Discussing "that incident"

 So, when I first heard about...that incident, you know, the one in the news that everyone is talking about, I decided to avoid the topic. It seemed a little too touchy, and i figured if I couldn't say anything nice, i shouldn't say anything at all. 

However, it's become THE current thing, with everyone talking about it constantly, so I at least want to mention it in some ways. 

Obviously, vigilante violence is bad. That goes without saying for me. The government's first responsibility is to establish a system of law and order that the public trusts to prevent it from happening, in the name of collective security. As such, I generally am opposed to vigilante violence, and I am opposed to it here too.

However, at the same time, let's not gloss over the facts of how we got here. Vigilante violence typically happens because of a failure with the government somehow. if the government were doing its job properly, the desire for such violence would be minimal. However, the government has abdicated its responsibility at ensuring a functional healthcare system in this country for far too long. Conservatives will rail about the death count of communism, and how Obama wanted to institute "death panels" if we went for medicare for all. But at the same time, we already have death panels. They are called "insurance" companies. The goal of these companies is first and foremost to provide a profit to their shareholders. Providing a service is secondary for them. They'll gouge you for as much money as they can, and then skip out on paying the bill when it's time to do so. That's just how the system works, and it's why I always say that the problem with healthcare is the profit motive and tinkering around the edges isn't enough to fix the system. The government needs to implement universal healthcare to fix the problem, either through single payer, an NHS type system, or at the very least, a public option. 

This would be expensive, but it would be far cheaper for most people than the hot mess that is the private healthcare system. The victim of this murder was the CEO of a health insurance company. Even more so, he was the CEO of one of the worst companies, with the highest claim rejection rates. And the killer seemed extremely motivated in making a political statement on this matter, even writing messages on shell casings that referred to some book about health insurance companies screwing people.

Again, I'm not justifying the murder, or celebrating it, but I will say this. This murder happened because of the dysfunction of our healthcare system, and the government's inability, or even worse, unwillingness, to fix it. People have pushed for change via legal avenues for years. Universal healthcare has been a goal for progressives since Harry Truman, and every time the issue comes up, the special interests fight and win. Obama pushed Obamacare through, but it was an insurance mandate that...mandated people buy insurance that they couldn't afford. And it never really worked, even though the tweaks along the edges did make some peoples' lives better. More recently, Bernie Sanders ran on medicare for all, and candidates like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden sought to defeat him, only to merely preserve Obamacare. Biden promised a public option, but he never even acted on it. And Kamala Harris quietly dropped it from her platform in 2024. And people wonder why she lost...

You know, when the government isn't working for you, some people decide to do stuff like this. Again, not celebrating it, not justifying it, but I am explaining the rationale. And the fact that so few people have sympathy for this guy should tell you that something is seriously wrong with our society. 

I said it in 2016, Donald Trump being elected was a brick through the window of the establishment. The democrats ignored it. The same thing happened last month in 2024. Harris was resoundingly rejected in favor of a convicted felon and fascist. Again, not justifying it, not celebrating it, I'm explaining it. 

And now this guy gets murdered in broad daylight and it's like no one even cares. We live in a sick society. But let's not forget the root causes, and those root causes are our politicians allowing this corrupt and broken system to fleece people for far too long. People will only put up with this for so long before someone snaps. And that person snapping, is another brick through the window. Again, not celebrating, not justifying, not inciting, just explaining. 

I call on the government, and especially the democratic party, which is supposed to be the party of the people, the party of FDR, to fix this. Medicare for all. Either through a single payer, NHS, or public option style system. Not tweaks around the edges, but actual solutions. I've been supportive of healthcare reform on this level since becoming a progressive. I still am for it. And as a supporter of liberal democracy, and an opponent of illiberalism, including vigilantism, I call on those in charge of the system to actually be responsive to the people. Stuff like this happens when the government isn't doing its job here. And quite frankly, they aren't, and haven't for quite some time. The politicians care more about their donors than the people. And that's the problem. Again, not defending this guy. Not celebrating him. I don't advocate for his form of action. But I am explaining why this happens and how we can fix it. We fix it by having the government do it's fricking job for once. Yes a man was murdered in broad daylight, and that was wrong, but tens of thousands are murdered every year for lack of health insurance, and tens of thousands more get their claims denied by insurance companies just like that. It's time that that stopped. 

And yeah, that's all I'm saying on this matter.