We Shouldn't Let a Good Murder Go to Waste.

Okay, just hear me out...

First things first. There is no such thing as a ‘good’ murder. Murder is always wrong. And it should never be celebrated, regardless of the circumstances. However, there are moments, singular events in time, that offer us the opportunity to reconsider the world as it is and take a hand in shaping what it could be. The killing of United Healthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson could be one of those events. That is, if we allow it to be.

There have been few events from our past that have been so powerful, so moving, that they present a universal spiritual opportunity. We often don’t realize how profound these points in time are until we look back well after the chance has gone by. Sadly, instead of learning from them, we regularly view them as occasions to re-assert our long held, entrenched, and usually counter-productive worldviews.

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was an event that literally changed the world. Everyone watching it, whether in person or from our televisions on the nightly news, were struck by the historical weight of that moment. It was manifest what we were witnessing. The proliferation of real freedom, the economic liberation of millions of people, the end of the Cold War and 45 years of fear and suspicion between two global superpowers. Not to mention the beginning of the reunification of Germany. It was a momentous experience not just for the German people but for the entire planet. It could have been transformative as well. But the world, led by the United States, chose to take a different path.

The US and Europe could have invited Russia to become a new member NATO with open arms. Or, better yet, dissolved NATO altogether since there was no longer a need and because it has since been proven to be a tool for the promotion of US hegemony. Instead, the US chose to treat Russia like an unwanted step-child. We interfered in their elections, forced them to sell off billions in public resources to private entities, and expanded NATO east to the borders of their country despite vowing we wouldn’t. They responded by electing a relic of the Cold War; a man who has openly stated he longs for the former glory of the Soviet Union and who now wages war for reasons both real and imagined. We could have been the best of allies, uniting the rest of the world in a new peace and understanding. A golden era of cooperation not seen before. Instead, we chose crony capitalism, oligarchy, and opposition. Now, all the old demons of the Cold War have returned.

By now, most of us have heard or read about Thompson getting shot by a would-be assassin; We’ve read about the words on three of the shell casings; Delay, Deny, Defend (The partial title of a book written by Jay Feinman in 2010 about insurance company practices). And we’ve experienced the pungent air of both near-glee and schadenfreude, on social media. Perhaps some of us have even joined in.

The responses to the news of Thompson’s death have been as fascinating as his murder is tragic. But they’re hardly surprising.

Ken Klippenstein on his Substack newsletter points out the reactions at the bottom of this Facebook post. It’s telling that so many people here appear to see Thompson’s death not as tragedy, but comedy.

In addition to the wealth of posts online that don’t-quite-but-come-eerily-close-to celebrating the health insurance CEO’s death, there is the deluge of comments about what a miserable, greedy, and fraudulent company UHC is. It just so happens that out of all the health insurance companies doing shitty things to their customers, UHC continues to be the perennial front-runner for shittiest.

This is a doctor’s letter to United Healthcare protesting the denial of coverage for anti-nausea medication for a child’s chemotherapy.

This doesn’t begin to touch on the number of other doctors, nurses, and health professionals who have called out this very company for making millions of dollars on the deaths of their patients. There seems to be no sadness, no empathy, not even a weak lament about gun violence in America over Thompson’s death. Just frustration and anger over the insurance industry’s role in our broken health care system.

This social media post in particular struck me:

I can’t stop laughing about the fact there’s a literal killer on the loose where I live and all I can do is shrug, “Whatever”, I’m 100% certain this one’s not got it in for me.

In a healthy and cohesive society, we might ask the questions:

How could someone feel so flippant about murder? Where is the sympathy for the victim’s family? What makes a person so hard-hearted that they’ve turned their back on the norms of polite society?

However, no one is actually asking any of these questions. We already know the answer, because we’ve all been affected. For his part, Thompson has been accused of insider trading and was sued for implementing an AI algorithm to deny and override claims to elderly people; an algorithm that was found to have a 90% error rate. It’s not difficult for the rest of us to imagine Thompson on a call to his board of directors at UHC bragging about all the cost-saving measures that have been implemented. Measures such as the denial of 32% of all claims, and the millions that tactic has made for shareholders. He likely thought - if he bothered to think about it at all - that these denials didn’t affect him or his family, so why should he care? So the internet answers that perception at best with a resounding ‘Oh well. What goes around, comes around' and at worst with ‘One dead CEO is a good start’. It’s sad, but here we are.

That said, it doesn’t have to be this way. I’m not trying to defend Brian Thompson. I’m also not implying that a single health insurance CEO’s murder merits the historical significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall. But what we can learn from his murder might. It provides us with a spiritual opportunity to shift our collective consciousness. We can look at not only where we are, but where we could be. As usual, it won’t be easy.

For those of us who aren’t rich. Those of us who do the bulk of the paying and dying in this cracked shell of a health care system, this will come as a punch in the face. But it needs to be said. This is our fault. And we need to own it. The sooner we accept it, the sooner we can begin to change it. We let it happen just like corporate America was hoping we would. It’s not that we did anything wrong, per se. We were busy working, saving, raising families or just trying to survive our 20s. There wasn’t enough time to pay attention to all the details. Time trudged on and, eventually, we got it in our collective head that this is just how it is. This is just how the system works. What are you gonna do?

