Well since that coffee article generated so much response, I thought I'd try again.

My motives are thus: show some more real world scenarios and try to show the complexities of real life and see what philosophies are successful, and which ones aren't. You know my perspective ("Republican apologist" I believe is the current term)

<a href='http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/84/wholefoods.html' target='_blank'>Whole Foods- Liberal's paradise?</a>

I'll throw out some questions. First, the article really didn't have a solid left or right slant from my perspective, and I'm not trying to flame the writer or the WF guy. But, Whole Foods is loved by libs, so I thought, "Is this proof that the liberal perspective is working well? Should we look harder at the Ben & Jerry's model of life?"

I think the libs have some points to be made w/ these successful endeavors...but I think there are some facts that need to be dusted off:

1. Hiring policy- Great policy by Whole Foods, if you can get it. Can you imagine the UAW agreeing to this sort of thing? Yeah, right. Point one, WF would be accused of discrimination faster than Michael Moore downing a Big MAC, if they had the wrong enemies.

2. Location, location, location- WF uses the urban sprawl as well as anybody. They need the affluent suburbs, and accessible roadways. Sure they have some urban markets...the right urban markets. What would Safeway's bottom line be if they closed their stores in Compton, Harlem or Cabrini Green? How about if Kroger's dumped their lower-middle class stores in Muncie, Dubuque or Oklahoma City?
I just heard some politician chew out Fred Grandy (yes, Gopher) when Grandy said some part of DC didn't have a grocery store b/c it would get held up all the time. I don't see Whole Foods filling that void.

3. I think the cap on exec's salary is an interesting phenomenon (B&J had a similar one) but, notice how the cap grew from 8x to 14x? Even liberals want to be rewarded for their risks.

4. History- It's easier now to want organic foods and well kept farms. And that's legit...except it ignores the history of getting there. How many of these animals thrive w/o antibiotics BECAUSE those antibiotics did their job and got rid of many diseases? How has America prospered b/c of abundant food, such that there is a broad and stable market for these luxuries?

5. Unanswered questions: contemporary. How many people in the US (and abroad) are fed from these "factory farms" such that the elite farms are not needed for survival? How effecient (or ineffecient) are these farms? How much energy/foodstuff do they produce? Compare to factory farm.

I forgot one other thing: Trickle down economics. I loved the line about it being "Whole Paycheck". I want SF to get on here again and tell me how WF survives w/ percolate up economics.

Whole Foods, Ben&Jerry's, etc. None of them even exist if Reagan doesn't win in 1980. They don't survive is we had Carter, Mondale, etc.