Justice Beyond the Individual: Confronting Systemic Harm for Lasting Change
The recent killing of a healthcare company CEO has sparked widespread debate—not just about individual accountability, but about the systems that perpetuate harm. This event raises urgent questions: How do we achieve justice in a world where injustice is woven into the fabric of our institutions? How do we confront harm effectively without losing focus on the larger picture?
It’s tempting to frame this as a story about one person—an allegedly harmful CEO and the person who executed them. But this is far from the full story. The deeper issue isn’t about individuals; it’s about the systems that empower them and incentivize their actions.
Justice, in this context, demands we look beyond retribution and focus on dismantling the frameworks of harm.
The Problem Is the System
Corporations like UnitedHealthcare epitomize a capitalist system that prioritizes profit over people. Decisions made within this framework routinely deny life-saving care, reducing human lives to numbers on a balance sheet. The moral outrage is undeniable.
But what does removing a single CEO accomplish? While individuals play roles in perpetuating harm, they are ultimately replaceable cogs in a larger machine. If one is removed, the system simply installs another. The injustice continues unabated because the mechanisms that produce it remain firmly in place.
This is why our focus must shift from individuals to the structures and incentives that allow such harm to persist. The problem isn’t just the people making harmful decisions—it’s the system that demands those decisions in the first place.
Justice Versus Retribution
The death of the CEO raises another crucial question: What does justice actually look like? True justice isn’t about revenge or satisfying the collective desire to see a “bad guy” punished. It’s about accountability, but it’s also about addressing the conditions that allow harm to flourish.
Justice in this case would mean more than the death of a single CEO. It would involve exposing the systemic failures that allowed a corporation like UnitedHealthcare to profit from denying care. It would mean creating a new system where such actions are not only illegal but unthinkable.
A trial, for example, could have brought to light the extent of the harm caused—not just by the individual but by the company and the system it operates within. While a trial wouldn’t bring back the lives lost to denied care, it could catalyze broader change by laying bare the need for systemic reform.
Accountability for individuals is important, but without systemic change, it becomes an empty gesture—a Band-Aid on a wound that requires surgery.
The Limitations of Violence
I understand the frustration that leads some to celebrate acts of violence against powerful figures. In a world where voting and advocacy often feel futile, violence can seem like the only way to enact change.
But does targeting individuals actually dismantle the systems that perpetuate injustice? The answer, in most cases, is no. The machine rolls on, unaffected by the removal of one cog.
This isn’t to say systemic change can always happen peacefully or that direct action, including property destruction, is never justified. But violence against individuals risks distracting us from the larger fight. It risks conflating people with systems.
Systems, Not People, Are the Enemy
It’s vital to remember that systems—not people—are the real enemies. Systems corrupt, allow for corruption, and protect injustice. Systems incarcerate minorities at alarming rates, shield white supremacy, and let capital owners exploit with impunity.
These systems must be demolished, and violence may be necessary in that process. But this violence must target the structures of harm, not individuals. Shooting a CEO accomplishes nothing. It doesn’t bring down the system; it only perpetuates the cycle of dehumanization.
People, no matter how complicit they may seem, are capable of change. Given the right circumstances and systems, they could make better choices, even contribute positively to society. By killing them, we eliminate that possibility and do nothing to stop the exploitation and inequality that persist.
Justice in a Post-Capitalist World
True justice will never exist under capitalism because capitalism’s justice system serves those with capital. It’s not designed to protect the vulnerable or hold the powerful accountable.
Imagine a system where the accumulation of wealth is no longer humanity’s driving force. A system where decisions about healthcare, housing, and education prioritize human well-being over profit margins. Such a system wouldn’t erase the harm caused by capitalism, but it could prevent future harm and ensure no one else suffers for someone else’s gain.
This vision of justice requires us to dismantle oppressive systems and build equitable ones in their place. It’s not about breaking a few eggs; it’s about creating a world where no one has to suffer for someone else’s profit.
Choosing the Right Fight
The death of one CEO won’t dismantle capitalism. It won’t bring justice to the millions who have suffered under this system. Instead, it risks distracting us from the real fight: the systemic changes necessary to build a better world.
To create a just world, we must resist the urge to focus solely on individuals. Our energy must go toward dismantling the structures of oppression and replacing them with systems that value human dignity and equity.
Justice isn’t about retribution. It’s about envisioning a world where harm is no longer possible, where systems prioritize care and fairness over exploitation. Let’s not lose sight of that. Let’s choose the right fight.