CNN
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The twin tragedies in New York that hit the United States demonstrate the failure of politics to address some of the most fundamental economic and social problems, and set the mood for the nation ahead of Donald Trump’s second term as president. It reflects.
The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, captured on surveillance video, became a shared moment of national horror. But this topic quickly gave way to a broader discussion about the high cost of U.S. health care and the complicity of key executives in the industry’s injustices. Instead of praising his killing and expressing regret for the gunned-down husband and father of two children, online trolls empathize with the dubious aims of Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged in the case. Some people did.
In another high-profile case, a Manhattan jury on Monday indicted criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely, a street artist who struggled with homelessness, mental illness and drugs, on a New York City subway last year. Daniel Penny was found not guilty. The jury agreed with Penny, also 26, that witnesses described Neely’s erratic behavior and that Neely was trying to prevent injury or further injury to people on the subway. He agreed that Neely was detained. This “choking” incident has also become a political issue. Penny has been hailed as a Good Samaritan hero in conservative media, and commentators have accused liberal prosecutors of ignoring public safety while going after Trump. Protests after the verdict portrayed Neely as a victim of racial injustice and the scourge of homelessness.
The anger that permeates social media is not necessarily a faithful snapshot of all Americans. But the conversation about these incidents comes at a rare cultural moment of commonality in a tense country with a new president on the horizon after a grueling election year.
In some ways, the context of each case highlights social and economic issues that national, state and city leaders have failed to address, including exorbitant medical costs and homelessness. After the election, the incident captured the national imagination, with millions of Americans expressing anger at political institutions and so-called elites who failed to address their deepest concerns and gravest threats.
But despite the widespread concern in the aftermath of Thompson and Neely’s deaths, it would be hasty to think that much will change anytime soon.
Trump’s incoming cabinet of millionaires and billionaires will make it clear that for many Americans, even those with adequate health insurance, the fear of an accident or new diagnosis is making it difficult to pay for medical treatment. Do we know anything that is further amplified by fear of payment methods?
Democrats often cited declining violent crime statistics during their campaigns. But do Washington’s party leaders really understand the palpable feeling among many Americans that their cities are becoming more dangerous amid an epidemic of homelessness and drug addiction? And does Trump have any real plans to address these issues other than a desire to demagogy them as an example of “woke” Democratic policies?
The idea that Thompson’s death would be welcomed, even in the mire of social media, is abhorrent. And the idea that violence can be justified in a democratic society raises questions about the viability and sustainability of that society.
“This is horrifying,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. “Violence in response to corporate greed of any kind is unacceptable.”
Mangione’s attorney said his client has pleaded not guilty to Pennsylvania charges related to false identification and guns and is likely to plead not guilty as well to the New York murder charge. .
But if the suspect had a political motive, which police are currently investigating, he might have succeeded.
Within hours of the killing, social media sites like TikTok and It was filled with posts from people. Understand the steps and make sense of surprise bills.
The celebration of Thompson’s murder is shocking, but it speaks to a deeper frustration in a country where the 2022 KFF study found: It turns out that 41% of Americans have some kind of medical debt. Even for those with health insurance, high premiums, high co-pays, and decisions or denials of treatment based on often seemingly arbitrary evidence can lead to some of life’s most stressful moments. It can be devastating for those who do. Misunderstandings and confusion about coverage often lead patients to thriving credit collection agencies.
Not all cost increases can be attributed to the profit drive. Innovative new treatments are often expensive. Health care providers may also charge more than what your health insurance company claims is reasonable. But there’s a clear juxtaposition between billions of dollars and funds in these politically difficult times. United Healthcare Revenue and its competitors, and the suffering of those who have to pay for life-saving treatment.
Sympathy for Mangione appears to be growing online as he remains in custody and makes his first court appearance this week. In Altoona, Pennsylvania, where he was arrested, community members and police officers received death threats. And the McDonald’s where he was spotted was flooded with negative reviews online. In Baltimore, near Mangione’s hometown, signs reading “Reject, Defend, Resign” and “Medical 4 All” have appeared along State Route 83. baltimore flag A news site reported. The slogan matches words scrawled on ammunition recovered by detectives near the scene of Thompson’s shooting and reflects language used by critics of the health insurance industry, the NYPD said last week. That’s what it means.
