Less than two weeks after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down on the streets of midtown Manhattan, his alleged assassin Luigi Mangione has been greeted not by universal condemnation for the brazen violence – but rather, a surge of enthusiastic support online for his so-called vigilante justice.
The Center for Internet Security (CIS), a nonprofit focused on cybersecurity that partners with government and law enforcement, released a new threat assessment bulletin warning that online support for the alleged shooter risks encouraging copycat attacks.
“Overwhelming bipartisan support for the attack” across social media “has resulted in several narratives encouraging similar violent activities directed at other healthcare executive teams,” CIS analysts said.
“The narratives supporting Mangione’s targeted attack likely serve to encourage like-minded individuals, particularly as Mangione continues to be viewed by the public as an ‘American hero’ and sympathetic figure,” CIS’ bulletin said.
Let’s compare:
Osama Bin Ladin/Brian Robert Thompson
Number killed by own hands: 0/0
Number killed through orders to underlings: 3,000/51,000
Reason for killings: religious and geopolitical reasons/profit motive
Cause of death: execution by gunshot/execution by gunshot
Date of trial for killings: N/A / N/A
Date of issue of death sentence for killings: N/A / N/A
Response to killing: celebration by US president on national TV, celebration by commoners and elites / celebration by commoners, condemnation by elite.
Consequence to assassins for extra-judicial slaying: national praise / indicted for 2nd degree murder
Race and class: weird Arab guy in traditional garb / rich white man in a a suit
Osama bin Laden was pretty wealthy too. His family owns a massive Saudi construction company: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Binladin_Group