Saint Luigi

Patron Saint of the Aging Who Need Health Insurance

At elite Princeton, where the next generation of capitalism’s leaders are shaped, there is strong support for alleged murderer Luigi Mangione. MSN reports:

“ … a poll of nearly 1,500 [Princeton] students on the Fizz social network revealed that 25% found Mangione’s action ‘completely justified,’ with another 22% saying Thompson’s death was ‘deserved.’

Already well known are the findings of the Emerson poll of the under-30. Almost the majority assess the alleged murder as “acceptable.”

Also, during this holiday season when the best of human nature is expected to prevail the moniker “Saint Luigi” is catching on.

Does this shift in conventional social mores mirror the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol?” And since the mindset is among the young could American capitalism wind up growing a heart?

That could mean plenty for the aging who need or want to work. Of those who have retired and returned to work 69 percent cite the rising cost of living. There is also the wrenching experience of pulling up roots from HCOL (high cost of living) areas to relocate to LCOL (lower cost of living) areas.

Currently the situation for the aging knowledge workers isn’t pretty. Once a professional hits 50, they have a target on their backs, documents Pro Publica. The odds are they will not leave that job voluntarily.

In 2023, the layoff of 240 at Edelman Public Relations firm consisted primarily of the “seasoned pros.” Of those over-50 lucky enough to land another full-time job in their field, Pro Public also documents, only 10 percent will receive compensation comparable to what they had been paid in their previous job.

Meanwhile, it’s a long stretch of time before being eligible for even early aka coming-with-a-payment-haircut Social Security at age 62.

In my coaching I advise even those pushed out of plum jobs: Get a job, any job. No, don’t go the freelance route.

Here’s the deal. Without a real job, no matter what it is, the usual option for health insurance is to pay it totally out-of-pocket. That’s expensive. But, health insurance is critical since medical bills are the primary reason for filing for personal bankruptcy. Incidentally Mangione’s beef was about healthcare insurance. Anything connected with healthcare insurance is a serious financial issue. It isn’t until age 65 that Medicare kicks in.

Another reason for finding a real job is that you could be picking up a new knowledge base and new skills which make possible a broad range of other kinds of full-time - and better - jobs. That experience also restores confidence. The new normal is that white collar workers will have to keep starting over, again and again. Those interim full-time jobs with health insurance benefits range from loss prevention to customer service.

The tough nut to crack in these transitions is to pry loose from a comfort zone. That calls for reaching into a force field like the Saint Luigi aura which liberates from the status quo of the past. If capitalism softens, there should emerge myriad versions of Saint Luigi. The power structure would have the aging’s back.