SiCKO
I just saw SiCKO and was quite impressed by it. Moore has been criticized for his stunts in the film, especially the Cuba trip, and for painting an overly-rosy view of other countries, but I don’t think he’s really off the mark. Having lived now in four countries with universal health care (UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, for those keeping track), I do agree that universal health care systems are better than the American system. Why I don’t have much experience with these other countries (having been pretty healthy), I can saw that my experiences with the French and British systems were very good. It was very cool being given an NHS number when I was living the London just because I was living there legally for over six months. No fuss, no muss.
Ironically, one of the difficulties our family had in moving to France was showing we had health insurance in order to get our visas. We were required to show health insurance covering our entire stay. Like most Americans, our health insurance was from my father’s employer. Thus, the insurer was unwilling to certify that the insurance was valid for our entire stay. In the end my father’s boss had to write a letter promising that my father would be employed for the entire period and thus ensuring health insurance!
To be honest, what disappointed me about the film was the befuddled everyman perspective Moore takes: “But I thought Americans took care of each other.” I kept wanting to yell, “Of course we don’t! We’re heartless assholes that would rather destroy ourselves than do anything remotely socialistic!” I’ll give him that appealing to people’s better instincts is probably more effective in changing things than berating them for their narrow-minded and selfish attitudes. Being one more prone to calm dialog than arguments and accusations (which is why I don’t support Greenpeace, but that’s another story…), it perhaps ironic for me to say it, but in this case I subscribe to the Henry Rollins school of rage for civic good (watch the entire video, it’s very moving). Sure Moore takes some pot-shots at HMOs, but he really doesn’t indite American society the way I would have liked. In that sense I would consider Bowling for Columbine a more critical film.
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Speaking of sic(k): “I can saw [sic] that my experiences with the French and British systems were very good. It was very cool being given an NHS number when I was living the London [sic] just because I was living there legally for over six months…Sure Moore takes some pot-shots at HMOs, but he really doesn’t indite [sic] American society the way I would have liked.” Sorry, couldn’t resist…
Berating people is what Nick Kristof does for a living — as far as I’m concerned he jumped the shark when he actually suggested that he’d have to shoot a puppy in the head to get the attention of his heartless, benighted readership. (How’s that for patronizing?) One reason Bowling for Columbine was such a good movie was that it was really rolling-on-the-floor funny, but that kind of humor is basically impossible to sustain if the whole thing becomes an exercise in holier-than-thou finger-wagging. (”People wouldn’t be dying in the street if you could just be bothered to tear yourself away from American Idol and give a shit about your fellow man blah blah blah blah blah.”)
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:00 pm
P.S. “Of course we don’t! We’re heartless assholes that [sic] would rather destroy ourselves than do anything remotely socialistic!”
What’s with the self-stereotyping? Destroy ourselves? That shit is shrill enough to break a wine glass.
In truth, polls show that “a majority of Americans say the federal government should guarantee health insurance to every American, especially children, and are willing to pay higher taxes to do it.” (ABC News reports the same.)
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Yeah, I was amplifying a bit. =) Maybe I should change that to politicians are heartless bastards. That being said, this has not been a really powerful issue for many people, voters and politicians alike, or our dysfunctional health care system wouldn’t have lasted as long as it has. The evidence you sight and Democratic presidential candidates making noises about universal health care all suggest that things may be tipping in a better direction. I just hope people don’t try to pull some stupid shit like that Californian proposition that would be required all employers to offer health care.
I guess what I was getting at is that is that, unlike Bowling for Columbine, in this film Moore doesn’t try to dig deep and understand why the system is the way it is. Blaming everything on Kaiser and Nixon is a cop-out. I’m interested in the sociology and psychology of it all, as that’s the basis for everything.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:43 am
I see…yes, what I appreciated most in Bowling was that Moore didn’t take the easy way out. He could’ve easily rallied the troops by just hammering on the NRA for an hour and a half, and I think it’s a testimony to his integrity that he chose not to “blame the gun,” so to speak. Every mass movement needs a Devil, but Moore chose not to identify a clear enemy in that film. If he were just your average demagogue, I doubt he would’ve done that.
He did exit with a nasty dig on Charlton Heston, and that’s what a lot of people remember — but in a way, I’m surprised gun owners don’t appreciate his candid acknowledgment that widespread firearms ownership doesn’t make for a violent society.
I haven’t seen SiCKO, but it sounds less insightful than Bowling. I started to watch Fahrenheit 9/11, and to be honest, it didn’t really grab me. I got distracted by dinner or something and just never came back to it.
I suspect health care is becoming more and more of an issue as a result of an aging population, but that’s just a wild guess. The boomers are sweating bullets now that they’re all getting cancer.
October 3rd, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Yes, I would say SiCKO is a less insightful film but still quite good. You should see it.
And yes, aging populations are surely a key factor. I believe more and more of American health care money is being spent on non-medical expenses, too (from insurance to administration to corporate profits).