When Success Becomes Sin

The frightening thing about America’s new politics isn’t just the rage, it's who it's aimed at.

The frightening thing about America’s new politics isn’t just the rage. It’s who the rage is now aimed at: not corrupt dictators, not violent criminals, not people accused of atrocities, but successful people. Builders. Executives. Entrepreneurs. Anyone who has achieved enough to become a symbol of “the system.”

This week, outside a Manhattan courthouse, the NY Post reported on a trio of self described “Mangionistas” who openly glorified the alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. They mocked his death. They sneered at his children. They wore 1980s aerobics clothing. And they were given press passes.

Photo: NY Post

That’s right. These weren’t anonymous trolls hiding behind burner accounts. They were credentialed by New York City as members of the press.

One woman declared Thompson’s children were “better off without him.” Another compared the killing to the death of Osama bin Laden. Another fantasized about politicians “hanging in the town square.”

Pause for a moment and consider how insane this is. CEO Brian Thompson was not accused of murder. He was not a cartel boss. He was not a war criminal. He was an executive, a businessman who climbed to the top of a massive American company through decades of work.

You can dislike the healthcare system. You can criticize insurance companies. That is part of democracy. But we have crossed into something darker when assassination becomes morally fashionable because the victim was wealthy and successful.

And this sickness is not isolated to a few deranged social media activists. Increasingly, as I wrote about days ago, our political culture rewards the public humiliation of successful people simply for being successful.

Look at Zohran Mamdani’s recent attempt to publicly shame billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin. Griffin, regardless of whether you agree with his politics, is one of the most successful businessmen in America, employing thousands of people and helping drive enormous economic activity. Yet in certain political circles, his success alone is treated as evidence of moral guilt.

That is the new creed taking hold on parts of the American left. Achievement itself is suspect. Wealth is evidence of exploitation. Business success is proof of villainy. If you build a company, create jobs, or accumulate wealth, you are no longer merely criticized. You are dehumanized…and once people are dehumanized, violence becomes easier to justify.

History is full of societies that went down this road. It never ends well. Class warfare always begins with rhetoric about “the rich” and “the elites,” but eventually it metastasizes into something uglier: a moral hierarchy where certain human beings are considered less worthy of empathy, protection, or even life itself.

What’s especially disturbing is how casual this rhetoric has become. Social media has turned envy into entertainment. Algorithms reward outrage. Young activists are taught that rage is virtue and destruction is authenticity. In that environment, successful people stop being seen as individuals with families, children, and lives. They become avatars for resentment.

The result is a culture where an innocent, murdered CEO is mocked online, where calls for violence are treated as edgy political commentary, and where ideological intimidation masquerades as justice.

Mamdani Is Destroying The Tax Base His Stupid Ideas Desperately Need

None of this means wealthy people are beyond criticism. Of course they are not. I’ve met multiple billionaires in my life and found most of them boring and self-absorbed. There’s a few I haven’t met that I detest. But there is a profound moral difference between criticizing power and celebrating murder.

America once admired ambition. We once taught people to aspire, to build, to invent, to succeed. Now too many voices in our culture teach the opposite: resent success, punish excellence, tear down anyone who rises too high. To push such an attitude in New York City, the beacon of prosperity, hope and success in our country, is unfathomable.

That is not fairness or the “equity” that these morons push for. It is nihilism. And if we continue down this path, where envy becomes ideology and success becomes a target, we are going to end up in a very ugly place.

How did we get like this? What have we become?

QTR’s Disclaimer: Please read my full legal disclaimer on my About page here. This post represents my opinions only. In addition, please understand I am an idiot and often get things wrong and lose money. I may own or transact in any names mentioned in this piece at any time without warning. Contributor posts and aggregated posts have been hand selected by me, have not been fact checked and are the opinions of their authors. They are either submitted to QTR by their author, reprinted under a Creative Commons license with my best effort to uphold what the license asks, or with the permission of the author.

This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks or securities, just my opinions. I often lose money on positions I trade/invest in. I may add any name mentioned in this article and sell any name mentioned in this piece at any time, without further warning. None of this is a solicitation to buy or sell securities. I may or may not own names I write about and are watching. Sometimes I’m bullish without owning things, sometimes I’m bearish and do own things. Just assume my positions could be exactly the opposite of what you think they are just in case. If I’m long I could quickly be short and vice versa. I won’t update my positions. All positions can change immediately as soon as I publish this, with or without notice and at any point I can be long, short or neutral on any position. You are on your own. Do not make decisions based on my blog. I exist on the fringe. If you see numbers and calculations of any sort, assume they are wrong and double check them. I failed Algebra in 8th grade and topped off my high school math accolades by getting a D- in remedial Calculus my senior year, before becoming an English major in college so I could bullshit my way through things easier.

The publisher does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this page. These are not the opinions of any of my employers, partners, or associates. I did my best to be honest about my disclosures but can’t guarantee I am right; I write these posts after a couple beers sometimes. I edit after my posts are published because I’m impatient and lazy, so if you see a typo, check back in a half hour. Also, I just straight up get shit wrong a lot. I mention it twice because it’s that important.