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 6 of 9)
76. Moore is the scum of the earth, PERIOD.
Skip at 5:22PM on Jun 20th 2007
77. Before we praise too much glory on the Canadian health care system, recognize that in the majority of systems there is a state pay and a private pay.
As in Canada the funds are limited. There are situation where mother's giving child birth was not given pain medication because the system was out of money. Clearly we need to do something about health care in the US but in my experience we need to develop our own system and use systems like Canada and Britain as systems we should not copy.
As for Roger Moore, he needs to go back to Detroit and get a job instead of making useless movies that do nothing but misinform.
tlure at 5:38PM on Jun 20th 2007
78. One question. When you really need a life saving operation, where are you going to go - Cuba, Canada, France, England Venezuela or anywhere else? Or are you going to go to anyone one of hundreds of hospitals in the USA that give the best care available anywhere. I bet Moore wouldn't go to Cuba and when fatso has a heart attack we'll know for sure where he thinks the best health care system is.
Fred at 5:40PM on Jun 20th 2007
79. I have been to Cuba twice and visited people in their homes. One grandma told me her grandson was sick. I gave her my small bottle of tylenol and she cried ... she cried and told me her prayers were answered! Our small group brought much needed medical supplies to some of the churches there since med supplies were so limited.
So, Michael Moore, don't dare tell me how great the medical system is in Cuba! BTW, anyone over 9 was not allowed to drink milk, they bought what food they could with a limited number of monthly food stamps (a lot of beans and rice), the women wanted our bras because they had none, our Cuban friends were restricted from coming into our hotel lobby, our hotel rooms were wired for sound (we caught them in our room placing mikes in our ceiling), the police harrassed us on the streets, and no one owned their own property. Isn't communism great!
My daughter just got back from Ukraine and told me how filthy the hospitals were. Her friend got a deep gash on his arm and went to the hospital for stitches. He asked if they had anything for the pain and they said they would give him ELECTRIC SHOCKS for it! He ended up with no needed stitches and a piece of gauze wrapped around the wound.
On one trip to Russia, we took these special breathing tubes (I believe that's what they were) for premature babies which saved many of them from inevitable death. I'm sure they're worn out by now (in fact, in the US we dispose of them after each use, but these were to be disinfected and used again and again.) The hospitals there look like our hospitals from the '50's, only not clean. The doctors got paid not much more than a waitress. In the orphanages, we saw babies a day away from death with no hope of medical care.
We have had friends from Canada who come to the US for surgery to avoid the long waiting lines.
Our system isn't perfect, but it's 100% better than what's available in other countries. I must say, though, that I have to pay $100 for a trip to the emergency room now and the numerous illegal immigrants who use it as their doctor's office pay nothing. Go figure that one out!
sunshine484848 at 6:12PM on Jun 20th 2007
80. it is illegal to turn anyone away from most emergentcy rooms in this country. there are usually social-workers on duty 24/7 to help folks with no insurance to pay accordingly, to their income. moore is full of crap, as usual, and should do some home-work before he males millions on his 'MOVIES". where is a law that states the government is responsible for health-care for every person living in this country??
JANE at 10:02PM on Jun 20th 2007
81. Jim writes: "PEOPLE FORGET OUT OF 45 MILLION HALF OF THEM ARE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO CANT GET INSURANCE BECAUSE THERI .......ILLEGAL, AS FOR MOORE I WOULD NEVER CALL ANYTHING HE HAS DONE " FACTS " AND WOULD NEVER PAY TO SEE ANY OF HIS FICTISOUS BS MOVIES
Jim, lets not add your racist lies to the disregard Paul has for the 17,000 working people who die each year from lack of insurance. 80% are US citizens, http://www.nchc.org/ and click on "Facts About Healthcare." I think the families of those who have died from lack of insurance should have a proper funeral for the victims of the Republican Party, and then put them ALL on your and Paul's lawn to decompose. Maybe then it would sink through your bigoted mind that these are REAL people who have REALLY died.
Phil at 6:14PM on Jun 20th 2007
82. Hummm, Bowling for Columbine. More gun laws and less guns than in the past, but we have more firearm crime than ever. I think the problem isn't the weapons. Roger and me? The Shreveport GM plant workers averaged $70k a few years ago, and that doesn't take into account the HC, which they pay less than Retired Military do. Canadian HC? Talk to a Canadian about ROUTINE visits, with waiting lists. If it's not an emergency? You wait. When many small cities can't find OB/GYN for their hospitals because we sue over everything, we can't really place all the blame on the government and the insurance companies. Count how many injury lawer commercials are on in the next hour. We need to place some of the blame on the person in the mirror.
Troy at 7:39AM on Jun 21st 2007
83. Moore is a chronic liar, of course, and his trip to Cuba was a joke. Of course his communists "hosts" would make sure he and his "patients" get decent care.
My father's been to Cuba three times in the last half dozen years. The first trip his missions group had to give thousands of dollars of medical supplies they were bringing in to the gov't as a bribe/tax/tribute/what have you. The rest they got to distribute to people who needed it. In one small town they were in when the Cubans learned an American doctor was in town, they flocked to him like he was some divine healer.
