The Sickness of Capitalism

"The sickness of capitalism is that if you kill a person with paperwork, it simply doesn't count." --Val for Nevada on X

Dec 10, 2024

The Sickness of Capitalism

by C.A. Matthews

No doubt, it will be called the surveillance video of the century. Well, no one who is working class—or even upper middle class or whatever is the term for those who aren’t quite in the top one-percent of earners in the US—is going to forget it. If you have ever paid private health insurance premiums, co-pays, and deductibles, or filed for bankruptcy because of medical debt, or if you or your loved ones have ever been denied necessary health care by a private insurance company, then you will understand why so many are cheering the gunning down of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk.

Thompson was a man already under suspicion of insider trading by the Department of Justice, a man who made well over $10 million yearly, a man whose estimated net worth was estimated at approximately $42.9 million as of February 16, 2024, according to Wallmine.com, and a man whose corporation, UnitedHealthcare, has become notorious for its 32% denial of claims, with a market cap of $561.15 billion, the world’s 16th most valuable company by market cap according to CompaniesMarketcap.com.

So, yeah, it couldn’t have happened to a “nicer” guy.

The internet is full of some of the best memes and quotes ever this week. The shooter is being called the “Adjuster” by some, since he acted as a “claims adjuster” of sorts. The upside of all this hullabaloo is that after a lull we’re once again seeing a familiar hashtag: #MedicareForAll

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I was actively volunteering for a presidential candidate who touted Medicare For All as being the most humane and the cheapest way to provide health care as a human right for all Americans. It’s one of the things that made the Bernie Sanders campaign so attractive to me and many others in the first place. It’s why I became involved in a statewide single-payer network advocacy group.

I learned that by providing universal health care to all Americans our country actually saves money and gives us better health outcomes. Our government would rather pay more for-profit health insurers to give us inferior health care than save money and give us all better health care. Ridiculous, isn’t it? Think of the all the lives that could be saved. An estimated 68,500 Americans die each year needlessly because they don’t have access to health care because they are struggling financially. The number one cause of personal bankruptcy in the US is unpaid medical debts. No other country in the world has this problem.

The US government could be saving money, giving health care to all Americans, and they simply won’t do it. It’s similar to how our government won’t stop arming a genocidal Israel even though millions of Americans are pleading for them to stop. Millions of Americans could use those billions of dollars being used to mass murder human beings in Palestine to help pay for their medical treatments. But Bernie and “The Squad” keep voting to arm and fund Israel.

It’s also one of the reasons why I’m no longer a Bernie fan. He seems to have forgotten all about Medicare For All since he became the chief sheepdog for the Democrats. Sure, he’ll make mention of it from time to time—and so will some members of the Squad—but they never do anything about bringing universal health care to fruition in Congress. It’s just talk. It’s all just a campaign gimmick to gain votes.

It seems these neoliberal types enjoy dangling carrots like Medicare For All in front of the working class and taking our donations into their campaign war chests. They must chuckle behind their backs at us for falling for their promises and delivering squat. We’re such easy targets, aren’t we? We’re barely feeding ourselves and our families, barely keeping a roof over our heads, and forgoing necessary health care treatments and medications because we can’t afford them. Some of us are even going bankrupt when we try to pay for a desperately needed medical treatment for an ailing loved one.

Meanwhile Big Pharma and Big Health Insurance are both doing a booming business. Profits are up, up, up! Brian Thompson certainly wasn’t skipping any meals or meds because he had to choose between “heating or eating” this holiday season, was he? I don’t think so.

So while the one-percenters (and the wannabes) moan and groan over how callous and cruel the masses are for saying things like, “He got what was coming to him!” the rest of us are thinking, You have no earthly idea how difficult life is for the majority of us, do you, filthy rich person?

Could this “assassination” of a for-profit health insurance chief executive officer be the start of the Revolution? Are the remaining for-profit health insurance CEOs fair game? How about CEOs in general? Is assassination of the wealthy the best way to rid ourselves of this onerous economic system called capitalism?

The shooter left behind bullet casings with the words “Defend”, “Depose”, and “Deny” written on them. Was this a message? Was the shooter indicating that he or someone he cared about had been denied treatment by UnitedHealthcare and the delay or denial of that healthcare had caused them grievous harm or even their death?

