Anti-abortion conservatives vote for legislators who vote anti-abortion. Folks whose friend owns a restaurant eat at his place him instead at Chili’s. People enamored by Apple’s design philosophy buy iPhones and iPods. The environmentally concerned buy solar panels and locally grown food.

And the rest of us who don’t make the same choices for the same reason don’t need to feel offended. None of these folks necessarily does so “to make them feel smug and superior.” It’s entirely possible that people shop or vote for what they like, and don’t think twice about whether they’re superior to anyone else.

And your delusions that _anything_ you do, whether shopping or not shopping at a place like Whole Foods makes a difference enviromentally, socially, politically or in any measurable sense other than in your own, tiny, pointed head, is risible.

Liberals: empty gestures that make them feel smug and superior, but actually are of any consequence in the real world, if not actually counter their expressed intent.

Kind of like electing Obama

What is so ridiculous about people stopping buying goods from a company that espouses opinions they strongly disagree with? Especially with a brand like Whole Foods where customers pay a premium as a way of supporting the values the brand represents.

Personally, I thought the whole “it’s really sick people’s faults they are sick. All of us should be healthy so long as we exercise and eat, etc.” argument to be so stupid and mean spirited it alone would stop me from shopping there.

I’ve done the same thing with Oberweiss milk, which spends money to lobby against gay rights. I don’t like the idea, so I don’t buy the milk. Is something wrong with that now too? I don’t appreciate their right of free speech? Give me a break.

I don’t associate with people generally that hold opinions I very strongly disagree with, either. Why in the world would I?

This is like finding out that Crest toothpaste is strongly against any solutions for global warming. It has nothing to do with the product, but I would stop buying it immediately. This is the most natural thing in the world.

Really???? I spend a lot of time w/ lefty foodie types, and the general consensus is Whole Foods is ‘evil’. I share this view, at least where ‘evil’ means — it allows you to make irresponsible food decisions, (ie, food that’s produced unsustainably or cruelly; your definition of irresponsible (and unsustainable, and cruel, may will differ from mine)) and imagine that you’re behaving well. Which isn’t to say that I (or most of these lefty/foodie types) don’t frequently make ‘irresponsible’ food choices, or shop at whole foods now and then (and I certainly think the boycott is at best silly) … but I do believe that Whole Foods’ main product is reassurance that you’re buying responsible (or ‘virtuous’, or whatever) food, while selling irresponsible food.

Yes, you poor progressives. Those vile libertarians are out to control your spending!

I think it would be an unfortunate outcome because I’d rather live in a world where we don’t make it a goal to deter people from expressing views we disagree with.

Really? In the interests of pre-emptive maximum Godwinization, you’d rather live in a world where no one made it a goal to deter someone from writing a Wall Street Journal op-ed calling for the destruction of the Jewish people?

I think it’s an open question whether a WSJ op-ed actually moves any votes, but the conceit of the little sandbox of US political warfare is that it’s an influential soapbox. And many of Mackey’s customers don’t want him using that influence to advocate for a policy they disagree with, else they will sever their business relationship with him. Seems fair enough to me.

What surprises me is all of the grandstanding about other peoples’ shopping decisions.