Murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO

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Assuming this is actually his manifesto, here’s a quote from this:

United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart.

That’s wrong, but interesting, because I saw another recent claim that it’s the 4th most profitable company in the USA, which is also wrong. There is an original source of disinformation that’s getting modified along the way because nobody is being careful with the truth.

ETA: The company is roughly 30th in terms of worldwide profits.

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NPR just reported something like eighth most profitable in the world? Or did I mishear?

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Ranking of profitable companies is off topic

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I really thought that the person responsible would have had a specific personal beef with insurers and their refusal to pay. That doesn’t seem the case here. Although he clearly had health issues it doesn’t appear that he had a problem obtaining or affording health care.

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I do think it’s different.

I think as a society we have become highly desensitized to violence. Sadly, I think it has evolved out of necessity - it’s a defense mechanism.

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Wow… his family donated so much money to so many organizations. They even have this named after them

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NYT is reporting that Mangione apparently posted that he had minor backpains that went bad after surfing, and slipped on a piece of paper, which caused pain, twitching leg muscles, and numbness. Had spinal fusion surgery where he claimed he didn’t need pain meds and could move easily after days.

Also brain fog since college that had worsened but doctors couldn’t figure it out.
Mentioned Blue Cross Shield, but that’s it.

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I find it interesting that when the police approached him and talked to him at the McDonald’s, he was shaking like a leaf, but today when the reporters were out in droves with cameras to film him being moved from the police vehicle into the law enforcement facility, he suddenly got an awful lot of bravado in him and tried to make a big scene.

Nice try, buddy. Not buyin’ it.

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I’m one of many who wouldn’t be able to confidently connect the suspect photos to the individual in question.

If I saw the person on the right eating at McDonald’s, I wouldn’t feel certain enough to contact the police based on the photo on the left.

On top of that, humans naturally assess probabilities. What are the chances I’d end up in the same place as a notorious suspected murderer? If I even noticed a resemblance (highly doubtful), I’d likely dismiss it as someone who just “looks kind of like” the suspect. I am impressed the two people at McDonalds were able to make the connection.

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And, thanks to ChatGPT, here are some reasons the photo wouldn’t be recognizable to friends and relatives:

Friends and relatives might not recognize a suspect photo for several reasons:

  1. Changes in Appearance:

The suspect may look significantly different from the photo due to weight changes, facial hair, hairstyle, or aging. Even subtle changes can make someone appear unrecognizable.

  1. Photo Quality:

Grainy, blurry, or low-resolution images make it harder to identify someone, even for people who know them well.

  1. Lighting and Angles:

Photos taken in poor lighting or from unflattering angles can distort facial features, making it hard to match the image to someone in real life.

  1. Cognitive Bias:

People may not associate someone they know with criminal activity, even if there’s a resemblance. This mental block can prevent them from seeing the connection.

  1. Emotional Influence:

Friends and relatives often view a person through a lens of familiarity and affection. This emotional bond can cloud their ability to objectively compare the image to the person.

  1. Memory Limitations:

Humans rely on specific cues to recognize people, such as voice, mannerisms, or context. Without those cues, a static image might not trigger recognition.

  1. Contextual Disconnect:

The idea that someone they know could be linked to a crime might seem so improbable that they dismiss any resemblance as a coincidence.

These factors combine to create significant challenges in matching suspect photos to real-life individuals, even for those closest to them.

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He sure struggled against law enforcement today with no deleterious effects.

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Agree. Though compared with photos/videos, I thought he looked absolutely physically exhausted. Being on the run must be quite taxing both physically and mentally/emotionally. I’ve read a couple of books on Bonnie and Clyde and their gang, and they were absolutely frazzled by their lifestyle. There was no glamour such as their adoring public imagined. It was nothing but sleep deprivation, borderline starvation, terrible personal hygiene, and emotional stress.

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I once went to a lecture by Bill Ayers…the 60’s radical who lived underground for years with his family. He was asked about what he found most unexpected about that experience and he said something like “ Well you do need to do a surprising amount of laundry if it’s all not simply going to go to he**”.

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Photos are out of shooter from the McDonald’s where he was arrested. Honestly, he was foolish to have kept wearing the mask. That was what drew attention to him. If he had not been wearing the mask in the restaurant, he wouldn’t have stood out.

His writings and his behavior make me think more and more that he had onset of schizophrenia in the past year or two.

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https://www.nytimes./2024/12/10/nyregion/unitedhealthcare-brian-thompson-funeral.html

Perhaps lost in the news frenzy about Luigi Mangione, Brian Thompson was laid to rest on Monday.

His poor family, I cannot imagine losing someone in a violent, senseless act and then having the vocal public pile on in support of the person responsible :frowning: I read that Joe Rogan said something to the effect of “besides his family, no one will mourn this guy.”

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Maybe I missed it. But where was this guy living. Did they go to his home to investigate yet? I would imagine he had to have alot of evidence there

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That and he should have taken off the beanie.

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I’m very much aware of issues in the health insurance system and personally not a fan. But that was a very nasty comment.

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We can hope that good will come of this if there could be rethinking of our system and reduction in suffering. For those who think that Mangione was having a mental health crisis, that too should have attention when we redo health systems in this country.

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