Killing of health insurance CEO exposes angst in America

The arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione in Altoona, Pennsylvania was a big step toward solving the mystery surrounding the assassination of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson last week in Manhattan.

But prosecution of a murder case against Mangione will do little to salve the deeper diseases in our body politic. The killing of Thompson unleashed a torrent of frustration with America's health care system and its methods of containing costs to increase profits. Tens of thousands of people spoke of their grievances on social media and in other forums, citing a litany of familiar problems — exploding medical debt, endemic surprise billing, needed procedures routinely denied, difficulties in seeing a doctor or even talking to one on the phone. The tales of discontent were endless.

For some people, Mangione was an avatar of their angst, a masked crusader who expressed their rage. But no matter the justification, there is no defense for what he is accused of doing. Violence is not an acceptable recourse. His alleged actions demand that we step back from chuckling at or reinforcing the sentiments of cleverly snarky social media posts and ask ourselves whether the celebration of a killing marks our descent into a dark and insidious place. "Deny, Defend, Depose" is the new cry aligning the far right and far left against corporate America.

Agitation seems a near-daily part of the life cycle. It's a feeling that powerful people and institutions — whether that's the health care system, insurance companies, government, the courts, big corporations, law enforcement, or the wealthy — are harming regular folks or keeping them down. The rich and powerful are more rich and powerful than ever. The rest of us are further from that than we've ever been. And we've seen throughout history what happens when people feel powerless against forces much larger than them.

Emerging from this stew of anger and frustration is a worrisome trend toward lawlessness. It's fights at public meetings, rage on our roads, and, yes, targeted shootings. Alarmingly, millions of us seem to be cheering on the lawlessness. It's no wonder corporate heads are scrambling to bolster their security. But what we really need is someone scrambling to fix the problems. Thompson's slaying could be a turning point, but in which direction: more upheaval or a recognition by corporate America of a disconnect with the public?

The political movement is toward populism. How will both major parties position themselves to address this anxiety, beginning with the Republicans who soon will control all levers of the federal government? How will they rise to the challenge of supporting capitalism while trying to respond to the sentiment that corporate responsibility is waning?

And can we rise to our own challenge? We know what's ailing us. We know we need help. Can we reject the actions of those who inflame our problems, no matter how satisfying it might seem?