It’s all just so fucking sad to have to watch. And so many people that should have solidarity are being turned against each other AND falling into the trap of harboring anger toward other disadvantaged people. We need to keep the eye on the real war: class, not culture. It’s the only way out. And the culture war hawks will be out in full force trying to turn the rest of us against each other.

I hope Mexico retaliates by renaming Baja California

“Thanks, Obama”

The stink may fade, but the stain will stain endure much longer, so to say

And Heartmelon. By their powers combined: Captain Melon!

The lettuce was bought, in the car on the way home, and just before arriving it was tossed out the window

Like lobster!

Yes, I’m with you on all of that, I just want to point out the last part - the “makes it even worse” part - needs to be zoomed in on in full detail here to make sure the proper amount of blame (a fuckload) gets spread among the proper targets (several). AW has his hands in running not only the insurance and managed care side of things, which he and BT probably very well did collaborate like you described, but he also had his hands in running Optum, which according to the UHG wiki was involved these things:

It is organized into three businesses:

• OptumHealth – provides primary and secondary care.[74][75]
• OptumInsight – provides data analytics, technology, and operations services.[74]
• OptumRX – provides pharmacy services.[74] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UnitedHealth_Group#Organizational_structure

So I really feel like highlighting this Andrew Witty guy as being extra-Brian Thompson is something that should be highlighted. AW was playing all sides of the healthcare system to maximize profits. Insurance, sure, but also they were working it from the angles of also owning the doctors in primary and secondary care, plus pharmacy services, plus an entire data farm operation that was most definitely not meant to make sure customers get maximum access to healthcare. He’s just an extra-super-mega fuckstick, beyond what I feel like I can put into words, you know?

edit: also, there are CEOs for all the other subsidiaries, naturally, but the point really is that the folks at the various Optum businesses and the folks at the various UHC businesses all had different focuses in how they fucked people, whereas Andrew Witty was the head of the company that had the unified vision on how to utilize both divisions to murder more people that either could have done independently

Well, yes and no. BT ran a subdivision of the giant megacorp, called UnitedHealth Care. Andrew Witty (I think, I’m not wasting energy looking his name up to make sure I spelled it correctly) is the CEO of that larger, even worse corp, called UnitedHealth Group. And he makes the real murderbux.

It matters for history. This moment in history will likely be seen in hindsight as pivotal (edit: in the US, I mean , at least /edit) and all the public, widely distributed media possible to document it will help ensure future generations have a chance to get a better look at the attempts to hold the Teflon one accountable.

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It’s always good to have a favor in with the big guy, after all! And who’s got closer access to an ear…

I mean, he’s pretty unapologetically Catholic, this isn’t hard for me to believe

RATM… Killing in the Name Of

Weird how we have to pay more money every single year, and insurance somehow provides us less and less for our greater and greater spend

Inheritees are probably going to feel disincentivized to hold on to anywhere close to a billion dollars for themselves, I’d imagine, so there’s that at least

Tesla vehicle experiencing transportation dysphoria?

Omg, I have read your shelf and furniture assembly instruction documents before and I just want to say, I’m a huge fan

Propublica just continues to put out great journalism. It seems crazy, but there is a part of this article that is basically a side note and simultaneously is also illuminating about another issue on the public mind recently:

But there was also an Ohio OB-GYN on the national board of directors — he used to work for the Cleveland Clinic, I discovered, and now led a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group. The doctor was joined at board meetings by a city prosecutor in Utah, an ex-city council member and, Williams was later told, a sergeant with an Illinois sheriff’s department. (The doctor did not respond to requests for comment. He has since left his post with the UnitedHealth subsidiary, a spokesperson for the company said.)

This is the calibre of doctors that UHC apparently relies on to inform them how to best “enhance profits” by denying “unnecessary care”, and it’s not remotely surprising at this point.

A modern day Carrington Event would probably fuck us up pretty bad, so in a way, I’m right there with you

It was seriously bad!

And we’re seriously unprepared, despite knowing it’s a game of chance while we wait!