We have celebrated and made light of people being killed before

[edhopper]

Last edited Thu Dec 5, 2024, 04:02 PM - Edit history (1)

If it's a Russian Oligarch falling out of a window, a warlord whose plane is shot down, a despot who gets removes, permantly, a terrorist on the wrong end of a drone.

But when it is a scum bag CEO who has cause suffering and death, the pearl clutchers cry that our response isn't appropriate.

Sorry, I don't give a fuck about the victim.

Doesn't mean I think the killing was justified or more CEOs should be killed.

I wish people would stop conflating the two. But they won't.

[WarGamer]

1. It's not the CEO, it's the freemarket economy and capitalism.

ANY CEO would be REQUIRED by shareholders to maximize profit.

Bad comparison, sorry.

[Nigrum Cattus]

6. The CEO's make the decisions

I hope someday you or a love one isn't told "sorry you're to sick to treat,
our profits are more important"

[WarGamer]

8. I don't disagree... BUT

The CEO doesn't matter.

If the CEO stood up and said "No exemptions" he'd be fired.

The CEO does what the Board and the Shareholders want

Like I said... blame the system. Not the guy with the job.

[gab13by13]

11. You are wrong to call it capitalism

It is crony capitalism. United Healthcare creates a monopoly and by cornering and controlling the market it it can damn well do as it pleases.

[WarGamer]

13. I don't disagree...

But they use the exiting framework to do those nasty things...

And they are nasty...

Change laws then...

[choie]

66. Brian Thompson's

Insider trading was dealt with behind closed doors. How about we follow the laws and really punish those who break them, even if they’re millionaire corporate thugs.

[WarGamer]

67. ABSOLUTELY.

[dlk]

33. Vulture capitalism...

[flashman13]

35. Just following orders mein Fuhrer. Where have I heard that before?

[Happy Hoosier]

40. Sorry, but that's a "just following orders" argument

Thompson was accepting $10 million a year to be the CEO. He made the decision that the misery and suffering of others was finw with him... in exchange for that $10 million a year.

That man was CEO of UHC when they attempted to deny coverage for my daughter 2 years ago. I'm sure he wouldn;t have lost a minute of sleep if their denial had stuck and we were financially ruined getting her the care she needed. Fortunately, my lawyer convinced them of the error or their ways!

[Keepthesoulalive]

43. Bull

The CEO picks the board, he also picks the consultants who decide his salary. He is the one that makes decisions whether it’s beneficial for the company or not. The board rubber stamps his wishes.
Why should anyone who makes bad decisions get ungodly compensation for screwing up. Because the board and consultants think he should have a golden parachute. It is a rich man’s club and we are not in it.

[Nigrum Cattus]

59. If the CEO doesn't matter why pay him 10,000,000 per year

The top dog always matters, wait until Jan 20th! Saying "blame the
system" is a total cop-out. Blame whomever makes the choices.

[Gore1FL]

9. I submit the other examples had influences, too. nt

[yardwork]

14. This is correct.

However, CEOs aren't powerless. They sit on one another's boards and perpetuate the rotten system. They give one another raises and outrageous benefits. Sitting on one another's boards, they help create expectations of higher profits through reducing costs - which translates to low pay and lousy benefits. And the CEOs hire consulting firms that normalize these expectations.

[edhopper]

15. So why did this CEO's

Company deny claims at 2, 3 and 4 times other companies.
It's not just capitalism, not all companies are evil scum.

[WarGamer]

19. If UHC didn't break the law... then they were playing within the system.

Don't get me wrong... I'm all for changing the system.

But I don't think THIS GUY was responsible for deaths... if any other guy in that office would have done the same.

[edhopper]

21. Again

Last edited Thu Dec 5, 2024, 06:59 PM - Edit history (1)

No other insurance company denied claims at this rate. What UHC did was abusive.
That the law allows it is not an excuse.
The insurance companies write the laws.

[WarGamer]

23. we really don't disagree.

Laws need to change to curb abuses.

Maybe require by law that services be completed and IF... it's a situation where they're refusing a 7th bone marrow transplant...

Then there should be a Medicare potential so that person doesn't get stuck.

[Keepthesoulalive]

44. We can't change the laws.

When rich men rule. Citizens United decided that.

[GB_RN]

60. UHC.

Don’t be mixing up my state’s flagship university (UNC Chapel Hill) with the evil sonsabitches at United Health Care.😉

[edhopper]

65. I apologize

to all Tar Heels

[The Wandering Harper]

63. if any other guy in the office would've done the same

then EVERYONE in that office is responsible

[Irish_Dem]

26. The CEO gets up every day and decides to do evil.

That is his choice.

There is always good and evil in any society and most people make the choice which path they choose.

[WarGamer]

34. does that make his murder justified?

[Irish_Dem]

41. Does living a life of pure evil justify murder?

The answer to this question is above my pay grade.

[Voltaire2]

55. So we are completely determined by forces of production?

I think that 'reifies' the 'system' as an autonomous entity. (On reflection it likely is becoming an actual autonomous entity as AI takes over, but that is not yet relevant.) At the moment it is actual humans making explicit decisions that cause massive harm to the general population of the planet. They are literally destroying the habitable environment, the mild climate under which civilization has prospered and grown for like 15,000 years or so, since the last ice age ended. I'm sure they know that shit is hitting the fan and the catastrophe is in progress, and they are actively making it worse. That is some serious bad human intentional activity. It is Marvel Universe Bad.

