I Don't Condone Murder, But I Understand Motives
By now we've all heard about the assassination of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. No relation to the actor, as far as I'm aware.
The man was gunned down in Manhatten as he exited the front door of a fancy hotel in Midtown.
For those who don't have experience with the for-profit healthcare industry in the United States, let me explain something: I would not consider this CEO to be an innocent victim.
As the head of an American medical insurance company, Mr. Thompson was actively profiting off of mass death and suffering. His company, UnitedHealthcare, is one of the absolute worst corporations in the industry. They're directly responsible for uncounted deaths due to their ridiculous volume of denials for care.
In the U.S., health insurance is a profitable racket.
Robert H. Shmerling, MD
Their system is complex and deranged, designed to milk as much money out of the average citizen as humanly possible while denying coverage as often as they can. There are thousands of little loopholes in place that block people from accessing the healthcare they're already paying for.
This maximizes company profits and minimizes their spending– all in the name of padding their own pockets.
There's no mystery as to what the gunman's motive was, either; there's zero doubt that this was a targeted, premeditated hit with a strong political message.
He left his manifesto etched into the side of the bullet casings at the scene:
Delay. Deny. Depose.
This little phrase echoes a common one in the insurance industry in America, 'Delay, Deny, Defend.' referring to the process of delaying payments, denying people's claims for care, and defending that denial to prevent having to pay out.
'Delay, deny, defend' is an oft-cited critique levied by everyone from lawyers to judges with regards to insurance-sparked court battles. It's even the title of a popular book on the subject.
The word 'depose' doesn't typically appear in this phrase, but it's meaning is clear. To depose is to remove a king from his throne by force.
Now, leaving a message on the bullet casings used for a political assassination sounds like something out of a movie plot, but it speaks to the intent behind this hit.
Brian Thompson was killed because of his job. He was killed because his company profits off of denying healthcare to millions of Americans every year. His murder was a statement, and it was intended to make an impact.
Which it did.
It's all over the news, and the American people are understandably frothing with a blend of rage and righteous satisfaction. Their anger towards the healthcare industry shines through loud and clear with every comment.
We don't know who the shooter was; he could have been somebody personally hurt by UnitedHealthcare, he could have been hired by somebody who had a personal stake, or maybe he's just a radical who got sick of waiting for justice to happen.
Whatever the case, I can't condone murder. But I do understand the motive.
And because of that, Mr. Thompson's application for my sympathy has been denied due to a pre-existing condition.
Solidarity wins.
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