This week in OtherWords, Sam Pizzigati explains the anger behind the public’s apparently jubilant response to the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare. “All private insurers profit by denying help to sick people who need it,” he writes, but United went above and beyond, denying claims at double the rate of other insurers last year.
“With Thompson’s death, America’s health care powers feel and fear the American public’s anger now more than ever,” Sam concludes. “The rest of us need to channel that anger toward ending this system that’s failed America’s health. We need to remake health care into a vital public service — not a tool for profit.”
Meanwhile, Syrian American columnist Farrah Hassen takes stock of the remarkable events in her ancestral home, where longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad has finally fled after 14 years of brutal war. It’s a jubilant moment, but also weighted with worry about the future. She calls on all countries, including the U.S., to lift sanctions and refrain from interfering in Syria as long-suffering Syrians try to put their country back together.
Also this week, Sherlea Dony shares a compelling personal story about falling into poverty as a retired person, explaining why it’ll be so important to protect the safety net in the next administration. And speech scientist and pathologist Eric S. Jackson calls on President-elect Trump’s supporters to reject his routine disparagement of people with disabilities.
New This Week…
Anger Explodes at Health Care CEOs | Sam Pizzigati
Private insurers profit by denying help to sick people. When a CEO was murdered, Americans said just how they feel about that system.
Syria at the Crossroads | Farrah Hassen
Assad’s fall is worth celebrating, but I still worry for my relatives and friends in the deeply fractured country.
Nearly Half of Older Americans Can’t Afford Basic Needs | Sherlea Dony
The next administration wants to slash the social safety net. That would be devastating for seniors like me.
Mocking the Disabled Is Cruel and Immoral — Especially When the President Does It | Eric S. Jackson
As a speech scientist and speech-language pathologist, I hope Donald Trump’s supporters will push back on his mockery of people with disabilities.
In Case You Missed It…
Let’s Make This a Season of Giving, Not Hoarding | Chuck Collins and Bella DeVaan
Billionaires and Wall Street exploit our charitable giving laws to dodge taxes and collect fees, hurting real charities in the process.
“Gas on a Dumpster Fire”: Immigration Policy Under Trump 2.0 | Aspen Coriz-Romero
Immigrant advocates explain what’s at stake for children seeking safety at the border under the next administration.
If Republicans Can Take My Rights Away Today, They’ll Take Yours Tomorrow | Robin S.C. Griffin
The GOP’s attacks on trans people are setting a stage for a broader assault on rights we all enjoy.
Democracy Doesn’t End on Election Day | Joanna DiStefano
Now’s not the time to tune out — nor to take our newly elected leaders at their word.