[Woodwizard]

61. Did anyone hold a gun to his head to be ceo of death panel insurance?

What a weird justification for his actions as ceo. He had choices he took the 9 million dollar a year one.

[Frasier Balzov]

2. The difference will be

when someone with a grievance assassinates someone you think doesn't deserve it.

[edhopper]

18. And once again

Someone brings in a strawman that we are saying it was justified rather than not troubled by the loss.

[Frasier Balzov]

20. Be very troubled.

When armed individuals can decide at their own subjective whim who must die.

[edhopper]

22. Welcome to America.

[hatrack]

58. Exactly - so what else is new? 'Murka!!!!!!

.

[Self Esteem]

52. You're absolutely right.

Imagine if a parent of one of those killed in Afghanistan during the pull out decided to take their frustration out on Biden via a bullet. No one would condone the actions.

Vigilantly justice should not be celebrated.

[malaise]

50. Rec

That is all

[mcar]

39. Yep

[marble falls]

3. Who else do want to see greenlighted?

[leftstreet]

4. No DUers are popping champagne corks

Laughter, sure. The irony is hilarious.

But I see no "celebrations"

Jeez

[Prairie Gates]

5. Don't forget children in a Gaza hospital

One of the primary laugh lines of some of our greatest self-proclaimed moralists.

[XanaDUer2]

7. Ed

I got scolded and called shameful yesterday bc I posted that UHC netted 74 billion last quarter. Thats it. I was accused of being ok with murder. Someone on DU wanted to know what UHC netted.

I deleted it bc I wasnt dealing with the scold squad. Tho, frankly, idgaf either

[yardwork]

16. I'm sorry that happened to you.

You posted a fact. Without facts, how will we ever figure out the problem?

[XanaDUer2]

29. Its fine

I shut it down. Some ppl search for things to chide others for. I wasnt in the mood.

[BannonsLiver]

10. Totally agree

[tenderfoot]

12. I don't think people are celebrating the murder - they're venting against insurance companies and the shit they pull

eom

[Fullduplexxx]

17. Thank you

[Silent Type]

24. So now we are OK with adopting trump/GOPer 2nd admendment solutions. I'm sorry, I'm against that.

[Passages]

25. Universal healthcare is the answer and in the mean time, our

lawmakers must do everything in their power to control the health insurance industry.

It is the number one reason for debt and many lose their home all because they got sick.

[edhopper]

27. And yet

It won't happen and the lawmakers in control are in league with the insurance companies.

We won't see Universal care in our lifetime.

[Passages]

28. We must try, it is insane how people are treated and how much they lose.

[edhopper]

30. We should do a lot of things

The voters decided against it.
We will go in reverse now.
Undo the ACA and junk Medicare.

[Passages]

32. I know which is why we must not give up.

It is overwhelming, no doubt about it.

[yankee87]

31. No fucks to give

I am so fucking tired of bringing a water pistol to a nuclear war. I'm so over being empathetic to people who want to kill my children. I'm a proud father of LGBTQ children.
I gave up speaking to family, and will fight, literally, against MAGA.

[NotHardly]

36. Beat up, beat down, & let die folks long enough & even pacifist bite back

[paleotn]

48. Damn straight. And they bite back hard. People can only take so much.

[Demobrat]

37. What goes around comes around.

He hurt and killed a lot of people. Someone hit back. Not karma - cause and effect.

[PortTack]

38. This!

[JoseBalow]

42. Life is SO valuable in the West

Elsewhere, not so much.

[wolfie001]

45. This is the outcome from stupid Americans voting for republicans

That's how I read this whole health care debacle.

[onecaliberal]

46. They won't. We have a child rapist in the White House because no one had the balls to do anything.

So sick and pathetic.

[paleotn]

47. Oh, gawd. Not the pearl clutchers.

The kumbaya crowd is at it again, I see.

I totally agree with you. The morality of the act is beside the goddamn point. One reaps what one sows. That jackass sowed misery and death and made billions doing it. He got exactly what he deserved. I'm just surprised it took so long for something like this to happen.

And as I said in another thread, the reactions to this are similar on the left and right. Seems we're discovering who the true villains are instead of pointing at each other. To end this current Gilded Age, a few eggs might need to be broken.

[SarcasticSatyr]

49. Murder is wrong . . .

but that doesn't make the person who was killed a saint ... they weren't.

[DinahMoeHum]

51. Healthcare and capitalism don't mix.

The medical profession is not at home with business values.

[Swede]

53. But he was a babe in the woods. Only been at the company twenty years.

Think of the poor starving billionaires.

[Klarkashton]

54. Years ago during one of those "gas shortages"

Some "no gas today" gas stations were heavily vandalized. It didn't take long after that began to spread for the whole fucking thing to go away.

[ThePartyThatListens]

56. People are inconsistent

Especially people who cry about things like this, they usually don't carry it across the board.

I bet if you ask some of these cry-babies how they feel about the children of Palestine being shot in the head on a daily basis and you'll find more than a few of them who are ruthless to almost cheering that going on.

I say eff em!

[kelly1mm]

57. Yes, DU in general has celebrated and made fun of people being killed. It is one of the most disappointing

aspects of DU ....

[edhopper]

64. Theren are peoples whose deaths

should be celebrated.

[HereForTheParty]

62. He's looking up at us

and seeing what the world thinks of him and his "work"