American Kleptocracy

Why has Luigi Mangione, slayer of healthcare CEO what's-his-name, become a modern-day folk-hero?

Easily told.

He's cute.

Yes, Americans really are this superficial. So were the ancient Greeks.

People love the beautiful. Studies show again and again that the good-looking regularly receive better grades and lighter sentences than the rest of us.

Is this really news to anyone?

People hate the American healthcare industry.

We hate its greed, we hate its unfairness, we hate its untouchability. Get sick, risk financial ruin.

We're sick of a so-called “healthcare” industry that actually prioritizes profit over care.

With its uncaring, (literal) life-and-death power over us all, why in the world wouldn't we?

People hate the corporate takeover of America.

Corporations run America, and we hate it. Why in the world wouldn't we?

It's even official, now that the president elect, himself a convicted criminal, is appointing his fellow kleptocrats to “legally” run things.

Even supposed left-leaning billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg are now lining up to—you'll pardon my Yiddish—lekh Trump im tukhis.*

Of course we hate it.

People are sick of having no recourse.

Americans have lost confidence in a bought-and-paid-for “justice” system from which the wealthy can buy any verdict they like.

When even the Supreme Court is corrupt, what other recourse is there?

I certainly don't condone what Mangione did, but there's a groundswell of anger and frustration behind and beneath him.

CEOs of America, I hope you're listening.

*For the Yiddish-impaired, that's "lick Trump's assh*le".