How Luigi Mangioneās Moment Can Spark Real Change in Healthcare
011
From Memes to Movements: Turning Luigi Mangioneās Moment Into Real Change
Luigi Mangioneāthe man who's now been accused of assassinating the United Healthcare CEOāis everywhere. And I mean everywhere. You canāt scroll through social media without seeing memes of him. DJs are putting his face into their sets like heās the next big trend. There was even a United Healthcare CEO killer lookalike contest. Hell, SNL had to get in on the action, tooāthey couldn't resist poking fun at the situation. But letās be real: the question everyoneās asking is whether the killing of Brian Thompson will lead to real change, or just another viral moment that fades into the ether.
Here's the truth: it could lead to something substantial, but only if we stop settling for the surface-level noise of memes. Thatās just a distraction. What we need is a true coalition of Luigisāand before you panic, no, Iām not talking about the whole ākilling peopleā part. I mean the part of Luigi that got so fed up with a system as rotten as this one that he decided to take action. Thatās the fire we need to harnessānot some fleeting fascination with a guy whoāll be forgotten the second the next meme blows up. It means nothing if we donāt organize, rally, and turn this outrage into tangible political or revolutionary change.
Sure, there have been some small wins in the wake of the shootingāAnthem Blue Cross reversed their plan to cap anesthesia coverage, and Atrium Health wiped out medical debt for 11,500 people in North Carolinaābut letās not kid ourselves: thatās a drop in the bucket. The real fight is still ahead of us, and itās going to be a long, ugly slog. Politicians like Gov. Kathy Hochul and other New York state officials are working overtime to protect health insurance CEOs, while they actively undermine our well-being. Theyāre even thinking of setting up a hotline for CEOs to report "perceived threats." Yeah, you read that rightāwhile weāre drowning in their profit margins, these politicians are getting cozy with the bloodsuckers. But whatās new?
The fact that people can make a profit off my healthāmy healthāisnāt just messed up, itās morally bankrupt. But hereās where it gets even worse. The political class and the media? Theyāre all complicit. They prop up this system, make it seem normal, make it seem like thereās no way out. Fighting back? Itās tough as hell, but itās not impossible. Not impossibleāunless we let this moment slip away, distracted by the next viral hashtag or meme.
And before you say, āBut, whereās the hope?ā Take a look at South Korea. Right now, theyāre showing us how to turn outrage into action. For months, South Koreans have been protesting President Yoon Suk Yeolās increasingly authoritarian measuresāincluding an attempt to implement martial law to crush dissent. But the people didnāt just shrug and scroll on. They hit the streets. Their protests grew bigger, bolder, louder. Their message? We wonāt be silenced by corrupt leaders serving their own interests. Fast forward to today, and Yoonās political standing is in serious jeopardy. The peopleās collective outcry forced an MP vote that moved the country closer to impeaching him.
That? That is real collective action. Not just hashtag activism or viral memes. Thatās people rising up, pushing back against a government that wasnāt listening, standing up for a system that was failing them. They fought. They made their anger count. And now? Theyāre forcing change. Iām not gonna lie, Iām a little jealous.
Back to America, though: the question isnāt whether Luigi Mangione has our attentionāhe does. The question is whether weāre going to let this moment slip away, or whether weāre going to be the generation that takes the fight to those whoāve been profiting off our suffering for decades. The memes? Cute, but theyāre not the answer. Itās time to build, organize, and demand powerānot for the CEOs, but for us. If South Korea can bring a president to his knees, surely we can tear down a healthcare system that profits off our pain.
Oh, and by the way, letās not forget: Luigi has now been charged with terrorism for Brian Thompsonās killing. Just another glaring example of the double standard that we all know too well at this point. Daniel Penny, who murdered a homeless Black man in a subway car, got to party with Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Luigiās momentāwhatever you think of itāis treated as an act of terrorism. Does anyone else see the problem here?
Trump Wants to Destroy the One Government Service That Actually Works: The USPS
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the workers' revolt brewing inside the United States Postal Service, as employees battle for fair wages and safer working conditions. Postal workers are the unsung heroes of American society, quietly keeping the country connected. And letās be realāthe USPS is one of the few government programs that actually works. But Donald Trump has other plans.
This week, Trump has confirmed his plans to dismantle the Postal Service. Naturally, this is just one of his many chaotic plans to roll out as we brace ourselves for the imminent return of the Trump administration. Apparently, the Postal Serviceās financial losses have him worried, so heās considering privatization. And, unsurprisingly, heās been consulting his commerce secretary pick, Howard Lutnickāyet another billionaire with questionable intentions.
Trumpās cozy relationships with billionaires, like Amazonās Jeff Bezos, explain the whole thing. After all, if the USPS goes private, maybe Bezos could buy the whole damn thing. This isn't a new endeavor for Trump. His appointed Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, has been dismantling the institution from the inside since 2020, removing mail sorting machines, and tanking delivery speedsāespecially in communities of color.
But letās be clear: privatizing the USPS isnāt a simple task. The service is enshrined in the Constitution, and both sides of the aisle have long considered it an essential public service. So, no, it wonāt be an easy feat. But if there's one thing Trump excels at, itās making everything harder for everyone. Heās proven time and time again that when it comes to chaos, thereās no such thing as "too much."
Media and Oligarchy: How the Press Paved the Way for America's Elite
Bernie Sanders made waves this week on Meet the Press, warning that the U.S. is rapidly heading into an oligarchic society. āWe are moving rapidly into an oligarchic form of society... we can't go around the world saying, āin Russia, Putin has an oligarchy.ā Well, we got an oligarchy here too,ā he said, pointing out the hypocrisy of condemning oligarchy abroad while our own system has become just as entrenched.
Sanders highlighted the concentration of wealth and power among a few elite players, especially Wall Street and the billionaire class, who now hold an overwhelming influence over U.S. politics. The result? A political system rigged to protect the interests of those at the top. Sanders was particularly sharp about how billionaires used their fortunes to sway recent electionsāsomething that would make even the most well-dressed oligarch in Moscow blush.
But the truth is, the media has been an accomplice in the rise of American oligarchy. Take Trump, for example. Leading up to the 2016 election, mainstream outlets were practically frothing at the mouth about how much of a threat Trump was to democracy. But after his win? Suddenly, it's āletās give him a chanceā and āmaybe we were too harsh.ā Itās as if a dangerous authoritarian wasnāt elected at all, but just a misunderstood businessman who needs a little more air time to warm up.
The media has become the PR arm for the powerful, helping to perpetuate the myth that things are fine while the oligarchs continue to rake in power and wealth. Instead of challenging the status quo, theyāre too often in bed with it. So when Sanders calls out the oligarchy, he's not just talking about billionairesāheās talking about the media that helps keep it all in place.
šŗ Behind the Mask
Playing: Marvel Rivals
Alright, letās be honest hereāIāve got just one thing for yāall this week. Between work, workouts, writing, and some last-minute Christmas shopping, Marvel Rivals has completely taken over my life. So much so, I actually bought a PS5 just to play it. Yep, you heard that rightāI bought a PS5. But hey, the pull was too strong to ignore. And let me tell you, itās been so worth it.
Iām not usually the type to dive into third-person shooters, but this game? Hooked. As a lifelong Marvel fan (both the Studios and the comics), the level of detail theyāve packed into the characters, their powers, team-ups, and those insane maps has sparked pure joy in my heart. And as a proud Cloak & Dagger main, Iām absolutely loving the chance to throw down with my favorite duo. Honestly, I might be a little obsessed.