The wealthy have no conscience, no connection to the hoi polloi - except for stripping assets from the 90% who feed their money machines. JFK said it best:"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable". If the public would actually coalesce around issues that affect them, we could effect change. There is left/right agreement on public healthcare, but more alignment is needed. It brings to mind another quote from a politician who, although he rose to national power, had a modest start in life. LBJ: "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.” We need to recognize the reasons the ruling class keep us at each others' throats - we ignore their scripts, media and actions at our peril. The only divide in this nation that needs attention and breaching is the m/billionaire control of all facets of our lives: culture, economy, government, religion...our forefathers took on King George, we need to take on wealth inequality and human rights.
They think they’ll be able to hold the masses at bay with killer drones and robots, if all else fails, as it most assuredly will. It’s hard to regain institutional trust when the institutions themselves, from government to academia to church, have been infected with the capitalist greed cancer.
Dark days ahead. Support every strike by workers that comes down the pike. The only way to get their attention absent a thousand Luigi’s is to hit them in the wallet… hard.
I don't believe that America's first insurance resistance fighter will be allowed to go on trial. Luigi is too bright, and too articulate to be allowed to take the stand, not with so many already so angry with Big Insurance's parasites. Especially since, with a little more awareness, those oppressed insurance victims would be equally angry at the political misleaders which enable the ongoing existence of our demented for-profit system of "healthcare".
America's real owners cannot risk allowing the people's righteous anger to coalesce in any way. They will not risk the rise of populist, anti-Establishment heroes and leaders, any more than they did in 1963, or twice in 1968. Or in 2011, for that matter, when Occupy was crushed by a spate of national police violence, coordinated by Obama's White House and FBI.
Therefore, I believe we'll awaken one morning to learn that Luigi was just *so* distraught after ruminating on his assassination of United Healthcare's misleader/mass-killer, that he hung himself in his cell. And, that unfortunately, the prison's happened to be down when this occurred. These things happen, after all, in the belly of The Exceptional Democracy™.
I have discussed the same with friends. I don't believe, though, they would risk killing him. But, if he does go to trial, what are the chances there would be 12 jurors plus alternates none of whom had not suffered at the hands of healthcare CEO directives?
My only concern with the walkout being tied to the inauguration is having it framed as yet another R vs. D act in our political illusion sideshow. Don’t get me wrong, if the Trump/Musk team overreach during early/mid-January, blatantly spilling the beans on everything from SS/ Medicare cuts to war with Iran/Russia/China, such an action might be necessary, timing be damned.
My wish is to have Trump allow Musk and his Congressional GOP supply-side worshippers too much rope over the first couple of months in office, such that a critical mass of his/their supporters finally bail on their BS, and the anger at the betrayal finally brings the working class coalition necessary to strike collective pitchfork fear amongst the 1%.
Having a massive general strike/walkout tied to a May Day celebration of international worker solidarity is my dream scenario. History tells us though, that events which initiate major change in the zeitgeist are rarely planned on the macro level; the spark that lights the fire is unpredictable except in hindsight.
Kudos to all trying to change the paradigm. I’ll probably be in DC on 1/21, just to bear witness… and to try to find common ground with those who understand the game is rigged, regardless of whether they voted for Trump or Harris.
I have learned in life that when you hold up a mirror so that those who do not reflect on how their actions damage those around them - those folks will likely do their darnedest to not only break the mirror, but to also strike back with vengeance. I guess that is a reaction which keeps them from having to see themselves as they really are. You cannot change those who will not reflect, they only know how to destroy.
An important narrative for an extremely important subject, Kathleen. Mangione has become a hero to many Americans who have family members who may have died instead of lived because of the health insurance racketeers described in your article, or may have gotten worse by denying medical procedures, medications, or whatever, recommended by the doctors and nurses, in helping their patients to recover from their ailments or injuries. Hey, but the capitalist mantra since ancient times is "Profit before People", and where we are programmed to worship the billionaire oligarchs as hard-working super-achievers.
Luigi Mangione, for what any of us knows, is now a martyr for the common people, and possibly made himself the sacrificial lamb to get national and international attention to the unscrupulous white collar bean counters in the insurance industry. ????
I've been a crusader for Single Payer health care for decades, but as long as the voters keep the Repulsive and DemoRAT Party folks in Congress, no meaningful legislation will be passed and reverse the situation to benefit the American people.
But only reformed terrorists who topple foreign governments, like al-Jolani, or neo-Nazi freedom fighters who fight Russia, like Zelensky, are awarded super sexy pin-up status!
The wealthy have no conscience, no connection to the hoi polloi - except for stripping assets from the 90% who feed their money machines. JFK said it best:"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable". If the public would actually coalesce around issues that affect them, we could effect change. There is left/right agreement on public healthcare, but more alignment is needed. It brings to mind another quote from a politician who, although he rose to national power, had a modest start in life. LBJ: "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you.” We need to recognize the reasons the ruling class keep us at each others' throats - we ignore their scripts, media and actions at our peril. The only divide in this nation that needs attention and breaching is the m/billionaire control of all facets of our lives: culture, economy, government, religion...our forefathers took on King George, we need to take on wealth inequality and human rights.