The circumstances of Thompson’s murder and the backlash from insurance opponents pose challenges for politicians. Maryland’s Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday that when he was 3 years old, he watched his father die without getting the treatment he needed. “The failure of the health care system is something that I’ve always had and it’s something that’s still on my mind,” he said. “We also know that the way we solve things is not by killing people in cold blood,” Moore said in Baltimore. He called for justice for Thompson and his family, adding, “There are two teenagers growing up in Minnesota right now, just like me, without a father.”
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential nominee, condemned those celebrating Mangione. “He’s not a hero,” Shapiro said. “In America, we don’t kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express our views,” he said. “Engaging in this makes us all less safe,” he added.
But as Mr. Mangione’s case progresses to court, he could become a cause for concern and highlight the frustration many Americans have with their insurance companies. In that sense, Thompson’s murder highlights one of the most important policy challenges that governors, state and federal lawmakers, and the president have consistently failed to resolve, contributing to the anxiety about the country’s governing institutions. did.
Penny, the Marine Corps veteran who was acquitted in the Neely case, gave his first interview to Fox News. “I don’t want attention or praise, and I still don’t want that,” he said in a preliminary video aired Tuesday. And he said the witness would have felt guilty if someone had been hurt by threatening Mr Neely on the train. “I’m willing to go to court a million times and endure being called names and being hated just to make sure one of them doesn’t get hurt or killed,” Penny said. said.
For many conservatives, the incident was embarrassing. “Thank God, justice was served in this case. It was a scandal that Penny was prosecuted in the first place,” Vice President-elect J.D. Vance wrote on Monday X.
The idea that citizens act to protect others, and the perception that they are being persecuted by what critics see as liberal prosecutorial overreach, is something of a silver lining for right-wing media. For example, Fox News host Sean Hannity said in a monologue Tuesday night that for “so many on the left,” this incident “is not about truth or justice or even lives.” For them, it’s a political game. ”
Ironically, the same New York jury system that many writers in right-wing publications argued was hopelessly biased when Trump was convicted in the Manhattan hush-money scandal earlier this year is supported. (Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty in the case, whose judgment was deferred after the November election.)
However, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (Democratic) has also been strongly criticized. He is the Democrat whose case led to Trump becoming the first former president ever to be convicted of a crime and also prosecuting the Penny case.
In an interview with Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, Penny criticized New York City officials, saying they were pursuing politically motivated policies that were “clearly not working.” He complained about policies that “the people and the general public do not support, but their egos are too big to admit that they are wrong.”
But outside the courtroom Monday, attorneys for Neely’s father and family said the jury’s verdict was a poor reflection of the criminal justice system. “I miss my son. My son didn’t have to go through this. I didn’t have to go through this,” Andre Zachary said. “It hurts, it really hurts. What are you guys going to do? What’s going to happen to us? I’m tired of this. The system is rigged.”
Critics of the verdict questioned whether it would have been the same if the tables had been turned and Penny had been black and Neely white. This is not the first case where people question whether justice was served because of race. And although the criminal case against Penny is over, Penny faces a civil lawsuit from Neely’s father for causing Neely’s death.
While the jury’s decision means Penny is considered vindicated in the eyes of the law, media coverage surrounding the case shows how perceptions of the tragedy are influenced by political views and media diet. This brings to light a new example of how this can be done.
One of the current questions is that conservative critics who have attacked prosecutors say violence and intimidation do not justify, but can contribute to mental health, homelessness, drug use and social disorder, which can lead to The question is whether to reflect on issues such as sexual situations. These are also concerns for Democratic mayors and governors after an election that saw Trump gain even in blue states amid a perception that the party in the White House is indifferent to the issues facing most Americans. It should be a matter of fact.
Meanwhile, the only response to the backlash against big health care companies after Thompson’s murder is that CEOs are panicking about their own safety rather than considering the frustrations many Americans have with their insurance companies. It seems only.
President Trump and his administration will have less than 5 1/2 weeks to address the most vexing problems facing Americans after the president-elect cited urban crime and high health care costs at a rally. It turns out.
It’s natural to wonder whether the new president, who has only had a “concept” for a plan to replace Obamacare and who has often used racial rhetoric to demonize cities, really cares about the outcome.
But it’s not just Trump’s problem. Two separate events in New York set off a political aftershock that shows the U.S. political system is fundamentally unable to solve some of society’s most serious problems. And what will happen as a result?
