UnitedHealth CEO shot (5 Viewers)

[Brandon13]

Those with extreme wealth and power have an insurmountable advantage on the average person in basically any situation imaginable.. and most if not all of them would gladly slit the throats of average people just to remain extremely rich and powerful for one more day.

And I think that's largely why this resonates so much as forcing these pieces of sheet to legitimately fear for their lives is seemingly the only power "we the people" hold.

 

[bigdaddysaints]

with my wife and kids on my insurance last year, i paid $12k. now factor in what my employer paid, more than that. so let's say between 25k-30k. i would much rather make a higher salary and pay a higher percentage in taxes to have a more stable healthcare system..

 

[saintmdterps]

Those with extreme wealth and power have an insurmountable advantage on the average person in basically any situation imaginable.. and most if not all of them would gladly slit the throats of average people just to remain extremely rich and powerful for one more day.

And I think that's largely why this resonates so much as forcing these pieces of sheet to legitimately fear for their lives is seemingly the only power "we the people" hold.

Your first paragraph speaks directly to the pathology of wealth & power addiction

 

[NewOrleansFan]

with my wife and kids on my insurance last year, i paid $12k. now factor in what my employer paid, more than that. so let's say between 25k-30k. i would much rather make a higher salary and pay a higher percentage in taxes to have a more stable healthcare system..

I wonder how many people would quit their jobs or retire if not for healthcare and health insurance for them and their families.

 

[Sun Wukong]

I wonder how many people would quit their jobs or retire if not for healthcare and health insurance for them and their families.

 

[bigdaddysaints]

I wonder how many people would quit their jobs or retire if not for healthcare and health insurance for them and their families.

i know at least 5 at the place i work

 

[St. Widge]

.. and most if not all of them would gladly slit the throats of average people just to remain extremely rich and powerful for one more day.

This point of view strikes me as a result of gaslighting and/or the tendency of people to dehumanize people who they see as not like them or having power over them. It's the same thing that the extremely wealthy do with the poor. They dehumanize them and imagine that they would do anything, including slit their throats, to take what they have. And yet, neither has any real evidence that either of them really would or do act in this way. It's a perception that we are told is true and we all buy it. And it's to the point where people are casually referring to the idea that this or that CEO is "next".

So do you really have evidence that people with money are inherently more evil than people without? If not, think about why you think that way.

As for me, I'm not going to shed a tear for this CEO, but I do find it disturbing how many people are willing to publicly celebrate his assassination and see this as a reasonable response to the world around him. Did he deserve it? Maybe, but meeting evil with evil seldom, if ever, results in a better world. Who draws the line of how evil someone has to be for killing them in cold blood to be justifiable? Do we really want a world run by vigilante justice?

 

[Sun Wukong]

This point of view strikes me as a result of gaslighting and/or the tendency of people to dehumanize people who they see as not like them or having power over them. It's the same thing that the extremely wealthy do with the poor. They dehumanize them and imagine that they would do anything, including slit their throats, to take what they have. And yet, neither has any real evidence that either of them really would or do act in this way. It's a perception that we are told is true and we all buy it. And it's to the point where people are casually referring to the idea that this or that CEO is "next".

So do you really have evidence that people with money are inherently more evil than people without? If not, think about why you think that way.

As for me, I'm not going to shed a tear for this CEO, but I do find it disturbing how many people are willing to publicly celebrate his assassination and see this as a reasonable response to the world around him. Did he deserve it? Maybe, but meeting evil with evil seldom, if ever, results in a better world. Who draws the line of how evil someone has to be for killing

There have been studies that indicate the uber wealthy and powerful exhibit more sociopathic tendencies. They are overwhelmingly more likely to exhibit dark triad personality characteristics than average people. Its what allows them to succeed at the level they do. You can't have empathy and do what they do.

Also, just...look at the world.

I agree that a world of vigilantes gunning people down in the streets is not good. But we don't need to be sticking up for or defending the rich and powerful, either. They at the very least operate on a principle of what is best for business which rarely is best for everybody else.

 

[Brandon13]

This point of view strikes me as a result of gaslighting and/or the tendency of people to dehumanize people who they see as not like them or having power over them. It's the same thing that the extremely wealthy do with the poor. They dehumanize them and imagine that they would do anything, including slit their throats, to take what they have. And yet, neither has any real evidence that either of them really would or do act in this way. It's a perception that we are told is true and we all buy it. And it's to the point where people are casually referring to the idea that this or that CEO is "next".

So do you really have evidence that people with money are inherently more evil than people without? If not, think about why you think that way.

As for me, I'm not going to shed a tear for this CEO, but I do find it disturbing how many people are willing to publicly celebrate his assassination and see this as a reasonable response to the world around him. Did he deserve it? Maybe, but meeting evil with evil seldom, if ever, results in a better world. Who draws the line of how evil someone has to be for killing them in cold blood to be justifiable? Do we really want a world run by vigilante justice?

There have been studies that indicate the uber wealthy and powerful exhibit more sociopathic tendencies. They are overwhelmingly more likely to exhibit dark triad personality characteristics than average people. Its what allows them to succeed at the level they do. You can't have empathy and do what they do.

Also, just...look at the world.

I agree that a world of vigilantes gunning people down in the streets is not good. But we don't need to be sticking up for or defending the rich and powerful, either. They at the very least operate on a principle of what is best for business which rarely is best for everybody else.

