Sicko

We didn’t see Sicko in the theater but finally caught it on DVD which might be better because of the excellent “special features.” It’s clear why opponents hate Michael Moore. The guy is a beauty and a master at inserting the needle at the most vulnerable point. Having worked in the insurance industry nearly thirty years I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them. This wasn’t always the case. The insurance industry, before the eighties, had some integrity. I have to agree with Moore. They no longer belong in the health care business. The most chilling scene for me was Nixon and Erlichman discussing Nixon’s deal with Edgar Kaiser to begin the HMO concept. Most moving was in the “special features” where Moore arranged to have a street in LA’s skid row sealed off. He set up a large screen and had a premier of Sicko for the street people who sat outside in folding chairs and ate popcorn as they watched with rapt attention. Most effective was the Cuban interlude, where the Cubans gleefully cooperated with Michael to treat 911 heroes as well as the evildoers were being care for at Guantanamo. Moore makes the case strongly that we are victims of our own media propaganda machine and really don’t understand what’s going on in other countries. He spent a lot of time in France. Fox news and others pushed back hard against Michael Moore’s contention that the Canadian, British and French systems (and Norwegian in the special features) were superior to the US system. There was a segment in the film on SOS Medecin, the 24/7 house call service available in France. We actually used SOS Medecin on a trip to Paris in 1987. Twice. Both times doctors appeared in hotel room within an hour and charged a reasonable fee. Our health care system is a mess. It’s driven by greed and profit motive. Former Labour MP Tony Benn featured in the film and at length on the DVD special features had an excellent explanation about how government, not responsive to peoples needs and wants, is able to maintain control by managing the attitudes of the population. Sicko is a great documentary. It points out the moral bankruptcy of our system and presents a case study as to why the free market isn’t free and probably wouldn’t solve all our probems if it were.

Comments

[jessica22]

i saw "sicko" recently and was deeply affected. i agree that michael moore is a highly skilled director and managed to catch the US government with it's pants down again. it's so insane how much power the insurance companies gained. that's why i am working to support AARP who are trying to get Congress to make Medicare available to people who cannot afford it. you should check out their website at www.thisissoridiculous.com and sign their online petition and make your voice heard! you can also view online videos, email Congress, and read up on the cause on the website!

~Jessica

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