Sicko
Anybody seen “Sicko”? In spite of its very poor title and Michael Moore’s syrupy/faux-ironical narration, this is his best film by far. Everyone should see it, if only to understand that in countries from France to Canada to the UK to Cuba, health care is a right for all, not a privilege. In these countries, everybody gets health care, and the care they get is good. Yes, it means higher taxes and a “socialized” system, but there seems to be a feeling among the citizens of these countries that—unlike in the U.S.—those who can afford health care have the responsibility to pay for those who can’t. If you see this film and decide it's bogus, let me know and I'll pay for your ticket.
posted by chuck at 7/11/2007 10:47:00 PM
5 Comments:
Damn, Dad. I really wanted to see that with you. Oh well, I guess I'll go see it tomorrow all by my lonesome. Did you love it? I can't wait to see it...
I wouldn't say I loved it; I'd say it woke me up. Its premise: health care in the U.S. isn't about caring for people, it's about running up profits for the HMO and pharmaceutical industries and about buying off politicians to pave the way. But that's no news to anyone. What it's really about is whether the people in this country care enough about their less fortunate countrymen to pay for their health care, as they do in many other countries. Even Cuba, the poorest of nations.
as a family man living in the 2nd most corrupt state in the union (why do you think so many oil and drug companies do business here?), i would love to see something done about health care costs. for two adults and one child i now get to pay $1295.00 per month for very so-so benefits.
but do i really want the US govment taking over the administration of my health care? not on your life. those money grubbing scoundrels would quickly ruin a system that works reasonably well for more than 265 million people in a country of just over 300 million.
yes, we need a fix, but it ain't centralized medicine.
35% of brits seek care outside the paid system when they really need help. 30% of canadians do the same. the rich will always get better care.
my family doc pays over 100 thousand dollars a year for malpractice insurance. she estimates she could reduce fees by almost half if insurance costs and regulations both on her end and on the patients' end could be brought under control.
the insurance companies are the primary problem in this issue.
did castro ask his citizens' if they wanted to pay health care costs for the less fortunate? i doubt it. it's nice they do so but let's not start thinking how altruistic they are down in the islands.
i don't smoke. i drink very little. i get regular exercise and i watch what i eat. why should i have to pay for the obese smoker living on yodels and kools and whiskey who can't walk up a flight of stairs and doesn't do a damn thing to take care of his health? i already have to pay the exact same monthly premium as this fatso (jersey demands equality), now you want me to pay for him when he can't make his payment becuase he weighs 350 lbs. and has emphysema and raunchy bowel syndrome?
it is a VERY complex problem. moore's beauty is he opens our eyes, but solutiions? john edwards' plan is worth looking at. so is obama's. both spell out what they'd like to try and do on their websites.
Points well taken, bro. Your arguments must be good because they’re nearly identical to the multi-million dollar campaign against socialized medicine the AMA has been making for years. And who would argue with them? They know what’s good for us, and, as Moore’s film points out, they know even better what’s good for them. But I’m not interested in arguing at this point. I’m interested in getting you to see the movie. Has anyone fought their way through the Harry Potter crowds to see Sicko?
chuck, excellent. got a real good chuckle out of that one last eve. right before i put in 40 on the bike with the buds, despite an aching back, and then ate pasta with red sauce, garlic bread, salad, and two buds.
sicko is on our netflix list. probably be on dvd by labor day. no way am i paying 10 bucks to see that or just about any other flick. i know what moore's up to and no way do i think he's wrong. i just think like gore (have you seen an inconveinent truth?) he has no problem getting free and easy with the facts to prove his theories.
here's a moore's tale: met a guy at a wedding a month or so ago. he worked on sicko as a sound production guy. even got an invite from mike to go to cannes. but what mike doesn't offer is health insurance. he considers his employees self-employed sub contractors, a slick ploy even large corporations are now using to avoid paying health benefits and pension plans to the poor slobs who do the grunt work.
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