Thanks for the lecture.
Current Affairs General US politics (ie, not POTUS related)
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Thanks for the lecture.
To bring this back to American politics and why the non-MAGA crowd looks on in horror at our country:
People are frustrated by everything, and rightly so. Healthcare costs in this country are totally out of control, and it's complicated but our healthcare system is a reason why. People know they are being fleeced on everything and the top 1% is gathering everything they can and less and less is "trickling down" to the workers below. Yet time and time and time and time and time and time and time again these people don't vote with their money in mind, they vote on the culture war stuff.
It just boggles the mind.
I realize I'm oversimplifying, but it really is the case. I guarantee you most of MAGA is like this guy got what he deserved, yet in effect, this guy is who they ultimately support politically.
United Health Care is one of the worst in denying claims, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield just announced they weren't going to pay for the full duration of anesthesia for long operations in some states (<--just let that sink in). All because of corporate greed. Yet people are in the street protesting against the ACA. It's crazy.
In 2023 United healthcare denied 1/3 of claims.
In the same year the company made a net profit of over $22 billion.
Every penny profit is a penny denied to a sick patient.
In the same year the company made a net profit of over $22 billion.
Every penny profit is a penny denied to a sick patient.
Wasn't trying to lecture you just give my opinion but ok?
Even I experienced some initial schadenfreude about this situation, but in thinking about this, there is no end-game to killing a CEO. Board members of United Health Care aren't going to issue a statement like, "Well played Joe Public...in response to the murder of our CEO we are now lowering our claims-denials by 16%...this puts us comfortably in the median range of claim denials. Please direct your next shooting to one of our competitors CEOs."
And while I really don't like "slippery slope" arguments (they are usually specious), I don't think going around and shooting CEOs is a good precedent for change.
It also won't spark the beginning of the US-equivalent of the French Revolution.
The best that can come of this is that there will be a massive public scrutiny of health care costs in the USA and perhaps some massive public-shaming, but unlike other products (e.g., Bud Light or United Airlines), you can't just boycott a Health Care provider. If UHC is your provider it's not very easy to switch.
The system is broken and it is disgusting how profits come before people (like many other Americans, I speak from experience based on dealing with issues concerning my mother), but unless there truly is a revolution I don't think killing a CEO will do much apart from satisfying this primal urge for revenge/just deserts. Maybe I'm wrong.
thanks for the lecture
I mean no doubt. The way to go about change is not to kill the CEO of this company. That's just plain wrong.
However, as I believe @TN Toffee mentioned, it's not necessarily that surprising due to the squeeze everyone is feeling. In fact what's most surprising is that it hasn't happened before or as often as you'd think, especially given our gun culture. When people feel like they have no other option - crazy stuff happens.
Corporate greed, at some point, is going to become a reaping and sowing situation.
The timing of this crime is very interesting to me. CEO was under DOJ investigation for insider trading and about to address the UHC shareholders/investors.
Signs seem to point to someone disgruntled from a withholding/denial of coverage (e.g. messages on the bullet casings), but I wonder if it’s a red herring.
Signs seem to point to someone disgruntled from a withholding/denial of coverage (e.g. messages on the bullet casings), but I wonder if it’s a red herring.
for sure. I dont think chopping the head off this particular snake makes any difference.
The fella had two kids.
Just weird that most of the people pushed to the pin of their collars decided to give the keys to the billionaires.
We're in for rocky times.
Just hope there's a new wave of decent younger politicians and public servants there to step in to this clusterfxxk.
I wasn't responding to your post. Whereas you clearly were responding to mine and trying to insert some pedantic statistics that would seemingly indicate (to you at least) that the killing was justified, whereas I claimed it wasn't. As to why it wasn't justified, see my post above.
I have very mixed feelings about this and haven't been able to figure them out yet, but I feel very strongly about these ideas:
Healthcare is a massive cost burden in the US, 25% of the federal budget on top of the cost to household budgets
Access to healthcare is a huge problem in the US and has been a frontline debate and will continue to shape as a debate
Most corporations have a very narrow view of purpose and it seldom extends beyonds delivering profits to shareholders
It's clear that murdering someone is not a solution to any problem; many people will feel very sympathetic to the murderer and not at all sympathetic to the victim
Very many corporate executives will take notice but not sure what this means
You would think with all the security cameras on private business and the sheer amount of people out there, the shooter would be found...Unless 1) there is large public sympathy for the shooter (which certainly seems to be the case based on social media) so as people aren't "noticing" the shooter, or 2) if it was a hired hit (<--pure speculation to be sure) due to the DOJ case, then it would explain better why he hasn't been found.
it's definitely possible. Could someone have actually put out a contract hit on him in case he testified against even more powerful people?
in my mind that would happen in the shadows and not in the middle of Manhattan, but anything is possible i guess
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