A New “Health Scare”..
You’ve probably never heard of Gavrilo Princip…but his assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand is widely thought to be the spark that started World War 1.
We do know now who Luigi Mangione is…he allegedly assassinated the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
In all my years on social media, I’ve never seen the response that I witnessed as news of the murder came out.
Tens of thousands of people cyber applauded the assassin… as media outlets kept telling them they shouldn’t be happy that someone got murdered.
That didn’t dampen the glee…
I’m not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but this assassination may end being more significant than then last election.
For one of the rare times lately, the masses have identified a real enemy.
Massive health insurance companies have created more death and misery by magnitudes than any undocumented people or the LGBTQ alphabet.
One of the industries leaders paid for it…and much of America rejoiced.
We will see if all of this compels action to create real reform…or if the failure to do so leads more people to take action on their own.
America passed the point of logic and reasoning a few years ago…when reason is no longer effective, violence takes its place.
What is the Christian response to this?
Complicated.
The New Testament ethos is non violent and opposed to violence and murder.
Full stop.
Both testaments rejoice in justice and righteousness…and, in my opinion, the major health insurers are mass murderers for the sake of commerce.
Pray for justice…but identify the truly unrighteous carefully…
I suspect this assassination will have as much impact as the Unabomber (this kid’s hero.) Both smart guys, both identified real injustice, both attracted a cult following and then we turned the page. “Move along now. Nothing to see here.”
Dave,
You’re probably right…but we live in strange times…
I feel the same way about Luigi M as I felt about the two people who tried to assassinate Trump-from a Christian perspective, there is no excuse. There are other ways to deal with someone or something I don’t like. United Health has had a poor reputation in the industry for a long time, and Trump has his own issues, but I can choose not to purchase or not to vote, vs killing someone. I found myself on some Facebook thread that appeared on a friend’s feed that was scary-let’s kill everyone who makes my life unfair.
Linn,
For many, there is no way to deal with these companies other than to suffer or die.
My perception is that we are close to or past the point of people thinking violence is an acceptable answer to these and other woes.
Michael,
I agree. For many people we passed that point a long time ago. The feelings just keep trickling down the societal chain (or maybe up, since it now seems like the middle class are so offended). And, I’m not excusing United Health Care, either, for withholding care to maintain high profit margins. It may get worse when the new administration begins since everything seems to be about the bottom line.
“For one of the rare times lately, the masses have identified a real enemy.”
I do not approve of violence.
I view the issue as an axis of evil.
Our tax money is fueling a food industry through snap, school lunch and other programs, that is poisoning Americans. Food ingredients and junk food advertising, often targeting youth, are legal here, while being illegal in other advanced countries. Our processed food industry sells basically the same products in other countries but without the toxic ingredients that are legal here. Our food labeling laws are often incomprehensible.
Our tax dollars are funding a health care industry that profits off our deepening chronic illnesses. All chronic disease is increasing in the USA. The system prevents us from dealing with the causes.
The system inadequately treats symptoms, but offers no cures. People are put on lifetime medications that freeze people in their chronic conditions. People are victims of an intentional system that makes and keeps them sick.
Food companies profit; pharmaceutical companies profit; doctors profit; and health insurance companies most definitely profit at our expense.
It’s become a national security concern as our military can’t staff itself with the level of obesity and pre- and diabetes and addiction in our young people. Education is debilitated when our students are Increasingly hopped up on prescription medications.
Jean,
As someone who survived because of school lunch programs, I fully support government funding for them.
I know many who need SNAP just to eat for the month.
Doctors are leaving practices in droves…because they really aren’t paid well.
Come here and try to get a PCP…or better yet…get in line…
Michael,
Did I say anything whatsoever about eliminating government funding for school lunches?
My objection is tax dollars subsidizing junk food (i.e., nutrient deficient calories that are called food). It’s not for me about supporting school lunches but about not being complicit in the poisoning of our youth.
Here’s an actual study and not a political talking point…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3667628/
No indication of mass junk food in schools…
I certainly enjoyed the 10 cent Honeybuns out of the vending machine in high school, especially since they caused such a parent uproar.
I highly recommend the study Michael linked above.
So…there is all sorts of talk about cutting Social Security and dismantling the VA by the newly elected oligarchy.
There’s a slight hint of the French Revolution in the air…
This might be the first shot fired…
I turned 62 this year, so I could start taking Social Security if I choose. I’ve been thinking I’d hold out til I’m 67, when the amount I receive should be higher. Maybe I need to rethink that plan.
Michael wrote @ 6:10 pm,
So…there is all sorts of talk about cutting Social Security and dismantling the VA by the newly elected oligarchy.
