Michael Moore, the Oscar-winning documentarian reportedly mentioned in the manifesto of suspected killer Luigi Mangione, has responded to the case.
Mangione was arrested last week on suspicion of shooting dead Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Some have applauded what happened, which may have been motivated by ire at the private healthcare system in the US.
Moore has frequently tackled the for-profit healthcare industry, in particular in 2007 film Sicko, and wrote an open letter in response to repeated media requests for comment, following the news that the film-maker was reportedly cited in Mangione’s own writings.
“After the killing of the CEO of United HealthCare,” wrote Moore, “the largest of these billion dollar insurance companies, there was an immediate OUTPOURING of anger toward the health insurance industry. Some people have stepped forward to condemn this anger. I am not one of them.
“The anger is 1000% justified. It is long overdue for the media to cover it. It is not new. It has been boiling. And I’m not going to tamp it down or ask people to shut up. I want to pour gasoline on that anger.”
Moore continued: “Because this anger is not about the killing of a CEO. If everyone who was angry was ready to kill the CEOs, the CEOs would already be dead. That is not what this reaction is about. It is about the mass death and misery – the physical pain, the mental abuse, the medical debt, the bankruptcies in the face of denied claims and denied care and bottomless deductibles on top of ballooning premiums – that this ‘health care’ industry has levied against the American people for decades. With no one standing in their way! Just a government – two broken parties – enabling this INDUSTRY’s theft and, yes, murder.
“And now the press is calling me to ask, ‘Why are people angry, Mike? Do you condemn murder, Mike?’
“Yes, I condemn murder, and that’s why I condemn America’s broken, vile, rapacious, bloodthirsty, unethical, immoral health care industry …”
“But don’t get me wrong. No one needs to die,” added Moore. “In fact, that’s my point. No one needs to die – no one should die because they don’t ‘have’ health insurance. Not one single person should die because their ‘health insurance’ denies their health care in order to make a buck or Thirty Two Billion Bucks.”