@Sun Wukong's response is pretty close to how I actually feel.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

This point of view strikes me as a result of gaslighting and/or the tendency of people to dehumanize people who they see as not like them or having power over them. It's the same thing that the extremely wealthy do with the poor. They dehumanize them and imagine that they would do anything, including slit their throats, to take what they have. And yet, neither has any real evidence that either

except the 5000 year history of 95% of military campaigns

 

[St. Widge]

There have been studies that indicate the uber wealthy and powerful exhibit more sociopathic tendencies. They are overwhelmingly more likely to exhibit dark triad personality characteristics than average people. Its what allows them to succeed at the level they do. You can't have empathy and do what they do.

Also, just...look at the world.

I agree that a world of vigilantes gunning people down in the streets is not good. But we don't need to be sticking up for or defending the rich and powerful, either. They at the very least operate on a principle of what is best for business which rarely is best for everybody else.

More sociopathic tendencies and dark triad personality characteristics are not the same as being sociopaths. And neither is evidence that they have or would act on those dark tendencies. This also doesn't address whether the nature of the job and the world the live in due to the job creates those sociopathic tendencies or just amplifies their genetic predisposition? I tend to think it's more about in order to do those jobs you have to learn to act like a sociopath but there is likely some genetic component.

The truth is that all humans are selfish and they all will almost infallibly act almost infallibly act in their own self-interest. Most "average people" would do the same things those CEOs do when it comes to doing what is best for business. The uncomfortable truth here is that the evil of corporate America is really just a reflection of the self-interest that is at the core of all people. Corporations act selfishly and in their own interest because we act selfishly and in our own self-interest.

And I'm not defending the rich or powerful. But, once you start justifying or celebrating vigilante justice then it goes both ways and that seldom turn out well for the not rich or powerful. They suffer the most and those willing to do vigilante justice emerge as the new ruling class with the same cycle starting over. I'm talking Reign of Terror stuff. Do we really want that?

Basically, once we open Pandora's box on justifying vigilante justice we break the social contract and we end up back in the state of nature. Which is a world where the strongest and most violent prevail with no restraint. Our world sucks, but that doesn't mean that there isn't another world that would suck more.

 

[St. Widge]

except the 5000 year history of 95% of military campaigns

Isn't dehumanizing the other side exactly how you convince your soldiers to kill the other guy's soldiers? I mean, the Nazis were evil, but the average German soldiers was just another person doing what they were told. We dehumanized them to convince our soldiers to kill them all. Same with the Japanese, the Vietnamese, Koreans, Iraqis, etc.

 

[Dragon]

This point of view strikes me as a result of gaslighting and/or the tendency of people to dehumanize people who they see as not like them or having power over them. It's the same thing that the extremely wealthy do with the poor. They dehumanize them and imagine that they would do anything, including slit their throats, to take what they have. And yet, neither has any real evidence that either of them really would or do act in this way. It's a perception that we are told is true and we all buy it. And it's to the point where people are casually referring to the idea that this or that CEO is "next".

So do you really have evidence that people with money are inherently more evil than people without? If not, think about why you think that way.

As for me, I'm not going to shed a tear for this CEO, but I do find it disturbing how many people are willing to publicly celebrate his assassination and see this as a reasonable response to the world around him. Did he deserve it? Maybe, but meeting evil with evil seldom, if ever, results in a better world. Who draws the line of how evil someone has to be for killing them in cold blood to be justifiable? Do we really want a world run by vigilante justice?

I believe it was more of a metaphor. The man who was killed was the CEO of a major medical insurance company, infamous for being one of the worst when it comes to actually covering their customers' medical expenses. While he didn’t personally cut anyone’s throat, his policies literally led to the deaths of many people. As the CEO, his salary and bonuses were tied to the company’s profits, which likely incentivized decisions that prioritized money over lives.

That said, I want to make it clear that I do not condone killing someone out of grievances. The killer should face significant prison time for their actions.

From a legal perspective, I don’t know enough about U.S. laws, but a class-action lawsuit might have been a more appropriate response—especially if a pattern of questionable coverage decisions could be established. Such investigations are ideally the responsibility of the Justice Department or investigative journalists. Unfortunately, under Trump’s administration, I don’t have much faith in either of those avenues being pursued effectively.

 

[DavidM]

As for me, I'm not going to shed a tear for this CEO, but I do find it disturbing how many people are willing to publicly celebrate his assassination and see this as a reasonable response to the world around him.

I don’t see it as a cause for celebration, nor do I frame it as reasonable, but rather, I think the public reactions, and potentially the shooter’s motive, are unsurprising.

We’ve talked for years about staggering wealth disparity, and we’re watching billionaires more publicly flaunt their hold on all the levers of power while a growing number of people feel crushed under the weight of a system that isn’t working for them. Fractures lead to breaking points.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Isn't dehumanizing the other side exactly how you convince your soldiers to kill the other guy's soldiers? I mean, the Nazis were evil, but the average German soldiers was just another person doing what they were told. We dehumanized them to convince our soldiers to kill them all. Same with the Japanese, the Vietnamese, Koreans, Iraqis, etc.

yes that's one side punching down to punchdown even further on another side

that's not really the same as trying to explain why someone would want to punch up