Kyle Smith of the New York Post writes a nice takedown of Michael Moore's new move "Sicko." The movie has not yet been released, so we don't yet know for sure whether, like previous Moore films, it will be premised on a lie. As Smith notes, "the central idea of 'Bowling for Columbine' -- that the killers were subconsciously driven to their actions by the presence of a weapons manufacturing plant in Littleton ---turned out to be not only conceptually insane but literally untrue." In fact, the plant did not make what Moore called "weapons of mass destruction" but rather space launch vehicles for TV satellites. Similarly, "Roger and Me" presented Moore as unable to secure an interview with the GM chief Roger Smith. But, this "was also a 90-minute lie: Moore did talk to Roger Smith, a fact revealed by Ralph Nader."
"Sicko" apparently is built around stories of people who got the run-around from insurance companies. Such stories should be enough easy to find, so perhaps Moore was able to resist his usual practice of making things up. However, as Smith's review shows, these sorts of anecdotes are beside the point when it comes to rational debate about health care, given the ease with which one can find similarly chilling anecdotes about the health case systems Moore extols -- those of Canada, France, and England. (For a great send-up of the Canadian system, watch the excellent film "Invasion of the Barbarians" by leftist director Denys Aracand).
Smith provides plenty of evidence that should make us pause before seeking to emulate the health care systems of Canada, France, and England (much less that of Cuba which also draws particular praise from Moore). That doesn't mean that our system can't be improved or even that, ultimately, we shouldn't borrow elements from the system of one or more of these countries. It just means that Moore's film, if Smith has desccribed it fairly, is irrelevant to serious debate about these matters.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 9)
31. Thank God there are people like Michael Moore to ruffle the panties of people like the frighteningly misinformed Mirengoff. Your blog is worthless, because you cant even tell the truth about the truth. Another right-wing hack, ladies and gentleman. Get a look at him--they are quickly becoming extinct.
princess poon at 1:20PM on Jun 20th 2007
32. If it costs 10 times less in third world counties and they still as good of medical treatment then you know something is crooked in denmark. Time to break up the insurance companies and HMO's and demand better pricing on all drugs or let other countries open up medical centers in america.
tim at 1:23PM on Jun 20th 2007
33. I still can't get over the fact that people actually read the Murdoch-infused NY Post. Why not read the Enquirer? The Post is where the filaure siof journalism end up. Everyone knows that.
lwreastsidenyc at 1:21PM on Jun 20th 2007
34. Paul Miregoff's reaction to Michael Moore is evidence that Mr. Moore has a smash hit once again. Mr. Miregoff's analysis is part of the usual misinformation barrage which the right wing foists upon us whenever their distorted version of reality is challenged. While Mr. Moore may utilize dramatic and sometimes outlandish techniques, it may be the only way to get attention to a serious issue, in today's "news" world dominated by irrelevant babling about Paris Hilton.
Silvio at 1:21PM on Jun 20th 2007
35. As far as I concerned,Michel Moore has a sick mind full of hate. He is willing to fabricate lies in order to justify his ill feelings against anything that is not in agreement with his twisted mind.
Jorge J. Ocando at 4:11PM on Jun 20th 2007
36. mr moore cuba dosen't have aspirin for pain or maxipads for ladys when they have their period.wrong example to use as a social medicine.from a cuban who works in healthcare.
rey at 1:23PM on Jun 20th 2007
37. AOL called this far, far righ article by a legal firm with real conflicts of interest "Our Blogger"
I'm deeply embarassed for AOL
hBro at 1:33PM on Jun 20th 2007
38. I AM APPALLED AT THE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE TRUTH WHEN IT IS TOLD AND THEN PROCEED TO TRASH THE ONES WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE AMERICANS AWARE OF WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING TO US. I AM NOW TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH ARE THE MOST EVIL.... THOSE WHO REPORT THE TRUTH OR THOSE WHO TRASH THE TRUTH. AS THE INTELLIGENT YOUTH OF TODAY SAY... "DUH."
GRANDMA BUTTON
Button at 1:52PM on Jun 20th 2007
39. I worked 7 years in the healthcare BUSINESS (let's call it what it really is) and I am sick, sick, sick of our current system. Medicare/medicaid is broke and it can be fixed by lumping the entire population under one government plan which covers 80% while the 20% will remain as individual responsiblity, which then can be covered by subscribing plans thru current providers[line Blue Cross]. This is the only way to ensure a long term solution for all Americans. Lets get it done -- its the only way to prove Michael wrong.
