Breaking Bad vs. American Capitalism

Kevin Svec

Politics in Pop Culture

                In the twenty-first century, one of the biggest debates in the United States has dealt with the health-care system. The Democratic Party has agreed upon the idea that the current health-care system, which has been bankrupting countless Americans, needs a reform. In the midst of a political shift, AMC’s Breaking Bad was set to premier in January of 2008. Breaking Bad is a drama which features a man named Walter White (portrayed by Bryan Cranston), an overqualified high school chemistry teacher who develops lung cancer. As the health care system is currently in the hands of private corporations, the quality care he needs for his condition, is not covered by his insurance. As a result, White decides his only option is to begin making and selling highly profitable yet highly illicit drug, methamphetamine, in order to prevent his family from going bankrupt. In an era of political change in the United States, the events of AMC’s Breaking Bad carries an underlying message that illustrates the societal flaws in American health care system and capitalist agendas.

            In early 2008 the United States was in turmoil. The country was hit with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression which left thousands of Americans unemployed and hopeless. As the Bush era was coming to an end, the American people were ready to see a change their country’s politics. One of the biggest changes proposed by then candidate Barack Obama was to make health care affordable to every American regardless of their income as an estimated 55 million Americans are without it. In AMC’s Breaking Bad, Walter White’s descent into darkness illustrates just what lengths people will go to obtain good health care.

In many ways, AMC’s Breaking Bad is a brutally honest attack on American capitalism, specifically in the health care industry. Even with the fact that White wanted the best quality health care for his condition, which would cost significantly more money, the show begs the question of: why on earth should a hardworking American WITH insurance be denied high quality health care so private companies can make a profit? Why is the welfare of human beings about “the bottom line?” Breaking Bad is a graphic look at what the stupidity of the American health care can motivate people to do. Several studies, including one conducted by Harvard University, have shown that medical care is the biggest cause of bankruptcies in the United States and that ten million insured Americans will face bills in which they are unable to pay. The creators of the show have noted that Breaking Bad could not have taken place in a country with universal health care. Many countries, including the United States’ neighbor to the North, have socialized health care and if the series were to take place there, it would be over when White first learned he had cancer, as the government would have taken care of him.

            Here is a bit of background on the Walter White’s situation. White is a middle class American. He has a son with cerebral palsy and a wife who is pregnant at the time of this crisis. White is a high school chemistry teacher WITH health insurance. However, his provider will not cover the high quality care required for his treatment, which would cost over $90,000, an amount that is almost impossible to obtain on a high school teacher’s salary. White is left in a heavy predicament, as many Americans are, to find a way to pay the medical bill or see his family lose everything because of his condition. After trying to come up with a solution, one idea being stealing from his pension, he decides that he can utilize his in-depth knowledge of chemistry to make and sell high grade methamphetamine in order to bail his out of this seemingly hopeless situation.

            White originally plans to start manufacturing methamphetamine for one big payoff that will wipe out his financial burden. However, when White gets in-tune to how the drug business works, he wants more. The course of the series depicts White as a law-abiding citizen turned evil by greed and power. This is a representation of the mindset that capitalist America strategically encourages. Throughout the show, White indulges in the harsh, scum-filled world of methamphetamine trafficking. He is forced to deal with junky psychopaths, make sketchy deals and even kill people, all in the name of money in turn disregarding all thoughts of human compassion.

            Along with working to highlight the flaws and potential outcomes of the American health care system, Breaking Bad also works to bring light to the stupidity of a lot of Americans in relation to the health care issue. White’s brother in law, Hank Schrader (portrayed by Dean Norris) a DEA agent, becomes seriously injured and requires extensive medical care. This comes at a hefty cost of $177,000. When hearing this news, Schrader is shocked at the fact he had to pay that much with the line “$177,000, what about my insurance?” As Schrader is then educated in the American health care system, his character becomes a satire of many Americans’ inability to comprehend just how backwards the system is. He represents the mindset that many Americans assume that since they have coverage, they are completely taken care of. However, in the process neglecting to realize that even with the “must be protected at all costs” employer paid health care, they can still go bankrupt due to “out of pocket expenses.

            This brings up the closing point. Everyone wants the best health care for themselves, especially with a life threatening condition. But to do this, people have to pay the insane amounts out of their own pockets. It demonstrates what lengths Americans will go to just to be healthy. The story of Walter White is not only a story an expression of resistance against the American health care system, but a representation of the downfall of capitalism and the potential results of pursuing the American Dream. Walter White, of “Heisenberg” is a caricature of how far one will go in the face of a devastating condition. Breaking Bad provides a deep message that capitalism is fueled by greed, which is the root of all evil.