Free medical care in Cuba? I guess so. But when my father went into a Cuban pharmacy they didn't even have so much as an aspirin to give to anyone. When they held a Christian service in the evening people had to surround the place with their cars and turn the headlights on so there could be light---no electricity after dark. Secret police following them everywhere.
He also reported that in the main plaza of Havana, where just a week earlier Pope John Paul II had held mass, that there were more prostitutes plying their trade than he'd ever seen anywhere in his life. In fact, it seemed to him and to the other Americans on the trip that the main "industry" for Cuba was the sex industry---American, Canadian and Europeans flying in for wall-to-wall sex, leaving their valuable foreign currency behind while the Cuban currency is essentially worthless. My father had been to India, too, on a couple of occasions and he felt that the poor in India had a far greater chance at a decent future than the poor he saw in Cuba.
But Moore, the leftist propagandist that he is, will no doubt champion the wonderful Cuban system and claim it is better than our system. By the way, of the 47M Americans who don't have insurance, I've read that probably a full 1/3 of those people are younger people who could afford insurance but don't get it because they don't feel they need it. Isn't that what freedom means? If they want to be stupid enough to go without insurance, I guess they should be allowed to do so. But that reduces the number of the genuinely uninsured to 31M, still a serious number but in a country of over 300M, not an overwhelming number. And certainly not such a number that we should socialize our health care industry and lower the quality of care for everyone (except the rich who have always been able to afford what they want).
If you really want socialized health care you could also argue that the gov't should be ordering what you eat, how you exercise, etc. Why not ban the sale of soft drinks, which is one of the leadings causes of obesity in the US? Ban "fast food" or put a tax on it so high people won't buy it. Order every employer to muster his workers onto the parking lot and make them do a half hour of exercise every day. The people would be healthier and have less need for medical care, right?
Frankly, I'm tired of paternalistic gov't, embodied by Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Reid, et al, who always seem to "know" what is best for the average American and who, millionaires all, know that they won't be affected at all by the decisions they foist on the American people. Why not do this as a start? Members of Congress and their families will not be allowed to have a medical plan that provides anything more than what is the "median" care for average Americans. No gov't provided gyms, no gov't provided 100% medical care, no gov't provided pensions (unless equiv only to that which the average American gets), no pay raises, ever, if there is a budget deficit, etc.
Alan at 9:33PM on Jun 20th 2007
84. And you think Michael Moore gives a rat's ass what you think? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHH!!!!
dottie at 7:20PM on Jun 20th 2007
85. Ive tried to understand the Republican philosophy but I it only means Ive got mine so screw you. Republicans want to get rid of the middle class so we have 2 classes in American same as much of South American, we work for peanuts while they loive in luxury, screw teh republicans.
bob U. at 2:17PM on Jun 23rd 2007
86. These bloggers prove that, "attorney" is not a synonym for "intelligent."
Randy at 7:24PM on Jun 20th 2007
87. Call it politically socialist if you want, personally I'd much rather have a govt decide my fate, than those crooks in the insurance racket. Anyone who has ever been in a car accident knows the minute you have to use it, is the very same minute they start looking at ways to cheat you. Sorry, but a person's health, and a person's right to an education is a an issue of morality and not an issue of politics..
Jeff Edgmon at 7:37PM on Jun 20th 2007
88. Here's a short read of Akin Gump clients.Paul Mirengoof, the author of this blog)works for them. Micheal Moore may be opportunistic but this blogger is nothing but a tool! We used to call guys like this 'shills', 'tool' works pretty well too.
ABBOTT LABORATORIES
AETNA, INC
ALLIANCE OF AMERICAN INSURERS
ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND COMPANY
BECHTEL GROUP
HEALTHCARE LIABILITY REFORM COALITION
The list goes on and on.
We are in a crisis. Your family is in danger! TERROR!!
Moore or no Moore it's time we deal with this.
Screw all of these Tools! When more people start to die this country will finally wake up!
Right?
Right?
Hellooo...
Anybody home?
tom at 7:47PM on Jun 20th 2007
89. If he is to be taken seriously or not,it is a fact that our Health Care System is in serious trouble. Until a few years ago, I would not have believed that things could proceed as they have.
We have provided for our family, with no assistance from anywhere. Our boys are grown now. Until 3 yrs. ago, we had Health coverage thru work.
By circumstance, my husband went to a job that has no benefits. He is paid well, so we thought, no problem, we will go to a private group. NO!!! Seems I am on a "list" somewhere, and I have been turned down more than once, because I have Depression, Arthritis, and Fibromyalgia. We do not want Welfare. We want to pay our bills. What do you do when an insurance company says--no. Money does not matter, when I call a Dr., first ? is, what is your Insurance? You can hear the Receptionist suck in her breath, like, " another no pay". Should we have to move out of the country we were born in?
Roberta at 7:50PM on Jun 20th 2007
90. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-kingb13jun13,0,4679488.story?coll=la-home-center
Does anyone else see a problem with Moore's idea?
SteveG at 7:57PM on Jun 20th 2007