Robb at 1:58PM on Jun 20th 2007
40. how can there be valid comments by professional writers when they have nopt even readwhat they comment about? Standard when you getpaidby the word.
scher martin at 3:27PM on Jun 20th 2007
41. Paul Mirengoff, you and the others who criticize Moore are completely missing the point. It's not whether Moore is relevant, but he's exposing a serious issue by dramatizing it. The point is that the healthcare delivery system in America is seriously broken, and it's due to, in large part, inefficiencies on the part of the insurers. The providers of healthcare are hamstrung by the fact that insurers won't pay fairly for services, even IF the patient has insurance. Insurers' inefficiencies in claims review, claims processing and overall operations cause their own costs to sky rocket, meaning that premiums for un- or underemployed people are out of reach. And, oh by the way, the insurance lobby is only too happy to point out that the providers of healthcare are greedy as they preach about the "rising cost of healthcare". Insurers strike "deals" in the PPO market with hospitals to accept 10% of reasonable and customary fees. Why? Because otherwise hospitals cannot attract the membership of Aetna or United, or any of the other bigs. Also, hospitals suspect that they won't be able to collect directly from the patients who don't subscribe to PPOs (rightly so) and aren't willing to put effort behind it. So the insurers "mistakenly" underapprove claims about 40-60% of the time, and healthcare providers don't pursue it. Read the McKinsey Quarterly whitepaper, "Overhauling the US Healthcare Payment System" (June, 2007) for a more indepth and frightening state of the healthcare problem. Michael Moore has only done what nobody else has had the guts to do: shine a light on a crisis. I hope he wins an Oscar. Moreover, I hope politicians listen up. By the way, what were the 2005 bonus amounts for the CEOs of Aetna and United Healthcare? Hint: THEY can afford insurance. For us all.
lindabarnes01 at 2:08PM on Jun 20th 2007
42. As your typical middle class I had insurance all
my life untill layed off at 58, never needed it untill recently. they will let you die, just wait
till its your turn
withoutinsurance at 2:39PM on Jun 20th 2007
43. People make this arguement about people not having health insurance. That is a lie. If you are poor, you have Medicaid. If you want insurance you can buy it. If it is too expensive, go with a high deductible plan or a plan with less benefits. It's that easy. The ones that get hurt are the people that are uninsurable that work for a small company. They may not get coverage, depending on which state you live in. But the "45 million" without health insurance number is not an accurate statement.
the joker at 4:34PM on Jun 20th 2007
44. Once you have proven yourself as a pathological liar, I don't care what you have to say. Michael Moore is just out to make money. He won't contribute one common sense solution to anything. He's incapable.
Marty at 2:16PM on Jun 20th 2007
45. The Republican And Right Of Republican Lack of Compassion:
I noticed that the blog was based on the Kyle Smith review of Sicko. One thing noticeably missing from the review is the fact that 47 million Americans' have no health insurance, and 17,000 die from having no insurance each year. 80% of the uninsured are citizens.
All of Americans huge population of uninsured are working or considered able to work because they are not entitled to "urgent care" unless their condition renders them unable to work and qualifies them for Medicaid. For example, as shown on AOL awhile back, one uninsured woman had a spreading brain tumor, and was unable to receive "urgent care" chemotherapy until the tumor took away her eyesight entirely. If I was a family member of a victim of the huge ininsured program, and I had a family member die, I would be tempted to hold a respectfull service, place the corpse of the deceived love one in whatever quality of casket the family could afford, and dump it on the lawn of our Republican Congressmen who oppose national healthcare and let them decompose in protest. Maybe then, those who practice the politics of heartlessness would get a REAL LIFE view of what their position on the issue means in human terms.
The donation checks to Repubicans in power alone shows that as long as they are paid off, they will allow this travesty continue. In contrast, every Democratic Presidential candidate offers a plan for national healthcare, and choice is involved in several candidates' considerations to avoid the quite true problems with single payer systems.
John Edwards' plan is not a single payer plan, it offers a multitude of choices and makes sure no American is left behind. Hillary is committed to national healthcare, notes that Americans "love their choices" and plans to institute on at most an eight year timeline, each year whittling away at the number of uninsured and improving the system. Fixing the system before we invest more government dollars into it makes sense, because the system is not working. If you want to see the dangers of America's healthcare both for insurer and uninsured patients, see http://www.nchc.org/ and click on "Facts About Healthcare."
As the link above will show, Michael Moore's film subjects are much more than oddities. Our healthcare system is not working for the insured or uninsured. Kudos to Michael Moore for bringing this message to Americans. While I disagree with a single payer system, the need for national healthcare with a healhcare system that works is Desperately needed.
However, if you agree with me and want decent healthcare at reasonable prices whether you are insured or uninsured, you'll only get it if you vote Democrat for US Congress and the White House.
Phil at 2:17PM on Jun 20th 2007