The good news is we have the answer. A few decent politicians (believe it or not) have been sounding the alarm for years. Recently, former Democratic candidate and Minnesota representative, Dean Phillips (yeah, I know you’ve never heard of him) put it pretty succinctly:

The best way to shift our consciousness is to shift our behavior. We can do that by transforming our apathy and frustration into action. Talk to people in your neighborhood, in you friend groups, in you social circles. Organize a group to contact your Congresspeople, regularly. Get 5, 10, or even 20 people on board. Call once a week. Let them know that you will no longer support elected officials who engage in corporate capture. That candidates who take corporate money - specifically from health insurance lobbies - are no longer welcome, regardless of party affiliation. Tell them that SuperPacs have no place in a healthy democracy. And feel free to point out the obvious; that now even the wealthy and powerful are dying because of it. Then stick to your guns (no pun intended). Hold them accountable by withholding your vote, if necessary.

And the men who hold high places, must be the one’s who start To mold a new reality, closer to the heart…

- Rush

It would be the height of absurdity to think that any of the elites of our society, the rich and powerful, or the CEO’s of major corporations would read this newsletter, much less, take it to heart. I have a message for them regardless.

To all of our politicians, I will say this:

You knew. You’ve always known. And you’ve continued to let it happen. Your own constituents have been suffering for years, risking death, bankruptcy, or both. Yet you refuse to find the courage to do your one and only job; represent them. We know you do nothing because you don’t answer to the people, you answer to your corporate donors. Now one of those donors is dead too. There is an illness in this country, not in spite of our health care system but because of it. If you can’t understand the irreparable damage it’s doing to both the physical well-being and the psyche of the American people, resign. Today. As quickly as possible. Let someone else with some semblance of vision and a modicum of courage take your job. You are not fit.

Or, you can take the more rugged path and be part of the solution. Simply tell the American people:

‘I don’t take health insurance industry money and I will fight for universal health care for all Americans’.

And honor it. During your election cycle, create one commercial with the above message and run it, early and often. Over 70% of all voters support universal health care. Not just Republican. Not just Democrat. All voters. You will win.

Of course, you may win anyway. But if your campaign’s message is ‘business as usual’, you’ll reinforce the idea that voting doesn’t matter. Then more people will die, either from lack of adequate health care or an assassin’s bullet. Make no mistake, Brian Thompson was killed because the policies you support, either directly or incidentally, pushed someone too far. This is a ‘Ballot or the Bullet’ moment. If you refuse to adequately address this tragedy the next murder(s) is on you. Pure and simple. And the US will continue to descend into collective madness. This is your opportunity to change our national narrative. Have the courage to take it. Or get out of the way.

And to all the health insurance industry’s CEO's, board members, and major share holders, please read this very carefully:

All the security systems you’ve installed, the safety protocols you’ve implemented, and the body guards you’ve hired…will not save you. Unless you find a way to rejoin the rest of the human race more of you will be killed and the public will cheer. If not tomorrow, next month. If not next month, next year. It will happen. And if your move is to simply hide in your mansions and towers, shut off from the rest of the world, you’ll only enjoy a life of fear, suspicion, and paranoia. Scrubbing your companies’ websites of executive profiles won’t stop the doxxing and harassment. It will only create a greater, more dangerous, rift between ‘you’ and ‘us’.

Did you happen to see the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics? It’s been over 200 years and the French people still celebrate the Revolution like the night of a Super Bowl victory. They wear the murder of thousands of elites by pitchforks and guillotines like a sacred badge of office. It is a fundamental part of their identity. Do you really think that can’t happen here?

Consider a new business model. One that doesn’t require your product to fail in order for you to be successful. One that doesn’t hide behind ‘fiduciary responsibility’ to shareholders to justify ruining countless lives. One that delivers for your customers instead of breaking the basic social contract that people should get what they pay for, especially as a matter of life and death. Because, when you repeatedly break that contract, you continue to tear at the fabric of society. And right now, that fabric is threadbare.

This is not a threat. This is not a warning. It’s a plea. I’m begging you. As cheesy as it may sound, look into your hearts. Like the politicians, you need to find a better way. Save yourselves. If not for basic human decency, then do it for your children, your families, your friends. Because when the pitchforks and guillotines finally come, it won’t matter who stands in the way. Just ask the French.

History is replete with turning points. You must have faith that the universe will unfold as it should

- Mr. Spock

Like most people, I don’t want to live in a world that celebrates the death of another human being. That said, I feel the same apathy and anger as everyone else. But I still believe. I have faith that we can change our future, that we have the power to take this moment and do something meaningful with it…if we actually work together. But it is going to take work. I’ll start with myself. Because I’d hate to see Brian Thompson’s murder go to waste.

Cover Photo: The Guardian

Berlin Wall Photo: Pew Research Center