"The tragic, brutal murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has elicited contempt for the unfettered greed and capitalism of health insurance companies.

Stu Duerson, machina exo deus

There is a disconnect here, and I believe it is between the individual and the collective. I squarely side with the collective on this one. Empathy is NOT a one way street in society. The viciousness has been long earned in small degrees, and the time has come to equalize the equation.

Van Sice

@wdlindsy @Nonya_Bidniss @TheEffekt I feel like it's important to ask, how did we get here? And the split screen between official 'news', which has been incredibly sympathetic to the CEO and 100% of social media ranging from, 'sorry not sorry' to 'b**** had it coming' seems really important. I mean, I haven't seen *any* sympathy for him, here, reddit, anywhere. This extreme gulf betweeen what (*and how*) the news reports and what the vast majority of folks live generally doesn't lead to moderate means of resolution.

I don't see this going well from here.

Tofu Golem

@wdlindsy
More on the conversation in general. I'm seeing so many people saying "I don't approve" or expressing sympathy for the family.

Tofu Golem

@wdlindsy
That is just irresponsible to say. This man was killing people for money, and there was no reason to believe he would ever pay a price for doing so. Killing him was literally the only way to get him to stop.

There's no reason to put caveats like the opening of your sentence there.

William Lindsey :toad:

@tofugolem We see these issues different, obviously. For my part, I see it as beyond irresponsible to celebrate violence and death. You're free to see things differently, of course.

William Lindsey :toad:

@tofugolem And we should not nurture our quality of sympathy for families of even despicable human beings, when they lose a family member? I refuse to descend to the level of barbarism of those whose barbarism I want to keep decrying.

[email protected]

@[email protected]

So, if they do find the guy, I wonder how successful the subsequently legal-defense crowd-funding campaign will be (and which platform will refuse to demure on hosting it).

William Lindsey :toad:

@vansice @Nonya_Bidniss @TheEffekt Perhaps because I don't give much attention to official "news" — I tend actively to avoid corporate media sources for news — I am not seeing a lot of incredible sympathy for this CEO. I fully understand the revulsion many of us feel at the inhumanity of our for-profit healthcare system and those who reap its financial benefits. I personally am not comfortable about descending to the same level of viciousness inhabited by those whose viciousness I decry.

William Lindsey :toad:

@skydog @Nonya_Bidniss @TheEffekt As I see things, when collectives nurture viciousness, it's my responsibility as a human being to look critically at that psychodynamic — e.g., "Mass deportation now!" — and do all I can to encourage those around me to choose a better path than viciousness.

[email protected]

@[email protected]

You don't need all of them to wake up. You don't even need most of them to. If there's enough willing to take direct-action (and, unless yesterday was a false-flag, that may already be happening), something's gonna have to give.

William Lindsey :toad:

@Nonya_Bidniss @TheEffekt I, too, find these responses not surprising. I understand where they come from. The healthcare system enrages me, too. I suffer from its inhumane treatment of patients, too. I totally agree with your final sentence, which sums the problem up well. I resist celebrating the kind of violence that just took place, though, perhaps in response to the deformities and injustice of our healthcare delivery system.

Piousunyn

@wdlindsy @[email protected]?
Fact is the death of CEO does not affect my life, in any way more than all the Republicans conjured and designated people of difference do.

Except the CEO may have actually affected ther people's lives in some way?

William Lindsey :toad:

@Piousunyn I suspect John Donne might disagree with the idea that the death of anyone at all does not affect me.

William Lindsey :toad:

@ferricoxide I think it would be highly unrealistic to think all of the will wake up. Whether a critical mass might do so remains to be seen. I have serious doubts.

William Lindsey :toad:

@ferricoxide All that remains to be seen, doesn't it?