And that’s all it is.
Just talk.
They know full well that they wouldn’t see dog-catcher next time round’ if they messed with Social Security. Seniors are that big of a voting bloc.
it’s not cheap to feed students K-12, but the contract usually goes to the lowest bidder. Fiscal responsibility vs. what is good for the kids? Always a paradox that usually tilts in favor of the dollars saved. Districts that try to collect back-owed accounts from families who haven’t paid for the lunches usually backfires as well–we give lip-service to competing sides of these issues.
https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1732138789/sjusdorg/upp9oqdeets11l441zcg/Dec2024-Elem-Lunch-Menu.pdf
Jean,
Above is a link to this month’s menu for the school district I live in. It’s much better than when I taught in this district 20 years ago. And, as Michael mentioned, I belong to a church congregation where most of the children of school age get free breakfast and lunch at school (my state provides meals to every student who shows up). Often, there is nothing for these kids to eat at home in the evening or over the weekend, especially at the end of the month. I also have a number of senior friends who would be in deep nutritional trouble if they didn’t have meals on wheels, SNAP, or the local senior center lunches. It’s hard to do much nutritional shopping at Dollar Tree.
Linn,
The menu you shared is a complete train reck which makes my point better than I could. It will produce another generation of chronically ill Americans. As a nation, we can do better and if we don’t, we won’t survive as a prosperous society.
Jean,
When did you get your degree in nutrition?
I see no problem with the menu …
I certainly understand the frustration with HMOs and with back problems, which run in my family. At age 42 I discovered That I had 2 deteriorating discs which were pressing on nerves. I took leave from my teaching job. My cheap HMO wouldn’t do an MRI; instead they gave me naproxen ( high dose Alleve) and physical therapy. 4 months later I was still in horrible pain and finally had a MRI, which showed deteriorztingvdiscs. Turns out the physical therapy v was making my back worse because they assumed I just had muscle strain. HMO sent me to an in-depth network specialist who determined I needed back surgery, but the HMO denied the surgery. Somehow, 4 months later I was able to return to work. But I can’t lift over 20 lbs, I was never able to ride a bike or a horse ever again ( which I loved doing). My father got back surgery, and he was riding his bike until age 80, while I couldn’t ride a bike at age 43.( I used to participate in bike marathon races – I even did one in Mexico. Basically, I have been left disabled in many ways, and I’m waiting for some catastrophe ( fall or car accident) when those discs will press on my nerves again. The specialist said that discs can’t regenerate themselves.
The people I live with are very health conscious about food.
Their monthly food budget is more than I bring in monthly on SSI.
Maybe we wouldn’t have chronically ill Americans if all Americans had health care all their lives…
Janet Linn,
Having much the same issues, I commiserate with you…
I am moderately surprised that I’ve stoked a debate about what healthy food (or what some people would call real food) is. That is not my intent. Rather than debate the nutritional content of the school lunch menu, I would rather recommend that readers Google “ultra processed foods” and learn about what they are and the negative effects of consuming them on human health. Ultra processed foods are poisoning our society.
American healthcare cannot prevent or cure chronic illness because 1) doctors are not trained for those objectives and 2) they are not paid for those objectives. Doctors are paid to treat the systems, usually by prescribing medications, which don’t cure chronic illness. The best medications in the current system are life long ones which guarantee an income stream for the pharmaceutical companies.
I’ll just say it.
“Good food” is a cultural construction.
People eat what they can afford…and as much as they can afford.
I won’t even start on the comments about doctors, because this will get really nasty in a big hurry.
I was in bed the day this was posted with what is either a really bad cold or sudden onset sinusitis (if that’s a thing). While in bed I had the TV on, and NewsNation was cycling back and forth between two stories: The Subway Hero and the Healthcare CEO Shooter.
The parallels seem lost on the media:
1 – Young, good looking and sympathetic alleged killer
2 – Extremely unpopular victim, who everyone’s glad is dead
3 – Public execution (even if one unintentional)
4 – Masses rally on behalf of the alleged killer
Conservatives want to give the Subway Hero the Congressional Medal of Honor while Black Lives Matter types are outraged. I’m not down with giving him a medal, but it doesn’t sound like the marine was as responsible as the drugs in the man’s system for his death.
The CEO shooter was specifically an assassin, but his target was uniquely qualified to make the shooter a folk hero. He won’t be acquitted in any circumstances, but he might already be a living martyr.
Nothing good I can say here.
I will say this. Remember the big “death panels” scare around about the time of Obamacare? Yeah? Remember that? Ironic.