According to the Associated Press:

The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were found emblazoned on the ammunition, echoing a phrase used by insurance industry critics, two law enforcement officials said Thursday.
The words were written in permanent marker… The messages on the 9 mm ammunition found at the scene of the shooting mimic the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” which is commonly used by lawyers and insurance industry critics to describe tactics used to avoid paying claims.
It refers to insurers delaying payment, denying a claim and then defending their actions. Health insurers like UnitedHealthcare have become frequent targets of criticism from doctors and patients for denying claims or complicating access to care. —From New clues emerge as investigators hunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO

It’s sort of romantic to think of Thompson’s assassin as a modern day Robin Hood, exacting revenge for all of us who have ever been denied health care by a corporate paper pusher who thought our life (or the life of a loved one) was worthless. But was Thompson’s shooting all it appeared to be on the surface?

Could the shooter have been a hit man working for UnitedHealthcare’s board of directors? Thompson was under a federal investigation at the time of his death. This situation probably was a huge embarrassment to the corporation and could have possibly resulted in the corporation being forced to pay fines or make restitution. By hiring a hit man and making the shooting seem like a “personal grudge” by a disgruntled customer, the police wouldn’t be focusing their interests on the board members or others who would benefit from Thompson being permanently put out of the picture. Dead men tell no tales.

If discovered to be true, how could this corporate hit man set-up help or hurt the impetus for Revolution?

If this was indeed a set-up to make working class Americans look like a bunch of violent rabble rousers, this could lead to more legislation to curb our freedoms. We can’t have workers running around the streets shooting CEOs willy-nilly, now can we? We can’t have the lower classes arming themselves and making the CEOs who screw them over into their ideal target practice subjects, right?

I could see how if there is another CEO shooting within a year, the president might call for martial law to be imposed to keep order, similar to what happened recently in South Korea. Would the feds also then outlaw protests of all kinds? Outlaw existing unions and prevent new unions from forming? Shut down all independent journalism outlets and platforms so we wouldn’t know what was actually happening, all the while ramping up the mainstream media’s propaganda spin?

Don’t think these things can’t happen? Look at how much money UnitedHealthcare has already thrown at US politicians—over $34 million in contributions and over $100 million in lobbying pay outs:

This dismal scenario would make things even more difficult than they already are to get the Revolution up and running. We already have to fight against the apathy and fear of the masses to join those of us who are anxious to get it going. Martial law could be the final nail on the coffin for any revolutionary change in the US for a generation or more. We can’t allow that to happen.

On the other hand, no matter if the Adjuster was working for UnitedHealthcare or for himself, the die has been cast.

Our reactions to this incident make it more than obvious to the powers-that-be that We the People are tired of our fragile, mortal bodies being used to make billions of dollars for the health insurance industry. We’re tired of suffering their abuse and disrespect, and we won’t take it any longer. Nothing is going to stand in our way in enacting justice.

In other words, if the one-percenters don’t provide universal health care for all Americans and very soon, then they should expect more vigilantism from the 99%.

As of this writing, a NYPD spokesman has just announced that they have a 26 year old suspect in custody named Luigi Mangione. It’s said he had a manifesto on him stating he had lost a relative due to UnitedHealthcare denying a claim. This gives one pause… While it’s always sad when a human life is taken, think of the thousands of individuals who have died or been injured by the decisions CEO Brian Thompson made during his tenure as head of UnitedHealthcare. As one meme puts it: “Thompson has killed more people in his career than all serial killers combined.”

What about the justice for those poor murdered souls? Why are people in expensive suits allowed to get away with senseless killing by pushing papers around? Is it because they’re inherently “better” than the rest of us working class slobs?

The Revolution might not be televised, but it will be livestreamed and caught in glimpses on surveillance videos.

In the end, the workers will prevail. Our sheer numbers attest to this. Justice will be meted out against those who have denied it to us and our loved ones in order to make themselves rich beyond all dreams of avarice.

No wonder the CEOs are hiring more private security details to guard themselves and their property. They realize that justice is coming, and it will be delivered to them swiftly from the hands of those they have harmed the most.

Ain’t karma a bitch.

Related Articles and Other Interesting Links

Top quote: https://twitter.com/ValforNevada/status/1864436943955873970

The Killing of Brian Thompson https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/the-killing-of-brian-thompson

UNITED HEALTHCARE’S HUNGER GAMES AND THE MURDER OF BRIAN THOMPSON https://anarchistcook.blog/2024/12/04/united-healthcares-hunger-games-and-the-murder-of-brian-thompson/

Important Angle Of The UnitedHealth Insurance Executive Shooting https://mark192.substack.com/p/update-important-angle-of-the-unitedhealth

Media Struggle to Contain Celebrations of UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Assassination https://www.404media.co/brian-thompson-social-media-reactions-reddit-facebook-twitter/

As Bad As Reports Of UnitedHealthcare Have Been, You Have No Idea... (Good video links) https://mark192.substack.com/p/cartoon-as-bad-as-reports-of-unitedhealthcare

Slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Was Accused Of Insider Trading Amid DOJ Probe https://www.huffpost.com/entry/unitedhealthcare-brian-thompson-insider-trading-lawsuit_n_6751a2abe4b01129dffa8789

The Real Villains https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/the-real-villains

From Nov. 2023: UnitedHealth uses AI model with 90% error rate to deny care, lawsuit alleges https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/11/ai-with-90-error-rate-forces-elderly-out-of-rehab-nursing-homes-suit-claims/

From 2023: UnitedHealthcare Tried to Deny Coverage to a Chronically Ill Patient. He Fought Back, Exposing the Insurer’s Inner Workings https://scheerpost.com/2024/12/05/unitedhealthcare-tried-to-deny-coverage-to-a-chronically-ill-patient-he-fought-back-exposing-the-insurers-inner-workings/

From 2018: Lobbyist Documents Reveal Health Care Industry Battle Plan Against “Medicare for All” https://theintercept.com/2018/11/20/medicare-for-all-healthcare-industry/

From 2017: Pharma CEO Worries Americans Will Say “Enough Is Enough” and Embrace Bernie Sanders’s Single-Payer Plan https://theintercept.com/2017/09/13/pharma-ceo-worries-americans-will-say-enough-is-enough-and-embrace-bernie-sanders-single-payer-plan/

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield says it won't cover anesthesia after certain time limits in 2 states https://www.today.com/today/amp/rcna182990

Anthem backtracks on anesthesiology cap policy in CT https://www.wfsb.com/2024/12/05/anthem-backtracks-anesthesiology-cap-policy-ct/

Assad Is Out, Woke Al-Qaeda Is In https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/assad-is-out-woke-al-qaeda-is-in

Another Nation Absorbed Into The Blob Of The Empire https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/another-nation-absorbed-into-the

Taliban In Afghanistan Bad, Al-Qaeda In Syria Good https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/taliban-in-afghanistan-bad-al-qaeda

South Korea’s 6-Hour Martial Law https://scheerpost.com/2024/12/04/south-koreas-6-hour-martial-law/

Craig Murray: We Are the Bad Guys https://scheerpost.com/2024/12/03/craig-murray-we-are-the-bad-guys/

70 thousand Palestinians trapped in northern Gaza face starvation, extermination in one of the largest genocidal campaigns in modern history https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6558/70-thousand-Palestinians-trapped-in-northern-Gaza-face-starvation,-extermination-in-one-of-the-largest-genocidal-campaigns-in-modern-history

Israeli historian produces vast database of war crimes in Gaza https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israeli-historian-produces-vast-database-war-crimes-gaza

Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza, Amnesty International says https://mondoweiss.net/2024/12/israel-is-committing-a-genocide-in-gaza-amnesty-international-says/

Either Watch The Footage Of Dead Kids In Gaza Or Stop Supporting Israel https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/either-watch-the-footage-of-dead

Over a Hundred Jewish Canadians Take Over Ottawa Parliamentary Building Seeking Canadian Arms Embargo With Israel https://scheerpost.com/2024/12/04/over-a-hundred-jewish-canadians-take-over-ottawa-parliamentary-building-seeking-canadian-arms-embargo-with-israel/

Bosses Are Retaliating Against Workers Showing Solidarity With Palestinians https://scheerpost.com/2024/12/03/bosses-are-retaliating-against-workers-showing-solidarity-with-palestinians/

NO NUCLEAR WAR : A Call for Reason [Live Event] youtube.com/live/7cpml4q5gw4?si=N2SDSOkLwkOpW4lQ

Why Western Elites Ignore Reality https://euroyankee.substack.com/p/why-western-elites-ignore-reality

Don't Buy Into Phony Anti-Establishment Schtick https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/dont-buy-into-phony-anti-establishment

Named and Shamed: All the Women in the Biden Administration Complicit in the Israeli Genocide of Gaza https://codepink.substack.com/p/named-and-shamed-all-the-women-in

Historic Investigation of U.S. Boarding Schools for Native Children Ends With Scathing Report https://unicornriot.ninja/2024/historic-investigation-of-u-s-boarding-schools-for-native-children-ends-with-scathing-report/

TikTok Ban COMING SOON! youtu.be/8Ya5JZx2gbY?si=TOCRaJGz2CuY3OVP

The Problem With Joe And Hunter https://popularresistance.org/the-problem-with-joe-and-hunter/

AI Safety Testers: OpenAI's New o1 Covertly Schemed to Avoid Being Shut Down https://slashdot.org/story/24/12/07/1941213/ai-safety-testers-openais-new-o1-covertly-schemed-to-avoid-being-shut-down

The Sickness of Capitalism