacare to socialism, Mackey said: "Technically speaking, it's more like fascism. Socialism is where the government owns the means of production. In fascism, the government doesn't own the means of production but they do control it. And that's what's happening with our health care program with these reforms."

Critics pounced on Mackey's comments, suggesting on the Whole Foods Facebook page that Mackey had alienated his customer base and calling on Whole Foods customers to shop elsewhere.

Mackey addressed the criticism on Thursday in remarks posted on the Whole Foods website.

"The term fascism today stirs up too much negative emotion with its horrific associations in the 20th century," he said.

"I believe that, if the goal is universal health care, our country would be far better served by combining free enterprise capitalism with a strong governmental safety net for our poorest citizens and those with preexisting conditions, helping everyone to be able to buy insurance. This is what Switzerland does and I think we would be much better off copying that system than where we are currently headed in the United States."

Mackey was on NPR to promote his new book, "Conscious Capitalism."

Whole Foods, based in Austin, has more than 340 stores in North America and the United Kingdom.

Mackey is not the first CEO to publicly criticize Obamacare. Last fall, brand perceptions of Papa John's, Applebee's and Denny's took a beating after executives publicly said that Obamacare would force them to stop building restaurants, cut worker hours and raise prices.

He says what's in his heart, his pocket suffers , and now he wants to clean it up.

WFM hasn't really experienced any decline. Nobody who shops at Whole Foods is gonna give a crap what its CEO thinks.

Originally Posted by rapier7

WFM hasn't really experienced any decline. Nobody who shops at Whole Foods is gonna give a crap what its CEO thinks.

Yeah, that's why he's apologizing. None of the liberals that frequent his POS store care what he thinks about Obamacare.

Just another pos texan who will say or do anything to make a buck.

Originally Posted by Lair

Yeah, that's why he's apologizing. None of the liberals that frequent his POS store care what he thinks about Obamacare.

Just another pos texan who will say or do anything to make a buck.

it must suck waking up every day and being you, so mindlessly angry

I don't think he should change his position. That's how he feels he should stick with it. That's the problem with some Job Creators; they say what they feel and then when they get blowback they all the sudden get a revelation.

Originally Posted by phrozen06

I don't think he should change his position. That's how he feels he should stick with it. That's the problem with some Job Creators; they say what they feel and then when they get blowback they all the sudden get a revelation.

Was there blowback though? Did Whole Foods lose business as a result?

Blowback??? Yea, all those liberal hippy idiots in Cali are gonna stop going there because the CEO said something regarding legislation no one understands.

Tell me, how are Appleby's, Denny's and Papa John's doing these days???

Papa John's:

Originally Posted by Act of God

Was there blowback though? Did Whole Foods lose business as a result?

No, he's just apologizing for letting us see his true feelings because he's such a great guy.

Originally Posted by kaput

Papa John's:

Awesome. I hope he continues to feed his swill to his republican base at a record pace. That'll make 'em die faster.

Originally Posted by Lair

No, he's just apologizing for letting us see his true feelings because he's such a great guy.

So once again you have nothing to add, got it

I think I'll run down to Whole Foods and contribute some cash to that texas pos. He's a really nice guy (with a book to sell).

Why do you think he's apologizing?

Cause your protest and boycott are working so well...

I occasionally shop at Whole Foods. This changes nothing for me.

Originally Posted by casino is no lie

I occasionally shop at Whole Foods. This changes nothing for me.

Changes nothing for me, either. I stopped spending my money there when he mouthed off about Obamacare the first time.

FTR, I don't care if he makes trillions in profit as long as he doesn't do it with my money.