They think they’ll be able to hold the masses at bay with killer drones and robots, if all else fails, as it most assuredly will. It’s hard to regain institutional trust when the institutions themselves, from government to academia to church, have been infected with the capitalist greed cancer.
Dark days ahead. Support every strike by workers that comes down the pike. The only way to get their attention absent a thousand Luigi’s is to hit them in the wallet… hard.
Thank you, for another insightful column.
I don't believe that America's first insurance resistance fighter will be allowed to go on trial. Luigi is too bright, and too articulate to be allowed to take the stand, not with so many already so angry with Big Insurance's parasites. Especially since, with a little more awareness, those oppressed insurance victims would be equally angry at the political misleaders which enable the ongoing existence of our demented for-profit system of "healthcare".
America's real owners cannot risk allowing the people's righteous anger to coalesce in any way. They will not risk the rise of populist, anti-Establishment heroes and leaders, any more than they did in 1963, or twice in 1968. Or in 2011, for that matter, when Occupy was crushed by a spate of national police violence, coordinated by Obama's White House and FBI.
Therefore, I believe we'll awaken one morning to learn that Luigi was just *so* distraught after ruminating on his assassination of United Healthcare's misleader/mass-killer, that he hung himself in his cell. And, that unfortunately, the prison's happened to be down when this occurred. These things happen, after all, in the belly of The Exceptional Democracy™.
I have discussed the same with friends. I don't believe, though, they would risk killing him. But, if he does go to trial, what are the chances there would be 12 jurors plus alternates none of whom had not suffered at the hands of healthcare CEO directives?
Prosecutors will be fighting tooth and nail to pack the jury with those not yet confronted by the inequities of Big Insurance's ruinous paradigm.
And/or to pack the jury with those wealthy enough not to care.
it doesn't mean they will succeed - it takes only one to hang a jury
Everything you've written here Kathleen is so spot on. Maybe it's the start of a revolution--who knows?
How about a national walkout on January 21?
I hope this idea catches on!
My only concern with the walkout being tied to the inauguration is having it framed as yet another R vs. D act in our political illusion sideshow. Don’t get me wrong, if the Trump/Musk team overreach during early/mid-January, blatantly spilling the beans on everything from SS/ Medicare cuts to war with Iran/Russia/China, such an action might be necessary, timing be damned.
My wish is to have Trump allow Musk and his Congressional GOP supply-side worshippers too much rope over the first couple of months in office, such that a critical mass of his/their supporters finally bail on their BS, and the anger at the betrayal finally brings the working class coalition necessary to strike collective pitchfork fear amongst the 1%.
Having a massive general strike/walkout tied to a May Day celebration of international worker solidarity is my dream scenario. History tells us though, that events which initiate major change in the zeitgeist are rarely planned on the macro level; the spark that lights the fire is unpredictable except in hindsight.
Kudos to all trying to change the paradigm. I’ll probably be in DC on 1/21, just to bear witness… and to try to find common ground with those who understand the game is rigged, regardless of whether they voted for Trump or Harris.
Thank you for this article. If only TPTB had the ability to comprehend the actual state of the world they think they can control.
I am constantly channeling the Strother Martin barb from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid when critiquing the actions and thought processes of TPTB:
“Morons….. I’ve got morons on my team.”
I have learned in life that when you hold up a mirror so that those who do not reflect on how their actions damage those around them - those folks will likely do their darnedest to not only break the mirror, but to also strike back with vengeance. I guess that is a reaction which keeps them from having to see themselves as they really are. You cannot change those who will not reflect, they only know how to destroy.
I just checked - there is no registered domain name yet for MangioneBrigades.Org
Just $5.99 for 1 year!
If the Trump Congress guts Social Security, I suspect that they'll be Brigades formed in every Congressional District and a (Bonus) March on DC.
I also checked the domain name for OldDeadHands.Org - nothing registered on that either!
Both surely better speculative bets than lottery tickets.
Merry Christmas to you, too.
Thank you thank you for getting to the point so beautifully!
An important narrative for an extremely important subject, Kathleen. Mangione has become a hero to many Americans who have family members who may have died instead of lived because of the health insurance racketeers described in your article, or may have gotten worse by denying medical procedures, medications, or whatever, recommended by the doctors and nurses, in helping their patients to recover from their ailments or injuries. Hey, but the capitalist mantra since ancient times is "Profit before People", and where we are programmed to worship the billionaire oligarchs as hard-working super-achievers.
Luigi Mangione, for what any of us knows, is now a martyr for the common people, and possibly made himself the sacrificial lamb to get national and international attention to the unscrupulous white collar bean counters in the insurance industry. ????
I've been a crusader for Single Payer health care for decades, but as long as the voters keep the Repulsive and DemoRAT Party folks in Congress, no meaningful legislation will be passed and reverse the situation to benefit the American people.
But only reformed terrorists who topple foreign governments, like al-Jolani, or neo-Nazi freedom fighters who fight Russia, like Zelensky, are awarded super sexy pin-up status!