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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
August 19, 2009
/ 29 Menachem-Av 5769
Whole-Grain Health Reform
By
Kathleen Parker
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Now is the time for all good capitalists to shop at Whole Foods.
Not only will you get great produce, fresh meat, fish and healthy to-go meals, but you'll irritate those who think that President Obama's health-care plan isn't quite progressive enough.
It seems that John Mackey, co-founder and chief executive of Whole Foods Market green missionary and exemplar of corporate compassion has riled hard-core reformers by endorsing free-market principles over government-managed health care.
Well, knock me over with a wakame frond. (That's seaweed for you tofu-averse.)
In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Mackey not only insisted that personal responsibility and choice are preferable to bureaucratic dispensation of health benefits, he went so far as to assert that health care isn't a right, any more than food or shelter are.
Mackey went on to list alternative policy reforms that would improve our health-care system (and maybe even our health). His ideas include repealing state laws to allow insurance companies to compete across state lines; tort reform to end "ruinous lawsuits" that force doctors to pay exorbitant insurance premiums that drive up the cost of health care; Medicare reform; and revision of tax laws so that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned insurance carry the same tax benefits.
He urged removing legal obstacles to allow creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts such as those that his employees enjoy.
Supporters of Obama's massive health-care overhaul have declared Mackey an apostate (take a number, honey), and are calling for a boycott of his stores.
If you're unlucky enough to live in a city or state without a Whole Foods store, you may not be able to fully appreciate the deliciousness of this little food fight. When it comes to corporate responsibility, Mackey has few peers. His company's core values read like a Happy Face Manifesto, pledging allegiance to sustainability, caring about our communities and environment, even "delighting our customers." But also brace yourself "creating wealth through profits & growth."
Is there room in a post-compassionate-conservative nation for a caring capitalist?
Whole Foods, as the name suggests, is what we used to call a "health food store," though Mackey's creation feels relatively mainstream compared to the early granola boutiques that made you feel like you have to assume the lotus position to gain entrance. The company's focus is on whole foods rather than those (processed by man white bread, chips, cookies) with sweeteners, preservatives, trans fats and artificial additives.
Abundant research has established the link between processed foods and weight gain. As Mackey points out, most of our degenerative diseases, and therefore our exorbitant health costs, could be reduced with better diet. In the United States, two-thirds of the population is overweight or obese. Fifteen percent of children ages 6 to 19 are overweight, as are 10 percent of those ages 2 to 5.
In 2007, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health predicted that at the current rate of weight gain, 24 percent of children and adolescents will be overweight or obese by 2015, and 75 percent of adults will be overweight, with 41 percent being obese. A good rule for food consumption also applies to federal legislation: If you read the label (or the bill) and can't make sense of the contents, it's probably not good for you. Take 2-hydroxybiphenyl, for instance. Or acetylated distarch phosphate. Yum.
Or, say, this random excerpt from the House bill: (B) EXCEPTION FOR LIMITED BENEFITS PLANS. Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to an employment-based health plan in which the coverage consists only of one or more of the following:
(i) Any coverage described in section 3001(a)(1)(B)(ii)(IV) of division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
Got that?
"Comprehensive" may be the scariest word in the English language when it tumbles from the lips of a politician. Instead of trying to revamp every aspect of the health-care system, Congress should follow Mackey's lead and tackle a few fixable problems with consensus and support from Americans, who, though frustrated with the status quo, aren't quite ready to surrender self-determination.
Mackey's ideas aren't necessarily the only route, but they offer a path that is pro-market, pro-individual and pro-choice all concepts that are organic to America and, like spinach, good for you.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
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